The cruise operator Carnival is giving itself a present for its 50th birthday: with a roller coaster on its newest and largest ship. The “BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster” is located on the upper deck of the Carnival Celebration, 57 m (187 feet) above sea level – and it will be the first coaster to operate during an Atlantic crossing.

BOLT is a roller coaster with a motorbike feeling on the top deck of a luxury liner. The Ultimate Sea Coaster is a two-seater – so get on the motorbike, step on the gas and accelerate at 1.2 g to 60 km/h (37 mph) in no time. So, it’s a fast ride over drops, dips and curves – with a view of the endless horizon. Attention, no time for dreamers! At the end, a hairpin bend around the legendary Carnival funnel leads back to the start.

Behind its development is the think tank at Maurer Rides and the innovative spirit of Carnival Cruise Line. BOLT has a twin on the Mardi Gras, which was launched in 2021 as the largest ship in the Carnival fleet at the time. The response to the “Ultimate Sea Coaster” was great. So, there was no question for Carnival that the sister ship “Celebration” would also get a roller coaster from Maurer Rides to offer passengers this fantastic experience.

Technically, the Sea Coaster follows on from the success of the Spike Racing Coaster. The unique ride high above the ocean is made possible by the innovative and patented Spike drive from MAURER Rides. Put simply, Spike is a further developed gear drive. The extremely powerful motor turns roller coaster passengers into real drivers. They can brake or accelerate themselves anywhere on the 220 m (721 foot) long track, with 100 % traction and 1.2 g’s of force. Everyone creates their own individual roller coaster experience: pleasurable or thrilling, just as they like.

The Spike technology is what made it possible to install it on board in the first place. The “gear teeth” always keep everything in contact and thus eliminates the movements of the ship as well as the influences of the weather and the sea. So, it’s not surprising that Spike in 2022 receive the “Best of What’s New” award from Popular Science magazine: the first roller coaster on the high seas is not only fun, but also a masterpiece of modern technology.

rthermore, the innovative technology can withstand even the most extreme conditions. The ride has proven its reliability after one year of continuous operation on the high seas.

Largest ship of the fleet
Our customer, Carnival, is excited about the possibility of installing another roller coaster on their cruise ships. With 180,000 GRT, the Carnival Celebration is the largest ship in the Carnival fleet: an XL-class cruise ship, 345 m long and for up to 6,600 passengers. It offers a varied entertainment and recreation programs and, as the crowning glory, the roller coaster.

The Carnival Celebration was built by the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. She will welcome her first guests in Southampton on the 6th of November, for her 14-day maiden voyage on the popular transatlantic passage. It will be the first time a roller coaster has crossed the Atlantic in operation. On the 20th of November, the cruise ship will arrive in Miami as part of Carnival Cruise Line’s 50th anniversary celebrations, from where it will continue to the Caribbean.

All good things come in threes
By the way, Carnival Cruise Line doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to success. In 2023, the Carnival Jubilee will set sail from Galveston/Texas, also with the roller coaster “Bolt: The Ultimate Sea Coaster”.

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