Carnival Pride & Legend

Carnival Takes Delivery Of New 88,500-Ton Carnival Pride; 'Floats Out' New 88,500-Ton Carnival Legend

MIAMI, Dec. 12 
In a traditional maritime hand-over ceremony at Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki, Carnival Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL - news), today took delivery of the new 88,500-ton Carnival Pride, the 16th vessel in the line's ``Fun Ship'' fleet.

Following the hand-over ceremony, Carnival Pride's sister ship, the 88,500-ton Carnival Legend, was floated out of her building dock. Now in the final stages of construction, Carnival Legend will inaugurate the line's first-ever European sailings in August 2002.

``For these two events -- the delivery of the Carnival Pride and the float- out of the Carnival Legend -- to take place on the same day is truly special and marks a significant milestone in the continued growth of Carnival Cruise Lines,'' said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president.

The 2,124-passenger Carnival Pride will depart Helsinki tomorrow, Dec. 13, on a 13-day transatlantic crossing, arriving in Miami Dec. 26. Carnival Pride will sail on its inaugural cruise, a six-day western Caribbean voyage from Miami, Dec. 30, then serve as the venue for an overnight fundraising gala benefiting the United Way of Miami-Dade.

Carnival Pride will then reposition to its permanent homeport of Port Canaveral, Fla., from where it will operate a two-day preview cruise for the travel trade Jan. 7-9 and a three-day Bahamas cruise Jan. 9-12. On Jan. 12, Carnival Pride will launch seven-day eastern and western Caribbean service, becoming the newest and largest cruise ship to operate year-round from Port Canaveral.

Carnival Pride offers a variety of ``resort-style'' amenities and facilities, including 16 themed bars and lounges with dramatic interiors celebrating ``icons of beauty'' that exist in art, architecture, sculpture and decor.

Other features include a 13,700-square-foot health spa, a duty-free shopping mall, an Internet cafe, four swimming pools, and a high-tech children's play area, part of the line's top-rated ``Camp Carnival'' program. A wedding chapel and conference center are included, as well.

Dining options range from Mermaids' Grille, a poolside eatery with casual alternatives and 24-hour pizzeria, to the Normandie, a two-deck-high formal dining room, and David's, an intimate ``steakhouse-style'' supper club offering prime aged beef, along with a Carnival exclusive -- crab claws from Miami Beach's world famous Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant. All of these options comprise Carnival's Total Choice Dining(SM), cruising's most comprehensive dining program offering the widest variety of formal and casual choices at sea.

Additionally, 80 percent of the ship's 1,062 staterooms offer an ocean view with 80 percent of those featuring private balconies.

In addition to the Carnival Pride and Carnival Legend, the line has four other vessels scheduled for delivery between now and 2004 -- the 88,500-ton Carnival Miracle and the 110,000-ton Carnival Conquest, Carnival Glory and Carnival Valor.

All Carnival Cruises can be booked by calling Lighthouse Travel at 800-719-9917.

Carnival Cruise Lines is a member of the exclusive World's Leading Cruise Lines alliance which also includes Holland America Line, Cunard Line, Seabourn Cruise Line, Costa Cruises and Windstar Cruises. Together, these member lines share a commitment to quality and value, offering cruise vacations that appeal to a wide range of lifestyles and budgets and sail to some of the world's most exciting destinations. Carnival is the leader in the contemporary market of the cruise industry.