3,646-Passenger Vessel to Debut in Europe in September 2009, Launches Year-Round Service from Port Canaveral In December 2009

MIAMI (June 23, 2008 ) – The new 130,000-ton Carnival Dream – the largest “Fun Ship” ever constructed, offering a host of on-board innovations and amenities – is slated to debut September 21, 2009, operating a diverse inaugural schedule that features visits to magnificent European and Caribbean destinations.

Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, the 3,646-passenger SuperLiner will be a new class of vessel for the line and usher in a 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 new concept in entertainment called The Piazza, 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. Carnival Dream will also offer many other exciting and innovative features that will be announced in the coming months.

“We’ve taken everything we’ve learned about shipbuilding and incorporated it into the magnificent Carnival Dream. By offering the widest variety of all-inclusive facilities and features at sea, we will create fun, memorable vacations for our guests, all at an incredible value,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO. “From a bold new entertainment concept called The Piazza to innovative new larger stateroom categories and the most elaborate children’s facilities ever featured on any Carnival ‘Fun Ship’ – all of which are included in the initial cruise fare and accessible to everyone on board. – Carnival Dream was specifically designed with our valued guests in mind,” he added.

Exciting Inaugural Schedule

Carnival Dream is scheduled to enter service September 21, 2009, with an inaugural 12-day Grand Mediterranean cruise from Rome (Civitavecchia) featuring seven spectacular ports: Naples, Livorno and Venice (two-day call), Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Messina, Sicily; Monaco; and Barcelona, Spain. Two additional 12-day Grand Mediterranean cruises will be offered on October 3 and October 15, 2009.

The ship will then sail on a 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing departing Rome (Civitavecchia) Oct. 27 and arriving New York Nov. 12, 2009. Featured ports include Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and Malaga, Spain; Las Palmas, Canary Islands; and King’s Wharf, Bermuda (overnight call).

From New York, Carnival Dream will operate two eight-day Bahamas/Florida cruises departing Nov. 15 and 23, 2009. These voyages include a call at Port Canaveral (in proximity to Orlando-area attractions), followed by a visit to Nassau and Freeport in The Bahamas.

Year-Round Cruising From Port Canaveral

Following its New York departures, Carnival Dream will reposition to Port Canaveral, Fla., where it will launch year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises Dec. 5, 2009. On its new Port Canaveral-based program, Carnival Dream will depart every Saturday on alternating weeklong cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Eastern Caribbean cruises will call at Nassau; St. Thomas/St. John, U.S.V.I.; and St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles; while the Western Caribbean voyages will visit Cozumel; Belize; Isla Roatan (Honduras); and Freeport. Carnival Dream will assume this route from the Carnival Glory, which will be redeployed to Miami to operate year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises beginning October 3, 2009.

Unique Features and Facilities

With a basis-two capacity of 3,646 passengers and spanning 1,004 feet in length, Carnival Dream is the largest and longest “Fun Ship” ever constructed and the line has made maximum use of the vessel’s added size by creating some truly spectacular on-board facilities and features.

Among the ship’s many highlights is a brand new concept in entertainment – The Piazza. Designed as a comfortable oasis during the day and a bustling entertainment complex at night, this breathtaking indoor/outdoor café and live music venue will feature a bandstand where a variety of musical genres will be showcased, along with a large circular dance floor. A massive floor-to-ceiling curved glass wall will separate the room, creating comfortable and spacious indoor and outdoor seating areas offering stunning ocean views. Guests at The Piazza can also enjoy full bar service, along with an espresso bar offering gelato and a variety of decadent baked goods, along with high-speed Internet access.

Carnival Dream will also take 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, Panorama Deck 10 deck will offer 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, a Serenity adults-only retreat, 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 – will 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 will 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 will be 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 will be 65 spa staterooms and suites which will offer guests a number of exclusive amenities and privileges.

All Carnival Dream staterooms will 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 will 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 will be Carnival WaterWorks, an expansive aqua park offering exhilarating water slides and various water spray apparatus. Carnival Dream will also be the first “Fun Ship” to feature a two-level miniature golf course.

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

Reservations Open July 1

Reservations will be accepted for all of Carnival Dream’s cruises starting July 1, 2008. A special online preview of the Carnival Dream is available now at carnival.com/dream. The site showcases a variety of the exciting features and amenities of this spectacular new ship.

For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.
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Yeah it doesn't have a zip line park or carousel, but it does have a lot of things to offer that most Carnival ships do not.

A full wrap around promenade will be nice, something Oasis doesn't offer and unlike Oasis it connects guests to the sea.

The Piazza thing sounds interesting, I still don't fully understand what type of entertainment it will host, and how its going to be set up- but we will see.

Family designed cabins, and cabins with two bathrooms is a pretty good idea. It just shows that Carnival is not trying to be the biggest, but more economical.

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Originally posted by RANGERVR6178:
I think its a safe bet.
A full wrap around promenade will be nice, something Oasis doesn't offer and unlike Oasis it connects guests to the sea.

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Are we sure Oasis doesnt have a wraparound promenade? The other BIG RCI ships all do - you can even go and do a Kate Winslett if you are so inclined.

Having those Whirlpools so low down in the structure is interesting. Coming off the wraparound promenade is different since one might normally expect whirlpools to be adjacent to other 'wet' areas (n.b. I do hope those aren't called wet dream
)

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Originally posted by Atlcruiser:
Ernie was correct about there being whirlpools located on the promenade deck that extend over the side of the ship.

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I thought that is what those extensions off the outdoor Promenade would be, and sure enough they are. I also mentioned the "hull hole" balconies like QM2 and sure enough DREAM will have them, although Carnival is calling them "Cove Balconies". I think this was a trade-off in the design. While DREAM is a new design, I think she takes much of her inspiration from the Conquest Class and is not a 100% newly designed hull. For this reason the "Cove Balconies" were the best option without a complete redesign from scratch. They have not been a great success with passengers on QM2 but perhaps they will be better on DREAM. Personally I like the idea of being closer to the water line.

Personally I will absolutely sail on DREAM. She looks very appealing and as someone else mentioned, anything with a different layout than the Destiny/Conquest Class will be an improvement! I really like her exterior .... perhaps more than any other newbuild.

Exciting times for a change. Instead of more Vistas we are getting SOLSTICE, F3, OASIS, DREAM, and MSC FANTASIA. So many new designs to look forward too!

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Originally posted by RANGERVR6178:
A full wrap around promenade will be nice, something Oasis doesn't offer and unlike Oasis it connects guests to the sea.

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The family cabin that sleeps 5

The hot tubs on the promenade

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Originally posted by Atlcruiser:
They have the deck plans up.

http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/ships/carnival_dream/default.aspx?shipCode=DR

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What a disappointment. I knew the hull design was taken from the Destiny/Conquest class, but I had hoped for a completely redesigned interior layout. Essentially this is a beefed up CONQUEST, and unfortunately the very poor interior layout remains virtually unchanged. What a missed opportunity. At least the ship has a proper promenade deck, but there were so many other passenger flow issues that should have been addressed. The worst part is I don't see any additional deck space besides the promenade. The Destiny/Conquest class was lacking in this area to begin with. Once again Carnival took the easy road. Instead of spending the money to really design something innovative and unique from scratch, they tweaked an existing design. I guess this is why they make the big bucks.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, this is why we are seeing the "Cove Balconies", or hull hole balconies like QM2. I don't think we would see this on a completely new hull design, as they have proven unpopular. It's a compromise to use an existing design but add a new revenue opportunity. The Conquest/Destiny already had a much smaller proportion of balcony cabins compared to the large designs of Princess and Royal Caribbean.

Oh well, maybe I won't be in such a rush to book DREAM. I do like her exterior looks though.

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Originally posted by Thad:

The hot tubs on the promenade

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Look at how high the glass is on the open promenade. Another disappointment. You won't be able to lean over the rail and look at the ocean. Essentially you will be "glassed in". What a waste.

I was wondering what the space behind the hot tubs on that deck was. Its an 'outdoor cafe. With a parallel one on each side. This wraparound promenade, with the hot tubs and location looks more odd by the minute.

Another disappointment is the location of the Supper Club. Unless I've misread the deck plans it is essentially Lido cafe level 3. With all the attendant noise filtering up. This was a mistake made on the Fortuna version of the class but which had been corrected by Freedom - how silly to go back to it.

The restaurants are still the Conquest/ Destiny arrangement - responsible for part of the flow problem. IT looks like there is still the promenade to nowhere at the bottom level of the atrium outside - except that its no longer accessible here at all - the atrium is full width. The Galley is gigantic on the deck plans.

Overall the addition of that wraparound promenade with the Freedom copy whirlpools means that in the main passenger areas (as opposed to upper/ sun decks) there will no longer be any public room (aft restaurant some tables excepted) where you can sit at a window by the sea. They will all be behind a promenade or mustering area etc.

Also the outdoor promonade seems like a scaled down version of the one we saw in the Pinnacle video.

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Originally posted by nycruiser:
On the Dream they created a walkway on the starboard side of the mid-ship dining room on the Atlantic Deck. On the Destiny/Conquest ships you had to walk up a deck, walking across and go back down to reach the aft dining room. This appears to have been changed.

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I agree this is an improvement. I also think it will be very nice having that large outdoor promenade just steps away from all the main lounges. I also like that the kids area has been moved away from the main promenade deck of lounges. On the Conquest Class it's right next to the adult disco which is really a bad idea.

I mentioned before my concern about deck space, and an even bigger concern for me is that there are only two relatively small pools on the entire ship for over 3600 passengers. Carnival pools are crowded already so this does not bode well. As a person who enjoys a swim while onboard, I can't imagine these two small pools being very enticing. Carnival pools tend to be rather plain and small anyway .... something I could never figure out considering the large percent of Carnival passengers who like to use the pools.

Perhaps Carnival should have removed some of the cabins on the upper decks to create another pool and deck area. Of course revenue must come first!

[ 06-23-2008: Message edited by: Atlcruiser ]

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Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:
On a plus side (and if the promenade rendering is to be believed) it looks like the deck will be covered in natural teak.

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That would be great, but one has to wonder. Early renderings of QV showed what looked like real teak decks. The end result was something entirely different.

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Originally posted by nycruiser:
Even though she is a beefed up Conquest class and a cousin ultimately to the Destiny class one major design flaw seems to have been addressed which was the mid-ships dining room. On the Dream they created a walkway on the starboard side of the mid-ship dining room on the Atlantic Deck. .

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The public room decks still have the fore-aft circulation to only a narrow passageway on starboard.

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Originally posted by eroller:

That would be great, but one has to wonder. Early renderings of QV showed what looked like real teak decks. The end result was something entirely different.

Ernie

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Carnival Splendor seems to have no teak, from what I've seen so far it's mostly QV and Spirit-class blue flooring.

There is actually one less swimming pool. The pool at the base of the slides, which is the one that i preferred to use on Freedom, (more sun, less hot dog smell), has been replaced with the waterworks.