The Vista class is a class of Panamax-type cruise ships, built by Fincantieri Marghera shipyard, in Italy. Vista-class cruise ships are operated by Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, and Carnival Cruise Line. The ships are equipped with a diesel-electric power plant and an Azipod propulsion system. The ships are designed so that eighty-five percent of the staterooms have ocean views and sixty-seven percent have verandas; the extensive use of glass in the superstructure, (including glass elevators located amidship), is also reflected in the Vista-class name.
 MS Noordam, a Vista-class cruise ship, at Grand Turk Island, March 2007
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Fincantieri Marghera shipyard, Italy |
| Operators | |
| Subclasses |
|
| Built | 2001–2010 |
| In service | 2002–present |
| Planned | 9 |
| Completed | 9 |
| Active | 9 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Cruise ship |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 105 ft 9 in (32.23 m) |
| Decks | 11 passenger decks |
| Installed power | Diesel-electric |
| Propulsion | Azipod |
| Speed |
|
| Capacity |
|
| Crew | 800–976 |
History
editThe Vista-class design was created by Carnival Corporation for its Holland America Line, using the Panamax guidelines to determine their designed size. The predesessors to the class was Costa Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line's Spirit-Class starting with the Costa Atlantica and Carnival Spirit.
The first ship is the modified Spirit class design was the Zuiderdam. A fifth hull which was originally intended for Holland America was transferred to Cunard Line in 2003 where it was planned to become MS Queen Victoria. However, due to restructuring within their parent corporation Carnival Corporation & plc, as well as a later decision by Cunard that modifications should be made to introduce successful elements from the design of RMS Queen Mary 2, the hull was again transferred to become P&O Cruises' MS Arcadia.[1]
Derivative designs
editSignature class
editThe second derivative design is Holland America Line's Signature-class cruise ship, MS Eurodam. While the same length as MS Noordam, she has one more deck than the standard Vista-class design, and her public areas and cabin placement have been significantly redesigned, especially on her upper-most decks (to accommodate the additional 190 passengers berthed just below the popular Crow's Nest).[2] A second Signature-class ship, MS Nieuw Amsterdam, entered service in 2010.[3]
Hybrid Vista/Spirit class
editIn 2007 Cunard took delivery of Queen Victoria[4] the first ship in a class described as a hybrid design "taking the best parts from Aker Yards' [sic] built Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea, and from Holland America's Vista class ships". Subsequent ships based on this hybrid design include Costa's Costa Luminosa,[5] Cunard's Queen Elizabeth, and Costa Deliziosa.
The Cunard ships had a few additional changes including a stronger bow for direct transatlantic crossings, something Cunard ships have completed more regularly than typical cruise ships; and a large second balcony area over the Queens Room dance floor which is one of Cunard's signature features. The midship glass elevator design of the HAL Vista class ships was not retained.
Ships by delivery date
edit
- 2002: MS Zuiderdam
- 2003: MS Oosterdam
- 2004: MS Westerdam
- 2005: MS Arcadia
- 2006: MS Noordam
- 2007: MS Queen Victoria
- 2008: MS Eurodam
- 2009: Carnival / Costa Luminosa
- 2010: MS Queen Elizabeth
- 2010: Costa Deliziosa
- 2010: MS Nieuw Amsterdam
Superseded by: Vista Spirit hybrid class cruise ship
Similar ships
edit- Spirit class, a similar class of Panamax ships operated by Carnival Cruise Line.
- Radiance class, a similar class of Panamax ships operated by Royal Caribbean International
- Signature-class cruise ship, a similar class of Panamax ships operated by Holland America Line
- Coral Princess and Island Princess, a similar set of Panamax ships operated by Princess Cruises
References
edit- ^ Micke Asklander. "M/S Arcadia (2005)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2007-12-17.
- ^ "ms Eurodam". Holland America Line. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
- ^ "Cruise Ship 6181". Fincantieri. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
- ^ "ms Queen Victoria History". Chris Cunard. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
- ^ "Luminosa joins Costa fleet". Cruise Business Review. 2009-05-15. Archived from the original on 2009-05-31. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
External links
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