Tourism, Transport and Municipalities Minister, Senator the Hon. Michael M. Fahy JP yesterday exchanged plaques with Captain Luigi De Angelis, Master of the award winning Carnival Vista on the occasion of the cruise ship’s inaugural visit to Bermuda, berthing at Heritage Wharf.

The Minister provided the captain with the Bermuda Coat of Arms.

Also exchanging plaques with the cruise ship captain was Carmen Tucker of the West End Development Corporation.

The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Randy Rochester, Marine and Ports Director Rudy Cann and ship’s agent Meyer Agencies’ Troy Pitcher were among a group on hand to welcome and tour the ship.

The Carnival Vista – which left port today – was built in Italy and entered service May 1. It is on its way to the Cape Liberty port in Bayonne, New Jersey with 4000 passengers and 1450 crew.

The newest and largest ship in the Carnival fleet departed Barcelona, Spain on October 21 to begin its voyage towards North America. Along the way the ship called in at Gibraltar and the Azores before coming to Bermuda.

Scheduled to arrive in New York Thursday, a gala event will be held Friday on board, honouring Operation Homefront and featuring an exclusive invitation-only concert by seven-time Grammy Award winning country music super star Carrie Underwood.

The 133,500 gross ton ship will be christened by Miss USA Deshauna Barber. Hundreds of military families will get the chance to spend an overnight onboard to enjoy all the festivities.

The ship boasts nearly 30 dining and bar venues, a casino and the first IMAX theatre at sea. It also features SkyRide, an open-air, pedal-powered ride suspended 40 feet above Carnival Vista's deck 14 and swooping out 150 feet above the ocean.

It is thrilling guests with the exhilarating airborne experience, unparalleled views, and sky flying exercise.

The ship will sail its debut cruise from the United States out of Cape Liberty on November 5. Vista will sail a 12-day Eastern Caribbean cruise and then another 12-day cruise to its homeport of Miami, Florida. The ship will arrive at Port Miami on November 27 to begin year-round Caribbean itineraries.

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Welcome Remarks

Senator the Hon. Michael M. Fahy JP

Captain Luigi De Angelis and Pierre Camilleri ……

I’d like to welcome you, your crew and passengers on behalf of the Government and people of Bermuda.

It gives me great pleasure to provide you with this plaque of the Bermuda Coat of Arms because of the long standing relationship between Bermuda and Carnival. In fact, Carnival has the most number of ships on the Bermuda Ships Registry.

The Government and people of Bermuda look forward to the continued relationship  with Carnival and the return of this award-winning ship to our shores.

Captain, I understand you now have control over the newest and largest ship in the Carnival fleet.

Congratulations for the recent honours bestowed on the ship by Cruise Critic. The ship has been named “Best New Ship” - as the Carnival line has again earned Best-Value-for-Money for the third consecutive year.

We are joined today by representatives of the host port the West End Development Corporation; the Bermuda Tourism Authority, the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, ship’s agent Meyer Agencies, Department of Marine & Ports and the Ministry of Tourism, Transport & Municipalities.  You will find Bermudians are very accommodating and I expect that the experiences of your passengers ashore will rival the exciting times they have aboard the Carnival Vista.

I hope you and your guests explore our wonderful island, enjoy our pink sand beaches and experience the charm and beauty of the Royal Naval Dockyard, your host port and our capital city Hamilton and the historical Town of St. George, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On behalf of the Government and People of Bermuda I extend a warm and Bermudaful welcome to you. Although only scheduled for one visit this year, we hope you bring this marvelous ship back to Bermuda again.