Cruise Lines

So much happened in the cruising world while Cruise Lines was out of action. Here's a quick catch up of the main stories.

* Holland America Line's 1,260-passenger Statendam set off on its first cruise sporting its new Signature of Excellence features. They include Italian restaurant Canaletto, a lounge called Mix with three bars (martini, Champagne and ales and spirits) and 16 spa staterooms with little extras such as a yoga mat, quality bathrobes and special room service menus.

* Oceania Cruises' Marina, launching in January 2011, is to feature La Reserve, a wine-tasting centre with seating for 24, where passengers can learn about and sample fine wines selected by connoisseurs at Wine Spectator magazine. They'll also be serving seven-course paired food and wine menus here - free food and service but you pay for the wine.

* CruiseDeals, part of TUI UK, has been rolled out to selected Thomson and First Choice agencies to cash in on the growing number of cruise bookers who are migrating back to the high street. They sell all cruise brands.

* Royal Caribbean International's Liberty of the Seas is to offer four and five-night Western Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in winter 2011-12. Jewel of the Seas will also be sailing short cruises, but from Tampa.

* Windstar Cruises will have 10 spa suites on Wind Surf from May 30. The suites will have plush bath robes, a pillow menu, a choice of L'Occitane and O Spa bathroom amenities and fresh fruit delivered daily. There'll be a welcome cocktail party for spa suite passengers and they'll also get two facials, two massages and two manicures or pedicures (or a shave for men). Spa suite prices start from £1,657 per person including flights and transfers.

* Paul Gauguin launched its 2011 programme of cruises in the South Pacific, offering free air fares from Los Angeles. The cruise line's ship, also called Paul Gauguin, will be cruising around Tahiti, French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, the Society Islands, the Marquesas and Tuamotus. Prices start from £2,815 per person for seven nights excluding flights.

* Star Clippers is continuing to steer clear of pirates in winter 2010-11, when all three of its ships will be based in the Caribbean and Central America. Star Flyer will be cruising around Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua, Star Clipper will be sailing seven-night from St Maarten. Royal Clipper will be based in Barbados, sailing seven, 10 and 11-night cruises.

* P&O Cruises has appointed a female captain for the first time in its 173 history. Sarah Bretton, 45, has command of the 1,200-passenger Artemis.

And then, of course, there was the volcano ash crisis, when a no-fly zone was imposed across the whole of the UK, leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded.

Cruise ships came to the rescue, picking up people here and there if they had spare cabins, while Celebrity Cruises and Thomson Cruises mounted massive rescue operations.

Celebrity got 2,200 passengers back from Bilbao on new ship Celebrity Eclipse, Isl Island Escape, part of Thomson, brought stranded passengers home from the Canaries to Falmouth in Cornwall, while Thomson's new Thomson Dream operated two cruises between Palma and Barcelona, rescuing 2,800 holidaymakers, who were then coached to Calais for a ferry journey home.

"It was certainly an experience," Thomson Cruises managing director David Selby told me when I did a quick overnight visit on Thomson Dream's inaugural cruise this week. I'm guessing from the tone of his voice that it's one he won't be in a hurry to repeat.