Published November 2, 2022 6:01 pm by
Naval Executive
Continuing to market the cruise line’s 50th anniversary, Carnival Cruise Line took delivery of its newest cruise ship, the aptly named Carnival celebration. The second of the cruise line’s LNG-fueled ships, she is also part of an effort to continue rebuilding cruise operations after the pandemic.
The 182,800 gross ton cruise ship was built by Meyer Turku in Finland as a sister ship to Mardi Gras and part of the largest platform of LNG-fuelled cruise ships Carnival Corporation is building for AIDA, Costa and P&O, as well as Carnival Cruise Line. She is the second of three ships in the class being built for Carnival, with Carnival Jubilee under construction at Meyer Werft in Germany.
“We have many reasons to celebrate now Carnival celebration has joined as the 24th ship in our fleet. Now, more guests will experience all that our innovative Excel class has brought to cruising,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line during the handover ceremony. “It represents the culmination of our 50th birthday, while also illuminating our bright future with many exciting things to come!”
At 1,130 feet in length, the cruise ship has accommodations for 5,282 passengers (maximum capacity of 6,465 passengers) and a crew of 1,735. During the handover party in Finland, she was officially transferred to the Bahamas registry and headed to Southampton, England where she will embark on her maiden voyage to her home port of Miami Florida. Due to arrive in Miami on November 20, there will be a naming party before she begins Caribbean cruises the following day. She also becomes the first LNG-fueled cruise ship to homeport in Miami, along with her sister ship Mardi Gras which sails from Port Canaveral, Florida. The third ship, Carnival jubileeis scheduled to begin service next year sailing from Galveston, Texas.
Like its sister ship, Carnival celebration there are six themed areas that offer passengers different experiences. There are a variety of dining and entertainment options, including a large three-story glass atrium. Amusements include the BOLT roller coaster built on top of the ship. One of the unique spaces celebrates the cruise line’s 50-year history with a variety of fixtures, decorative elements and furniture reproduced from some of the line’s previous cruise ships.
One of the historic amenities added to the Carnival Party from the original cruise ships of the line (John Heald/Carnival)
Carnival cruise line recently in retirement another of the company’s oldest cruise ships, Carnival ecstasybringing to six the number of 70,000 gross ton vessels from the 1990s Fantasy class decommissioned as of 2020. The addition of Carnival celebration continues the corporation’s efforts to build on Carnival Cruise Line’s success in re-establishing and growing its Caribbean operations since resuming service following the pandemic. Corporate CEO Josh Weinstein recently highlighted the cruise line’s success to investors by noting that they would build on it by repositioning additional ships at Carnival Cruise Line.
The first of three Costa cruise ships to join Carnival recently arrived in Australia as part of the line’s resumption of operations in the area. Renamed Bright carnival, the 92,720 gross ton cruise ship which entered service in 2009, will split her time between Australia and Alaska adding a passenger capacity of 2,826 people to the brand. She was used to replace a Carnival Cruise Line ship that was redistributed to the US market instead of old ships being sold for scrap.
Carnival is also launching a new concept in 2023 called Costa by Carnival where two of the Italian brand’s newest ships will be rebranded and used in the US market sailing from New York in 2023 and California in 2024. The ships are built for the market Chinese and are part of the effort to reposition Costa after the cruise line announced it was rearranging its operations in Asia due to China’s ongoing restrictions related to COVID-19.
Preparing to depart from the shipyard in Turku, Finland (Carnival)
(Photos courtesy of Meyer Turku)
