NEW YORK -- The Carnival Dream was named last night in a ceremony emceed by Carnival's senior cruise director cum blogging star, John Heald.

Oscar-wining actress Marcia Gay Harden christened Carnival Cruise Line's largest ship in its Encore theater by swinging a specially made New York Yankees baseball bat, signed by Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, at a human-sized plastic replica of a Moet & Chandon champagne bottle.

At the same time, an actual bottle of champagne was smashed into the vessel's hull.

The 3,646-passenger Dream is Carnival's largest ship and represents the first in a new class of Carnival vessel. The Dream boasts 19,000 square feet dedicated to children's facilities, including the four-slide Carnival WaterWorks aqua park, with the longest slide at sea.

Also new for Carnival is Ocean Plaza, an indoor/outdoor cafe and entertainment area that is home to the FunHub, where the line's new, onboard social networking system can be accessed.

The ship also introduces the Lanai, a half-mile, open-air promenade on Deck 5 that has lounge areas and whirlpools that cantilever over the ship's side.