The European cruise migration of 2011 has begun

The European cruise migration of 2011 has begun.

North American brands increased their presence in Europe this year grow their audience. Royal Caribbean International has 11 ships — half its fleet — in Europe this year, up from eight last year. And Carnival Corp. has 25 percent of its capacity for North American brands in Europe this summer, compared to 17 percent last year.

The high cost of air travel has forced cruise operators to turn to deeper discounts to fill the ships.

On Thursday, officials with Royal Caribbean Cruises said they had managed to boost demand for cruises after a slump in Europe by lowering prices. The impact of fuel costs, the disaster in Japan and upheaval in Northern Africa and the Middle East prompted the world's second-largest cruise company to lower fares.

Last month, Carnival Corp. also lowered its expected earnings for the year, largely due to fuel increases and costs associated with itinerary changes. Carnival Cruise Lines debuts its new ship, Carnival Magic, in Europe this week but will bring it to its year-round home port in Galveston, Texas, in November.

Royal Caribbean's reduced fares came amid good news for the company, which reported net income of $91.6 million, a nearly 5 percent increase over the same period last year.

This is part of the reason Royal Caribbean changed the schedule for one of its ships, Navigator of the Seas, which was scheduled to sail 14-night Eastern Mediterranean cruises through early 2012. Instead, it will be in the Mediterranean only until fall then will be returning to the Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean will perform substantially better by bringing this ship to the Caribbean than they could have by remaining in Europe for the winter. The cruise operator is confident that Europe will perform well next year, when 12 ships will be positioned there. Sister company Celebrity Cruises will have its largest European deployment with 6 ships in 2012.

For this summer, huge deals on European sailings are numerous — for those who can afford to fly there.

The new Carnival Magic has 12-night cruises available from $849. Celebrity's Solstice ship has 12-night sailings from $899.