By
Rebecca Gibson |
Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Vista is to offer various industry firsts and sail the line’s first European itineraries for three years when she debuts on 1 May 2016.
The newbuild will offer a range of new venues including Carnival Multiplex, which features a Thrill Theater offering a multi-dimensional special effects experience, and the first IMAX Theatre at sea. Featuring a screen spanning three decks, the IMAX Theatre will show the latest Hollywood movies, IMAX classics and IMAX documentaries. Adjacent to the Carnival Multiplex, The Warehouse will offer a variety of video and arcade games.
Carnival Vista will also offer SkyRide, the industry’s first pedal-powered open-air aerial attraction. Passengers can ride on hanging recumbent-like bikes to cycle their way around the 800ft suspended track 150ft above the sea. Also part of the expanded outdoor park is SkyCourse, a suspended ropes course, and The Clubhouse at SportSquare¸ an indoor sports venue featuring mini-bowling, ping-pong, arcade basketball, sports video gaming and more.
The ship’s outside decks will also feature Carnival’s largest WaterWorks water park and Kaleid-O-Slide, its first water tube slide, which stretches for 455ft.
Other new features include Carnival’s first New England-inspired Seafood Shack, the line’s first onboard brewery RedFrog Pub, an expanded Havana Bar and a new Havana Pool. Meanwhile, the ship’s main dining rooms, Reflections and Horizons, have been completely redesigned by BigTime Design Studios.
Accommodation has also been upgraded and the ship will feature the first Havana Cabanas. Inspired by the Tropics, the rooms face the Lanai ocean-air outdoor promenade and have private outdoor patios complete with lounge chairs and hammocks.
In addition, new Family Harbour accommodation has been added to a dedicated family area on Deck 2. Offering a choice of deluxe ocean-view, balcony and interior staterooms that accommodate up to five family members, the Family Harbour accommodation area also includes a communal lounge with TVs, games, complimentary breakfast and snacks and a concierge desk.
Several venues have been created for younger passengers, including the indoor/outdoor Camp Ocean, a themed play space with more than 200 ocean-inspired activities for children under 12 years old. Vista will also offer the Seuss at Sea programme, the line’s second ship Dr. Seuss Bookville reading and play space and four new games at the Hasbro the Game Show venue. Families will also be able to enjoy new performances at Punchliner Comedy Club presented by George Lopez.
“Carnival Vista celebrates the connection to the oceans on which we sail and gives our guests amazing seascapes around every corner and more ways to enjoy every moment of sun and fun during their cruise vacation,” said Mark Tamis, Carnival’s senior vice president of guest operations. “From our exhilarating new high-altitude SkyRide to the Kaleid-O-Slide water tube slide to our IMAX anchored Carnival Multiplex, to the multitude of dining and bar options, we are thrilled to share the details about our largest and most innovative ship with our guests while providing our valued travel agent partners with an exciting new option to offer to their clients.”
Vista will also offer many of Carnival’s popular Fun Ship 2.0 dining venues and bars in an expanded Lanai area on Deck 5. These will include Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, BlueIguana Tequila Bar, RedFrog Rum Bar and the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar. Several of the speciality dining venues will offer both indoor and outdoor seating for the first time, including the Fahrenheit 555 American steakhouse, Japanese-style Bonsai Sushi, Cherry on Top ice cream bar and the Library Bar.
Other notable areas will include a two-level Cloud 9 Spa with a thalassotherapy pool, four steam chambers, the line’s first infrared sauna and hamam, ‘experience showers’, and an indoor cycling studio. The adults-only Serenity retreat will offer the line’s first outdoor massage huts.
Designed as the largest Carnival ship to date, the 133,500gt Carnival Vista will accommodate 3,936 guests and will sail a 13-day maiden cruise from Trieste, Italy. Vista will then offer a series of Mediterranean itineraries to destinations such as Italy, France, Spain, Croatia and Turkey. The ship will also make Carnival’s first visits to Crete and Corfu, Greece; Valletta, Malta; Palermo, Sicily; Cagliari, Sardinia; and Gibraltar.
On 21 October 2016, Vista will embark on a 13-day transatlantic crossing and arrive in New York to operate a series of voyages from the city.
“We are delighted to be able to offer our travel agent partners something new and exciting from Carnival,” said Iain Baillie, managing director of UK sales at Carnival. “Vista will allow them to promote experiences that no other cruise line can offer. We are looking forward to working closely with agents to make sure they are fully up to speed with all of the exciting new features the Carnival Vista has to offer customers and help them attract a strong base of repeaters and new to cruise.”