The Carnival Spirit, currently under construction at Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki, will also feature a number of technical enhancements, including modified engines and new waste treatment and disposal systems, making it one of the most environmentally friendly cruise ships at sea.

Bob Dickinson, Carnival president says:

"The Carnival Spirit is ideally suited for Alaska, offering an array of exciting public spaces, innovative environmental and design features and a large number of private verandahs - perfect for viewing the region's spectacular natural beauty."

Spirit's Alaska program will consist of 16 seven-day Glacier Route and two Glacier Bay voyages operating May 23 - September 19, 2001. The Carnival Spirit takes over this program from the Jubilee, which will begin four- and five-day cruises from Tampa November 13, 2000.

The Carnival Spirit is the first in a new series of vessels for the line and will set a new standard for ocean view staterooms and verandahs.

Eighty per cent of accommodations on the Carnival Spirit will offer an ocean view with 80 percent of those featuring private balconies. Several levels of deluxe accommodations will be featured, as well. The Carnival Spirit will also offer one of the highest space ratios of any ship sailing in Alaska.

Other highlights include

• a conference center, two-level fitness facility, two consecutive decks of bars, lounges and nightspots - the upper one offering an outdoor wrap-around promenade - a wedding chapel and an expansive children's play center, part of the line's top-rated "Camp Carnival" programme.

Dining options will include a two-level main restaurant, an expansive Lido-area eatery offering casual alternatives for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a unique alternative restaurant that will be bordered on one end by the ship's massive smokestack and on the other will extend out over the upper-most section of the vessel's multi-decked atrium. Several pools, including one covered by a magradome, will be featured, as well.

Exemplifying Carnival's commitment to the environment, the Carnival Spirit will also feature a highly efficient power plant comprised of six "cleaner running" diesel-electric engines, as well as new waste water treatment and food waste processing systems.

Additionally, the ship will utilise only environmentally friendly refrigerants, paints and other products. The Carnival Spirit, like other Carnival vessels, will also adhere to the line's "zero discharge" waste disposal policy and feature a comprehensive recycling system for glass, paper, plastic, steel and aluminum.

Says Dickinson:

"Carnival owes its livelihood to the sea and we are doing everything we can to protect the beautiful and pristine waters on which we sail."

Spirit's Glacier Route voyages depart May 23 to September 5, 2001, either northbound from Vancouver and southbound from Seward/Anchorage. Cruises in both directions feature

• Prince William Sound, College Fjord, Lynn Canal, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and the Inside Passage. Southbound cruises will also visit Valdez, Yakutat Bay and Hubbard Glacier while northbound cruises will feature Sitka and Endicott Arm Fjord.

The two Glacier Bay cruises will depart round-trip from Vancouver September 12 and 19 and feature full days cruising Glacier Bay National Park and the Inside Passage, as well as visits to Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.

Guests can also customise their Alaska vacations with a variety of land packages, available in three- or four-day increments. The land segments, when combined with a seven-day Alaska cruise, allow guests to create comprehensive 10- or 11-night CruiseTour packages.

Prices for the Carnival Spirit's Alaska cruises begin at $759 per guest. Rates include port charges and are based on double occupancy. Special rates for third and fourth guests sailing in the same stateroom are also available. Round-trip air transportation from a variety of North American gateways is available, as well. Prior to and following the Carnival Spirit's Alaska voyages, the vessel will operate a variety of other exciting itineraries, including a new programme of eight-day "exotic" Caribbean cruises from Miami.