Carnival Cruise Line takes delivery of Mardi Gras sister ship Carnival Celebration

Carnival Cruise Line’s new Excel-class cruise ship Carnival Celebration is on her way to Southampton after being delivered by the Meyer Turku shipyard.

Carnival Celebration is a sister ship to Mardi Gras and the second LNG-fuelled vessel to join the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, although she is the 7th ship in the class overall for Carnival Corporation.

At 180,000-gross tons and carrying 5,282 passengers at double occupancy, Carnival Celebration is the largest cruise ship ever built for Carnival (alongside Mardi Gras).

“We have so many reasons to celebrate now that Carnival Celebration has joined as the 25th ship in our fleet,” said Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line.

“Now, more guests will experience all that our innovative Excel-class has brought to cruising,” she added. “[Carnival Celebration] represents the culmination of our 50th Birthday while also shining a light on our bright future with so much more excitement to come.”

Carnival Celebration’s name is a nod to the cruise line’s 50th anniversary, and this half-century theme has been incorporated into the ship’s design, such as the Golden Jubilee Lounge, which includes many items of decor from previous Carnival ships.

The Golden Jubilee Lounge replaces the Brass Magnolia that is featured on the ship’s sister ship, Mardi Gras, and is located within a new zone called The Gateway.

This zone will celebrate travel in general with design and décor inspired by classic transportation stations and grand terminals from around the world, as well as iconic global departure points.

There are five additional themed zones onboard, four of which are the same as those aboard Mardi Gras, and a number of new dining experiences, such as Latitudes, The Golden Jubilee and Emeril’s Bistro 1397 restaurants.

Along with The Gateway, the other new zone aboard Carnival Celebration is the Miami-themed 820 Biscayne zone. The new zone, located on Deck 8 and occupying the same space as La Piazza zone aboard Mardi Gras, will celebrate the culture, architectural styles and flavors of Miami.

On her top decks, Carnival Celebration also boasts the Ultimate Playground zone, where the shipboard roller coaster BOLT will offer a 800-foot track that passengers can ride in a self-propelled car at up to 40 mph (64 km/h).

Up here, there is also an extensive water park and sports center.

Carnival Celebration will depart on her first passenger cruise from Southampton on November 6th, 2022, a 14-night trans-Atlantic crossing, and will homeport year-round in PortMiami from November 21st.