Princess Cruises’ passengers will have a hard time making a selection from a bigger array of cruises than ever before for next year. There will be a host of new cruises exploring Northern Europe, Russia and Scandinavia, while the always popular Mediterranean cruises will still be available.

The 2012 season, between April and December, will see seven cruise liners departing on 57 different itineraries and visiting 116 destinations in the process.

Two highlights of the cruise line’s 2012 programme will no doubt be the introduction of Caribbean Princess and a new two-week Baltic Heritage cruise offering passengers the opportunity to explore the intriguing ports of Russia and Scandinavia.

Princess will also offer more overnight stays than ever before, with two-day experiences in fascinating cities such as St Petersburg and Istanbul.

All 11-night Greek Isles and Mediterranean cruises will now include an overnight stay in the evergreen historical wonder that is Venice.

The company’s ships will bring maiden visits to two ports during the 2012 season. Nessebar in Bulgaria, with its mesmerising mix of historical wonders, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the lovely island of Korcula in Croatia is where the explorer Marco Polo was reputedly born.

The Executive Vice President of Princess Cruises, Jan Swartz, said “The vast diversity of attractions in Europe — from the ancient ruins of Rome, to the imperial splendour of Russia…. has inspired our growing collection of intriguing cruise options.”

He added that Princess Cruises’ passengers could choose from an array of ships, ranging from large amenity-filled cruise liners to small, intimate ships.