Carnival Vista

The 2016-built Carnival Vista cruise ship is the first Vista-class (a modified Dream-class) liner in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet. Carnival Vista is widely recognized as the company's most family-friendly ship, featuring Carnival's newest staterooms, facilities, and amenities tailored for families and children. She is the 25th vessel in the Carnival fleet.

Her Vista-class sisterships include Carnival Horizon (2018), Carnival Panorama (2019), and the former Costa Cruises ships Carnival Venezia (2019 as Costa Venezia) and Carnival Firenze (2020 as Costa Firenze), as well as Adora Cruises' ships Adora Magic City (2023) and Adora TBN (2024).

The vessel (IMO number 9692569) is currently Panama-flagged (MMSI 356883000) and registered in Colon.

History - construction and ownership

Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) is a US-based cruise brand and subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. It was founded in 1972 by Ted Arison (1924–1999), co-founder of Norwegian Cruise Line.

CCL has the largest fleet in the Carnival Corporation portfolio by both number of vessels and total gross tonnage. In 2023, Carnival Cruise Line accounted for approximately 9% of the cruise industry's total revenue and 19% of total passengers. As of 2024, the parent company held a ~51% share in the $64+ billion global cruise market.

The 4,000-passenger Carnival Vista was officially delivered on April 28, 2016. She features all "Carnival Fun Ship 2.0" facilities, amenities, and programming, including several industry-firsts such as the Carnival Multiplex (featuring the first IMAX Theater at sea with a 3-deck-high LED screen), the SkyRide (a pedal-powered aerial ride), the Havana stateroom complex (with exclusive pool, lounge, and bar), Family Harbor staterooms, and Carnival's largest SportsSquare.

The three Vista-class ships—Vista (2016), Horizon (2018), and Panorama (2019)—introduced several fleet-firsts, including the IMAX Theater at sea, SkyRide, and Havana staterooms with lanai balconies and private facilities.

Decks and Cabins

Carnival Vista staterooms total 1,965 across 34 cabin categories, including 74 Suites, 912 Balcony, 264 Oceanview, and 749 Inside cabins. This includes 42 wheelchair-accessible and 104 "Cloud 9 Spa" staterooms. Most cabins range from 170–185 ft² (16–17 m²) in size, with balconies averaging 35 ft² (3 m²). The largest accommodations are the Grand Suites, at 345 ft² (32 m²) with an 85 ft² (8 m²) terrace. Spa staterooms include exclusive access to spa facilities on the Panorama Deck, as well as perks like spa reservations, complimentary use of the Thalassotherapy Pool and Thermal Suite, fitness classes, and deluxe bath amenities.

Like her sisterships, Carnival Vista features new cabin types such as Havana Cabana, Family Harbor, and Deluxe Oceanview. Carnival Panorama has 18 Havana Cabana and 86 Family Harbor staterooms with nautical-themed décor and exclusive access to private lounges, cafes, and sundecks.

The ship has 14 passenger-accessible decks, with staterooms located on 13 of them.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Carnival Vista offers two main dining rooms—Horizons and Reflections. Horizons includes a small bar ideal for pre-dinner drinks. Selected steakhouse items are available in the MDRs for an additional fee. The Lido Marketplace buffet and the new Seafood Shack (a New England-style casual eatery with indoor/outdoor seating) are also onboard. Seafood Shack serves lunch and dinner at à la carte pricing starting at $4, with offerings like steamed lobster, lobster rolls, fried shrimp, and crab cakes.

The Chef's Table experience is available fleetwide. It includes a multicourse gourmet dinner hosted by the ship's master chef, a private cocktail reception, and a galley tour. It is offered in non-traditional venues and costs $75 per person (bookable onboard).

In May 2017, Carnival partnered with Miami-based Concrete Beach Brewery to create Miami Guava Wheat Beer, exclusively served at the RedFrog Pub and Brewery—the first onboard brewery on a North America-based cruise ship. Brewmaster Colin Presby uses pink guava as the primary ingredient, also featured in Miami’s iconic guava pastries.

• Other original beers brewed onboard include ThirstyFrog Red, Port Hoppin' IPA, Caribbean Wheat, FriskyFrog Java Stout, ParchedPig West Coast IPA, Toasted Amber Ale, Farmhouse Ale, Smoked Porter, Beach Lager (on tap and canned), and Carnival Birthday Beer (introduced in 2022).
• Concrete Beach Brewery is part of "Alchemy and Science," an independent subsidiary of The Boston Beer Company. Sister brands include Angel City Brewery (LA) and Coney Island Brewing Co (NYC).
• Depending on homeport, Carnival ships serve a regional selection of draft beers from Concrete Beach, Angel City, and Coney Island breweries.

Complete list of Carnival Vista restaurants and food venues:

• Reflections Restaurant (1,474 seats, main dining room with fixed seating and open seating for breakfast/lunch)
• Horizons Restaurant (702 seats, offers “Anytime Dining” from 5:45–9:30 pm)
• Bonsai Sushi Bar (Japanese cuisine)
• Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse/Brewhouse (open-air, complimentary BBQ with house-brewed beers)
• Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse (specialty dining with Chef’s Table)
• Guy’s Burger Joint (poolside gourmet burgers)
• BlueIguana Cantina (Mexican street food)
• Alchemy Bar (cocktail bar)
• Lido Marketplace (825-seat buffet)
• Pizzeria del Capitano (24-hour pizza)
• Seafood Shack (à la carte seafood bar)
• Cucina del Capitano (Italian trattoria)
• Ji Ji Asian Kitchen (Asian fusion restaurant)

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Carnival Vista delivers high-energy onboard fun starting with SkyRide—an open-air, pedal-powered aerial ride suspended 150 feet above sea level on an 800-foot track.

SkyCourse, an elevated ropes course, offers adrenaline-pumping thrills, along with mini-bowling, arcade games, basketball, Ping-Pong, and more, all part of the SportSquare complex.

The ship also features Carnival’s largest WaterWorks park, highlighted by the Kaleid-O-Slide (a 455-ft enclosed water tube with special lighting effects), plus the signature Twister slide, splash zones, and the 300-gallon PowerDrencher tipping bucket.

Official YouTube video below reviews Vista-class features:

Complete list of Carnival Vista lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues:

• Family Harbor Lounge (24-hour dining, concierge, babysitting, movies, games)
• Liquid Lounge (1,400-seat show lounge with "Playlist Productions" and "Hasbro Game Shows")
• Vista Atrium (3-deck atrium with LED screens, live music, and performances)
• Shopping Arcade (Fun Shops, boutique stores, Cherry on Top candy shop)
• Pixels Gallery, Dream Studio (photography)
• Vista Casino (484 seats)
• Limelight Lounge, Ocean Plaza, Havana Lounge, Clubhouse, Alchemy Bar
• Lanai promenade with BBQ and outdoor seating
• FunHub Internet Café, JavaBlue Café, Shake Spot
• IMAX Theater (3-deck high screen), Thrill Theatre (5D cinema)
• Circle C (kids club), Club O2 (teen club), Warehouse (arcade)
• BlueIguana Tequila Bar, RedFrog Rum Bar
• Tides Pool, Serenity adults-only retreat (21+), Cloud 9 Spa, Camp Ocean, Dr. Seuss Bookville
• SportSquare, SkyGreens mini golf, SkyTrack jogging track, SkyFitness, SkyCourse ropes, SkyRide bikes

The Serenity retreat features two large whirlpools, cabanas, hammocks, shaded loungers, massage huts, Fresh Creations salad bar, and the Serenity Bar. It is open 8 am to 10 pm for adults (21+) and offers a quiet relaxation zone away from the family-friendly spaces.

Itineraries

During her 2016 inaugural season, Carnival Vista operated 8- to 13-day Mediterranean cruises from Athens and Barcelona. In November, she repositioned to New York City for two 11-day sailings, then began year-round Caribbean itineraries from Miami.

For the 2017–2018 season, Carnival Vista operated out of PortMiami on roundtrips visiting ports in the Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cozumel, Jamaica, Grand Turk, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, Bonaire, Aruba, and Curacao.

On September 23, 2018, Vista arrived at her new homeport in Galveston, Texas, joining Carnival Valor and Carnival Freedom. Together, the three ships operate more than 200 voyages annually, carrying over 600,000 passengers.

From Galveston, Carnival Vista sails 7-day Western Caribbean itineraries visiting Montego Bay (Jamaica), Grand Cayman, Roatan (Honduras), Belize City, and Cozumel (Mexico).

The vessel (Fincantieri Monfalcone yard, hull number 6242) has a gross tonnage of 133,596 GT, a deadweight tonnage of 13,415 tons, and a maximum draught of 8.6 meters. Its powerplant consists of five MAN marine diesel engines (4-stroke, common-rail injection): 2x 14V48/60CR and 3x 8L48/60CR, with a total output of 62.4 MW (83,680 hp). Propulsion is diesel-electric, based on two ABB Azipod thrusters with a combined output of 33 MW (44,250 hp). The registered shipowner is CARNIVAL CORPORATION, while the registered manager is CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE, both based in Florida, USA.

The vessel's steel-cutting ceremony took place in February 2014, and the keel was laid in October. By gross tonnage, Vista-class ships are currently the largest in the Carnival fleet. They introduced several new features to the fleet, including the Multiplex media entertainment complex (IMAX Theater with a 3-deck high LED screen for first-run movies, plus a 3D Thrill Cinema), SkyRide (a roller coaster-style ride with bicycles on two parallel tracks), a larger SportsSquare complex, the Havana outdoor complex (pool, Jacuzzis, bar, and exclusive Havana staterooms), and Family Harbor staterooms with a family-themed lounge offering 24-hour dining, concierge service, babysitting, and entertainment.

On April 28, 2016, the ship was officially delivered to Carnival Corporation by Fincantieri Monfalcone. Following repositioning from Monfalcone to Trieste, the "Inaugural Cruise" began on May 1. The 13-day maiden voyage (Trieste to Barcelona, May 1–14) visited Dubrovnik, Athens, Izmir, Heraklion, Valletta, Palermo, Rome, Livorno, and Marseille.

The vessel was floated out on June 25, 2015, at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard, following the traditional “coin ceremony,” during which a silver dollar was welded onto the ship’s last deck. Godmothers of the event were Heidi Heald and Kye Heald, wife and daughter of John Heald (Carnival Corporation’s Brand Ambassador). Attendees included Benoit Clement (Carnival's VP New Builds & Refurbishment), Gabriele Cocco (Fincantieri's Senior Executive and VP of the Merchant Ships Business Unit), and Attilio Dapelo (Director of Monfalcone shipyard).

The christening ceremony took place on November 4, 2016, in New York City. The ship’s official godmother is Deshauna Barber ("Miss USA 2016"), the first woman serving in the U.S. military to win the title. The ceremony was part of an overnight onboard event honoring "Operation Homefront," a nonprofit supporting U.S. military families. The event included a private concert by country music star Carrie Underwood. Nearly 2,000 invited guests, including Carnival executives, travel agents, media representatives, and military families, enjoyed complimentary accommodations, dining, beverages, and entertainment.

Carnival Vista’s inaugural season was in Europe, with summer 2016 Mediterranean itineraries visiting ports in Greece (Athens, Corfu, Rhodes, Heraklion), Turkey (Izmir), Spain (Barcelona, Palma), Croatia (Dubrovnik), Italy (Livorno, Messina, Sardinia, Trieste, Naples, Rome), Malta (Valletta), and France (Marseille). The maiden voyage departed on May 1, 2016, from Trieste, Italy, and ended in Barcelona, Spain. This was followed by 18 Mediterranean cruises. After the European season (May–October 2016), the ship sailed on a 13-day transatlantic crossing to New York City.

The ship’s first U.S. homeport was Miami, Florida, from where it operated year-round 7-day roundtrip itineraries to the Caribbean and Bahamas starting in November 2016.

Carnival Vista refurbishment 2024 review

On January 8, 2024, Carnival Vista departed Port Canaveral, Florida, for an 8-day transatlantic voyage to Europe, arriving in Cadiz, Spain, on January 16 at 15:36 UTC for a scheduled drydock at Navantia Shipyard.

The two-week drydock project at Navantia included general maintenance (technical overhaul, safety and classification inspections, and interior refurbishments), as well as hull cleaning and repainting with Carnival’s new red-white-blue livery.

All public areas (venues and facilities) and passenger staterooms were refurbished.

Bahamas 2019 drydocking by Boskalis Vanguard

In July 2019, Carnival contracted the Dutch dredging and heavy-lift company Royal Boskalis Westminster NV (headquartered in Papendrecht, Netherlands) to lift Carnival Vista onto the vessel BOKA Vanguard (IMO 9618783) and transport her to Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas, for repairs.

This floating drydock operation—the world’s first for a passenger ship—was necessary due to issues with the vessel’s azipod propulsion units located below the waterline. Boskalis deployed BOKA Vanguard, the world’s largest heavy-lift vessel (semi-submersible platform), for the operation.

BOKA Vanguard arrived in The Bahamas on July 5 to prepare for Carnival Vista’s arrival on July 12. The loading and lifting operation was conducted July 12–14. Repairs were carried out while the cruise ship remained aboard BOKA Vanguard. Due to these repairs, Carnival Vista was out of service for three weeks, and three 7-day Western Caribbean cruises from Galveston, Texas (departures July 6, 13, 20) were canceled. Note: Grand Bahama Shipyard’s drydock was damaged earlier that year when a crane collapsed onto Oasis of the Seas on April 1, 2019.

BOKA Vanguard is primarily used to lift and transport large offshore structures such as oil and gas platforms, as well as other vessels. It also serves as an offshore floating drydock. With a flat open deck (275x70 m / 902x230 ft), the ship can carry cargoes of greater length and width. By filling its ballast tanks with seawater, the deck can be submerged to allow floating cargo onto the platform. This makes it ideal for underwater inspections and propulsion system repairs at sea.