Carnival Celebration has received her crowning glory as the ship’s iconic “whale tail” funnel has been mounted on the vessel. This important construction milestone is one more step as the ship takes shape in preparation for her planned debut in November 2022.
Funnel Mounted on Carnival Celebration
In a statement released January 25, 2022, Carnival Cruise Line has announced that its second Excel-class, LNG-powered vessel, Carnival Celebration, has received her funnel. According to the statement, “on Tuesday, cranes lowered the funnel onto the ship where she’s being built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.”
A cruise ship’s funnel is both a practical feature of the ship, serving as the smokestack to lift gas emissions clear of the deck and away from the passengers, crew, and equipment, as well as an easily recognizable feature that helps identify a vessel by its shape, colors, or adornments. Many cruise lines position logos or the ship’s name on the funnel to be easily seen.
Carnival Cruise Line’s iconic funnel, with its split fan-shaped or whale-tail design, first debuted in 1972 aboard the Tropicale, the first ship built exclusively for Carnival Cruise Line. The line’s earlier ships, Mardi Gras, Carnivale, and Festivale, were repurposed ships purchased from other cruise lines, and did not have the whale tail funnel.
The new funnel, designed by Joe Farcus, has graced every Carnival cruise ship in the fleet since it was first introduced. Carnival Celebration will be the thirty-fourth ship to sport that instantly recognizable red, white, and blue funnel.
Carnival Celebration Construction Continues
Adding the funnel to the ship brings Carnival Celebration one step closer to being outfitted with some of the same exciting features already wowing guests on her sister ship and the fleet’s flagship Mardi Gras.
Like her sister, Carnival Celebration will also feature the BOLT roller coaster, RedFrog Tiki Bar, the Big Chicken restaurant, the Cloud 9 Spa, and other fleet-wide favorites such as the Punchliner Comedy Club, WaterWorks water park, Guy’s Burger Joint, and much more.
When complete, Carnival Celebration will be 182,800 gross tons and measure 1,130 feet long, with a guest capacity of 5,374 at double occupancy and up to 6,631 passengers when all berths are fully booked. A crew of 1,735 will provide Carnival’s exceptional service aboard the ship.
Carnival Celebration is scheduled to enter service in November, part of Carnival Cruise Line’s year-long 50th birthday festivities, and will sail from PortMiami. Her initial itineraries will include 6-, 7-, and 8-night Caribbean sailings, visiting popular ports of call including Amber Cove, Costa Maya, Grand Turk, Nassau, San Juan, and more.
More Carnival Milestones
Carnival Celebration isn’t the only ship reaching milestones. On the same day as the funnel was mounted on Carnival Celebration, bookings opened for Carnival Jubilee, the third of the Excel-class ships and sister to both Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration.
Carnival Jubilee is scheduled to debut in October 2023 with her transatlantic crossing setting sail on October 30, bringing her to her new homeport in Galveston, Texas, for sailings to begin in mid-November. The ship will have similar features to her sisters, but will also be home to additional updates and unique features that will make her stand out.
Details on those updates and new features have yet to be announced, but one this is certain: she, too, will have that iconic funnel one day soon.
