Carnival Celebration Floated Out
by Dori Saltzman
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line’s next new ship, Carnival Celebration, was floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. The float out signifies a major step in its construction. The ship will now be moved alongside the shipyard’s outfitting pier for the next phase of construction.
“This is the exciting part, after the float out, that’s when everything that everyone will love about the ship goes from blueprint to reality,” said Ben Clement, senior vice president of New Builds, Refurbishment and Product Innovation for Carnival Cruise Line. “When there’s a new ship coming, it’s always tough to pick your favorite part, but Carnival Celebration is going to make that choice tougher than ever when she makes her way to Miami.”
The ship is on track to begin sea trials by the end of summer, with delivery scheduled for November. It will then sail a transatlantic voyage from Southampton, England to PortMiami where it will homeport for year-round Caribbean cruises.
Carnival Celebration is the second of the line’s Excel-class ships. The first, Mardi Gras, sails out of Port Canaveral in Florida. Like Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration will feature the BOLT roller coaster at sea, as well as six distinct zones. However, three of the zones will be designed specifically for Carnival Celebration.
The third Excel-class ship, Carnival Jubilee will debut in Galveston in 2023.
