It seems like the innovations in the cruise industry are never ending. With the recent launch of Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas, you might have thought that the ships couldn’t get much bigger or with more facilities. However, Royal Caribbean has since announced the name of its new class of ship for 2009. The Oasis of the Seas will introduce an entirely new approach to ship design and layout as it will be home to several separate onboard 'neighbourhoods' such as Central Park - an open air area complete with greenery and terrace cafes!

This month’s On-Liner focuses on increasingly popular Italian style cruising with Costa and MSC Cruises. Both lines offer fantastic itineraries, delicious cuisine and of course, a warm Italian welcome. With Italian style cruising, you get to mix with guests from all around Europe and the ships have a cosmopolitan feel. As well as the Med, we take a look at Costa’s exotic cruises to Asia and the Middle East, plus MSC's superb festive cruises.

Ship Review - Royal Caribbean: Independence of the Seas

"This is a fantastic ship and great for kids. The food was outstanding and the gym is state of the art. Chops Grill restaurant is well worth the extra as a treat. The staff in the restaurants are first class. Pay the extra and get a balcony - it's well worth it". W Crane

Dave Mills , Iglucruise Product Manager