Celebrity Cruises has announced that the naming ceremony for its new ship Silhouette will be held in the booming German port of Hamburg.

The ceremony, which is scheduled for July 21, is the first time that one of Celebrity’s 122,000 ton Solstice-class ships has been named outside of the United States or United Kingdom and reflects the European character of Silhouette.

In a statement January 26, Royal Caribbean’s Tom Fecke said that the selection of Hamburg was a “clear commitment to the German cruise market.”

A survey from The Cruise Line International Association which represents the world’s cruise lines has identified some of the seaborne trends expected to dominate 2011.

The CLIA said that it believes that more people will cruise this year than in 2010, and will be taking to previously unexplored routes.

Members of the group said that river cruising — which requires smaller ships than ocean cruising — was expected to grow in popularity, particularly on European rivers where cruises in general were expected to become shorter.

As three of the world’s newest cruise liners just steamed into New York harbour, the organization representing the world’s cruise lines is expecting a record 2011.

New Yorkers were treated to a fireworks display to celebrate the simultaneous visit of Cunard‘s Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth to the city.

It is only the second time in history that Cunard’s fleet has been in the same place at the same time.

Abu Dhabi is set to challenge Dubai for dominance of the region’s fast-growing cruise market, announcing October 25 that MSC will become the first cruise line to call the emirate home.

MSC Lirica, a 59,000-ton, 2,199-guest liner, will be the first ship ever to use Abu Dhabi as a home port, beginning October 2011.

It will sail 19 seven-night cruises from Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed Port, traveling round the Arabian Gulf peninsula to Muscat, before turning round en route for the UAE’s eastern emirate of Fujairah on the Indian Ocean.

Britain’s queen named a luxury British cruise ship the Queen Elizabeth in a lavish ceremony Monday, blessing the vessel to launch it on its maiden voyage.

Queen Elizabeth II had a guided tour of the Italian-built ship, which is operated by the British-US Cunard Line, before the naming ceremony in the port of Southampton in southern England.

“I name this ship Queen Elizabeth. May God bless her and all who sail in her,” the queen, dressed in a teal green hat and coat, said as she named the vessel.

If you’re looking for a perfect cruise experience, your best bet is to choose a small or “boutique” liner.

That’s the guidance from the most recent edition of the Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships.

It suggests that the 11 best cruise liners in the world are considerably smaller than the massive cruise ships that we’ve seen launch over the past year or so.