NEW YORK, March 9 - Cruise ship passengers who want to visit
unusual destinations or cruise with people who share their interests will have
plenty to choose from this spring as cruise ships around the world reposition
for the summer season.

Itineraries range from one to 25 days in length, and include calls at
destinations such as Cannes, Casablanca and the Holy Land. Many include
special themes such as enrichment lectures, wine and food festivals and
musical tributes.

"Repositioning cruises provide an opportunity for travelers to really
unwind," says James G. Godsman, president of Cruise Lines International
Association (CLIA), the marketing organization for the North American cruise
industry. "Many include several days at sea, which means more time to relax,
enjoy ocean views and take part in special activities offered by the line."

Consider these itineraries:

-- Carnival Cruise Lines: A March 20 cruise on the Elation transits the

Panama Canal as the vessel moves to the Mexican Riviera. Port calls

include Cartagena, Caldera, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Los

Angeles and San Francisco.

-- Celebrity Cruises: An April 25 sailing on the Galaxy from San Juan, as

it moves from the Caribbean to the Pacific, calls in Aruba, Cartagena,

Puerto Caldero, Cabo San Lucas, San Diego and Los Angeles.

-- Costa Cruise Lines: An April 26 sailing on CostaRomantica from Fort

Lauderdale to Genoa features lectures on the history of several ports,

among them Tortola, St. Maarten, Funchal and Barcelona.

-- Crystal Cruises: A May 29 Wine & Food Festival on Crystal Symphony from

the Mediterranean to the Baltic calls in Cannes, Corsica, Malaga,

Lisbon, Plymouth and London. Guests include a chef and wine expert.

-- Cunard: "Eastbound Harbors and Seascapes" on Royal Viking Sun leaves

Miami May 13, and stops in Bermuda, Funchal, Casablanca, Lisbon and

Rouen.

-- Holland America Line: Several Mexican Riviera and Pacific Coast

sailings, all departing from Acapulco between March 26 and May 8 and

calling in Mexico and British Columbia.

-- Mediterranean Shipping Cruises: The April 22 "Spring Fling"

transatlantic crossing on the Melody, from Fort Lauderdale, calls in

Nassau, Tortola, Antigua, Martinque, Funchal, Cadiz, Barcelona and

Genoa.

-- Norwegian Cruise Line: The April 18 "Romance of Music" transatlantic

crossing from Miami calls in St. Maarten, Funchal, Malaga and

Marseilles. Special entertainment is planned.

-- Orient Lines: An April 15 itinerary on the Marco Polo as it repositions

for its Greek Isles and Mediterranean season. The cruise includes a

Suez Canal transit and land tours in India, Egypt, Petra, the Holy Land

and Greece.

-- Premier Cruises: An April 13 transatlantic crossing on the Rembrandt,

from Rio de Janeiro, with calls in Brazil, Las Palmas, Funchal,

Portugal and Spain.

-- Princess Cruises: An April 25 sailing on the Sun Princess, from Fort

Lauderdale, with a Panama Canal transit and calls in Colombia, Costa

Rica, Mexico and Vancouver.

-- Radisson Seven Seas Cruises: A May 6 transatlantic crossing on the

Radisson Diamond from Barbados to Madeira, Lisbon, Cadiz, Malaga,

Barcelona, St. Tropez and Cannes.

-- Royal Caribbean International: An April 18 transatlantic crossing on

Splendour of the Seas, from Miami, with calls in St. Johns, St. Thomas,

Funchal, Tangier and Barcelona.

-- Royal Olympic Cruises: A June 12 "Wonders of Europe" sailing on

Odysseus, from Piraeus/Athens, to the Corinth Canal, Naples, Nice,

Barcelona, Morocco, Lisbon, Paris, London and Copenhagen.

-- Seabourn Cruise Line: A March 31 "Like Music on The Waters" opera

cruise on Seabourn Legend, with opera singers and musicians, leaves

Fort Lauderdale and calls in Bermuda, the Azores and Lisbon.

-- Silversea Cruises: The April 7 "Red Sea Passage" on Silver Cloud leaves

Mombasa and calls in Djibouti, Al Hodeidah, Aqaba, Alanya, Rhodes,

Mykonos and Athens. A desert jeep adventure is included.

-- Windstar Cruises: A May 3 wine theme cruise aboard the Wind Spirit,

from Rome to Athens, features wine tastings and lectures by an expert,

and calls in Italian and Greek ports.

To learn about repositioning cruises, contact a CLIA-affiliated travel
agency. Find one at CLIA's web site,
http://www.cruising.org, or look for
CLIA's blue, white and gold seal in agencies and advertising.