Bermuda, marketing officials for "The Most Popular Cruise Line in the World'' said this week.

International Sales and Marketing director Mr. Julian Prins, on the Island to update travel agents on its 1995 itineraries and new ships, said he still hoped to have a "fun ship'' in Bermuda one day.

However, Carnival's local sales and marketing representative GAS Bermuda, acknowledged yesterday the line's chances were limited given Government's restrictive cruise ship policy.

But GAS general manager Mr. Graeme Seaton said Carnival would be interested in putting in a bid when the current fleet of regular calling liners' contracts were up later this decade. And there was always the possibility of a liner deciding to prematurely pull out of the market.

The Dockyard ship Meridian's seven-year contract is the first to expire at the end of 1996. Her contract is followed by Horizon's , Song of America's and Dreamward's 10-year contracts in 1999, and then Royal Majesty's at the end of 2003.

Mr. Seaton, noting Royal Majesty's marketing troubles with Boston, said Carnival would want to sail out of a viable port to a viable port. Dockyard may not be that viable for the line, he said.

"Yes. We know there are existing commitments and contracts. But if there should be an operating failure, Carnival, I'm quite sure, would be interested.

Carnival is a proven successful cruise company and is financially one of the most stable cruise companies in the world.'' As for the Tourism Ministry's previous concerns the line was not up-market enough for Bermuda, he said that was a matter on which dialogue should be continued with Government.

Carnival, among the top cruising choices of Bermudians, has a new liner debuting out of Miami on July 8 and cruising to Caribbean and Mexican ports.

The 2,040-passenger Imagination , which boasts its own "shopping mall'', will bring the line's "superliner'' fleet to five and the entire fleet to 10. Its interior combines classical with new-age technology -- marble flooring, fibre-optic illumination and soft pastel neon lighting.

The Carnival Corporation is already planning its next superliner, which may start a megaliner fleet.

The Corporation announced this week it had ordered two new ships to bring the value of its orders to a whopping $ 2.5 billion.

Among them is record-tying 100,000-ton ship with a capacity for 2,600 passengers will be built for Corporation's Holland America Line by Italy's Fincantieri shipyard.

"We've got to stay ahead of the Joneses,'' said spokesman Mr. Tom Gallagher.

The world's largest cruise company now has eight ships with 16,000 berths on order. The Holland America ship is the first of a new high-speed class intended to broaden world-wide itineraries. Carnival has a fleet of 21 ships sailing under the Carnival, Holland America, Windstar and Seabourn names.