MIAMI, April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- New Orleans'
largest year-round cruise ship, the 3,646-passenger Carnival Dream,
will depart on its inaugural six-day cruise from New Orleans this afternoon, further
solidifying Carnival's distinction of the port's largest cruise
operator with two ships carrying more than 400,000 passengers
annually – the most of any cruise line.
The special six-day voyage, visiting Costa Maya, Mahogany Bay
(Isla Roatan), and Cozumel, will
depart from the newly refurbished Erato Street Cruise Terminal,
which has undergone a $2.3 million
upgrade to accommodate a ship as large as the 130,000-ton Carnival
Dream.
Beginning April 20, Carnival Dream
will launch year-round seven-day service from New Orleans offering three distinctly
different itineraries – western Caribbean cruises visiting Montego Bay, Cozumel, and Grand
Cayman; or Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan), Belize and Cozumel; and a Bahamas/Florida route calling at Key West, Freeport and Nassau. Carnival Dream
joins Carnival Elation which sails year-round four- and five-day
cruises to Mexico.
A study by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) found
that spending by Carnival and other cruise operators in
Louisiana topped $399 million in 2012, generating 7,548 jobs and
$294 million in personal income. CLIA
also ranked New Orleans the sixth
largest cruise port in the U.S.
The 1,004-foot-long Carnival Dream offers a host of on-board
innovations, including WaterWorks featuring a 303-foot-long Twister
water slide – among the longest at sea – as well as a luxurious
23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa, a half-mile outdoor promenade with
whirlpools that extend out over the ship's sides, and more than two
dozen bars, restaurants and lounges, including the poolside RedFrog
Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar.
Also featured is a Punchliner Comedy Club presented by
George Lopez with nearly two dozen
family-friendly and adult-oriented comedy shows per voyage.
Carnival Dream also offers fun, supervised activities for children
in three age groups and later this year will add Seuss at Sea, part
of a fleetwide partnership with Dr. Seuss
Enterprises featuring exciting youth, family, dining and
entertainment experiences inspired by the amazing world of Dr.
Seuss.
Carnival Dream also includes a stunning indoor/outdoor cafe/live
entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza as well as the Seaside
Theatre, a 270-square-foot LED screen displaying concerts, sporting
events and nightly Dive-In Movies.
A variety of spacious accommodations are also available, with
dozens of suites and a wide selection of balcony staterooms,
including unique cove balconies located closer to the water
offering outstanding sea views. There are also ocean view
staterooms with a full bath plus separate wash room and five-berth
staterooms that are ideal for families.
"New Orleans is one of our most
popular homeports and Carnival Dream provides vacationers with a
spectacular 'Fun Ship' cruise option from the Big Easy offering an
incredible array of on-board innovations," said Gerry Cahill, Carnival's president and
CEO. "Further, the arrival of Carnival Dream significantly
expands our capacity in New
Orleans, which is a direct result of the combined efforts of
port and local officials and our valued travel agent partners who
have been instrumental in supporting our New Orleans cruise program," he added.
Commented Port of New Orleans President and CEO Gary LaGrange, "The arrival of the Carnival
Dream is the culmination of a lot of hard work and a strong
commitment by Port of New
Orleans officials, tourism leaders and Carnival Cruise
Lines to build strong cruising demand from the
Crescent City. The ship's
amenities and features are second to none. We're thrilled to
welcome the Carnival Dream as a year-round resident of the Port and
City of New Orleans."
For more information about Carnival Dream's departures from
New Orleans or any of the line's
"Fun Ship" cruises, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL
or visit carnival.com.
Carnival also can be found on:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/carnivalcruise
Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/carnival
YouTube: www.youtube.com/carnival
Journalists can visit Carnival's media site,
www.carnival-news.com, or follow the line's PR department on
Twitter at www.twitter.com/CarnivalPR.
About Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival, a unit of
Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is "The
World's Most Popular Cruise Line®" with 24 ships operating three-
to 23-day voyages to The Bahamas,
Caribbean, Mexican Riviera,
Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Australia, New
Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Tahiti. The company's
25th ship, the 135,000-ton Carnival Vista, is scheduled to enter
service in 2016.
Carnival is a proud member of World's Leading Cruise Lines. Our
exclusive alliance also includes Cunard, Holland America Line,
Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises and Seabourn. Sharing a passion to
please each guest and a commitment to quality and value, World's
Leading Cruise Lines inspires people to discover their best
vacation experience. Together, we offer a variety of exciting and
enriching cruise vacations to the world's most desirable
destinations. Visit us at
www.worldleadingcruiselines.com.
SOURCE Carnival Cruise Lines