26th ship in the Carnival Cruise fleet
Carnival Cruise Line took delivery of its 26th cruise ship in a traditional maritime handover ceremony held at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy.
The new 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon is a 3,954-passenger ship. The maiden voyage will start in Barcelona, Spain, on April 2.
The ship will then operate a trans-Atlantic crossing before arriving in New York May 23, 2018, for a pierside 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, Carnival Horizon will shift to Miami for a year-round schedule of six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises beginning Sept. 22, 2018.
Carnival Horizon offers several features, including a new Dr. Seuss-themed WaterWorks aqua park, part of the line's partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Bonsai Teppanyaki, the line's first teppanyaki venue, and Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse|Brewhouse serving up "real deal" barbecue favorites created by Food Network star Guy Fieri, as well as four new craft beers brewed on board.
Carnival Horizon is the second ship in the Vista Class and also offers fun innovations like the bike-ride-in-the-sky aerial attraction SkyRide, an IMAX Theatre, the Havana section with tropics-inspired staterooms and its own pool.