GRAND TURK, B.W.I. (January 10th, 2007) -- Grand Turk, the newest Caribbean cruise destination, finished its inaugural season with 136 cruise ship calls and 295,000 passengers, far exceeding expectations for the number of visitors for its first yearof operation (the port officially opened in Feb. 2006).

December was a record month with more than 46,000 passengers arriving on 28
cruise ship calls. Twenty of the calls were made by Carnival Corporation & plc brands,
including Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, and Costa Cruises; the remaining
eight calls were by Silversea, Crystal, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, Fred Olsen, Hapag
Lloyd, and Ships of Discovery.

"The inaugural season of the Grand Turk Cruise Center was a tremendous
success, with a significantly higher number of cruise ship calls and passengers than
originally projected. In less than a year in operation, the facility is already considered
one of the finest in the Caribbean and we look forward to providing even more cruise
passengers with the opportunity to experience and explore our fascinating and beautiful
islands," said Floyd Hall, deputy premier for the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Added Michael Reimers, the Grand Turk Cruise Center’s new general manager,
"The Grand Turk Cruise Center not only provides guests with a memorable landside
experience but has also proven a success from a navigational perspective due to its
superior protected area and easy access. We anticipate a prosperous 2007 and encourage
all cruise lines to contact us to host port calls in the coming year – even on short notice."
Reimers noted that during the port’s inaugural season not a single call was missed
due to severe weather – an important consideration for cruise lines in assembling
Caribbean itineraries.