Carnival Cruise Lines hosted more than 200 community leaders, travel agents and VIPs during a reception aboard its newest and largest ship, the new 130,000-ton Carnival Dream, to mark the vessel’s first-ever visit to Port Canaveral, Fla.  The 3,646-passenger ship stopped in Port Canaveral as part of an eight-day cruise from New York and will launch year-round Caribbean service from Port Canaveral Dec. 3.

During the festivities, a series of traditional maritime plaque exchanges took place between representatives from Carnival and local officials.

Photo at left: Carnival Dream Captain Queirolo (second from right) is pictured with members of the Canaveral Port Authority Board, including Secretary/Treasurer Malcolm ‘Mac’ McLouth (far left), Chairman Tom Goodson (second from right) and Commissioner Ray Sharkey. 

Photo at right:  Carnival Dream Captain Carlo Queirolo (center) and Carnival’s Vice President of Worldwide Sales Joni Rein (right) are presented with a plaque from Canaveral Port Authority Board Secretary/Treasurer Malcolm ‘Mac’ McLouth.

With the Carnival Dream operating year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, combined with the Carnival Sensation’s year-round three- and four-day Bahamas departures, Carnival is expected to carry more than 450,000 passengers annually from the port.

Representing a new class for the line, Carnival Dream offers a host of innovations, including 19,000 square feet of space catering to children and families, an expansive WaterWorks aqua park featuring the longest water slide at sea, a half-mile wrap-around outdoor promenade with whirlpools that extend over the ship’s sides and a stunning indoor/outdoor café and live entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza.