Carnival Vista gets Texas home

Texas is now home to one of cruise giant Carnival’s newest and biggest ships. The 2-year-old Carnival Vista on Sunday arrived at the Port of Galveston to operate year-round sailings to the Caribbean. The 3,954-passenger vessel was previously based in Miami, where it is being replaced by Carnival’s newest ship, Carnival Horizon. Billed as one of the biggest cruise vessels ever to be based in Galveston, Vista will operate seven-day western Caribbean itineraries from the city every Sunday. Two itineraries are planned – one to Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico; and the other to Roatan, Honduras; Belize; and Cozumel. Vista joins the 2,974-passenger Carnival Freedom and 2,974-passenger Carnival Valor in sailing yearround out of Galveston. It’s replaces the 3,690-passenger Carnival Breeze, which is moving to Port Canaveral, Florida. Unveiled in 2016, Vista was Carnival’s first new ship since 2012. At 133,500 tons, it’s tied with the new Carnival Horizon as the biggest vessel in the Carnival fleet. Notable features on Vista that aren’t on Breeze include an 800-footlong pedal ride around the top deck and an IMAX Theater. Both were firsts for the cruise industry when they debuted on Vista. Other amenities on Vista include a 455-foot-long water tube attraction that is part of one of the largest water parks in the Carnival fleet. Passengers are able to ride it on inflatable rafts.

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE The giant Carnival Vista will sail from Galveston, Texas.