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First look: Carnival Dream

From supersized spa suites to sea-mail, Carnival’s latest ship is cause for celebration, says Barry Cain

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURIE FLETCHER

At 130,000 tons, Carnival’s largest ship has gone for a cleaner, cooler, don’t-ask-forthe-moon-we-have-the-stars approach. Oh sure, the carpets still have more colours than a Jackson Pollock painting, the trademark atrium, with its glass elevators and floating stage, still climbs to the heavens, the cavernous casino is still a fantastically seductive space and Heinz ketchup and French’s mustard still adorn many a table. But the overall effect is more Jack Dee than Russell Brand, if you get my drift. More Coldplay than The Prodigy. There’s a muted elegance about the ship that reflects the current zeitgeist. And it works like a dream.

The public areas are bathed in soft, amber light that seems to slow things down, to merge with the music, to make you feel good about yourself in Dreamland. Perfect for that Caribbean run. Has Joe Farcus, the legendary interior designer, discovered the art of light therapy? Will they start using it alongside the Thermal Suite, Thalassotherapy Pool and the sensual Mud Lounge in the gorgeously exotic 7,240-square metre Cloud 9 Spa, a space that neatly blends with the two-tier, adults-only Serenity area way up in the sky on deck 14?

The ship bulges with innovation. The Lanai (it means veranda) wraps itself around deck 5 like a sleepy python.

You can walk its entire half-mile length unhindered, then drop into the Ocean Plaza, an indoor/alfresco venue reminiscent of a smart park café, and grab a bite, nurture a cocktail, sip an espresso or just chill and listen to a live band. Whirlpools suspended over the side of the ship are positioned opposite each Plaza entrance. It’s a unique experience.

So, too, is the Fun Hub. Carnival has dispensed with the services of bathrooms and Cove balcony cabins that are closer to the waterline than any these tired eyes have seen. Almost 50 per cent of staterooms have a balcony.

In a freestyle age, Carnival still embraces traditional two-dinner seatings, in the Crimson and Scarlet restaurants at 6pm and 8.15pm, although the Crimson does allow for anytime dining between
5.45pm and 9.30pm. For an extra 30 bucks a head, The Chef’s Art on deck 12 offers memorable food, US-style, from the 24oz classic porterhouse steak to lobster ravioli. It seats 139 and is an absolute must.

Lunch in The Gathering is an altogether more varied affair with a burrito bar, internet cafés and instead has installed Fun Hubs on decks 3, 4 and 5 – 12 of them in the Ocean Plaza. As well as affording web access for a fee, the hubs allow passengers to interact with each other by leaving private messages, such as ‘fancy a game of mini golf at 4pm?’, or ‘we’re up in the Seaside Theatre on deck 12 watching Quantum of Solace on the big screen and the sky’s full of stars’, or ‘we’ve saved a couple of seats for you in the Encore. The show’s called ‘Get Ready’ and it’s packed with Motown’, or simply ‘the bed’s too big without you.’ It’s perfect if you’re in a party of 10 and need to contact them all. No phones, no feet, just send a ‘sea-mail’ from the Fun Hub. And this intranet service is free. There’s even restricted access for kids.

Ah, the kids. Carnival certainly knows how to treat them. If they’re aged between two and 17, they’re taken care of. The younger ones get their own massive playroom while pre-teens enjoy free use of PlayStation consoles and a big screen for Wii games. Heaven.

Circle C and Club O2 are havens of cool for teenagers, with jukeboxes, video screens and amber-lit bubble tubes that dance all night. And they all get to ride on the longest waterslide at sea in the WaterWorks aqua park. Chances are, you’ll hardly see your offspring for a week.

Two more firsts on Dream are deluxe five-berth ocean view staterooms with two bathrooms and Cove balcony cabins that are closer to the waterline than any these tired eyes have seen. Almost 50 per cent of staterooms have a balcony.

In a freestyle age, Carnival still embraces traditional two-dinner seatings, in the Crimson and Scarlet restaurants at 6pm and 8.15pm, although the Crimson does allow for anytime dining between 5.45pm and 9.30pm. For an extra 30 bucks a head, The Chef’s Art on deck 12 offers memorable food, US-style, from the 24oz classic porterhouse steak to lobster ravioli. It seats 139 and is an absolute must.

Lunch in The Gathering is an altogether more varied affair with a burrito bar, Mongolian wok, Indian Tandoori station and separate pasta bar. This is food above and beyond the call of duty, as the queues testify.

But it’s the treats that make things really special, such as the free ice cream and frozen yogurt machines in the Pizzeria and the complimentary Wasabi Sushi Bar, open for over three hours every evening, which dishes out some hot stuff – strictly in the Donna Summer sense. Free pizza 24 hours a day – are you kidding me? Don’t you just love cruising?

The passenger capacity is officially 3,646, based on two per stateroom, but that can swell by almost another 1,000 with a totally full ship, including the multi cabins. At over three football pitches in length and 15 floors high, she can comfortably handle that number. But the buck stops here. According to owner Micky Arison, this is as big as it gets for Carnival. The next launch is sister ship Carnival Magic in 2011, but all future innovation will be restricted to enhancing the three Fs: facilities, food and fun. But quality over quantity is a good thing. In the meantime, you can put me down as a Dream lover. I hope I never wake up.

For more, call 0800 916 3233, visit www.cruisethomascook.com,

Vital statistics

Passengers: 3,646
(based on two per cabin)
Crew: 1,367
Tonnage: 130,000 Cost $860m
Cost $860m
Sets sail: September Its first homeport cruise departs 5 December, 2009 from Port Canaveral. It will sail a schedule of seven-night Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises.

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