Carnival Cruise Lines took delivery of its new $440 million cruise ship, the 102,000-ton Carnival Victory, last week at an Italian shipyard.
The Carnival Victory, the 15th vessel in the "Fun Ship" fleet and the third in Carnival's highly successful "Destiny-class," will depart Monfalcone, Italy on Aug. 2 on its transatlantic crossing and is expected to arrive in New York on Aug. 14.
Following voyages from New York to Canada, the Carnival Victory will sail on a series of one- to five-night voyages from Newport News, Va., and Charleston, S.C., before repositioning to Miami to operate a three-day Bahamas voyage and a program of week-long Caribbean cruises beginning Oct. 15.
Carnival currently has six other Fun Ships with an estimated value of $2.6 billion scheduled for delivery over the next four years. Included in the company's order book are three 2,794-passenger vessels under contract – the Carnival Conquest in 2002, the Carnival Glory in 2003 and an as-yet-unnamed vessel in 2004. At 952 feet long and 110,000 gross registered tons, these three ships represent longer, larger versions of the company's popular Destiny-class vessels.
One of the largest cruise ships ever constructed, the 893-foot-long Carnival Victory features a wide variety of on-board amenities and facilities, including a nine-deck-high atrium offering easy and convenient access to the vessel's 18 bars and lounges, which range from an intimate piano bar to a spectacular three-deck-high show lounge housing lavish Las Vegas-style productions.
The ship also features 13 passenger decks and 1,379 staterooms, 62 percent of which offer an ocean view with 60 percent of those including private balconies. Also included are three two-deck-high restaurants – two full-service main dining rooms and a casual poolside eatery offering a 24-hour pizzeria, a New York-style deli, specialty areas serving Asian and American favorites, full breakfast and lunch buffets and a "Seaview Bistro" alternative dinner-time service. A 15,000-square-foot "Nautica Spa" health and fitness facility, a 1,300-square-foot "Children's World" play area, part of the line's top-rated "Camp Carnival" children's program, and an Internet café, are included, as well.
