MIAMI, Feb. 23, 2000 -- Award-winning travel writer/broadcaster and
ship reviewer Ethel Blum has sailed on virtually every ship that cruises from
North American and European ports, but she had one unfulfilled dream until
now. Blum had always intended someday to sail on a grand World Cruise aboard
Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2, the most famous liner in the world. On January 8,
2000, she began the 104-day journey that would add that prestigious voyage to
her lifetime of accomplishments at sea. And she is letting the rest of us in
on her special adventure by posting almost-daily reports on a website.

"The Queen Elizabeth 2 is the last of the great liners," says Blum. "This
opportunity to participate in her 27th world cruise, the first of the
millennium, is one of those special moments in time."

Armchair travelers who long to roam the seven seas can find her personal
reports at the URL
www.cruise-aholics.com. A simple mouse-click on the
heading World Cruise Diary will transport the curious to the farthest corners
of the globe, and into the grand lounges, burnished teak decks and sumptuous
restaurants of the greatest liner of her time. Because the reports are posted
from the ship herself, they have a fresh, immediate feeling that is
captivating. Blum is the author of "The Total Traveler Guide to Worldwide
Cruising," currently in its 13th edition. She is the past president of the
prestigious Society of American Travel Writers, a frequent guest on CNN and is
cruise editor of Cruise Trade Magazine and Travel Trade. Her buoyant optimism
and sense of humor add flavor to her descriptions of ports of call, activities
on board and her shipmates on the long sea voyage.

QE2 makes such a voyage every year, and a surprising number of her guests
join for the whole voyage year after year. On Blum's voyage, for instance,
she has met a couple who is on their 21st world cruise on board. Asked to
explain the appeal, they said that it is "like having a second home, but less
expensive and less hassle."

A virtual institution, QE2 is the flagship of Cunard Line, a company whose
proud British heritage stretches back over 160 years. The only liner still
offering regularly scheduled transatlantic service, QE2 is also a welcome and
honored guest at ports around the world. In fact, her arrival often creates
crowds of spectators numbering in the thousands, just for a view of the
majestic ship.

For those with a determination to experience QE2's World Cruise for
themselves, next year's version begins on January 5, 2001, in New York. For
convenience, it's also possible to make the 104-day voyage roundtrip from
Miami, beginning on January 7. Segment voyages are available from 102 to as
few as seven days, enabling guests on a limited timetable to revel in the
atmosphere of a grand world cruise. Those opting for segments of 104 to 92
days, called Voyages of Great Discoveries, are repaid with complimentary
first-class airfare and transfer, as well as complimentary gratuities on
board. Grand Voyages, measuring 42 to 54 days, offer complimentary business
class air (for voyages over 46 days) and complimentary economy class air for
guests sailing 45 days or fewer. Shorter segments of six to 39 days are
dubbed Discovery Passages, and provide complimentary economy class air and
transfers. All segments offer Early Booking Savings of 20 percent for booking
deposited before June 1, 2000, and Early Payment Savings of 30% for payment in
full before June 1, 2000. In addition, past guests of Cunard Line or Seabourn
Cruise Line qualify for another 10 percent savings, and World Cruise Society
members earn another five percent savings. For more information, contact your
travel counselor or Cunard at 1-800-5-CUNARD.

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. 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.