<p>&ldquo;Carnival Dream&rdquo;, the biggest passenger ship ever built by Fincantieri and in Italy, was launched in Monfalcone today: it will be flagship of Carnival Cruise Line&rsquo;s fleet, a brand of Carnival Group, the main operator in the global cruise ship sector. Delivery is scheduled for Fall 2009. </p><p><br />The launching was preceded by the traditional well wishing &ldquo;coin ceremony&rdquo;, according to which a silver Dollar is welded in a dedicated box on the upper deck of the ship, following an ancient maritime tradition. Patrizia Bottaro, a Fincantieri employee, was chosen as the ship&rsquo;s godmother.</p><p><br />With its 130,000 gross tonnage, 306 mt of length and 2,559 cabins, the ship will be able to accommodate up to 4,631 passengers, assisted by 1,369 crew members. </p><p><br />The project for &ldquo;Carnival Dream&rdquo; is an evolution of the &ldquo;Conquest&rdquo; class design and shows several modifications with respect to the original layout. The &ldquo;Conquest&rdquo; series includes 6 ships built at Monfalcone, Marghera and Sestri Ponente. Significant alterations have been made in the public areas&rsquo; layout, in particular on deck 5, that will feature a promenade running around the entire perimeter of the ship. Moreover, numerous restaurants and public areas will overlook the sea. </p><p><br />&ldquo;Carnival Dream&rdquo; will undergo outfitting operations in the next months following to a very high standard of comfort and will offer a wide range of entertainment, such as theatres, shops, Spa&rsquo;s and Jacuzzi whirlpools. The ship will also feature two new &ldquo;Water Parks&rdquo; located on the open decks, one for adults and one for children, with an innovative 4-slide system. </p><p><br />Fincantieri is the world leader in the construction of cruise ships with a current market share of approximately 40%. With &ldquo;Carnival Dream&rdquo; the &ldquo;Fincantieri fleet&rdquo; will amount to 62 passenger ships, of which 47 have been delivered since 1990, and 15 on order or under construction at the various shipyards of the Group</p>