This may be a first, a luxury ship that launched both in real life and simultaneously in Second Life. The Costa Serena, from Costa Crociere will depart from Venice to Greece, Turkey and Croatia in summer 2007 and from Savona to Canary Islands in winter 2007/2008 .The new ship was christened in Marseilles on May 19 and a virtual cruise ship and cruise terminal were also launched in Second Life.

The new ship is 290 meters long and has accommodation for up to 3780 guests in 1500 cabins. Like other Costa cruise ships this one features the Samsara spa and Samsara spa suites. The ship also has four swimming pools including one with a giant movie screen. The ship has a Greek and Roman mythology theme with 5990 art works including many original pieces. Costa Serena has already embarked on its maiden cruise from Venice to Turkey and Greece. Fares start at $1099.

Cruise ships are famous for their lavish food and their often flashy entertainment. Put the two together and you've got Holland America's new Signature Master Chef's Dinner. The evening begins with a menu in the shape of kitchen utensils listing evening's dining and wine selections. Each diner is given a chef's hat and the dinner roll is also in the shape of a chef's hat. Even the musicians in the band have instruments that have been changed to resemble food items. The meal's festivities include the "waltz of the napkins" in which the napkins are delivered by the staff in a waltz which culminates in the presentation of a domed silver platter containing the "Chef's Amuse Surprise,"  which can be a small treat ranging from salmon mousseline to mushroom mousse or a  foie gras petit four. Next, your salad is juggled to you while a singer dressed as a salad performs. Thing settle down as the dinner (options include roasted tenderloin of beef, lamp chops, duck breast a l'orange or wild mushroom streudel) progresses and the band provides background music. Things ramp up again for dessert as the song "Sugar, Sugar" plays and out comes the "Hats Off" dessert, a chocolate mousse with macerated berries  topped with a white chocolate chef's hat. The ship's chefs make an appearance and the servers dance through the audience and then form a kick-line. Oh, I need to see video of this.

More and more we are seeing cruise ships turned into condos. A new company, Condo Cruises buys smaller cruise ships and then converts some of the staterooms into one, two and three room suites. The conventional staterooms are booked to fund the annual operating budget of the ship and the condo suites can also be booked for income. Later, when the ship no longer cruises, the ship is turned into a floating hotel. Condos sell for $229,000 to $549,000. While a floating retirement home is a tempting notion, I wonder about the long-term investment potential of a suite on a cruise ship.