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CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES TAKES DELIVERY OF NEW 2,758-PASSENGER CARNIVAL VICTORY

MIAMI (07/28/00) - Carnival Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL), earlier today took delivery of its new $440 million cruise ship, the 102,000-ton Carnival Victory, during the traditional “hand-over” ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, where the 2,758-passenger vessel was built. The delivery of Carnival Corporation’s 10th vessel from the Italian shipbuilder will be commemorated with a reception and luncheon tomorrow for Italian dignitaries and European press. Carnival will then host a dinner and party for Fincantieri’s shipyard workers who spent the better part of the past two years constructing the massive, state-of-the-art cruise ship. The Carnival Victory, the 15th vessel in the “Fun Ship” fleet and the third in Carnival’s highly successful “Destiny-class,” will depart Monfalcone Wednesday, Aug. 2 on its transatlantic crossing and is expected to arrive in New York on Monday, Aug. 14. From there, the Carnival Victory will sail on its inaugural voyage - a sold-out two-night cruise-to-nowhere departing Aug. 18, followed by three additional sold-out two-night cruises, an overnight voyage and various travel agent and fund-raising functions. The ship will then launch a program of four- and five-day cruises from New York to the Canadian Maritimes Aug. 31. “We are very pleased that our partners at Fincantieri have worked so diligently in delivering this beautiful vessel ahead of our projected schedule and we are looking forward to her U.S. arrival so that guests and travel agents can see for themselves what we believe is a superb expression of the ‘Fun Ship’ vacation experience,” said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president. One of the largest cruise ships ever constructed, the 893-foot-long Carnival Victory features a wide variety of on-board amenities and facilities, including a nine-deck-high atrium offering easy and convenient access to the vessel’s 18 bars and lounges, which range from an intimate piano bar to a spectacular three-deck-high show lounge housing lavish Las Vegas-style productions. The ship also features 13 passenger decks and 1,379 staterooms, 62 percent of which offer an ocean view with 60 percent of those including private balconies. Also included are three two-deck-high restaurants - two full-service main dining rooms and a casual poolside eatery offering a 24-hour pizzeria, a New York-style deli, specialty areas serving Asian and American favorites, full breakfast and lunch buffets and a “Seaview Bistro” alternative dinner-time service. A 15,000-square-foot “Nautica Spa” health and fitness facility, a 1,300-square-foot “Children’s World” play area, part of the line’s top-rated “Camp Carnival” children’s program, and an Internet café, are included, as well. Following its New York voyages, the Carnival Victory will sail on a series of one- to five-night voyages from Newport News, Va., and Charleston, S.C., before repositioning to Miami to operate a three-day Bahamas voyage and a program of week-long Caribbean cruises beginning Oct. 15. Carnival currently has six other “Fun Ships” with an estimated value of $2.6 billion scheduled for delivery over the next four years. Included in the company’s order book are three 2,794-passenger vessels under contract with Fincantieri - the Carnival Conquest in 2002, the Carnival Glory in 2003 and an as-yet-unnamed vessel in 2004. At 952 feet long and 110,000 gross registered tons, these three ships represent longer, larger versions of the company’s popular “Destiny-class” vessels.

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In the dock next to her was the Golden Princess, she looked rather strange as the public room that spans the stern on the two supports (I think its a night club?) was sitting on the dock next to the ship...