Cruise Ship Will Have The First At-Sea Roller Coaster

Carnival Cruise Lines is about to take one of the most enjoyable types of vacations and make it even better. That is especially for those who love a little bit of excitement on their vacation because they are adding a roller coaster to a cruise ship.

It is known as the Bolt Ultimate Sea Coaster and it should be available on the Mardi Gras ship sometime next year. That ship will leave the Port Canaveral terminal according to the cruise line.

This type of a roller coaster may be somewhat routine on land but it was difficult to create one on a ship.

“Creating the first shipboard roller coaster posed quite a challenge as it’s never been done,” Glenn Aprile, Carnival Cruise Line’s director of innovation, told CNBC Make It.

The wall of our new terminal @PortCanaveral where Mardi Gras will sail from is up! #CarnivalMardiGras https://t.co/z1X2ASz9Ko

— Carnival Cruise Line (@CarnivalCruise) May 8, 2019

“The design and movement of the ship needed to be factored into the engineering and design, something that doesn’t need to be accounted for on a land-based coaster.”

This single car, electric roller coaster, known as a spike coaster will allow the passenger to control the speed.

The track will set 187 feet above sea level and two passengers can speed along the track. The height requirements include a 43-inch minimum and a 76-inch maximum.

You will also be happy to know that the roller coaster can reach speeds of up to 40 mph and if you keep it at the top speed for the entire ride, you will be done in one minute.

I can’t even imagine the excitement of flying along on a roller coaster above the ocean. It sounds both terrifying and awesome.

You can see it in action in this YouTube video:

The Mardi Gras is the largest ship in the fleet with 5200 rooms spread out over 20 decks. The maiden voyage is scheduled to take place in 2020.

There are also many other things that will be included on the ship, including a survey based game known as Family Feud Live. It will be just like the television game show by the same name.

Emeril Lagasse will also have his own restaurant on the ship.

Cruise ships continue to get bigger and they offer more to their guests today than they did just a few years ago. This ride is definitely a step in that direction.

This ship is only one of many that include amenities that you would typically find at an amusement park, including skywalk and zip lining.

As an example, the Norstar Ship with Royal Caribbean has a glass observation capsule that sits 300 feet above sea level and rotates over the side of the ship.

That capsule has put them into the Guinness Book of World Records as the cruise ship with the highest viewing deck.

The AquaDuck water slide is also a feature. Transparent tubes allow adventure goers the ability to see the ship from a unique angle and eventually splash into a lazy river.

You can find the AquaDuck water slide on cruise ships from Disney, the Dream, and Fantasy.