130,000-TON CARNIVAL DREAM OFFERS YEAR-ROUND CRUISES FROM PORT CANAVERAL

MIAMI – The 130,000-ton Carnival Dream, offers a host of on-board innovations and amenities, and operates year-round seven-day cruises from Port Canaveral.

Offering seven-day cruises, alternating weekly to the eastern and western Caribbean.  On this route, eastern Caribbean cruises visit Nassau, St. Thomas/St. John, and St. Maarten while the western Caribbean itinerary features Cozumel, Mahogany Bay (Roatan), Belize and Costa Maya.

A new class of vessel, the 3,646-passenger vessel ushers in an exciting new era of “Fun Ship” cruising. With a new layout, sleek hull and distinctive profile, Carnival Dream is designed as the ultimate vacation experience.  

Unique features of the Carnival Dream include a stunning café and entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza;  19,000—square-feet of dedicated children’s facilities , including expansive play areas and a huge Carnival WaterWorks aqua park featuring the longest water slide at sea; “scenic whirlpools” that extend over the ship’s sides; the line’s first two-level Serenity adults-only retreat; a 23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa – Carnival’s largest; and a variety of new stateroom categories, including two-bath, five-berth cabins that have particular appeal with families.   

Unique Features and Facilities
With a basis-two capacity of 3,646 passengers and spanning 1,004 feet in length, Carnival Dream is the first in the Dream-class, and one of the longest and largest vessel  largest and longest in the Carnival fleet.

Among the highlights of Carnival Dream is Ocean Plaza, an indoor/outdoor café and live music venue featuring a large circular dance floor. A massive floor-to-ceiling curved glass wall separates the room, creating comfortable seating areas offering magnificent ocean views. Guests at Ocean Plaza can also enjoy coffees and sweets – even freshly made milkshakes. Full bar service is also offered.

Ocean Plaza also offers full Wi-Fi access, along with 12 stand-alone kiosks where guests can access an exciting new concept in shipboard technology – the FunHub, Carnival Dream’s comprehensive portal and exclusive on-board social network. 

Carnival Dream also takes the traditional cruise-ship promenade to new heights with a half-mile, open-air promenade encircling the ship on Promenade Deck 5.   Here, guests can take a stroll while enjoying spectacular ocean vistas, read a book, or just take in the sun from one of the many deck chairs that will line this unique open deck area.

Along the expansive promenade, four “scenic whirlpools” cantilever out over the sea providing magnificent sea views. Higher up, Lido Deck 10 offers the most elaborate and expansive open-deck area of any Carnival ship with a tropical, resort-style main pool complete with a Seaside Theatre LED screen, Carnival’s first two-level Serenity adults-only retreat with comfortable seating and full bar service,  and numerous other features.

A wide variety of lounges, bars and nightspots – including a new dance club concept offering indoor/outdoor access – will be accessible via an 11-deck-high atrium whose ground level will offer a cantilevered bandstand atop a massive dance floor. Other features include an expansive 23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa – Carnival’s largest and most elaborate health and wellness center to date.  

Innovative New Staterooms
Particular attention was paid to Carnival Dream’s accommodations, as several innovative new types of staterooms will be introduced.  The line’s first-ever “cove” balcony staterooms – located closer to the water line – offer beautiful sea views and exceptional value.  

New deluxe ocean view staterooms – featuring a unique, guest-friendly configuration with two bathrooms and five berths – provide the ultimate in comfort and convenience for guests who can enjoy their unique spaciousness, particularly families. In addition to twin beds that convert to a king, ample closet space and elegant décor, the two-bathroom configuration include one full bathroom and a second bathroom featuring a junior tub with shower and sink.

There are even staterooms that can accommodate five guests – a rarity in new ship construction and also ideal for families. Additionally, there is a wide selection of balcony staterooms and suites from which to choose – all offering the best in scenic cruising.  Additionally, adjacent to Carnival Dream’s luxurious Cloud 9 Spa are 65 spa staterooms and suites which offer guests a number of exclusive amenities and privileges.

All Carnival Dream staterooms feature the Carnival Comfort Bed sleep system with plush mattresses, luxurious duvets and high quality linens and pillows.

Families Will Live the Dream
Carnival Dream’s numerous family-friendly amenities include separate, purpose-built facilities for the line’s three distinct children’s programs: Camp Carnival for kids ages 2-11, Circle “C” for 12- to 14-year-olds, and Club O2 for teens ages 15 to 17, along with a full schedule of morning-til-night activities catering to each age group.

Sure to be a hit with guests of all ages is Carnival WaterWorks, an expansive aqua park offering exhilarating water slides – including a 303-foot-long Twister slide the longest in cruising and an exhilarating DrainPipe attraction featuring a unique funnel-style design – and various water spray apparatus. Carnival Dream also features an 18-hole miniature golf course.

All this, combined with the spacious two-bathroom staterooms and an attractive and convenient Port Canaveral/Central Florida homeport, make Carnival Dream an exceptional family vacation.

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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.

]]> http://carnival-news.com/2009/02/02/130000-ton-carnival-dream-the-ultimate-family-vacation/feed/ 0 http://carnival-news.com/2008/12/22/carnival-dream-showcased-with-new-image-gallery-entertaining-blog-by-senior-cruise-director-john-heald/ http://carnival-news.com/2008/12/22/carnival-dream-showcased-with-new-image-gallery-entertaining-blog-by-senior-cruise-director-john-heald/#comments Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:19:01 +0000 Joyce Oliva http://carnival-news.com/?p=772

Carnival has unveiled a new series of never-before-seen renderings of the 130,000-ton Carnival Dream – the largest “Fun Ship” ever constructed set to debut Sept. 21, 2009 – along with an entertaining and informative new blog by Senior Cruise Director John Heald who recently toured the ship during its construction at Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard.

The new image gallery and blog are available at www.carnival.com/dream.

Included among the site’s new digital renderings are stunning images of the Carnival Dream’s Carnival WaterWorks aqua park featuring the longest water slides at sea; a breathtaking nine-deck-high atrium that will provide convenient access to the ship’s numerous bars, lounges and nightspots; and Ocean Plaza, a new indoor/outdoor entertainment area offering magnificent ocean vistas. Examples of the ship’s striking décor, including renderings of the dance club, casino, piano bar, and dining venues, are also included.

The site also includes a link to an engaging new blog by Heald, who takes readers on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the spectacular new “Fun Ship,” displaying his trademark humor while conveying Carnival Dream’s unique characteristics.

In addition to detailed overviews of the Carnival WaterWorks aqua park and Ocean Plaza, Heald’s first-person account includes a look at the ship’s 23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa – the largest in the “Fun Ship” fleet – along with brand new area called The Lanai, a wrap-around promenade that encircles the ship.

Heald pays particular attention to Carnival Dream’s wide-ranging accommodation categories, which include new “cove balcony” staterooms located closer to the water line and deluxe ocean view staterooms that will feature five berths and two bathrooms and should have particular appeal to families.

The blog also includes several videos of Heald as he tours the various areas of the ship and interacts with shipyard workers.

“As my chauffer-driven Fiat 500 brought me closer to this spectacular new vessel, I experienced the feeling that I know you will feel when you see her for the first time. The Carnival Dream is going to be biblically, stratospherically, crushingly brilliant. It is a ship that will set the tone for others to try and follow and is without doubt a ship that will be talked about for a long time to come. Stop by my blog and find out why,” said Heald.

Carnival Dream is slated to debut in Europe Sept. 21 with the first of three 12-day Grand Mediterranean cruises from Rome (Civitavecchia) through Oct. 27, 2009.
The ship will then sail on a 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing from Rome (Civitavecchia) to New York Oct. 27 – Nov. 12, 2009. From New York, Carnival Dream will operate two eight-day Bahamas/Florida cruises departing Nov. 15 and 23, 2009. Then following a nine-day cruise from Port Canaveral, Fla. the ship will launch year-round seven-day Caribbean service from that port Dec. 12.

 

            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.