NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2000 -- Cunard today announced an innovative shipboard entertainment concept, which will bring fledgling Broadway and West End stage productions aboard QE2 for development during her grand voyages throughout the year.

Cruise guests will be able to enjoy performances of segments from the shows and sit in on open rehearsals, workshops, acting exercises, improvisation sessions and other fascinating backstage developments as productions are readied for Broadway or West End debuts.

"This is really the reverse of the way musical theater currently arrives on ships," said Greg Von Seeger, Director of Entertainment for Cunard Line and Seabourn Cruise Line. "Generally, a shipboard audience views a revue troupe's performance of a medley of popular songs from a show, long after the Broadway opening. On QE2, our guests will witness the birth of a blockbuster, performed by the actual cast who may appear on Broadway."

The first show in the series, set to open on board the 1,778-guest QE2 in May of 2000, will be "Enter The Guardsman," a musical adaptation of a comic play by Ferenc Molnar. The book was written by Scott Wentworth, who also directs this production. The music is by Craig Bohmler and lyrics by Marion Adler. Set at the turn of the century, this romantic comedy has previously been performed to wide acclaim in festivals and competitions in New York and London. It has won the Bernice Cohen Award for Outstanding Presentation by ASCAP, the top prize in the 1996 International Musical of the Year competition and a nomination for the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

For the production company, the advantages are several. One is the ability to work on the show in a cosseted atmosphere, away from distractions and disturbances. A second advantage is access to a repeat audience who can be expected to provide valuable insights into the responses the show might receive ashore. Further, this is an audience who will, it is hoped, form a sort of bond with the show, talk about it with their friends, and establish a nucleus of sympathetic interest for the show even before it opens.

In addition to the performances and rehearsals, guest celebrities from the world of musical theater will augment the live performances with commentary, interviews and lectures. These celebrities, along with the cast, director and other personalities connected with the show, will be available for interviews and roundtable sessions about theater craft and the theatrical life. Some of the many celebrities who have agreed to participate include Academy Award- winning actor James Coburn; Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize- winning playwright Neil Simon; renowned illustrator Al Hirschfield; legendary singer, actress, dancer and choreographer Marge Champion; Gerald Schoenfeld, president of The Shubert Organization and Academy Award-winning film producer and director Irwin Winkler.

"For aficionados of musical theater, this will be a dream come true," said Von Seeger. "To embark on QE2 for a classic transatlantic crossing, talk theater with some of the top people in the field, be privileged to watch as a show comes to life, and share in the excitement, glamour and adventure of being Broadway Bound: what more could a theater enthusiast want?"

Cunard Line, one of the world's most recognized brand names with a classic British heritage, is operated by Miami-based Cunard Line Limited, which also operates Seabourn Cruise Line. Cunard Line Limited is a unit of Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL). The Cunard fleet includes famed Queen Elizabeth 2 and Caronia (formerly Vistafjord). The Seabourn fleet includes Seabourn Sun, Seabourn Pride, Spirit and Legend and Seabourn Goddess I & II.

Cunard Line and Seabourn Cruise Line are members of the exclusive World's Leading Cruise Lines alliance, which also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Costa Cruises and Windstar Cruises. Together, these member lines share a commitment to quality and value, offering cruise vacations that appeal to the widest range of lifestyles and budgets and sail to some of the world's most exciting destinations. Cunard Line and Seabourn Cruise Line represent nearly 50 percent of the world's luxury cruise market.