The world's largest cruise line and a US city have sidestepped Government and gone straight to retailers in an attempt to drum up support for a new cruise ship.

Carnival Cruise Line representatives and officials from Baltimore hit local retailers with a sales pitch during a reception at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club on Monday night.

The line wants to send a mid-sized vessel from Baltimore to the Island 18 times a season. It would berth from Friday to Sunday at a port of the Island's choice.

Other offers include a short-term trial arrangement and a store in Baltimore's terminal featuring Bermudian merchandise and an advance reservation service.

Carnival senior vice-president for sales and marketing Vicky Freed said the line had formed an alliance with the Port of Baltimore and was looking for Bermuda to fill its destination needs.

The line has spoken to Government with no result as of yet and the latest move was an attempt to get the word out about Carnival's plans to the people who would benefit from them, said Ms Freed.

Ms Freed said the line wanted to make a long term commitment to the Island but would sign an initial two-year contract with the option to extend to eight years if Bermuda wished.

The Port of Baltimore has recently been redeveloped and offers a new passenger base away from Bermuda's present drawing points in New York and Boston.

Its inland location puts it in close proximity with a marketplace that offers seven million people in the surrounding area and almost double that within two hours drive.

Amongst marketing ideas being considered are a "Bermuda shop'' in the Carnival terminal which would carry Bermuda retail merchandise and be staffed by a concierge who could make advance reservations for golf or restaurants.

Ms Freed said Carnival had worked hard to change its old image of being a line for budget travellers -- a perception she said she felt had held Government back from allowing the line to visit.

Carnival now offered a modern fleet and its passengers "made good money and spent good money''.

The line had also raised the on-board drinking age to over-21 and did not allow under-21's to cruise unless in the company of a guardian at least 25-years-old.

Ms Freed said the line was now after honeymooners, couples, families and senior citizens with the average age of its cruisers hitting 45 years. At least 70 percent were 35 or older, she added.

It is understood that retailers' find the idea of a weekend cruise ship and the possibility of drawing from a new market attractive but are concerned about inviting another company to the Island when the existing lines have provided good service.

And Chamber of Commerce president David Rowntree said selling the Port of Baltimore was no problem.

However Carnival remained a stumbling block as it was still felt to be a low-end cruise line in comparison to the existing lines serving Bermuda.

Tourism Minister David Dodwell said it was still premature to discuss nay overtures made by cruise lines wishing to visit the Island as the new cruise ship policy had yet to be finalised. He said this could occur during the next few weeks.