Luxury cruise line the Yachts of Seabourn has launched its latest liner at a glittering ceremony in Barcelona.

The new Seabourn Quest was christened June 20 by Blythe Danner in Barcelona, ahead of its maiden voyage to Athens.

It marks the end of a significant period of expansion for top-end line Seabourn, which has raised the number of ships it operates from three to six ships in two years.

If you’re looking for some inspiration when it comes to New Year vacation spots, surveys released on both sides of the Atlantic may be able to lend a hand.

Travel booking site Travelocity released booking data for the New Year period which suggests that Las Vegas was the most popular place among American consumers to ring in 2011.

Flight comparison website SkyScanner has also been conducting its own poll, coming up with a list of European suggestions.

World-renowned Spanish chef Ferran Adria on Friday announced he would open a new restaurant in Barcelona with his brother, although it would be less sophisticated than his emblematic eatery ElBulli.

“There will be a place to eat by Ferran and Albert Adria in Barcelona,” he told the TV3 channel in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region.

The new establishment with his brother, a pastry chef, “will be a place to go with friends,” the avant-garde chef said. He gave no indication when it would open.

But he said it will have little in common with elBulli, which Adria announced earlier this year is to close in 2012 and then reopen as a non-profit foundation in 2014.

The Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola is responsible for the interior design of the recently opened Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Barcelona.

“The project reflects the open, cosmopolitan character of the great Mediterranean city where the hotel stands, along with the unmistakeable seal of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

The linear simplicity of the building, which was once the head offices of a bank, lends itself perfectly to the clean, balanced interior design by Urquiola.”

The AFP is reporting that Oprah Winfrey celebrated her 55th birthday in Barcelona with 1,700 of her employees and their families.

The celebration was held over the weekend at Poble Espanyol before embarking upon a 10-day Mediterranean cruise.

The Chicago Sun Times said last week that Winfrey is paying for everything from transportation to food to “special activities” at a cost of about 5,400 dollars (3,900 euros) per person.

This year, to celebrate Easter, Spanish artisan chocolatier Enric Rovira has created a limited edition range of luxurious eggs for Harvey Nichols.

The exclusive range features three designs: the Fibrós, Brillant and Quadrat. Only 200 eggs will be made, one of which will contain a special Golden Ticket.

The Golden Ticket will entitle the lucky winner to be flown over to Barcelona to visit the Enric Rovira workshop, followed by a meal at a top restaurant and an overnight stay in the heart of the city.