The Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has announced its new F3 ships will include the first ever ice bars on a cruise ship. The F3 ships will feature many other amenities that are new and unique to cruise ships.

Among the features NCL is proud of is the range of nightlife – inspired by capitals of the world. Many will be for adults only, including pool areas, bars, and night clubs.

“There is nothing ordinary about these ships. The F3s are unconventionally extraordinary,” said NCL UK general manager Stephen Park.

“Every experience on board will be unique. F3 won’t have massive void spaces and rooms used just for one activity, these venues have multiple uses for sunbathing, bowling and dining, as well as being party playgrounds.”

People planning a cruise holiday want the possible cruises represented by destinations rather than by ship, P&O Cruises has found after customer and agent research. Therefore its new cruise brochure will revamped to please customers more.

The cruise lines research also showed that customers search for information on cruise holidays on many resources, including brochures, websites, and forums.

The printed brochure will now have a unique url for each cruise, allowing customers to see up to date prices and more information from the web.

Esdale said: “Our 2009 programme is our biggest yet, offering a 30% increase in capacity for our brands with the first full year of Ventura.”

All-inclusive Barbados resort Mango Bay expects 89% occupancy during June 2008 despite it being an off-season month in the Caribbean.

Holidays in Barbados are very popular during the high season, but the Mango Bay resort has managed to increase its occupancy in the off-season months also in the past few years. This year it will have a record high number of people staying for the month of June.

“Our renovation two years ago significantly elevated the quality of our all-inclusive vacation experience, and that has had a major impact on year-round bookings,” said Peter Odle, owner of Mango Bay.

“We’ve seen our off-season bookings gradually pick-up but the growth the past two years for June has been quite impressive,” he added.

Singapore has been getting ready for the first ever Formula 1 race to take place at night. The city is expected fill up with tourists coming to follow the special event – Indonesia’s industrial island Batam is even expected to provide accommodation for F1 fans.

‘The Monaco of the East’, Singapore, will hold the F1 race on its streets on 28th of September 2008. The track at the famous Marina Bay are much wider than those of the other street circuit in the F1 circus, Monaco.

Safety of drivers, marshals and spectators has been a primary concern for race holders, and special state-of-the-art lighting systems have been set up to ensure light at the night race. 90,000 spectators are expected at Singapore.

Most British holidaymakers cannot be bothered to learn even the most basic words and phrases in the language used in their holiday destination, and 81% refuse to take a phrase book or a dictionary with them, while a third rely on the locals being able to speak English.

The new survey by a leading accommodation website found that those who do not know the local language start speaking English louder and slower to be understood (19%), create a sign language (39%), or start speaking English in a foreign accent thinking that will make them better understood (10%).

75% of holidaymakers mix up the simple words ‘yes’ and ‘no’ in the most common languages spoken at holiday resorts where Brits visit – French, Spanish and Greek.

The survey was conducted by Laterooms.com

The Maldives government has announced that 19 uninhabited islands in the island group are to be leased to developers to create more luxury holiday hideaways.

The country has become one of the richest in the region thanks for the exotic and exclusive resorts where holidaymakers enjoy the clean, blue ocean and privacy.

There are also plans to 10 new regional airports which will help both tourists and locals commute between the 1,192 islands in The Maldives, 91 of which are holiday resorts.

Tourism accounts for more than a third of the country’s economy.

Members of the public have the opportunity to voice their thoughts on plans for a 90-room horel in the village of Les Praz, near ski resort Chamonix in the French Alps.

Full details of the planning application for the hotel are available for viewing until the end of the month.

If the application is passed the new ski holiday hotel will replace the existing USSIM holiday centre and Los Lanchers hotel.

The height of the planned hotel is crucial. New builds in the area are limited to a height of 10 metres, but the application is for buildings that are 17 metres high.

VisitBritain, the UK’s national tourist body is enlisting the help of comedy heroes, such as John Cleese to promote holidays in Britain.

The six-month promotional campaign will feature “local comedy hereos”, such as the hapless hotelier Basil Fawlty and Laurel & Hardy.

VisitBritain says the campaign will encourage tourists to “explore English destinations linked to our rich and diverse comedic history and heritage”.

Tourists sites that will feature include Torquay (where Fawlty Towers was set), Turville in Buckinghamshire (the home of the Vicar of Dibley) and Ulverston in Cumbria (Stan Laurel’s home town and now the home to the Laurel & Hardy Museum).

Sri Lankan Airways has announced that it is adding new direct flights to the Maldives from London Heathrow later this year.

There will be four weekly flights from Heathrow to Male starting in October. The airline says there will be further service announcements.

Chanaka Olagama, manager of Sri Lankan Airlines’ UK and Ireland operations, said: “We recognise the need to introduce this non-stop service for such a popular holiday destination.

“Customers’ needs are our priority and we believe that this new direct service will provide a time-effective way to travel in style and comfort to their paradise location.”

A money saving website has issued a strong warning to travellers about the hidden charges of using cash machines abroad.

Moneyexpert.com says that £284 million in unnecessary fees is being spent every year by British holidaymakers abroad in Europe and beyond.

A MoneyExpert.com spokesman said: “Withdrawing cash from an ATM or over the counter whilst abroad can be the most convenient way of getting hold of your money. It’s also safe and simple. However, most people will have to pay for the privilege and some will pay considerably more than others. With the pound currently very weak against the Euro, unnecessary fees are the last thing holidaymakers need.”

Different accounts have different charges, but typically debit card users will pay an average of £4.12 per transaction and credit card users an average of £4.33.

Etihad Airways are to add a third daily service between Heathrow Airport and their central hub at Abu Dhabi.

The new service will begin in October and will give passenger more choice of connections to the other destinations in Etihad’s network - Bangkok, Singapore and Sydney.

The airline hopes to get more slots from Heathrow Airport, with plans to extend to five flights per day.

The timeslots are leased from Luxair who are expected to transfer all their future operations ro London City Airport. Etihad Airlines has an option to buy the slots from Luxair in five year’s time.

There are plenty of major arts and sports events taking place in New York this summer and Autumn, so bear these dates in mind if you are planning a New York holiday this year.

SummerStage: Performing Arts festival, Central Park 13th June to 17th August.

Jeff Koons exhibition: Metropolitan Museum of Art - until 26th October.

Waterfront man-made waterfalls: At various locations until 13th October.

Rooftops Films 2008 Summer Series: Outside cinema screenings throughout the city throughout July, August and September.

Independence of Colombia: Flushing Meadows, traditional music and food - 20th July.

Lincoln Center outdoor festivals: 100 live performances between 7th and 23rd August

Metropolitan Opera’s 125th Anniversary Season: Features Placido Domingo, the Ring Cycle and several new productions

£2 million will be invested in improvements to Birmingham Airport’s parking facilities, officials have announced.

The key focus is on improving the traffic flow for drivers who drop off and pick up passengers at the increasingly busy airport.

Already the “drop and go” are has been expanded and more parking spaces have been made available.

The airport’s plans were influenced by the security breach that occurred at Glasgow Airport in 2007.

Drivers are being recommended to park in one of the airport’s multi-storey car parks, or in the long-stay car park, rather than blocking up the main entrance to the airport.

Birmingham Airport carries passengers to popular holiday destinations around the world, the USA, Egypt and the Red Sea as well as the well-known Mediterranean resorts.

Life Books has compiled a list of the top 10 romantic holiday destinations around the world.

The “Dream Destinations” are -

1. Wildflower Hall, India.
Set at a high altitude and in dense forests, the spa resort was once the estate of Lord Kitchener.

2. The Camargue, France.
Home to famous white ponies and pink flamingoes, medieval walled cities and glowing beaches.

3. Kyoto, Japan
There are 2,000 Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and other ancient buildings here. For extra romance, take a trip on the Sagano Romantic train - good name!

4. The Cinque Terre, Italy
An unspoilt area of the northern Italian coastline - sheer and rocky with little villages built into the hills.

5. Montreal, Canada
This is an energetic city - by day and by night, host to a number of festivals and romantic accommodation.

6. Brussels, Belgium
This capital city should be explored by foot, so you don’t miss out on its hidden gems, especially the chocolates, pastries and antique shops.

7. St Lucia, Caribbean
This beautiful volcanic island is famed for its beaches and lush rain forests that are home to parrots and birds of paradise.

8. Napa Valley, California
The famous wine producing area is just an hour’s drive from San Francisco. The valley itself and the many excellent restaurants are ideal destinations all year round.

9. The Inn at Little Washington
A piece of American history - this tiny village sits in between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley. It was the first place to be named after George Washington.

10. Lake Wanaka, New Zealand
In the centre of the South Island and sitting 1,000 feet about sea level, this is an unspoilt area of outstanding natural beauty.

A national newspaper has named Spain as the “all-time favourite destination for Scots”.

The Daily Record reports that Spain is “ideal for a dream break” and “you can never go wrong with Spain”, highlighting the country’s combination of sunshine, beaches and culture.

Majorca was named as a top family holiday destination, partly due to the wide variety of high-quality, good value-for-money package holidays on the island.

Holiday resorts in Majorca were also praised for their bars, restaurants and relative seclusion.

Scotland’s main airports (Glasgow and Edinburgh) offer daily flights to airports in all of Spain’s most popular areas.

A new indoor, all-year-round ski resort is being built at a popular tourism centre in Israel.

The Sha’ar Gilboa ski resort at Mount Gilboa was approved by government ministers on Wednesday and will offer beginner skiing opportunities as well as skiing for experts.

The plans, which have been described as “sci-fi and grandiose”, include 320 metres of illuminated skiing tracks, cable car, skiing school and facilities for tourists. The construction is estimated to cost £10 million.

As it is being built indoors, it will be available for skiers all year round.

“It will be a unique and leading attraction in Israel,” Council Head Danny Atar said Wednesday. “We believe that it will give a big push to tourism in the area.”

Attorney Yaakov Carmeli added: “This will be a refreshing change after the bad skiing conditions in the Hermon over the past few years. Israel is truly lacking a leisure ski resort that will be open year-round and offer safe and fun skiing.”

The strong performance of the Euro against the Dollar may be putting some American tourists off taking a European vacation, but travel experts are seeing that cannier Americans are boosting the popularity of Eastern European cities as they bid stretch out their holiday Dollars.

“Eastern Europe has been rising in popularity as a destination for its value,” says Marie Montgomery of AAA.

Citybreaks in Budapest and Prague are proving particularly popular, along with Krakow in Poland.

Although accommodation and food prices in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland are not as low as they were in the immediate aftermath of the Soviet Union’s grip on the area, compared to Italy and Spain there are still bargains to be had.

“For American tourists, it is good still to have the forint in Hungary,” says László Fekete, managing director of the Budapest tourism office. “The prices are slightly lower than in other countries of the European Union, where only the euro is accepted.”

A budget hotel chain is launching a trial “a-room-atherpy” in selected hotels. Sheets will scented with smells that a “Senses Census” found to be the most relaxing.

The smells used by Travelodge are those that remind visitors of happy and comforting memories. 5,000 people were asked which aromas made the most relaxed, to decide what the hotel chain would use in its sheets.

The top relaxing smells were the sea, freshly cut grass, baby powder and chocolate.

Travelodge sleep director Leigh McCarron said: “We have explored the power of smell because it has a greater ability to raise an emotion of well being within an individual, in contrast to seeing a picture or hearing a voice. Interestingly the Senses Census identified the top smells that would help Brits to drop off to sleep easily are scents associated with partners, children, home and holidays rather than the traditional scents of lavender and vanilla”.

A new international survey has found that taking a holiday makes 40% of British couples squabble over something. Either over their partner’s flirting, or everyday issues over weather or food.

17% of the couples who fight are disagreeing over flirting, 16% find themselves arguing over everyday things, and 15% battle over who is in charge of what on the holiday.

The majority of couples from the UK and elsewhere do spend their holidays in harmony, enjoying the well earned time off.

The survey was conducted by Trivago who polled over 5,000 holidaymakers.