Mexico is still reeling from the double whammy of the swine flu outbreak last year and the economic downturn, and the country’s tourism and port officials are still gauging the effects.

This is a time of contrasts. The industry is introducing ever more amazing ships while raising standards and the bar on product delivery. At the same time, ticket prices are dropping lower than ever due to the economic downturn. We are seeing seven-day Caribbean cruises being offered as low as $399 per person this coming winter; year-end sales; and two-for-one pricing for 2010.

The polar regions are seeing an increased push in demand for voyages and landings. With more ships and capacity appearing in these regions over the last decade, there is no shortage of issues at hands for the lines to deal with.

“All of a sudden we have a situation where there is a lot of interest in the Polar areas with the climate change hype,” said Sven Lindblad, president and founder of Lindblad Expeditions. “Companies are waking up and saying ‘hey we’re going to take some people to Antarctica today,’ without any prior knowledge. It would be like me waking up tomorrow and wanting to run tours in Vegas.”

“The Oasis of the Seas will have such a dramatic impact that she will help more people understand all that cruising has to offer,” said Richard Fain, CEO and chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises, parent company to Royal Caribbean International. “We are seeing a halo effect on the rest of our fleet,” he added. “We saw it when the Freedom entered service, too.”

While prices on raw materials, machinery and furnishings have come down since last fall, affordable access to capital has also become more limited, so shipowners are basically not able to take advantage of what may be lower building prices, according to Enrico Buschi, COO at Fincantieri’s cruise ship business unit.

Passion steers the newest addition to the Princess love boats – the Ruby Princess.  As one-on-one interviews with Ruby officers in this issue will attest to, there is a passion imparted by management for hospitality, cuisine, and service.  A true premium product, the Ruby Princess will challenge luxury and upscale ships.

"Remember, food is gold," said Executive Chef Joel Directo aboard the Ruby Princess, meaning that from his point of view, the food experience may be the most important part of a cruise.

Very good teamwork, good spirits and high staff morale are key to the food preparation and restaurant service, which in turn reflects on good management, he said.