As if casinos, go-karts, waterslides, ziplines and wave pools weren’t enough to make cruise ships seem more and more like floating theme parks, Carnival now has the topper, literally: A roller coaster that tops out at 187 feet above sea level and turns a loop around the ship’s funnel.
Carnival says the BOLT Ultimate Sea Coaster being built on its newest ship, Carnival Mardi Gras, will be a first true coaster for any cruise ship. Carnival says it will be a free feature, at least at first: “Our initial plan is to try and make the roller coaster complimentary for our guests. Any fee would only be implemented to help manage demand.” Of course, they could also manage demand by a first-come first-served system, but…
The ship itself, which will debut next year, is Carnival’s largest by far, and its first to operate completely on liquefied natural gas, and will operate from Port Canaveral, Florida.
