Carnival Cruise Line's next new ship Carnival Celebration was floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, signifying a major construction milestone.
The ship will now move alongside the shipyard's outfitting pier and into the next phase of construction. Now comes the fun part, says Ben Clement, CCL's SVP of New Builds, Refurbishment and Product Innovation.
"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 Clement. "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 is the second of three Excel-class ships. She joins Mardi Gras, already sailing from Port Canaveral, Fla., and Carnival Jubilee, set to sail from Galveston, Texas in 2023.
"We are very proud to build this beautiful ship for Carnival Cruise Line," said Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku. "By the end of the summer, Carnival Celebration will be ready for her sea trial and then for delivery later in the autumn."
CCL's newest and biggest class of ships run on a liquefied natural gas (LNG) technology platform. Carnival Corp. pioneered the introduction of LNG fuel in the passenger cruise sector.
Following Carnival Celebration's float out, work begins outside on installing some of the Excel-class exterior features already enjoyed by guests on sister ship Mardi Gras, including the award-winning BOLT roller coaster at sea.
Inside the ship, the build out will help bring out Carnival Celebration's own unique personality. The ship will feature six distinct zones, much like Mardi Gras, but three of those are designed specifically for the new ship. Details about the new zones will be revealed soon.
Scheduled to enter service this fall, Carnival Celebration will sail a transatlantic voyage from Southampton to her PortMiami homeport in November.
Carnival's newly transformed Terminal F will welcome the new ship. Not long after, the Carnival terminal will also usher in a new era of port infrastructure as one of the first at PortMiami equipped to provide shore power to ships by fall 2023.
Carnival Celebration's first sailing from Miami to the Caribbean will take place Nov. 21, 2022. Her arrival will mark the culmination of the year-long celebration of Carnival Cruise Line's 50th birthday.
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