Horizon nearly ready

THE newest ship in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, the 133,500-tonne Carnival Horizon, has successfully completed its final sea trials.

Currently in the last stages of construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, the vessel will depart on its inaugural cruise from Barcelona on 02 Apr, 2018.

During the trials, officers, technicians and engineers jumped on board to thoroughly test Carnival Horizon’s technical, mechanical and navigation systems.

The vessel features the line’s first Dr Seuss WaterWorks aqua park, a new teppanyaki dining venue, and BBQ restaurant Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse Brewhouse.

It will also offer an IMAX Theatre, SkyRide, a tropics-inspired Havana section with colourful staterooms and a Cuban-themed bar and pool, and Family Harbor, providing extra-roomy accommodation and the Family Harbor Lounge.

It will sail four round-trip cruises from Barcelona before repositioning to New York to operate a summer schedule.

MEANWHILE, Carnival Cruise Line has signed an agreement with Shell to be its supplier of marine liquefied natural gas (LNG) for its two new LNG-powered ships.

The vessels are expected to launch in 2020 and 2022 and be homeported in North America and will refuel at Shell’s LNG Bunker Barge, a project announced this week.