The cruise industry is seeing a building boom unlike any it’s seen in recent years. North American cruise lines have ordered 16 ships to debut between now and the end of 2019.

Royal Caribbean has not forgotten the value of travel agents, says RCCL president Adam Goldstein. “The state of the partnership we have with travel agents is very strong,” he told Travel Market Report.

Travel agents from Australia and New Zealand were on hand for the Vienna christening of Avalon Waterways’ newest Suite Ship. Australia is the line’s second-largest customer market.

Windstar’s newly-launched Star Pride is the first of three all-suite power yachts acquired from Seabourn. Travel sellers aboard the Pride’s inaugural cruise were impressed with Windstar’s retrofit of the ship.

As cruise lines expand their dining options, travel agents may need to assist clients in making choices. Not everyone is convinced consumers will embrace the changes.

Cruise lines are once again rethinking their approach to food service. Royal Caribbean’s new “Dynamic Dining” concept is the latest example in what one insider calls “a race without a finish line.”

Viking River Cruises broke a new Guinness World Record with its christening this week of 16 ships in a 24-hour period. In christening festivities in Amsterdam, travel agency representatives served as godmother to seven of the line’s longships.

Cruise execs attending the Cruise Shipping Miami conference said luxury cruisers want intuitive service, interesting destinations and comfortable shipboard spaces.

Cruise lines used Cruise Shipping Miami to announce a host of new developments from new ships and fresh names to unique designs and growth strategies.

Cruise executives at the recent Cruise Shipping Miami described the industry as “great” and “happy.” But that didn’t stop them from discussing a variety of concerns including media coverage of negative incidents, raising cruise fares and attracting first-time cruisers.