The release did not disclose the total cost of the project, only saying it was a “multimillion-dollar renovation.” A Carnival spokesman said ships are regularly dry docked in order to complete upgrades. He said the cruise line does not break down individual dry dock costs.

The upgrades include new carpeting, wall coverings, tile work and lighting for lounge areas. Several newer Carnival restaurant concepts were also added, including:

• Guy’s Pig & Anchor Barbeque Smokehouse, an open-air barbeque venue designed by Food Network star Guy Fieri. The restaurant, which replaces Oceanside Barbeque, will serve popular barbeque dishes from smoked beef to smoked Andouille sausage.
• Blue Iguana Cantina, a poolside Mexican eatery that serves burritos, tacos and a salsa bar. It replaces a former poolside pizzeria.
• Alchemy Bar, a pharmacy-themed lounge with bartenders dressed in lab coats and cocktails named like old-timey elixirs.
• Pizzeria del Capitano, a 24-hour pizzeria that serves hand-tossed pizzas baked in a “traditional pizza oven.”
• Bonsai Sushi, a full-service sushi restaurant that serves sashimi, bento ships for multiple diners and beers and cocktails from the region, all “amidst a striking contemporary decor inspired by the Far East.”

The 130,000-ton Dream, which moved to New Orleans in April 2014, is the largest cruise ship to be built for Carnival Cruise Line as of yet and the largest to homeport year-round in the city.

Built in 2008, the ship has 1,823 staterooms and accommodates roughly 3,600 people on a typical cruise. In addition to bars and restaurants, the ship has a spa, three swimming pools, seven hot tubs and a 304-foot waterslide.

The Carnival Triumph also homeports in New Orleans, sailing shorter four- and five-day trips to the Caribbean. The Triumph replaced the smaller Carnival Elation in April 2016.

Carnival Dream sails several different seven-day itineraries, including:

• A western Caribbean cruise that visits Montego Bay, Jamaica, Cozumel, Mexico, and Grand Cayman.
• A trip to Mahogany Bay on Isla Roatan off the coast of Honduras, Cozumel, Mexico, and Grand Cayman.
• A Bahamas and Florida route that includes Key West, Florida and Freeport and Nassau in the Bahamas.