Ultimate Playground featuring the BOLT rollercoater aboard Carnival Mardi Gras.
While Carnival Mardi Gras will already be the largest cruise ship ever built for the world’s largest cruise line, and the first US-based cruise ship powered by LNG, it will also now be the first cruise ship in the world with a roller coaster on-board.
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BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster was built by Munich-based Maurer Rides and will feature 800 feet of exhilarating twists, turns and drops with riders reaching speeds of nearly 40 miles per hour.
It will debut aboard Carnival Mardi Gras when she is launched in 2020 and will be the first-ever roller coaster at sea, Carnival Cruise Line said in a release.
“Mardi Gras will be our most innovative ship ever with some truly special features and attractions, highlighted by BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
“BOLT will continue the tradition of Carnival providing exciting new ways for our guests to ‘Choose Fun.’ We are so thrilled to introduce this one-of-a-kind, game-changing, exhilarating attraction – our guests are going to love it!” she added.
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BOLT is an all-electric roller coaster that allows two riders in a motorcycle-like vehicle to race along a track 187 feet above sea level. The riders are launched with race car-like levels of acceleration and hurtle along a series of dips and turns before taking a high-powered hair-pin turn around Carnival’s iconic funnel.
Riders’ speeds are posted after the race (it’s up to the riders how fast they want to go), and just like land-based roller coasters, guests have their photo taken during the ride for a memorable keepsake.
The 180,000-gross ton Carnival Mardi Gras will be based in Port Canaveral, Florida at a new state-of-the-art terminal built specifically for the ship.
Carnival says itinerary information will be revealed early next month, with additional details about Mardi Gras’ other features to be announced throughout the year.
A second XL-class ship will start construction in 2020 and be delivered in 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Carnival Cruise Line’s founding.
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