Carnival Celebration
Carnival Celebration is the flagship of Carnival Cruise Line.[1] She is Carnival's second vessel of the fleet's Excel class, a subclass of Carnival Corporation & plc's Excellence class.[2] At 183,521 GT, she is the largest ship in Carnival's fleet. Unlike her sister ship, Mardi Gras, as well as the original Celebration, this ship is named Carnival Celebration using the Carnival prefix. Her name was announced on 21 August 2020.[3] She was ordered on 6 November 2016 from the Finnish shipyard Meyer Turku.[4] Construction started on 13 January 2021[5] and was completed on 2 November 2022.
Carnival Celebration in Funchal, 2022 | |
History | |
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Bahamas | |
Name | Carnival Celebration |
Namesake | MS Celebration |
Owner | Carnival Corporation & plc |
Operator | Carnival Cruise Line |
Port of registry | Nassau, Bahamas |
Ordered | 6 September 2016 |
Builder | Meyer Turku |
Cost | $1 billion |
Laid down | January 2021 |
Sponsored by | Cassidy Gifford |
Christened | 20 November 2022 |
Completed | 2 November 2022 |
Maiden voyage | 6 November 2022 |
In service | 2022–present |
Identification |
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General characteristics | |
Class and type | Excellence-class cruise ship |
Tonnage | 183,521 GT |
Length | 1,130 ft (344.5m) |
Beam | 137 ft (42 m) |
Decks | 19 |
Speed | 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) (projected) |
Capacity |
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Crew | 1,735 |
Design and specifications
Carnival Celebration is divided into six zones incorporating themed elements and spaces that host activities and events and also house various dining and shopping outlets.[6] On her top decks, Carnival Celebration hosts the "Ultimate Playground" zone, where the shipboard roller coaster is located, dubbed "Bolt".[3][7] Designed by Maurer AG, the ride consists of self-propelled cars that ride on an 800-foot track and can travel up to 40 mph (64 km/h).[7][8] "Bolt" is accompanied by an extensive water park and sports center.[6]
Specific to Carnival Celebration, a new zone called The Gateway features the Golden Jubilee bar and lounge. This is not only dedicated to the cruise line's 50th anniversary but also featuring both replica and original items taken from retired ships of the past, from the original Mardi Gras to Carnival Fascination. This replaces the Brass Magnolia that is featured on her sister ship, Mardi Gras.[9]
Area of operation
The ship operates from Miami, Florida sailing a mixture of 6-8 day cruises to the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean after a 14 day transatlantic cruise, which departed from Southampton, England on 6 November 2022.[1][10]
References
- "Carnival Cruise Line Christens New Flagship Carnival Celebration in Miami". TravelPulse. 21 November 2022. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- "Engine firsts and farewells". London: The Royal Institution of Naval Architects. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- Kalosh, Anne (21 August 2020). "Carnival's 2022 Excel-class ship is named Carnival Celebration". Cruise Review. Colchester: Seatrade. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- Teivainen, Aleksi (7 September 2016). "Meyer Turku to build two next-generation cruise ships for Carnival". Helsinki Times. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- "Steel Cut for New Carnival Ship". Cruise Industry News. 13 January 2021. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- Stieghorst, Tom (25 January 2019). "Carnival details layout of Mardi Gras". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- Stieghorst, Tom (13 December 2018). "Carnival ship to have roller coaster". Travel Weekly. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- Rizzo, Cailey (13 May 2019). "This Is What the First Roller Coaster on a Cruise Ship Will Look Like". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- "Carnival Cruise Line Reveals New Carnival Celebration Venue Highlighting 50 Years of Fun". Carnival Cruise Line. 27 April 2022. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022.
- Fishwick, Ben (6 November 2022). "Thousands arrive in Southampton to board new ship Carnival Celebration". Southern Daily Echo. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.