Carnival Cruise Line Announces New Vista Class Ship for 2019

Carnival Cruise Line announced Thursday that a new 133,500-ton cruise ship — the third under its Vista class — is on schedule to join the cruise line's fleet by late 2019.

The Miami-based cruise line revealed that the ship was originally planned to be built for the P&O Cruises Australia brand. However, the Carnival Splendor will instead be transferred to P&O Cruises Australia in late 2019 upon delivery of the new Vista-class vessel.

Like the new Carnival Vista and the upcoming Carnival Horizon, the new ship is under contract with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and will house a handful of innovative features.

Carnival plans to unveil the ship's name, homeport and itinerary details at an unspecified later date.

"We are truly thrilled to have another Vista class ship joining our fleet," said Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy in a statement accompanying Thursday's announcement.

"Carnival Vista, which was named the best new ship of 2016 in the Cruise Critic Editors Picks awards, has proven to be the most innovative and popular ship we've ever introduced," Duffy added. "Consumer, travel agent and media reaction to the Vista class design has been extraordinary and we are elated to have two additional ships in this spectacular series now joining our fleet – Carnival Horizon, which is scheduled to be delivered in March 2018, and now a third in 2019."

The first ship in Carnival's Vista class series, the Carnival Vista debuted this past May, becoming the largest ship in the cruise line's fleet by gross tonnage.

Boasting a plethora of unique features, including the first-ever IMAX theater at sea, Carnival Vista quickly won over guests in 2016 and likely has cruise passengers excited for future sailings aboard the Carnival Horizon and now a third ship poised to debut before the end of the decade.

Thursday's news comes nearly three months after Carnival's parent Carnival Corporation signed a memorandum of agreement to build a pair of Vista class cruise ships set to operate exclusively in China.

Source: Travel Pulse