Cruise news: hurricanes, themes, 6 new ships

NEW YORK — It's been an event-filled year for the cruise industry, with ships housing Katrina evacuees, ports in New Orleans and Mexico damaged by storms, a freak seven-story wave washing over one ship and a pirate attack on another.

But for average cruise vacationers — and there will be an estimated 11 million of them this year — the headlines are not as important as the nitty-gritty of planning a trip.

"The weather issues are unfortunate, but people understand that weather is weather," said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor at CruiseCritic.com. "The pirate attack, the rogue wave — they're pretty bizarre and unusual, but they're more of a curiosity than anything else," especially since passengers were not seriously injured in either incident.

What cruisers do want to know are the basics. How much will it cost, what's the itinerary, how do you book a trip, and what is there to do on board?

The Cruise Lines International Association says 90 percent of cruisers still book through travel agents. But even cruisers who use travel agents may want to begin their research on the Internet. CLIA, which represents 19 major cruise lines serving 97 percent of the North American market, has a Web site at www.cruising

.org featuring cruise news and listings for travel agents who specialize in cruises. Every cruise line also has its own Web site. Or check out sites like www.411cruise.com, www.cruises.com, www.cruiseweb.com and www.cruisedeals.com. Compare prices, departure ports, dates and destinations, whether you end up booking online or not.

The Web also offers reader reviews and advice. CruiseCritic.com's commentary on the pros and cons of children on ships is amusing but also a bit disturbing. More than one reader wrote in about unsupervised children getting drunk on board, while a captain's wife penned a column for the Web site about the occasional havoc wreaked by kids gone wild at sea.

Itineraries are a top consideration for cruisers. The Caribbean remains the cruise industry's No. 1 destination, with 41 percent of cruises tracked by CLIA making ports of call there. Next most popular were the Mediterranean and Alaska.

But cruise lines also vary their itineraries with new ports of call each year. For example, Crystal Cruises' world cruises plan to stop in Ashdod, near Jerusalem, in 2007; it will be the company's first call in Israel since 1999.