Carnival Cruise Lines is to bolster its family-friendly fleet with the introduction of new ship Carnival Dream. The 130,000-tonne ship is to make it debut on September 21 in the Mediterranean with the start of a series of 12-night fly-cruises. This 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.

The new vessel will feature more than 19,000 total 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. 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 it will run seven-night eastern and western Caribbean cruises from December and throughout 2010. The 12-night Mediterranean fly/cruises start at £1,259 per person for the first two people sharing a cabin and from £899 for each additional child under 11 years.