With more than 19,000 total square feet of space catering to children, ’tweens and teens – from expansive indoor and outdoor play areas to a sprawling aqua park housing the cruise industry’s longest water slide – the 130,000-ton Carnival Dream is designed as the ideal family vacation.   

In addition to modern facilities and the most dedicated space to families in the “Fun Ship” fleet, Carnival Dream’s kid-friendly amenities will include supervised programs for three age groups – Camp Carnival (ages 2-11), Circle “C” (12-14) and Club O2 (15-17) – offering a full schedule of morning-til-night activities organized by highly trained staff.

Slated to debut Sept. 21, 2009, Carnival Dream will further bolster Carnival’s distinction as the family cruise leader, carrying an estimated 625,000 children aboard its 22-vessel “Fun Ship” fleet – roughly half of the total number of kids carried by the entire North American cruise industry.

Expansive ‘Camp Carnival’ Play Area

The focal point of Carnival Dream’s children’s activities will be an expansive play area encompassing 5,000 square feet of space and offering magnificent ocean views.  Located on Deck 11, Camp Carnival will be divided into three distinct sections, each catering to a different age group.

The first area, designed for children ages 2-5, features an arts and crafts center and a variety of age-appropriate toys and games; the second, aimed at six- to eight-year-olds, offers video game consoles such as PlayStation2 and Wii linked to the latest plasma TV screens; and the third, catering to kids 9-11, includes a karaoke machine, air hockey and foosball tables and PlayStation2 and Wii video game consoles.  A reception desk will provide parents with a convenient and inviting venue to check their kids in and out of the program.

Like all “Fun Ships,” Carnival Dream will offer a wide variety of activities specifically geared toward children, including the WaterColors art program; ExerSeas, emphasizing physical fitness, SeaNotes, with fun music-oriented games and activities; and EduCruise, designed to educate kids on the ship’s diverse European and Caribbean itineraries.

Children can also create their own custom-designed Carnival T-shirts, as well as build their own Carnival Cuddly or “Fun Ship” Freddy plush toy. A number of multi-generational activities – including pizza-making sessions, family water play and trivia contests – will also be offered.

Camp Carnival will also serve as the site for Carnival’s babysitting services, which are available from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. nightly and cost $6 per hour for the first child and $4 per hour for each additional child in the same family.

Older Kids Enjoy ‘Circle C,’ ‘Club O2’

Sure to be a big hit with older kids are the modern, high-tech Circle “C” and Club O2 facilities,  catering to 12- to 14-year olds and 15- to 17-year olds, respectively.

Located on Deck 4, the 1,075-square-foot Circle “C” center gives ’tweens a place to call their own, with a dance floor, DJ, a video jukebox and Internet workstations, providing the perfect place to just kick back and relax.  Adjacent to Circle “C” is Club O2, a 2,740-square-foot teen club where older kids can make new friends, and dance to the latest hits cranked out by a high-energy disc jockey.

Designed as the ultimate “chill” space, this expansive room also includes a soda bar, music-listening stations and a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system.  Both the Circle “C” and Club O2 programs have a dedicated director who oversees a host of fun activities, including late-night movies, video game contests and pool parties.

Located next to the teen club is The Warehouse, an expansive game room featuring the latest video and arcade games. Teens can also enjoy Carnival’s popular Y-Spa youth spa program offering a variety of soothing treatments.      

Expansive Outdoor Activities

As the largest “Fun Ship” ever constructed, Carnival has made maximum use of the Carnival Dream’s massive open decks, creating a variety of fun and inviting features, including Carnival WaterWorks, the largest and most elaborate water park at sea.

In addition to a 303-foot-long, four-deck-high corkscrew water slide – the longest in cruising – there will be another 104-foot-long spiral water slide that leads into a giant funnel, providing riders with an exhilarating and memorable conclusion to their journey.  WaterWorks also includes twin double-lane 80-foot-long racing slides and various water spray apparatus with squirting fountains, splash zones, “dump buckets” and more.

Carnival Dream’s other open-deck activities include the line’s first 18-hole miniature golf course, as well as basketball and volleyball courts with stadium-style seating.

Family-Friendly Staterooms, Kid-Friendly Dining

Carnival Dream’s family friendly features even extend to the ship’s accommodations, which include spacious deluxe ocean view staterooms with a unique configuration featuring two bathrooms.  In addition to twin beds that convert to a king and ample closet space, the extra-roomy cabins will include one full bathroom and a second bathroom with a junior tub, shower and sink.  In addition to dozens of inter-connecting staterooms, many of the Carnival Dream’s accommodations can hold up to five guests – a rarity in new ship construction and also ideal for families.

With dining such an important part of any cruise, Carnival Dream will also offer the widest variety of kid-friendly culinary choices at sea.  In addition to a grille serving hamburgers and hot dogs, The Gathering casual poolside restaurant offers 24-hour pizza and ice cream while extensive children’s menus, with a daily junior special promising something new each day, are available in the main dining rooms.  And with Carnival’s “dining under the stars” program, kids can also enjoy a meal with the youth staff in the Lido restaurant allowing parents to have a night to themselves. 

Carnival Dream will also offer the line’s Fountain Fun Card program which, for a one-time fee, offers unlimited soft drinks throughout the voyage.  And greeting guests each night as they return to their staterooms are Carnival’s wildly popular “towel animals” – in the shape of a swan, monkey, pig or dozens of other creatures – custom-designed by the line’s talented stateroom stewards.

 

            Carnival Cruise Lines’ immensely popular senior cruise director and ‘blogger extraordinaire’ John Heald will host two Bloggers Cruises aboard the new 130,000-ton Carnival Dream in 2009. 

            The first, an eight-day voyage operating round-trip from New York November 15-23, 2009, will call at Port Canaveral, Fla., and Nassau and Freeport, The Bahamas. A second nine-day voyage sailing round-trip from Port Canaveral, Fla. December 3-12, 2009, will feature stops at Antigua; Tortola; St. Thomas/St. John; San Juan; and Grand Turk.

            These voyages will follow on the heels of two other Bloggers Cruises hosted by Heald in 2008 and early 2009.  The popular theme cruises provide fans of Heald and readers of his blog the opportunity to interact with him and participate in a number of exclusive activities and events.

            Heald’s blog (accessible via carnival.com and johnhealdsblog.com) has attracted more than 3 million visitors who enjoy his unique, behind-the-scenes look at shipboard life, with humorous anecdotes and observations focusing on the people and places he comes in contact with on a daily basis. He also features insightful interviews with colleagues in a wide variety of job positions both at Carnival and among the cruise line’s many sister cruise brands.

            “It was never my dream to write a blog. My dream involved an Aston Martin, Angelina Jolie and lots of sugar free Jello,” said Heald. “Anyway, after writing a blog and reaching 3.3 million hits, here we are announcing our third and fourth cruises for fans of my blog – on board the newest and most exciting Carnival ship ever — the Carnival Dream.  Now that truly does make this a dream come true and it’s going to be absolutely brilliant,” he said.

Special ‘Bloggers Cruise’ Events

            During both cruises, Heald will host a number of exclusive events, including a welcome aboard reception, trivia contests, question-and-answer sessions and private tea time with John among many other activities.  A variety of keepsakes and logo items will be provided to all Bloggers Cruise participants, and Heald will be blogging daily throughout both voyages.  

The Carnival Dream

            With a basis-two capacity of 3,646 passengers and spanning 1,004 feet in length, Carnival Dream is the largest “Fun Ship” ever constructed.  The Carnival Dream will not only introduce a new class of vessel for the line, but also usher in a new era of “Fun Ship” cruising when it debuts September 21, 2009.

            The vessel, which offers a new layout, sleek hull and distinctive profile, will introduce many unique features and amenities, including a new concept in entertainment called Ocean Plaza, a stunning indoor/outdoor café and live music venue; the most elaborate children’s facilities at sea, including expansive play areas and a huge Carnival WaterWorks aqua park; “scenic whirlpools” that extend over the ship’s beam, and a variety of new stateroom categories, including those specifically catering to families.  

            Also available will be a number of themed lounges, an expansive 23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa, full casino gambling and a variety of dining options.

Information and Reservations

            For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call

1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.

            Participants must request fare code PBL to be included in the November and December 2009 Bloggers Cruise events.

           Currently under construction at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, the Carnival Dream continues to move along as scheduled. Most recently, workers began piecing together the ship’s more than 1,800 staterooms.

            In addition to a wide variety of accommodation categories, the 3,646-passenger vessel, set to debut September 21, 2009, will include a number of new features, including a huge WaterWorks aqua park, “scenic whirlpools” that extended over the ship’s beam, and the line’s first two-level miniature golf course.

            Following its European debut, Carnival Dream will offer two voyages from New York then reposition to Port Canaveral, Fla., for year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises beginning Dec. 5, 2009.

           Set to debut in Europe September 21, 2009, the new 130,000-ton Carnival Dream is beginning to take shape at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard. Pictured above are some of the upper decks being pieced together as construction continues on the 3,646-passenger “Fun Ship.”          

            The largest Carnival Cruise Lines ship ever constructed, Carnival Dream will offer a variety of on board amenities and features including a huge WaterWorks aqua park, “scenic whirlpools” that extended over the ship’s beam, and the line’s first two-level miniature golf course.  A number of innovative stateroom accommodations, including a two-bathroom configuration that will be ideal for families, will also be offered.

            Following its European debut, the massive SuperLiner will offer two voyages from New York and then reposition to Port Canaveral, Fla., for year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises beginning Dec. 5, 2009.

            The virtual tour gives a closer look at some of the Carnival Dream’s new and innovative features, including the “scenic whirlpools” that extend over the ship’s beam.

            Representing a new class of “Fun Ship,” the 3,646-passenger Carnival Dream is set to debut in Europe September 21, 2009, and is taking shape at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.  

          Carnival Cruise Lines began accepting reservations today for the previously announced European and Caribbean itineraries of the new 130,000-ton Carnival Dream, which is scheduled to enter service in September 2009, introducing a host of innovations and amenities.

            The largest “Fun Ship” ever constructed, the 3,646-passenger SuperLiner is set to debut Sept. 21, 2009, with a 12-day Grand Mediterranean cruise from Rome (Civitavecchia), calling at Naples, Livorno and Venice, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Messina, Sicily; Monaco; and Barcelona, Spain. Two additional 12-day Grand Mediterranean cruises will be offered on Oct. 3 and 15, 2009.

            Carnival Dream will then sail on a 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing from Rome (Civitavecchia) to New York Oct. 27 – Nov. 12, 2009, with visits to Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and Malaga, Spain; Las Palmas, Canary Islands; and King’s Wharf, Bermuda.

            From New York, Carnival Dream will operate two eight-day Bahamas/Florida cruises departing Nov. 15 and 23, 2009, with stops at Port Canaveral, Fla., and Nassau and Freeport, The Bahamas.

            Carnival Dream will then reposition to Port Canaveral, Fla., for year-round seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises beginning Dec. 5, 2009.  On this program, Eastern Caribbean cruises will call at Nassau; St. Thomas/St. John, U.S.V.I.; and St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles; while the exotic Western Caribbean route will include Cozumel; Belize; Costa Maya; and Isla Roatan. 

            Representing a new class of “Fun Ship,” Carnival Dream will offer a variety of unique features and facilities, including a bold new concept in entertainment called The Piazza, a stunning indoor/outdoor café and live music venue. 

            Additionally, the ship will offer the most elaborate children’s facilities at sea, including expansive play areas and a huge Carnival WaterWorks aqua park.  Other features include “scenic whirlpools” that extend over the ship’s beam and a variety of new stateroom categories, including an innovative two-bathroom configuration that should be particularly attractive to families.

            For additional information and reservations on the Carnival Dream or any other Carnival “Fun Ship,” contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.

         

         As Carnival prepares to take delivery of the new 3,006-passenger Carnival Splendor next week, it also eagerly anticipates the debut of the 3,646-passenger Carnival Dream, the line’s new 130,000-ton SuperLiner which will offer a variety of features and innovations when it debuts in September 2009.

            Currently under construction at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard in Italy, Carnival Dream is beginning to take shape as construction progresses toward its inaugural voyage next fall.

            Carnival Dream’s many highlights will include a bold new concept in entertainment called “The Piazza,” a stunning indoor/outdoor café and live music venue; a huge Carnival WaterWorks aqua park, “scenic whirlpools” that extend over the ship’s beam; the line’s first two-level miniature golf course, and a variety of new stateroom categories, including a new two-bathroom configuration that will be ideal for families.

            The massive “Fun Ship” will debut in Europe in September 2009 and after a pair of voyages from New York will reposition to Port Canaveral, Fla., for year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises beginning Dec. 5, 2009.

            Reservations for the Dream’s various European and Caribbean departures are available July 1.

         With about a year-and-half until the debut of what will be the largest “Fun Ship” ever constructed — the new 130,000-ton Carnival Dream has already begun taking shape at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

            Currently in the initial stages of construction, the 3,652-passenger Carnival Dream will feature a unique interior design, sleek hull and distinctive profile, along with a host of innovative facilities and features which will be released in the coming months.

            Carnival recently announced that the new Carnival Dream will be based at Port Canaveral, Fla., beginning in fall 2009.