MIAMI (September 1, 2009) – Carnival Cruise Lines’ new 130,000-ton Carnival Dream will introduce the line’s first outdoor laser shows that will combine the latest in laser technology with rock music to provide guests a unique and exciting nighttime entertainment option. Carnival Dream’s laser shows will be the first ever for a North America–based cruise ship.

The 15-minute nighttime laser shows will feature choreographed lasers projecting brilliant aerial patterns of blue, red and green set to music by popular artists such as Styx, Rush, Van Halen, Boston and Pink Floyd.

Smoke machines will be used to enhance the laser light effects in the starry, moonlit sky, creating an ideal setting for guests to relax on Carnival Dream’s expansive open deck.

Four all-weather LaserNet ScannerPro lasers will be positioned high atop Carnival Dream’s Lido Deck. Each high-wattage laser will be independently computer controlled using Pangolin Laser Designer software that synchronizes the lasers in perfect time with the music, which will be amplified by the 70,000-watt sound system of the ship’s Seaside Theatre LED screen. The Seaside Theatre’s jumbo-sized monitor will also display custom-designed graphics and original music videos of the various artists played during the show.

“The idea of a spectacular laser show set to high-energy music from the deck of a cruise ship is truly unique and will provide Carnival Dream guests with a memorable, one-of-a-kind entertainment experience that they can’t find anywhere else,” said Roger Blum, Carnival’s vice president of cruise programming.

Carnival Dream’s new laser shows are just one of a wide range of entertainment choices available aboard the magnificent 3,646-passenger vessel.

Last week, the line announced that Carnival Dream will house the fleet’s first comedy club, with comedians performing 24 shows each voyage in the 425-seat Burgundy Lounge.

Other options include three lavish production shows in Encore!, an elegant 1,400-seat theater, along with solo musicians on Promenade Deck and a host of live music venues.

Carnival Dream guests are sure to enjoy Sam’s, a lively piano bar featuring rollicking sing-a-longs, and Caliente, a pulsating dance club with a high-tech sound and lighting system.

Exclusive to the Carnival Dream will be Ocean Plaza, a stunning indoor/outdoor café/entertainment venue that will showcase bands playing a variety of music genres. Ocean Plaza also will host art, photo and spa seminars, scrapbooking classes, magicians and jugglers, trivia contests and more.

Carnival Dream also will feature an acrobatic troupe called Fun Force, which will entertain guests in Ocean Plaza and at various venues around the ship.

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Note - the Carnival family already has ships with extensive laser shows, in the AIDA brand. NCL's Headliners venue on Epic was long ago announced as a comedy club. All very innovative...

As you can see these are not laser lights just regular showlights.

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Originally posted by Cam J:
I think the "innovative" lights you guys are talking about are these:

As you can see these are not laser lights just regular showlights.

Cam J

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Originally posted by Cunard Fan:
[QB]

Oasis is innovative and the Dream is not. QB]

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Thats a point of veiw. Some people would say the Dream is innovative some would say its not.

Bottom line a laser light show is not as bad as some want to make it seem. " Oh Carnival is just copying the leaders in innovation" oh give me a break, all this over a simple light show. Com'on

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Originally posted by Atlcruiser:
I think that we all know that this has something to do with trying to keep up with the Oasis which in no way will happen. Once again Carnival shows that they follow the leaders when it comes to innovation.

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I think you hit the nail on the head. Lately Carnival seems to be grasping at straws, issuing press releases in an attempt to make DREAM seem exciting and innovative.

9/1 - Laser light show
8/26 - Comedy Club
7/22 - Dining options
7/16 - Fun Hub
??? - Hull balconies
??? - Open promenade with jacuzzis
??? - Water park
??? - Seaside Theater

Unfortunately none of these amenities are particularly exciting or innovative. The dining options are essentially the same as every other Conquest Class ship. The "Comedy Club" is nothing more then an expansion of the late night R-rated show in the secondary lounge that Carnival has done for years. The light show is new for Carnival, but as pointed out it's not new to the industry. Hull balconies were already done on QM2 and it's basically a way for Carnival to increase revenue on an existing Conquest Class design. The overhanging jacuzzis were already done by Royal Caribbean. The water park is a copy of Royal Caribbean's H2O Zone, and Princess was the innovator of the Seaside Theater.

What is new is the Fun Hub, but it's an idea that I think is a little lame. It's an Intranet social network where you create a profile and interact with your fellow passengers via computer. I mean what is the point? Why sit behind a computer and basically text back and forth when the people are right there on the ship? If you want to social network with your fellow passengers, then how about hitting the bar or casino.

Carnival keeps tacking on so-called amenities to DREAM, but it's really nothing substantial. The only thing I truly find different and appealing about DREAM is the large promenade deck. I think it will be nice, even though it has high glass walls preventing anyone from standing at the rail (or jumping over in the case of Carnival). Also, I can just see passengers laying out on this large promenade getting hit with ice, cigarette buds, food, or worse from the several levels of balcony cabins above. At night, it would not surprise me for a glass or two to come smashing down from a few drunk passengers above.

I'm looking forward to a future cruise on DREAM, but do I think it's anywhere near the innovation of the Oasis Class, EPIC, Freedom/Voyager Class, and even Solstice Class? No.

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Originally posted by Cam J:

Thats a point of veiw. Some people would say the Dream is innovative some would say its not.

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Originally posted by Cam J:
Bottom line a laser light show is not as bad as some want to make it seem.

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I don't think anyone here is saying its bad just that its not as new as all that.

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Originally posted by Cam J:
" Oh Carnival is just copying the leaders in innovation" oh give me a break, all this over a simple light show. Com'on

Cam J

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I will have a full reveiw when I return off my 9 day cruise on Dream. Great ship for everyone. My kids definitely cant wait, they want to go on Oasis too but Oasis anit happnen for a couple of years, way too expensive!

The Dream is based on a Conquest class yes we alll know this. This is the same argument we have about the Vista class of ships. Obviously the Conquest class of ships are very profitable, and obviously people like them because they have recieved very good reviews.

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Originally posted by Cam J:
sorry to burst your little bubble.

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You don't have the capability to "burst my little bubble".

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Originally posted by Cam J:
Innovation is a point of veiw. The Carnival Dream is definitely innovative.

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In what way is Dream innovative?

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Originally posted by Cam J:
Solstice well....... other than the lawn club and the glass thingy, nothing,

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This is still more then most other new cruise ships can say.

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Originally posted by Cam J:
sorry to burst your little bubble.

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One thing I think almost all of the cruise lines miss out on is outside restaurant dining at night, very few do it in any at all (Princess on the balcony is one exception) but I cannot think of one really good restaurant with outside nicely laid up tables that are screened from the wind and even perhpas under cover but designed to give a really upmarket outside dinging experience.

When Sterling Steakhouse was introduced on the Sun Class ships they used to do it overlooking the pool by the outdoor grill with rope off area and proper tables and chairs (replacing the day time stuff) linen etc etc, I loved it and was very disappointed when it moved indoors. Please you can get some great gas heaters etc if needed. Here in SA we love eating outside, even in winter (ok our winters in Durban are excpetionally mild but.........).

But back to Dream, Carnival used to be very innovative, certainly in todays financial times I suppose they take the view that innovation is also risk. Dream is really the cumulation of all they have learned across all of their brands that work for the market she is intended wrapped up into one package.

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Originally posted by Cam J:
Innovation is a point of veiw.

The Dream is based on a Conquest class
Cam J

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First off innovation is not a piont of view. A park on a cruise ship was never done before THAT is innovative. An outodoor terraced theater offering water shows is innovative it has not been done before a boardwalk is innovative what cruise ship has that?

Is that all gimmicky? Yes it is in my book. That is a point of view. But it is true what Carnival is offering on the Dream is no way innovative.

And the Dream's design is based on the Conquest BUT remember the Conquest design is from the Carnival Destiny which debuted in 1996 which that design was at least on the drawing boards since 1994. So the GA of the Dream is based on a 15 year old design. To me that is not innovative. While Carnival has been successful with that design (there is NO doubt about it) however Carnival (for now) has lost their innovativeness and its more of the same.

As for myself I love all cruise ships and cruise lines I am not cheerleading for one cruise line. I am happily sailing on the Carnival Dream's 2 night cruise to nowhere from NYC.

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Originally posted by Carlos Fernandez:
The pool areas have also been used for nighttime parties and events on other cruises, FR-class one called "Club Twenty".

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Club Twenty has been very popular on the Freedom Class. I believe it will be offered almost every night on OASIS, in the Solarium Adult pool area.

I've been very impressed with all the thought that is going into passenger flow, logistics, and overall passenger convenience for OASIS. Royal Caribbean is once again proving that it looks well beyond the surface and provides extraordinary attention to detail.

As you know, a dedicated terminal is being built in Ft. Lauderdale, where they are taking steps to actually achieve the aspirational goal of shore to ship in 15 minutes. If they pull it off, it will be very impressive. In addition the infrastructure is being built up in Nassau and Labadee to accommodate OASIS. In Labadee they are actually building a pier so the ship can dock, along with new attractions. This will put Royal Caribbean in line with Disney as having the only private island (although Labadee is not really an island) where the ship can actually dock.

Have you read about all the technology going into the cruise cards? Your Seapass Card, or room key, will not only get you into your cabin and on and off the ship, but it will have a multitude of features embedded into it. For instance you can pre-sign a waiver online prior to the cruise, for use of all the higher risk attractions on OASIS like the Flowrider, Ice Skating, Zip Line, Rock Climbing, etc. This way once onboard there are no additional lines or forms to fill out. Same with the shows. Royal Caribbean is letting passengers pre-book their shows online, just like speciality dining reservations, and these reservations will be embedded into your cruise card. When you go to one of the shows (Hairspray, Aqua Theater, Ice Skating, etc), you just scan your card for entrance. Pretty cool. Of course there will also be kiosks onboard to book shows if you didn't do it in advance (as well to book dining reservations, spa, shore excursions, etc. They will even tell you current capacities of the restaurants). Most reservations can also be booked by your stateroom TV, which will be a very advanced system. If it's anything like the TV on CELEBRITY SOLSTICE, I will be impressed. Those TV's are actually powered by a mini-Mac in your cabin and are really cool. I loved the playlist of music you could make. Your Seapass Card will also be used to access the photos taken onboard. Just scan your card at a kiosk and up pops your pictures taken by the professionals. Then you can place your order. They are using face recognition technology from the first picture taken when you board, to file all subsequent photos under your Seapass ID. Pretty cool.

Of course we already discussed the lifeboat drill. No more need to run to the cabin for your life jacket then return it afterwards. OASIS will have the jackets stored on deck by the boats. This also creates a bit more space in your cabin.

I have no doubt Royal Caribbean is also putting an equal amount of thought into the final disembarkation process. They have already made it much more pleasant by eliminating almost all ship wide announcements. You can stay in your cabin much later, then just relax in your designated lounge and when it's time to disembark, you are escorted to the gangway. No more endless announcements blasting "Red may disembark", etc. etc.

My point is to show that innovation goes well beyond the physical aspects of the ship itself. Sailing on OASIS will be an "experience" from beginning to end. Just like when the Voyager Class came out, there is simply nothing that will compare on the high seas. I also don't think there has ever been a ship where so much thought has gone into every detail of the passenger experience.

Ernie

[ 09-05-2009: Message edited by: eroller ]

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Originally posted by Matts:
However I was slightly concerned at the SeaPass card is show ticket thing - does this mean evening entertainment will loose its turn up and go nature - I do hope not.

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Nope. You can still just turn up, space available.

FYI attached is a link that lists all the shows and times you can pre-book.

Ernie

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Originally posted by eroller:
Why sit behind a computer and basically text back and forth when the people are right there on the ship? If you want to social network with your fellow passengers, then how about hitting the bar or casino.

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Originally posted by miamicruiser:
Well said nycruiser.
But just think, in a very short 15 or 20 years from now both lines will look at these two wonderful creations and probably decide they are too old or too small or not having enough innovations for the market and they will be off-loaded to one of the smaller lines. Seems far fetched? Who in the late 80's would ever dream that the magnificent new Sovereign of the Seas would be sold off 20 years later?

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So true!!! IF the trend of innovation continues where cruise lines push the envelope of innovation we will look back on Oasis, Epic and Dream as "quaint". I just returned from a cruise on the Legend of the Seas and while I was onboard I was thinking that in 1995 when she was delivered she was a showstopper. While she was a bit smaller than the Sovereign class and Carnival's Fantasy class she boasted innovations like a mini golf course! But now she is considered small and quiant though a lovely human scaled ship in my book.

But just think if certain cruise lines were not innovative then we would not have the ships we have today and this INCLUDES Carnival. They introduced to us the "Fun Ship" cruise atomsphere, cruising for the masses, casual cruising for everyone as well as the 1st line to have an atrium that went up to a skylite celeing (though Sovereign was the 1st modern cruise ship with a mult-story atrium her's did was only a few floors and did not reach to the top of the ship) and Carnival also pushed the envelope and made the Carnival Destiny at ver 100,000 tons making it the 1st passenger ship ever to make that size and then all the major lines followed.

Hopefully this trend will continue because innovativeness is what makes an industry thrive.

[ 09-06-2009: Message edited by: nycruiser ]