33-foot yacht to sail Bellagio fountains for new restaurant

OK, not so little … A 33-foot Riva Yacht will be paraded down the Strip and craned into Bellagio’s Lago di Como that morning, where it will take its maiden voyage as the fountain show plays.

The to-be-named yacht’s display is all part of Carbone Riviera’s opening. The famed Italian-American restaurant, replacing Picasso, overlooks the lagoon and will feature coastal Italian seafood.

But the yacht isn’t just for gawking at. Select restaurant guests will be allowed on board to cruise the fountain area. The yacht, made in Italy, is one of 18 in the world, according to MGM Resorts International.

The details are still to be settled, but plans call for the yacht to ferry guests about the lagoon — perhaps delivering them by water to dinner at Carbone Riviera or shuttling them across the lake (and back) to the Bellagio Fountain Club during the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix or simply providing close-up waterside views of the surging Fountains of Bellagio.

The Riva voyages, the design and menu of Carbone Riviera, and its charismatic service all combine to create a balmy sprezzatura that Yumul described as “a love letter to the Amalfi Coast. All of a sudden, you’re in the Amalfi Coast. You’re on vacation; you have escaped.”