Carnival.com, the cruise industry’s most visited Web site, has undergone an extensive redesign and emerged with a host of new features, including enhanced navigation and layout, a variety of images and content, and numerous technical advancements, all designed to make users’ on-line experience easier and more informative than ever.

Highlighting the next generation of carnival.com are dozens of entertaining new videos and virtual tours, along with upgraded images and content showcasing all 22 of the line’s “Fun Ships.” Also included are upgrades to special sections focusing on various aspects of the Carnival vacation experience such as dining, spa, youth programs, destinations and shore excursions.

The “new and improved” carnival.com features an enriched Gifts and Services section that allows visitors to purchase a variety of items that can be delivered to guests’ staterooms prior to their cruise. The section also includes detailed product descriptions for gifts ranging from special occasion cakes, fine wines and flowers to stateroom decorations and wedding/romance-themed gift packages.

There’s also an updated section where first-time cruisers and visitors can sign up for Carnival news and information via both email and RSS feeds.

The new site has a strong focus on enhancing end-user support, with a more detailed FAQ section, an enhanced site search engine, and live feeds featuring Carnival news headlines on virtually every page.

The site also includes a number of technological advancements, with a higher site resolution that provides a better platform for multi-media components, greater compatibility across all Web browsers and optimized Web pages for visitors who access the site via hand-held phones and other communication devices.

“Just as Carnival’s on-board product continues to evolve so do our marketing channels.  The next generation of carnival.com is designed to provide visitors with a wealth of information and images to learn more about ‘Fun Ship’ vacations” said Ruben Rodriguez, Carnival’s executive vice president of marketing and guest experience.

Carnival is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with 22 “Fun Ships” operating voyages ranging from three to 18 days in length to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, New England, Canada, Bermuda, Europe, and South America.

The line has three new ships scheduled for delivery between now and 2011.  The first of these, the 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor, is slated to debut in Europe July 2, 2008.