IMAX theater, water park and pool cabanas on new Carnival Vista

When the Carnival Vista hits the water in 2016, it will be the cruise line’s biggest ship.

But size alone doesn’t distinguish the Vista. What sets it apart are novel features like an IMAX theater, and fun factors like a water tube slide in an expanded water park and SkyRide, which allows passengers to cycle on recumbent bikes on a suspended track 150 feet above the ocean.

The Vista also will bring the cruise line back to Europe for the first time in three years, according to a Carnival statement last month.

Renderings show a ship that will hold almost 4,000 passengers with a new class of staterooms too. Family Harbor cabins will hold up to five people and include a hangout lounge for parents and kids where they can snack and watch a big-screen TV.

There are other kid-friendly spaces too, like the Dr. Seuss Bookville reading room based on the characters and books of Dr. Seuss.

The ship will have a sports indoor clubhouse for the active crowd, who can try out the SkyRide open-air cycling and SkyCourse ropes course.

The IMAX theater, three decks high, will show blockbuster movies as well as classic and documentary films. It’s part of a multiplex theater with concession stand (yes, popcorn too).

The ship also has a Cuban vibe with the Havana Bar, which becomes a dance club at night, and the Havana Pool, with private tropical-style cabanas. Each features lounge chairs and a hammock.

The Vista will sail May 1, 2016, from Trieste, Italy, on a 13-day tour. It also will embark on a transatlantic voyage to New York in October 2016.

Info: Carnival Cruises