Carnival Corp’s boss has branded Carnival Vista “the best advertisement” for Carnival Cruise Line.

Speaking to TTG onboard Vista, Micky Arison insisted the line’s newest addition would appeal to British passengers despite its US feel, especially with its 12-day itineraries out of Barcelona, where it will be sailing for the rest of the 2016 summer season.

“Overall it’s the same thing that the US clients desire. They want to meet people from all over the world – people come here for the freedom and relaxation. The British we have onboard almost become celebrities.  A lot of the American guests would recognise the accent and want to spark up a conversation,” he said.

Features on the 3,954-passenger ship include the Cloud 9 Spa; an Imax cinema; Havana cabanas and their bar; an adult only Serenity Bar and the RedFrog Pub – the company’s first onboard brewery.

John Heald, senior cruise director for Carnival, who joined the sailing, was also keen to stress the importance of the UK market.

“We invest in the British market; they are a big part of it. Currently we have 347 [British passengers] onboard this cruise. By summer the numbers will go up to 500 or 600,” Heald told TTG.

“This ship is a bit more refined and geared towards the British market, but it’s still very much an American experience,” Heald added.

Elsewhere, Arison was quizzed about his favourite area onboard Vista. “Ultimately I like what the guests like,” he said. “I really like the Havana Bar, but to be honest it’s really hard for me to choose because there are so many great things onboard.”

Meanwhile, Arison also spoke about the sister ship to Carnival Vista, which is currently being built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy.

He revealed hopes for the ship to be delivered around May 2018, but refused to divulge any details about new onboard features.

“There will be some added perks, but right now I can’t say much,” he said.