Carnival Cruise Line on Thursday took delivery of Carnival
Vista, its largest ship at the 133,500 gross tons and a capacity for 3,954 passengers
at double occupancy.
The Vista has some unique features, including the cruise
industry's first IMAX theater; a brewery that will make three kinds of beer; a
suspended cycling attraction called the SkyRide; and the Seafood Shack, a
specialty restaurant selling traditional New England fare such as fried clams
and lobster rolls.
A zone just for families will offer the Family Harbor staterooms
and lounge. Havana staterooms offer cabana-like accommodations, private patios
with hammocks and its own pool area.
The WaterWorks aqua park has the 455-foot-long
Kaleid-o-slide, the longest water slide in the Carnival fleet.
The Vista is headed for Trieste, Italy, where the ship
will depart on its maiden voyage on May 1. After a summer of sailing in Europe, the Vista
will cross the Atlantic and embark on two cruises from New York. It will launch
year-round Caribbean cruises from Miami in late November.