by Brian Major
Last updated: 10:15 AM ET, Thu May 24, 2018
Multi-faceted entertainer, Grammy-award winning singer and cruise vacation aficionado Queen Latifah christened Carnival Cruise Lines' newest ship, 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon, at a naming ceremony at the New York Cruise Ship terminal in Manhattan on Wednesday.
The 3,960-passenger ship is the second in Carnival's Vista class and features an array of new amenities including a Dr. Seuss-themed water park, Carnival's first shipboard Teppanyaki restaurant and the Smokehouse Brewhouse, a Food Network star Guy Fieri-designed barbecue eatery, which also offers craft beers created at an onboard brewery.
Horizon also offers guest facilities and amenities common to Carnival's Vista class, including SkyRide, a bike-ride-in-the-sky attraction; an IMAX Theatre; Seafood Shack, a New England-inspired restaurant; Havana Bar, a Latin-inspired watering hole with its own pool, plus extra spacious Family Harbor accommodations and a Family Harbor Lounge.
"Carnival Horizon is designed as the ultimate seagoing vacation with spectacular open-air attractions, a delicious variety of tantalizing culinary options, and lots of family-friendly fun," said Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line's president. "We can't wait for our guests to come on board and see for themselves what's on the Horizon.
Carnival seemed to select an ideal godmother in several regards. Not only is Queen Latifah American musical and entertainment "royalty," but the popular hip-hop star and TV host is also a fan of cruises as well as travel agents.
"I use a travel agent to book all of my trips," she said in a briefing for media prior to the christening ceremony. "I'm not into scavenging the Internet to find the best price. I have one person who is the master of that and I let her do her thing."
She added, "I have cruised before and to me it's the coolest thing in the world. Everything you want is right there. You don't have to go anywhere - all of the food you want to have and all of the entertainment you want to see is all there," she said. "You want to get wet or swim, you can do that, and there are fun things for the kids. All of the people I know who cruise love cruising."
Carnival Horizon will offer an extensive slate of shipboard entertainment options, including three new live shows: Soulbound, Celestial Strings and Vintage Pop, which combine live performances of popular music and rock songs with special effects.
Carnival Horizon will offer four-day Bermuda and eight-day Caribbean sailings departing New York from May 24 through late September. Beginning September 22 the ship will re-position to Miami for year-round, six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises. Carnival Horizon will offer a special two-day cruise to Nassau from Miami departing September 20.
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