Carnival Cruise Line is bolstering its family-friendly fleet with the introduction of new ship Carnival Dream.
The 130,000-tonne vessel makes it debut on September 21 in the Mediterranean with the start of a series of 12-night fly-cruises.
The new addition to the fleet will enable the US cruise line to carry an estimated 625,000 children aboard its 22-vessel “Fun Ship” fleet – roughly half of the total number of youngsters carried by the entire North American cruise industry.
Carnival is renowned for operating large resort-style ships with an emphasis on US-style activities and entertainment.
Carnival Dream will feature more than 19,000 square feet of space catering to children, with indoor and outdoor play areas and an aqua park with the cruise industry’s longest water slide at more than 300-ft long covering four decks.
Carnival Dream will also offer a wide variety of child-friendly culinary choices and the line’s Fountain Fun Card programme which offers unlimited soft drinks throughout the cruise for a one-off fee.
Amenities for children include free supervised fun for three age groups – Camp Carnival (ages 2-11), Circle “C” (12-14) and Club O2 (15-17) – offering a full schedule of activities organised by trained staff.
The focal point of Carnival Dream’s children’s activities will be a 5,000-square-foot play area with ocean views divided into three distinct sections, each catering for a different age group.
The 1,075-square-foot Circle “C” centre features a dance floor, DJ, video jukebox and internet workstations.
Adjacent to Circle “C” is Club O2, a 2,740-square-foot teen club where older children can make new friends, and dance to the latest hits provided by a high-energy DJ.
Like all the company’s Fun Ships, Carnival Dream will offer a wide selection of activities specifically geared towards children, including the WaterColors art programme; ExerSeas, emphasising physical fitness, SeaNotes, with fun music-oriented games and activities; and EduCruise, designed to inform about the ship’s diverse European and Caribbean itineraries.
Camp Carnival will serve as the site for babysitting services, which are available from 10pm to 3am and cost $6 an hour for the first child and $4 per hour for each additional child in the same family.
Other activities include the line’s first 18-hole miniature golf course, basketball and volleyball courts.
Accommodation on board will include cabins with two bathrooms and many capable of accommodating families of up to five.
Following its inaugural season in Europe, Carnival Dream will embark on a 17-night transatlantic repositioning voyage to Port Canaveral where the ship will run seven-night eastern and western Caribbean cruises from December and throughout 2010.