of Carnival Cruise Lines said last night.

Mr. Bob Dickinson said his company, which wants to send its Tropicale to St.

George's, would reject a contract with Government if it required season-long sailings from Boston.

Instead, he said, his company wants to schedule Tropicale primarily out of New York, a plan that would put her in direct competition with Bermuda's existing cruise ships.

"If the Bermuda Government gave a contract out of Boston, we'd turn it down,'' he said.

"We don't have confidence in the Boston market. Boston is not deep enough to supply the numbers of passengers you need.'' Mr. Dickinson said New York was the only viable home port, with dozens of airlines feeding area hubs. Boston's Logan Airport had only a fifth of the air access of New York.

Mr. Dickinson's comments raise questions about the viability of the Boston-Bermuda connection that forms the basis of Government's plan for a St.

George's ship.

They followed Thursday's meeting between the Premier and St. George's aldermen who wanted answers on Government's handling of the cruise contract issue.

Carnival continues to be seen by Government as a second choice to Boston-Bermuda Cruising Ltd., which is working to secure a ten-year contract deal to commit the Royal Majesty to the East End.

Carnival yesterday sent a letter to the Bermuda Government reminding it of its interest in doing business in Bermuda.

But it appears the wheels are in motion to first see what kind of deal can be secured for Royal Majesty .

Mr. Dickinson, who was speaking to The Royal Gazette from Miami, gave Boston-Bermuda little hope of succeeding in the Boston market.

"If we can't do it out of Boston, why should I believe a newcomer can do it,'' he said, adding that Carnival was financially the strongest cruise company in the industry.

One of the partners in the Boston-Bermuda group is the giant Thomas Cook Travel, which would use its marketing power to sell the ship.

Mr. Dickinson said if Carnival got the St. George's contract it would use New York as a home port.

"We would want the bulk of sailings out of New York although we would not be averse to cherry-picking in other markets,'' he said.

That plan would not be welcomed by Bermuda's existing cruise callers Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Kloster.

Celebrity, in particular, is said to oppose the introduction of Carnival, which is the world's biggest cruise line. One of its concerns is that Carnival could draw enough business from the Meridian to kill its market viability.

Mr. Dickinson said he thought Celebrity Cruises, which also supplies Bermuda with the Horizon , was influencing Government thinking on the fifth ship issue.

It wants Carnival kept out of New York while not objecting to Boston "because they know it will fail''.

"The failure of a ship in St. George's will not be seen as a failure of a ship operator, but as a failure of St. George's,'' he said.

"She has lived in the shadow of Hamilton. So it's important that a dedicated ship be a success.'' It was that concern that in part prompted St. George's aldermen to meet with the Premier on Wednesday. Sources indicate the Corporation itself is split on the best ship for the Old Town.

Members feel Carnival should be signed up because of its financial and marketing power -- attributes well beyond that of the Boston-Bermuda group.

However, they are not fully convinced Carnival is in the Island's long-term interest. Carnival has been portrayed as too brassy and mass-market for Bermuda -- a depiction rejected as inaccurate by Mr. Dickinson.