Carnival Unveils New Ship Vista Of The Seas With Queen Latifah, Guy Fieri & Jake Elliott

The Carnival Horizon is the new ship in the Vista class of ships, also dubbed “The sista of the vista” by Carnival President Christine Duffy. With it being fleet week, Carnival held a special event in New York City aboard the Horizon on May 23. The new ship is currently Carnival’s largest ship and the 26th ship in the Carnival fleet and the 102nd cruise ship operated by Carnival.

What makes the Horizon so special is that it represents a strong relationship between Carnival and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The day began with a special press conference which included Duffy, St. Jude’s President Richard Shadyac Jr. and young brain tumor survivor Victoria. In the boat’s lobby there is a floor to ceiling spherical screen called Dreamscape and features art from children at St. Jude’s, 11-year-old Victoria is one of the artists whose work is displayed. Duffy presented a $100,000 check to Shadyac Jr., on behalf of Carnival. Queen Latifah also made an appearance at the press conference and was named the Godmother of the ship.

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“I’ve been a Queen for a while now, but I never thought I’d be asked to be a godmother,” said Queen Latifah during the traditional naming ceremony which took place onboard in the atrium of the ship. Queen Latifah and Captain Luigi De Angelis poured champagne all over a bell to christen the Horizon. Later in the evening, there was a special ‘Lip Sync Battle’ between her and Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliot.

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Some new features amenities the introduction of Carnival’s first teppanyaki-style specialty restaurant as well as the new Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse from celebrity chef Guy Fieri who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. He aptly asked for a knife to cut the ribbon rather than scissors. There’s also a brewhouse where a beer brewer concocted specific beers for the Smokehouse. For the kids, there’s a new Dr. Seuss-themed outdoor waterpark.

A third ship of the class, the Carnival Panorama is due to be inaugurated at the end of 2019 and sail year-round from California.