Fun Goes Big on Carnival Celebration

Related: Take a Tour of Carnival Celebration

Carnival Celebration (Photo: Gerry Barker)

By GERRY BARKER

When the first Carnival Celebration ship launched in 1987, it was considered a “super liner.” Costing $130 million, weighing in at 47 gross tons and over 700 feet in length, its 10 decks accommodated some 1,500 passengers.

Fast forward to 2022 and the arrival of Carnival Celebration 2.0. At a length exceeding 1,100 feet and built at a cost of $1 billion, the 180,000-ton ship boasts 19 decks and can officially host 6,465 passengers and 1,745 crew — a veritable city on the sea. And did I mention it also has the first roller coaster at sea at the top?

Celebration is one of three, Excel-class ships in the Carnival fleet, joining Mardi Gras and Jubilee, with two more on order. LNG-powered (Liquified Natural Gas), one has to wonder how you go about taking care of over 8,000 people on a ship. To find out, we boarded Celebration for a one-week cruise in the Caribbean.

Carnival’s mantra is “Choose Fun,” and over the past 50 years, they deliver on that just about better than anyone.   READ MORE.

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