Mardi Gras sister ship Carnival Celebration floated out in Finland

The second of Carnival Cruise Line‘s Excellence-class cruise ships, Carnival Celebration, has been floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

Carnival Celebration is a sister ship to Mardi Gras and the second ship in her class for Carnival Cruise Line, but the sixth overall within the wider Carnival Corporation fleet.

The LNG-powered, 180,000-gross ton ship will enter service later this year in celebration of Carnival Cruise Line’s 50th anniversary.

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Carnival Celebration has now moved to the outfitting pier for work to continue on her interior spaces.

“We are very proud to build this beautiful ship for Carnival Cruise Lines,” said Tim Meyer, CEO at Meyer Turku. “The Float out marks the beginning of a very intensive phase in the ships construction, as we the inside features and venues will start taking form.”

“By the end of the summer Celebration will be ready for her sea trials and then for delivery later in the autumn,” he added.

“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, Refurbishments 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.”

Carnival Celebration will sail roundtrip from PortMiami to the Caribbean, joining Mardi Gras, which is already in service sailing from Port Canaveral.

A third Excellence-class cruise ship is under construction for Carnival and due to enter service in 2023. Carnival Jubilee is scheduled to debut out of the Port of Galveston.

Carnival Celebration will feature all the same features that have made Mardi Gras so popular, such as the BOLT roller coaster, expanded dining options, more than 20 different stateroom categories, and a three-deck atrium with ocean views that converts into a nightclub.

Carrying 5,200 passengers, these ships are not only the largest in the Carnival fleet, but also the first in the fleet to run on LNG fuel. They also feature the first roller coasters at sea, Carnival’s first all-suite enclave, and a whole host of new-to-the-line dining options across their six onboard zones.