By Jennifer Kustes
Sponsored by Carlson-Wagonlit Travel

Carnival Cruise Lines offers the world’s only smoke-free cruise ship, called the Paradise. The ship debuted in December 1998 to honor the sensitivities of Carnival’s many non-smoking guests.

Carnival calls the Paradise "a masterpiece of modern technology," that offers guests every conceivable convenience and every contemporary comfort. The main lobby of the ship is a six-story glass-domed atrium with a circular bar, plush seating and glass elevators.

The ship also pays homage to luxury liners of the past, with many public rooms bearing such names as The Queen Mary, The Normandie and The Ile de France.

The many amenities the ship offers include several tiers of deck space, three pools, six whirlpools, and a spiral waterslide. To help guests keep fit, the Paradise offers a Nautica Spa, which includes a gymnasium, aerobics room, men’s and women’s steam and sauna rooms, and a full-service salon for beauty treatments and relaxing massages.

The Paradise offers a choice of dining options at every meal. There are two elegant dining rooms, and a bistro-style casual restaurant. Guests can also enjoy between-meal snacks, round the clock stateroom service, and a variety of gourmet pizzas at the 24-hour pizzeria.

The Paradise also offers an endless variety of entertainment. There are Las Vegas style shows in the Normandie Showroom. Guests can sing at the piano bar, sit in the Queen Mary Lounge or play in the Majestic Casino. There is also the America Bar, where an entire wall of red, white and blue Venetian glass creates a waving American flag.

While the adults are enjoying themselves, the kids can participate in the Camp Carnival program. The Paradise features Children’s World, where carefully trained counselors supervise activities for children of all ages.

Carnival offers two different seven-day itineraries on Paradise, departing from Miami, Fla. on alternating Sundays. The Eastern Caribbean Itinerary includes stops in San Juan, Virgin Gorda, Tortola and St. Thomas. The Western Caribbean Itinerary includes stops in Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios. Both itineraries include three "Fun Days" at sea.

The price for a Paradise cruise is not that much more than a typical week-long vacation once costs for air fare, hotel rooms, and tickets to various activities are considered. For example, a Paradise cruise leaving Miami on March 19 costs $599 per person, including port charges, for a stateroom on the bottom deck. For an ocean view stateroom, it costs $600 per person, but this price does not include port charges.

Air fare through Carnival costs $359 per person. The advantage of buying air fare through Carnival is that they are responsible for getting each guest to the port before the ship leaves. If guests buy air fare on their own, Carnival is not responsible if the guest does not arrive at the port on time.

A travel agent can help fully inform guests of all information they need to know about such details as deposit and cancellation policies. The agent can also put together shore excursions and tell guests what types of clothes to pack. For example, guests are not allowed to wear shorts or T-shirts in the dining room. Throughout the cruise, there are also two formal dinners to dress up for.