Royal Caribbean International (RCL) has the biggest cruise ships in the world. The cruise line essentially trades that title from its last new ship to its next one.
Symphony of the Seas was the largest ship in the world until Wonder of the Seas claimed it, and the new Icon Class Icon of the Seas will presumably grab the crown after that.
Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) has not tried to wrest the biggest cruise ship crown from its rival, but it has tried to match Royal Caribbean when it comes to offering the latest and greatest innovations at sea on its latest ships.
Its current flagship, Carnival Mardi Gras, offers the first-ever roller coaster at sea while it's also the first ship sailing in North America to be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). And, like Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships it offers distinct neighborhoods (which Carnival calls zones) "with a variety of food, beverage and entertainment options, including dining venues from Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri, Rudi Sodamin, and its Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O’Neal," the company shared in a press release.
Mardi Gras will soon be followed by Celebration, Carnival's latest answer to Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships,. The new ship shares a lot in common with its sister ship, but it's also going to have some unique features.
Now, Carnival is getting closer to Celebration's Nov. 6 debut (a trans-Atlantic sailing from Southhampton, England to its Miami homeport) and the company has let out some more details about its latest mega-ship.
What's Different About Carnival Celebration?
While ships in the same class often have a lot in common, Celebration will have a few differences from Mardi Gras. One of the differences will be a bar and lounge celebrating Carnival's 50 years of history.
"Called the Golden Jubilee, the "new bar and lounge will be part of the ship’s final, to-be-announced zone, and will highlight Carnival’s evolution of ships over the last 50 years, weaving its past with its present and looking to the future," the company shared in a press release.
The new bar will be built around classic cocktails like the "Harvey Wallbanger and Tom Collins, reimagined in Carnival’s own unique style with premium ingredients and elevated presentations."
Celebration will also offer a one-of-a-kind Miami-themed area of Celebration.
"On Deck 8, in the same location as La Piazza on sister ship Mardi Gras, 820 Biscayne will feature a similar layout and venues but with influences and design elements that reflect the urban-meets-laid back vibes of Miami," the company shared.
The area will include:
- Bar 820 : A half inside, half outside retro-inspired bar that will feature a “vintage cool” design with grab-and-go Cuban and specialty coffee.
- Deco Deli: Designed as a nod to Miami’s Art Deco mecca with colorful fonts and signage, the space will serve more than the classic deli sandwiches with an expanded menu that also highlights Miami staples including the Cubano (pork, ham, swiss cheese and mustard), a croqueta sandwich (ham and cheese croqueta, shaved ham and pickles), and pan con lechon (slow cooked pulled pork, melted onion and mojo sauce) all on Cuban bread.
- Miami Slice: A 24-hour pizzeria.
Carnival Creates Unique Retail for Celebration
Every ship has merchandise unique to that ship, but it's usually limited to T-shirts, hats, and a few other items with the ship's name on it. For Celebration, Carnival has decided to offer nine separate retail lines.
“As retailers, we saw more opportunity to connect our merchandise with our onboard experiences, so for Carnival Celebration’s collections, we really kicked it up a notch,” said Carnival Retail Operations Vice President Jeremy Schiller. “We know our guests want Carnival products, ship-name products and products that remind them of where they’ve traveled to with us, and they will find all of that and much more on Celebration."
The new lines include:
- 50th Birthday: just for Carnival Celebration, many of the sold-out and limited-edition 50th Birthday merchandise that was first released in March will be relaunched and only available for purchase aboard the ship.
- 305 Deco Celebration: This collection will feature all of the pastels, tropical colors and vibes of Miami with beach totes, drink coasters, bucket hats, towels, lanyards, and more.
- Romero Britto: Continuing a very successful partnership with the ever-popular Miami-based artist, Romero Britto is designing a Celebration-specific line of colorful products including handbags, luggage tags, and passport holders.
- Ruby and Sapphire (R&S): A collection of apparel in souvenirs using the cruise lines distinctive color palette.
- Signature Hull – For the first time in Carnival’s history, Celebration will showcase a collection of backpacks, clothing and accessories inspired by the line’s red, white and blue hull livery that is being adorned on all of the ships in its fleet.
- Key Collectors: The ship will offer a selection of limited-edition collectors’ items including unique ship models, official coins with the original and new Celebration, a Funship Freddy plush toy, funnel hats and headbands.
- Holiday: For the first few months of the ship’s service, Carnival Celebration will be home to never-sold-sets of holiday cheer in the form of new ornaments, Christmas trees and pajamas for the whole family.
Celebration's retail offerings will be spread across its six different zones.
