30 October 2009

Inside cabins to have Ã¢â¬Ëœvirtual portholesÃ¢â¬â¢

Virtual portholes giving video feed of the ocean to passengers staying in inside cabins will feature on Disney Cruise Line’s new ship.

The interior cabins on Disney Dream, which is to enter service in 2011, provide a real-time view outside the ship.

High-definition cameras placed on the exterior of the ship feed live video to each virtual porthole.

A "water coaster" that sends passengers racing above the upper decks of the ship will be among the other elements being introduced.

The AquaDuck will be 765ft long and span four decks in height allowing users to slide 13ft over the side of the ship in a translucent "swing out" loop allowing them to look down on the ocean 150ft below. High-powered water jets then push them upwards and forwards at 20ft per second.

The water coaster then continues through the forward funnel, encounters a 335ft stretch of river rapids and splashes down to an end on Deck 12.

An entire deck will cater for children with two main spaces for children ages three to 10.

Disney Dream will sail alternating three-and four-night cruises to the Bahamas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay from Florida.

During the summer, the ship will alternate four- and five-night itineraries with two stops at Castaway Cay.

Bookings open on November 9.

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Just like Canadians

Most Canadian homes have basements which are dens or family rooms. At first people papered walls with pictures of woods or other typically Canadian landscapes. Later even windows were installed in basements with light boxes simulating the world outside with illumination changing with the external ambient light. Hopefully Disney will not add commercials or other promotional material to these virtual portholes.

By J Hewson, Monday, November 2, 2009