The Big Story: 5 Ships to Watch For

It's another big year for new cruise ships -- with "big" being the operative word. Many of the liners premiering in 2007 will set sail with more than 3,000 passengers.

"More and more, the ship is the destination," says Lauraday Kelley of Alexandria-based Vacation.com. Amenities count "when you've got maybe 4,000 [including crew] floating in what is in effect a 12-floor condo," she adds.

Here's the scoop on five of the newest ships. Rates listed are from the cruise lines, though some offer early-booking discounts. Prices are per person based on double occupancy and do not include taxes and fees. For lower rates, check with travel agents, discount cruise specialists such as Vacations to Go ( http://www.vacationstogo.com/) or Web sites like Cruise Compete ( http://www.cruisecompete.com/), at which you name your preferred cruise and travel agencies then offer competing bids on the voyage.

Norwegian Pearl(Norwegian Cruise Line)

* Debuted: Dec. 16 (was due in 2007 but was ready early)

* Stats: 93,530 tons, 2,394 passengers, 1,197 staterooms, 15 decks, 10 restaurants, 13 bars and lounges.

* Highlights: First regulation-size bowling alley on the high seas . . . Thirty-foot rock wall has five levels of difficulty . . . Three pools, plus water slide . . . Features family-friendly "freestyle cruising": unscheduled activities and open seating with flexible meal times . . . The Second City comedy troupe -- the one that begat Bill Murray and John Belushi -- hosts workshops and performs . . . Entertainment includes the "Garden of the Geisha" show with tai chi, Kabuki and drums.

* Itinerary/prices: Inaugural season includes round-trip from Miami to the southern Caribbean; a nine-night voyage leaving March 16 includes stops in Roseau, Dominica, and Bridgetown, Barbados, and starts at $949. Other itineraries include the Pacific Northwest and Panama Canal, Miami-to-Los Angeles round-trip journeys, and round-trip from Los Angeles to Vancouver, B.C. From May to September this year, the Pearl travels round trip from Seattle to Glacier Bay, Alaska.

* Info:866-234-0292, http://www.ncl.com/.

Freedom (Carnival)

* Debuts: March 5 in Venice

* Stats: 110,000 tons, 2,974 passengers, 1,487 staterooms, 13 decks, two restaurants, sushi and pool bars, and dance, jazz, piano and supper clubs (among others).

*  Itineraries/prices: Many of its first cruises (in the Mediterranean) have sold out; bookings for July and October 2008 start at $1,249. On April 26, 2008, a 14-day transatlantic voyage from Miami to Rome starts at $699. In November, Freedom will sail the western Caribbean on four-day round-trip voyages from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico (rates from $299); seven-day eastern Caribbean cruises will leave from Miami and include stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Nassau, Bahamas (from $579). Eight-day eastern and western Caribbean itineraries from Fort Lauderdale start at $579.

* Info:888-227-6482, http://www.carnival.com/.