Carnival Cruise Line is hard at work to complete its second rollercoaster at sea, BOLT, as thrill seekers will be eager to ride once onboard Carnival Celebration.
Carnival released a new video earlier this week, showcasing its progress so far, with cars already making test runs.
The first BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster was installed onboard Carnival Celebration’s sistership, Mardi Gras. Traveling at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour on an 800-foot track full of drops, twists, and turns 187 feet above the water line, BOLT is one of the most exciting innovations placed onboard any cruise ship.
Carnival Celebration Gets BOLT Ready for Action
Carnival Cruise Line released a new video this week just in time for National Rollercoaster Day, showcasing the stunning and thrilling new rollercoaster at sea onboard Carnival Celebration, BOLT.
Currently undergoing the final steps of construction before she sets sail in November of this year, Carnival Celebration is widely regarded as one of the most anticipated cruise ships in history. One of the features that makes her special is the electric BOLT roller coaster.
Spanning 800 feet and 187 feet above sea level, riders will experience dips, twists, and hairpin turns over the Ultimate Playground on the upper decks of Carnival’s newest vessel while traveling at speeds in excess of 40 miles per hour.
Guests travel around the multi-award-winning roller coaster in a two-person car powered by electricity. Among others, the coaster was recognized by Popular Science with its “Best of What’s New” engineering award last year.
“The recognition this incredible attraction has received since its debut on our flagship last year highlights the tremendous work that went into making it a reality, but the most important thing about BOLT is, simply, it’s fun. It embodies the great lengths we’ll go to for our guests’ good time, and I’m eager to see this next coaster in service when Carnival Celebration begins sailing,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president.
Constructing a Roller Coaster for a Cruise Ship
Building a roller coaster onboard a cruise ship is a whole new ball game versus traditional land-based roller coasters.
Not only is oxidation due to the salty sea air an important factor, for which a corrosion-resistant design was introduced, but the cruise ship is also still a moving structure, placing huge stress factors on the construction. And Carnival Celebration is under construction, so there is only so much the coaster-builders can do onboard.
Technicians were forced to build the entire construction shoreside at Maurer Rides in Munich, Germany. Here the coaster underwent initial testing and preparations for certifications. Once concluded, the whole structure was broken down again and shipped to the Meyer Turku Shipyard in Finland.
Construction is now reaching the final stages, so guests can start getting ready to experience the thrills of riding a coaster above the waves.
“At Maurer, we build and deliver excitement and we will deliver just that when BOLT debuts on Carnival Celebration. We can’t wait to present this breathtaking ride to Carnival’s guests,” said Marco Hartwig, project manager at Maurer Rides.
Carnival Celebration will offer year-round, seven-day Caribbean sailings beginning with its inaugural cruise on November 21 from the redesigned Terminal F at PortMiami. Carnival Celebration will join sister Mardi Gras as the second Carnival ship in the fleet powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
