The highly anticipated Carnival Celebration has successfully completed her sea trials, bringing her one step closer to debuting with the Fun Ship fleet. These critical tests are essential to ensure the ship’s systems function properly, and the new ship sailed through the trials with great results.
Carnival Celebration Completes Sea Trials
Carnival Celebration set sail on her sea trials Monday, September 5, from Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. The initial trials took several days, testing the ship’s engines, thrusters, and technical systems, including maneuverability, speed, and stopping abilities.
Onboard was the ship’s master, Captain Vincenzo Alcaras, as well as the engineering team and many crew members, not only overseeing the testing but also gaining familiarity with the ship’s systems for smooth and efficient operation.
“During her sea trials, Carnival Celebration underwent several tests, which are meant to determine the ship’s capability and her performance,” said Alcaras. “We’ve done many maneuvering tests, such as endurance tests, steering tests, speed tests and thrusters tests. The ship performed wonderfully, and shortly, we will get her out and start cruising.”
While Alcaras and other crew members were onboard the ship to witness the sea trials, the vessel remains under control of the shipyard and the master has not yet taken control of the vessel.
Depending on an individual vessel’s size, systems, and performance, as well as weather and marine traffic in the test area, sea trials typically take just a few days or as long as 10 days to complete.
Carnival Celebration completed her trials in the Baltic Sea, in the complicated archipelago around Turku, Finland, on the country’s southwestern tip.
What’s Next?
Up next for the vessel will be ongoing finishing work and outfitting the ship with all the supplies necessary for passenger service. In the weeks to come, crew members will begin arriving to the ship and preparing to welcome guests.
The ship’s maiden voyage is planned for November 6, 2022, sailing from Southampton. The 14-night one-way, transatlantic itinerary will bring Carnival Celebration to her new homeport in Miami, Florida, calling on ports in Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands along the way.
The second Excel-class vessel in Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet and sister ship to the award-winning flagship Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration is sure to be celebrated when she reaches Miami, with fanfare from fireboats and shoreside facilities as she makes her way into the port for the first time.
The ship’s arrival in Miami will be the culmination of the cruise line’s 50th birthday celebrations that have included special decorations, new menu introductions, exclusive merchandise, cruise ship meetups, and other events all year long.
Carnival Celebration will feature six distinctive zones onboard, each offering unique flair for guests to enjoy. Of special interest will be the Golden Jubilee bar and lounge, a one-of-a-kind venue showcasing 50 years of Carnival Cruise Line history with integrated memorabilia, retro designs, and other nostalgic touches.
For example, the venue will be home to the vintage 1934 Rolls Royce Saloon that was removed from Carnival Ecstasy in June. The Fantasy-class ship will be retired in early October, just weeks before Carnival Celebration debuts.
Once in Miami, the new ship will offer a range of 6-8 night Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean itineraries year-round, giving guests plenty of opportunities to enjoy all the ship has to offer, including the second Bolt rollercoaster at sea and plenty of fleet-wide favorites.
Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration will be joined by yet another Excel-class vessel, Carnival Jubilee, which is planned to enter service in 2023.
