Carnival Corporation has signed a memorandum of agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of two 3,600-passenger cruise ships for its Princess Cruises brand. The agreement is subject to execution of a definitive contract, financing and other customary closing conditions.

The new ships – which will have an all-in cost of approximately €155,000 ($211,628 per lower berth – are scheduled to enter service in spring 2013 and spring 2014. At 139,000 tons each, the as-yet-unnamed ships will be the largest in the Princess Cruises fleet.

Additional details will be announced at a later date.

Princess Cruises is reviving a tradition that vanished years ago when more security became a way of life – the line is debuting a program to give passengers the opportunity to invite their friends and family aboard ship on embarkation day and will be able to spend approximately four hours together on the ship prior to sailing. The cost is $39 per person and includes a ship tour and lunch in the dining room. Additionally the price can be applied to a future cruise.

The program will debut in March in Los Angeles and Port Everglades, and then will roll out to New York, San Francisco and Seattle. The number of guests who will be able to participate in the ‘Bon Voyage Experience’ on any given embarkation day will be approximately 50.

Like the mighty glaciers, Alaska’s cruise industry is melting away. Today, two more cruise lines announced that they are pulling ships from Alaska’s waters. Both Princess Cruises and Holland America Line stated they would each pull a ship from Alaska in 2011. Both Princess Cruises and Holland America are owned by Carnival Corporation.

Princess, the largest cruise operator in Alaska, said it would pull the 710-passenger Royal Princess in early 2011. Princess had previously said it would reduce its Alaska-bound fleet by one in 2010.

Holland America announced that it is transferring the 1,270-passenger m/s Ryndam to Europe for 2011. Rick Meadows, executive vice president of marketing, sales and guest programs, for Holland America says the change reflects the rising demand for Europe itineraries. “‘Our guests are finding a cruise to be the best value for their money in Europe, and interest in Mediterranean and Northern European itineraries continues to grow,” he said.

So far cruise lines have pulled seven ships once bound for Alaska for new ports of call in either 2010 or 2011. So, much for cruising the USA.

The $62 million Mahogany Bay Cruise Center at Roatan in the Bay Islands officially opened this week and began welcoming cruise ships. The Yachts of Seabourn’s’ 208-passenger Seabourn Legend arrived on Saturday, Nov. 28, followed by Princess Cruises’ 3,070-passenger Crown Princess yesterday. Carnival Cruise Lines’ 2,974-passenger Carnival Valor is in port today. Reaction from cruise guests to the new facility has been outstanding.

More than five years in development, and two years under construction, Mahogany Bay Cruise Center encompasses 20 acres of waterfront property and includes a two-berth cruise terminal which can accommodate up to 8,000 passengers daily. It is a joint project of Carnival Corporation & plc and Roatan businessman Jerry Hynds.

This week’s ship visits are the first of 200 annual ship calls at the new facility, which is expected to host more than 500,000 passengers each year. In addition to the Yachts of Seabourn, Carnival Cruise Lines, and Princess Cruises, vessels from Holland America, Costa Cruises, and P&O Cruises, as well as non-Carnival Corporation brands, are expected to call at the new facility, as well.

In addition to a two-ship cruise pier, the Mahogany Bay Cruise Center offers a welcome center along with a variety of retail outlets, including two themed bars, a restaurant and several shops. A transportation hub with the ability to accommodate taxis, rental cars and tour buses, along with a wide range of shore excursion opportunities, which can be purchased on board the cruise vessels, are also available.

Unique to Mahogany Bay is a new chair lift system that takes cruise ship guests from the welcome center to beautiful Mahogany Beach, a 10-acre private island featuring an 825-foot-long white-sand beach with a beach volleyball court and myriad watersports opportunities. Eight exclusive cabanas are also available for rent.

The “Magical Flying Beach Chair” takes guests on a six-minute ride across nearly 1,200 feet of suspended cables, providing not only convenient beach access but views of the lush countryside as well. All-day passes for the beach chair lift are $5 per person. An elevated path is also available for those who prefer to walk.

“The Mahogany Bay Cruise Center not only serves as a gateway to one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful islands but is also a destination unto itself, with a magnificent white-sand beach and a wide range of shops, restaurants and shore excursion opportunities,” said Giora Israel, senior vice president of port and destination development for Carnival Corporation & plc.

For more information on the new Mahogany Bay Cruise Center, visit www.mahoganybaycc.com.