In the world of cruising, Carnival Cruise Lines is known as the “Fun Ships”. So it was no surprise that Carnival’s newest ship, Carnival Dream, was christened last week in New York City amid much lighthearted fun.

The party got started when the godmother, Academy Award and Tony-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden swung a baseball bat signed by Yankees’ star Alex Rodriguez against a 5-foot-tall ceremonial bottle of champagne.

At 3,646 passengers (maximum 4,631 passenger capacity including upper berths) and 130,000-tons, Dream is Carnival’s biggest vessel to date and introduces a number of new features for Carnival.

What’s new

As the first of two Dream-class ships (Carnival Magic is scheduled to launch in June 2011), the biggest change is Ocean Plaza, an indoor/outdoor cafe and live music venue and the Lanai, an outdoor area featuring a wrap-around promenade and four cantilevered whirlpools suspended over the ship’s side. There’s also a “FunHub” area, which Carnival dubs the first social network area at sea. Guests can use one of 36 onboard computers to post or look for like-minded guests wanting to play backgammon, cards, or simply get together over Pina Coladas.

There’s also Carnival’s first-ever comedy club venue offering multiple nightly shows with top-notch comedians. Dream offers the first outdoor laser light show at sea at the top-deck Seaside Theater – lasers project patterns onto the night sky, accompanied by rock music by the world’s most famous acts. New accommodations include two-bath, five-berth staterooms designed to appeal to families, and “cove” balcony cabins located close to the waterline.

The Cloud 9 Spa has been expanded to 23,750-square feet over two decks in the front of the ship and offers an Asian-inspired ambiance. You can relax in the huge thalassotherapy pool or the thermal suite based on a Turkish bath experience. Before and after treatments, guests are encouraged to relax with a cup of tea in a relaxation area with comfy loungers and canopied beds with sea views and soothing music. For fitness buffs the spa’s large fitness center offers users state-of-the-art Lifecycle machinery along with daily fitness classes with personal trainers. There are also 65 spa staterooms that offer direct access to the spa through a private elevator. Each stateroom has special décor and amenities that make for the ultimate seagoing spa and wellness vacation that’s only steps away from the stateroom.

Carnival will carry an estimated 625,000 children this year, roughly half the total number of kids carried by the entire North American cruise industry. So, it’s no surprise that Dream offers 19,000 total square feet of space catering to kids of all ages. Dream’s youth activities areas are expansive, the largest is the 5,000-square-foot Camp Carnival (ages 2-11) located on Deck 11 that is divided into age-appropriate areas. Located on Deck 4, is the 1,075-square-foot Circle C (ages 12-14) and adjacent is the 2,740-square-foot Club O2 (ages 15-17) that boasts a dance floor, soda bar, game area and more.

Located on Deck 12 is the largest water park at sea, WaterWorks, with various water-spray apparatus, but the highlight is the 303-foot-long, four decks high “Twister Waterslide”, the longest at sea. The water park complements Dream’s three swimming pools and seven whirlpools.

A kinder, gentler décor

Carnival ships are known to have an outlandish décor, but Dream has been toned down to a more moderate fun level. One of the most relaxing places on the ship is the adults-only Serenity area that operates across two levels and can hold up to 200 people seeking a respite from high-octane activities. There’s luxurious seating, including hammocks, a bar, and whirlpools.

Among the ship’s amenities are: three swimming pools, a giant movie screen; seven Jacuzzis. As on other Carnival ships, you’ll find a towering atrium and show theater with amazing entertainers, Internet café and library, shopping promenade, and dozens of bars and lounges that are always thronged with guests.

Accommodations include 1,823 well-appointed staterooms, including 12 penthouse suites, 58 suites and the 65 aforementioned spa cabins. The new deluxe ocean view staterooms feature a configuration with two bathrooms and five berths. Of the ship’s 1,823 staterooms, over 250 will be interconnecting with more than 400 accommodating up to three, four, and four guests – perfect for families.

One thing to keep in mind when choosing a stateroom on a Carnival ship is the location. Passengers take the fun ship motto literally — especially late at night. Therefore, if you want peace and quiet pick rooms that are not near high-traffic elevators – mainly the ones with access to the ship’s atrium area. Still even away from high-traffic areas the Dream’s staterooms appear to have a problem with noise – sadly I could hear the televisions in the rooms next to me and pretty much every conversation, cough, and sneeze. Thankfully, I had my iTouch white noise application to block out noise at bedtime.

Carnival cuisine

Carnival offers by far the best dining value at sea with a vast array of perfectly prepared dishes. The dinner menus are full of fine dining staples Carnival is renowned for. The majority of meals are served in the ship’s two main dining rooms, Scarlett Restaurant and Crimson Restaurant that offer dinners in the traditional manner, with assigned times and assigned tables (breakfasts and lunches are open seating), and the line’s newly rolled out “Your Choice” open seat dining that allows guests to eat when they want.

Main restaurants aside, Dream offers abundant round-the-clock dining options. The Gathering on Lido Deck, is the ship’s casual buffet restaurant, is arranged into several serving stations. Two areas that are particularly popular leading to long lines are the burrito Bar and pasta bar. Both areas allow guests to pick what’s in their burrito or choice of pastas, sauces, and meats. Also available is Indian Tandoori, Mongolian wok, a 24-hour pizzeria, deli, hamburger and hot dog grill, and ice-cream machines. Chef Art’s Steakhouse is Dream’s supper club restaurant, where for $30 per person you’ll get a magnificent six course gourmet meal. Another dining option is the Wasabi sushi bar on Promenade Deck and of course there’s always 24-hour room service.

It’s clear: Carnival Dream is one big “Fun Ship” full of innovations that can make for a great family vacation.

If you go:
On Dec. 12, the Dream will begin alternating seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean Cruises from Port Canaveral. Prices start at $479 for the Western Caribbean cruises and $629 for the Eastern Caribbean. Visit Carnival’s Website for more details.

Royal Caribbean has chosen seven godmothers to represent the seven neighborhoods on board Oasis of the Seas . Godmothers include singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan (already a godmother to Empress of the Seas), Olympic medalist figure skater Michelle Kwan, multiple Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Jane Seymour, OBE, 12-time Olympic medalist swimmer Dara Torres, television and motion picture actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, four-time Olympic gymnastics medalist Shawn Johnson and television personality and producer Daisy Fuentes. Royal Caribbean says it chose the aformementioned women because they personify strength of character, exemplify the spirit of giving and are role models for men, women and children alike.

All godmothers are active in various charities, ranging from Kwan as American Public Diplomacy envoy promoting education, positive health practices and respect for diversity to Seymour’s involvement with the J and J Foundation benefiting children in need.

The naming ceremony, part of a one-night inaugural celebration-fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation on board Oasis of the Seas, is set for Nov. 30 at Port Everglades.

It was a hilarious afternoon in New York City featuring Carnival’s senior cruise director John Heald toting a five-foot tall bottle of Moët & Chandon around New York City and a lovely Tony- and Oscar-winning actress, Marcia Gay Harden wielding a baseball bat to break the bottle. Fittingly, Harden used a bat from the World Series champion New York Yankees and signed by Alex Rodriguez. The bottle-breaking bat will be auctioned with proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Equinox is truly an appropriate name for Celebrity Cruises latest Solstice-class ship. Twice a year, the equinox marks a near-perfect balance between length of day and night across the planet, and the Celebrity Equinox offers cruise travelers an excellent balance of size, style, efficiency, and quality.

Here comes the sun

Carrying 2,850-passengers, the 122,000-ton Equinox is the second in a series of five “Solstice-class” ships. The vessel offers all the seagoing firsts of the Celebrity Solstice: a half-acre Lawn Club with real grass and full-time groundskeeper and the Hot Glass Show presented in collaboration with The Corning Museum of Glass.

Other favorite features are here, too, including AquaClass spa rooms, 10 restaurants (including a creperie and Asian fusion venue); a beautiful spa and large gym with expansive sea views; whispy resort-like pool spaces including one in a solarium; a vast variety of lounges and bars and wonderful nooks and crannies to relax in. As great as these amenities are it is ship’s style and design that received big raves during its debut in Southampton, UK this week

The interior design of the Solstice-class ships is a world apart from the retro-style favored by the majority of cruise lines – there’s nothing out there nearly as stylish. Those familiar with Solstice will find Equinox an almost identical vessel, albeit with some minor cosmetic changes. Changes onboard Equinox includes more color in the mostly white Silhouette Dining Room, other décor changes include in the Silk Harvest restaurant, Martini Bar, and Equinox Theater, which launched new shows. The Sun Deck has been enlarged and can accommodate 100 more deck chairs. Additionally, minor tweaks have been made to staterooms — safes have been relocated from closets to cabinets to allow for slightly more hanging space.

Equinox showcases a large number of modern works of art, over 500 pieces including several by Roy Lichtenstein. Interestingly a number of art pieces come from the lauded collection that graced the former Celebrity Galaxy. Still, there is one very unique piece that gets more attention than the rest and is a combination of bead and living art. Hanging from the 12-deck atrium is a ficus tree in a sparkling beaded pot that was created by a team of American bead artists. Underneath the pot, attached to the atrium walls is more bead art with the words “Here comes the sun.”

Intrigue and delight
Equinox features 1,426 staterooms, 85 percent of which include a veranda. Each stateroom is equipped with flat-screen TVs with an amazing on demand audio/visual system includes a library of over 5,000 songs, storage and closet space, spacious bathrooms and plush European bedding. The ship offers wireless Internet access throughout.

The popular AquaClass staterooms — 130 in all — designed to offer a soothing, spa-focused ambiance. Located in close proximity to the ship’s two-story “AquaSpa by Elemis,” AquaClass guests will enjoy unlimited access to the spa’s Persian Garden aromatherapy steam room, featuring heated ceramic loungers and the Relaxation Room, which offers panoramic vistas from comfortable lounge chairs. AquaClass guests also enjoy unlimited, complimentary access to the ship’s exclusive, Mediterranean-influenced specialty restaurant, Blu.

Celebrity may have topped itself with the introduction aboard Equinox of a “24-Karat Gold Facial.’’ The treatment uses an alchemy of expert touch, medicinal plants, Rose Quartz and a pure 24-karat gold leaf mask to speed up cell renewal. Guests who experience it will also be able to enjoy a special cocktail inspired by the treatment itself. The “Golden Kiss Martini” features Golden Supreme vodka, cucumber juice, agave syrup and lemon juice, muddled with fresh mint.

With the launch of the new ship, Celebrity started “Celebrity Life,” a series of enrichment programs that encompasses three distinct program categories: “Savor,” “Discover,” and “Renew.” Programs include learning a new language with Rosetta Stone to courses that teach guests to use their iPod through Celebrity’s “digITal” series. – there is literally something to interest everyone on board. The program will be rolled out across the fleet by November.

Like Solstice, Equinox is going green by utilizing 216 solar panels throughout the ship. The energy collected then becomes part of the ship’s power grid — enough to operate 7,000 of the vessel’s 25,000 energy efficient LED lights.

If you go:
Celebrity Equinox begins its inaugural season with a cruise to the Norwegian Fjords on July 31 out of Southampton. Other departures from Southampton include a 10-night “Best of Europe” itinerary to Rome. Then ship will then sail a series of 13-and14-night “Ancient Empires” cruises through October, featuring two new ports of call: Haifa and Ashdod, Israel. These voyages also include an overnight stay in Alexandria, Egypt. Fares for 13- and 14-night cruises begin at $2,099 per person. On November 5, the ship will sail a transatlantic voyage to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where it will begin a series of alternating 10- and 11-night “Ultimate Caribbean” voyages through April 2010. Prices begin at $1,199 per person. All aforementioned prices are based on inside staterooms, double occupancy. Visit Celebrity Cruises Web site for more details.