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.

German cruise line Hapag-Lloyd has announced plans to build the world’s most spacious cruise ship, due to debut in 2013.

The Europa 2, which will launch in spring 2013, is set to use an all new design which offers the largest amount of space per passenger on a cruise ship.

Despite being eleven decks tall, Europa 2 will carry only 516 passengers in 258 suites — all of which will offer verandas and at least 28 meters of space.

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.