Carnival Cruise Lines has taken delivery of its newest ship, Carnival Horizon.
An official handover took place yesterday at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy.
The 3,954-passenger vessel will move to Barcelona and sail its inaugural 13-day voyage on April 2, the first of four sailings from the Spanish port.
The ship will then operate a trans-Atlantic crossing before arriving in New York on May 23 for a pier-side overnight gala and naming ceremony featuring the ship’s godmother, Grammy award-winning musical artist and actress Queen Latifah.
Following a summer schedule of four-day Bermuda and eight-day Caribbean sailings from New York, Horizon will move to Miami for a year-round schedule of six and eight-day Caribbean cruises beginning September 22.
The ship features a new Dr. Seuss-themed WaterWorks aqua park, Bonsai Teppanyaki, the line’s first teppanyaki venue, and Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse|Brewhouse.
A bike-ride-in-the-sky aerial attraction SkyRide and IMAX Theatre also feature.
Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy said: “In addition to the many exciting innovations previously introduced on Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon offers some new one-of-a-kind features and attractions that make this ship truly special allowing our guests to create a lifetime of wonderful holiday memories.”