I’ve never had much of an interest in going on a cruise but my motto these days is, “Why not?” Never visited Greece? Why not visit this summer? (We are.) Never been on a cruise? Why not try one out? And when I do the new Carnival Vista looks like the ship to try. It is huge and state-of-the-art.
The Vista promises to be an impressive ship when it launches on May 1, 2016. Initially it will sail from it’s home ports in Barcelona and Athens, but beginning in November 2016 it will also depart from New York. The ship has a speed of up to 18 knots and a crew of, get this, about 1,450! That’s not so surprising considering this floating city is 1,055′ long, has 1,968 cabins and a total guest capacity of just under 5000 people.
The ship has a whopping 15 decks with 72 suites and grand penthouse suites, 880 Ocean View cabins with a balcony, 293 ocean view cabins without a balcony and 723 interior staterooms.
The Winners Luck Casino has a capacity of 390, the internet center has 8 stations and the Cloud 9 Spa has a sauna, indoor cycling studio, and a full gymnasium.
And that’s just the beginning!
Kid’s facilities are abundant. There’s the 5,575 square foot Camp Ocean, the 1,300 square foot Circle ‘C’, the 2690 square foot Club O2, and the 1675 square foot Warehouse Video Game Room just to name a few. The Dr. Seuss Bookville family reading venue is over 400 square feet and the Family Harbor gathering space clocks in at over 1300 square feet.
“Thanks to an expanded Lanai on Deck 5 guests can stroll or sit and enjoy a beverage at one of the many dining and bar venues that will now feature outdoor areas.”
“The line will offer its first-ever outdoor seating options at specialty eateries including Fahrenheit 555, a classic American steakhouse, and Japanese-style Bonsai Sushi restaurant where diners will enjoy sea views as delicious as their meals. Cherry on Top will be the sweetest spot at sea, with a new premium mixed-to-order custom ice cream creation bar, outdoor seating and more than 80 bulk candy options.”
There are over 20 eating venues including a full-service sushi restaurant and an open-air barbecue eatery.
The Sportsquare outdoor recreation area includes such fun activities as the Sky Ride suspended open-air cycling experience, a suspended ropes course, mini bowling, a 9-hole mini golf course, a jogging track, and an outdoor fitness area.
“With SkyRide, the cruise industry’s first pedal-powered open-air aerial attraction, Carnival is creating some of the best and highest outdoor vistas ever offered on a cruise ship. Adventurous riders can climb aboard hanging recumbent-like bikes to cycle their way around the 800-foot suspended track with panoramic views from 150 feet above the sea. Nearby will be SkyCourse, an exhilarating suspended ropes course. Both are part of the expanded outdoor activity park that also includes a new indoor sports hangout, The Clubhouse at SportSquare¸ featuring mini-bowling, ping-pong, arcade basketball, sports video gaming and more.”
“In the largest WaterWorks water park in the fleet, kids and kids at heart will find a thrilling array of splash-tastic fun including Kaleid-O-Slide, the line’s first-ever water tube attraction. Riders will hop on inflatable one or two-person rafts taking them on a fun-filled 455-foot adventure of exhilarating twists and turns with stunning kaleidoscopic visual effects.”
Then there is the Carnival Waterworks water park. It includes the 455 foot long Kaleid-o-Slide tube slide, the 300 foot long Twister Waterslide enclosed spiral slide, the 300 gallon PowerDrencher Tipping Bucket, and the SplashZone Splash Park.
All of these activities look great but I expect that were I taking a cruise on the Carnival Vista I would be spending a good deal of my time at the BlueIguana Tequila Bar or the Redfrog Pub. Those are just two of the 13 different entertainment venues on the ship.
Either that or I would be in the IMAX theater or multiplex box office catching up on movies. Yes, this ship even has an IMAX AND a multiplex theater!
I’ve never been on a cruise either, let’s do it! Looks fantastic.
We typically cruise on Royal Caribbean, but this ship looks pretty cool. Might have to try it one of these days.