This Cruise Ship Has an Official IMAX Theatre Onboard - Let me Show You!
Cruise ships have some absolutely incredible facilities onboard. I’ve been on so many ships where I find something that really does blow my mind, and I simply can’t believe that some facilities have been successfully implemented into the design of a cruise ship.
One such facility is the Multiplex onboard both Carnival Vista and Carnival Horizon, two of the Vista class cruise ships from Carnival Cruise Line. In this post, I’m going to show you around this venue, and tell you everything you need to know to enjoy this place to the full!
Before we jump in, if you enjoy this post, please do sign up to my FREE email newsletters. If you’re not already signed up, you should find sign up forms throughout this post. Otherwise, just click here to sign up now! Also, why not come and support my YouTube channel? Just search ‘Fraser at Sea’ on YouTube, or click here to subscribe today!
Carnival Vista, photographed from onboard Carnival Horizon. Both of these ships have an IMAX Theatre onboard!
Ok, let’s get started!
In this post today, the photos you’re going to see will be from my cruise onboard Carnival Horizon. I’ve not yet cruised onboard Carnival Vista, but I would imagine that the Multiplex setup is similar, if not identical, on that ship.
You’ll find the Multiplex on Deck 7 of the Carnival Horizon. This is where you enter the venue, but you’ll then go up one deck if you’re there to watch a movie in the main auditorium. The Multiplex contains the main IMAX theatre, and also a much smaller 3D theatre.
The first thing you’re met with when you arrive is a small box office counter, where you can speak to a member of crew to purchase your ticket(s), and also purchase any snacks for your movie. This desk isn’t manned for a long period each day, so you can also purchase tickets using the tablet technology. In my experience, this worked really, really well - much better than tech I’ve seen on other ships, which can often be glitchy, and full of errors.
The Box Office entrance area of the Carnival Multiplex, available on both the Carnival Horizon and Carnival Vista cruise ships.
The digital tablet at the Box Office, where you can save time while purchasing your tickets for the showings at the Carnival Multiplex.
How much does it cost to use the IMAX Theatre at the Carnival Multiplex?
The prices to use the theatre will vary depending on what you choose to watch. If you choose to watch one of the shorter documentary-style showings, you should expect to pay around $7.99. If it’s a full feature-length movie you’d like to see, then the cost on my cruise was $16.99 per ticket. Note: these prices (shown in US Dollars) were accurate as of the point of my last Carnival Horizon cruise - September 2023.
What does the IMAX Theatre look like on a cruise ship?
I’ve visited so many cinema venues on cruise ships, and I’ve often thought that they’re impressive considering they’re on a cruise ship. That said, I’ve never found one that really rivals the experience that you get from visiting a theatre ‘on land’. That is, until I experienced what Carnival Cruise Line have created with this venue - it’s amazing!
Here’s a few shots of the main auditorium. I’m sure you’ll agree - incredible!
Even the entrance corridor sets the scene perfectly - this is just like entering my local cinema at home!
Wow! Here’s the main IMAX auditorium onboard Carnival Horizon - not what I had expected!
Another angle of the main auditorium on Carnival Horizon - I was SO impressed!
Is the IMAX worth doing on your Carnival Horizon cruise?
You can probably tell from reading this post that I was really impressed with the experience being offered by Carnival in this venue. I would answer this question with a massive ‘YES’, but I would add a caveat…
The screening that I went to was amazing, but I chose to go to the shorter (and less expensive) documentary about the National Parks in the USA. I chose this one because I felt it could give me a great ‘sample’ of the IMAX experience in here, and I didn’t really want to spend almost $20 on something that may have felt like a gimmick.
If you’re a movie buff, then yes - you’ll probably be more than happy with going to a full length movie in here. If you’re like me, you’re happy to keep it short, to allow you to get a full sample of the experience, and to also free you up to continue exploring the ship.
In conclusion, I’m really impressed with this venue. Well done, Carnival Cruise Line!
To check out more of my Carnival posts, just click here! Also, come over to my YouTube channel, where I’ve got LOTS to show you. In the below video, I offer you some of my ‘Top Tips’ for cruising with Carnival Cruise Line.
Thanks for checking out this post, and happy cruising!