Jamaica is a country with a swagger in its step - proud of its history, sporting success and musical genius - but also with a weight upon its shoulders. The island faces the familiar problems of a developing country, including dramatic inequality of wealth and social tensions that occasionally spill over into localized violence and worldwide headlines. As a result Jamaicans are as renowned for being as sharp, sassy and straight-talking as they are laid-back and hip. People don’t beat around the bush here, and this can sometimes make them appear rude or uncompromising. Particularly around the big resorts, this direct approach is taken to extremes at times, with harassment reaching irritating levels.

But there’s absolutely no reason to be put off. As a foreign visitor, the chances of encountering any trouble are minuscule, and the Jamaican authorities have spent millions making sure the island treats its tourists right. As the birthplace of the ” all-inclusive ” hotel, Jamaica is well suited to those travellers who want to head straight from plane to beach, never leaving their hotel compound. But to get any sense of the country at all, you’ll need to do some exploring. It’s undoubtedly worth it, as this is an island packed with first-class attractions, oozing with character, and rich with a musical and cultural heritage; if you’re a reggae fan, you’re in heaven.

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The “Mysteries of the Far East” cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore operates April 14-25 and features a call in Chan May, Vietnam; an overnight call in Ho Chi Minh City; an overnight call in Bangkok’s port of Laem Chabang; and overnight stay in Singapore. Isbouts, a recognized authority on Southeast Asia, will offer insights and commentary on the intricate Chu Chi tunnel networks once used by the Vietcong, and a more personalized look into the history, culture and architecture of Hue, from its Imperial Palace to the Heavenly Lady Pagoda. Fares for the 11-day cruise start at $4,495. The Cu Chi tunnel and Hue tours are $73 and $110, respectively.

The “Silk and Spices” voyage from Singapore to Dubai operates April 25-May 11 and features calls in Phuket, Thailand; Cochin, Marmagoa, and Mumbai, India; Muscat, Oman; Doha, Qatar (a maiden call); and an overnight call in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Preston, author of “Taj Mahal: A Love Affair at the Heart of the Moghul Empire,” will escort the full-day tour to discuss the structure’s creation, its cultural and architectural heritage, and daily life within the imperial palace. The excursion includes chartered roundtrip air from Mumbai to Agra, lunch and hospitality room accommodations, and an exclusive tour of the Taj Mahal.

Ghaherman will supplement his onboard Wine & Food Festival demos and dinner with a shore-side excursion to a local market in Phuket. The owner of Sapphire Laguna restaurant in Laguna Beach, Ghaherman was born in Iran, educated in Switzerland, and has held executive chef positions from Australia to Malaysia. Fares for 16-day cruise fares start at $5,335. The full-day Taj Mahal tour accompanied by Preston begins at $2,350 per person. Fares and reservations for the marketplace tour will be available on board.

On the sports deck, new croquet and bocce courts and two new putting greens were installed. A new Stuyvesant Room also was created to serve as a meeting room that doubles as Club HAL space for children and the library near the Explorations Cafe was expanded with more space and books. All balconies received the final improvements to meet recently adopted International Maritime Organization regulations. Additional technical improvements were made with upgrades to radar systems, lifeboats and other nautical equipment. Prinsendam travels on voyages from 14 to 73 days to exotic destinations worldwide. With a passenger count of 793, Prinsendam is the smallest ship in the Holland America Line fleet. For more information, visit www.hollandamerica.net.

CLIA also released third quarter 2007 passenger carrying results and fourth quarter estimates, which revealed that member cruise lines are anticipated to have carried 12.6 million worldwide passengers last year, a 4.6 percent increase over the 12.01 million carried in 2006. Included in that forecast is 10.33 million North Americans in 2007, compared with 10.08 million the previous year. Cruise lines also maintained their high utilization rates, posting a collective occupancy factor of over 105 percent in 2007.

CLIA said eight new ships and two redeployed vessels will join the CLIA fleet in 2008, representing a total increase in berths of 23,275. Taking into account the timing of ship introductions and deletions throughout the year, the actual annual increase in available net bed days — and passenger growth — is projected to be a moderate 1.6 percent. Based on the known 35 new ships that CLIA member lines will introduce from 2008 to 2012, the CLIA fleet will have a 29 percent increase in capacity from 2007.

Early reports from CLIA member travel agents on this year’s Wave Season, the January-February period traditionally known as the heaviest booking period of the year, shows that 90 percent of agents expect as good or better annual sales results as 2007, 60 percent of agents expect 2008 to be better than 2007, and 20 percent expect it will be their best year ever overall for cruise bookings. Roughly 35 percent of respondents expect Wave Season to be their highest volume booking period although 32 percent reported that their cruise sales are generally consistent throughout the year.

“With consumers typically booking at least five to six months out, Wave Season gives us a good indication of the year to come and it’s looking positive,” said Terry Dale, president and CEO of CLIA. “We are also heartened by the fact that cruise bookings and sales are increasingly strong throughout the year, extending beyond Wave Season. From all indications, CLIA member lines are having great success reaching an increasingly diverse population of vacationers — of all ages, backgrounds and interests. And, according to the travel agents who sell nearly 90 percent of all cruises, they are strongly receptive to the extraordinary range of different experiences offered on CLIA member ships.” For more information, visit www.cruising.org.