Carnival Cruise Line's New Ship Will Feature the World's First Roller Coaster at Sea
Carnival Cruise Line’s highly-anticipated ship, Mardi Gras, is making a splash with the very first roller coaster at sea.
The ship, which is set to debut next year, announced a slew of exciting new features, including a motorcycle-themed coaster, a Family Feud Live! show, and expanded food offerings.
BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster will feature 800 feet of track reaching speeds of nearly 40 mph. The coaster will stretch around Carnival’s iconic red funnel, offering riders 360-degree views of the water 187 feet above sea level.
Carnival also revealed that Mardi Gras passengers will have expanded options for food and drink within two of its themed zones to explore, called Lido and Summer Landing.
Nestled within those zones are various eatery options, including Street Eats, an open-air venue with kiosks representing different global cuisines, the two-level RedFrog Tiki Bar, inspired by the islands, and The Watering Hole, a summer-themed cocktail and beer bar.
As if that wasn’t enough to fill stomachs, Mardi Gras will also feature an outpost of Guy Fieri’s Guy’s Burger Joint, a New England-inspired Seafood Shack, and a Mexican restaurant called Blue Iguana Cantina.
As previously announced, Shaquille O’Neal and Emeril Lagasse will also have restaurants on board.
O’Neal, who serves as Carnival’s Chief Fun Officer, will bring his Las Vegas spot Big Chicken to the ship, featuring menu items developed and taste-tested by the former NBA star.
“Big Chicken is a labor of love featuring all of my favorite fried chicken recipes developed in tandem with my mom,” O’Neal said in a statement.
Big Chicken will make its debut on Carnival’s Radiance ship earlier in 2020.
Lagasse, meanwhile, will open his first restaurant at sea on Mardi Gras, called Emeril’s Bistro 1396. In keeping with the ship’s moniker, the menu will offer New Orleans-style cuisine, with dishes like barbecue shrimp, roasted duck and andouille sausage gumbo, jambalaya and bananas foster.
The Mardi Gras will also offer “dive-in” movies, multiple pools and a sports bar, plus a hang-out space with cornhole, trivia, arts and crafts, dance classes and more.
Other zones on the ship include Grand Central, French Quarter, La Piazza and the Ultimate Playground.
Carnival announced the ship’s name in December, a nod to its very first liner, also called the Mardi Gras, which entered service in 1972.
The new Mardi Gras is the largest Carnival Cruise Line ship ever built, weighing in at a whopping 18,000 tons.
It’s currently under construction in Finland, and will make its way to Port Canaveral, Florida, in October 2020 to offer year-round, seven-day Caribbean cruises.
