<p><strong>Some of the youngest cruise passengers are about to be grounded.</strong></p><p>Royal Caribbean, the world's second-biggest line, has decided that it will no longer carry babies under six months.</p><p>On some longer sailings, children will have to be at least a year old. The ruling takes effect in October.</p><p>Royal Caribbean says it introduced the rule because it believed the needs of sick infants can sometimes be met only by a hospital on shore.</p><p>It comes soon after an incident in April, when a family had to disembark halfway through a cruise when medical staff on a Royal Caribbean ship decided a sick seven-month-old needed treatment on shore. The world's biggest cruise line, Carnival, has the same age restriction.</p><p><strong>Quebec bound</strong></p><p>Australians will get a chance to take the helm during tall-ship sailings along Canada's St Lawrence River next year. Scenic Tours is introducing six-night voyages aboard a 75-metre square-rigged barquentine, the Caledonia.</p><p>The biggest sailing ship built in Canada in the past 100 years, with a sail area of about 4000 square metres, the vessel carries 80 passengers in 31 cabins with queen-sized berths, toilets and showers. It is air-conditioned and has a library, a pub and a dining room.</p><p>Round-trip sailings, from Quebec City, take in a part of the St Lawrence frequented by whales and porpoises, and known for historic French settlements.</p><p>The voyages are part of a 17-day itinerary Scenic is introducing next year in response to growing demand for tours of eastern Canada.</p><p>The total package, including return air travel from Australia, costs from $10,095 from Sydney and $10,195 from Melbourne after early bird discounts of up to $800 a couple if booked by August 31: these apply to departures on May 31, June 20 and June 28 next year. For details phone 1300 723 642.</p><p><strong>Setting course for NZ</strong></p><p>Demand in Australia for cruises to New Zealand is so strong that Princess Cruises is going to double the number of trans-Tasman summer sailings.</p><p>Having already scheduled seven 13-night voyages for next summer, the line has just announced a total of 13 round-trip sailings aboard Sun Princess and Dawn Princess from Sydney and Melbourne during the 2009-10 season.</p><p>And despite increases in oil prices, fares will be lower, starting at $2796 a person.</p><p>The starting price for the coming summer is $2865.</p><p>Princess boss Ann Sherry says the line is experiencing &quot;unprecedented&quot; interest in its trans-Tasman itineraries.</p><p>Voyages take in New Zealand's Fiordland region and the ports of Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga and Auckland.</p><p>And Princess is including Newcastle in its round-Australia voyages for the first time in 2009-10.</p><p>Sun Princess will call there on October 18, 2009 and Dawn Princess on December 10, 2009 and March 7, 2010.</p><p>It will be one of 13 ports on the month-long sailings. Fares start at $5535 a person twin-share.</p><p><strong>Reining in teen spending</strong></p><p>Relief is in sight for parents who have difficulty keeping track of how much their children are spending on shipboard extras during a family cruise.</p><p>The European line MSC Cruises has introduced pre-paid Teen Cards for passengers aged 12 to 17.</p><p>The cards, which cost EUR30 and EUR50 and double as cabin keys, can be used to buy soft drinks and gift-shop items.</p><p>MSC says that the concept recognises the need for teens to have a degree of independence, at the same time as learning to manage their finances.</p>