Carnival Cruise Line is bringing perhaps the ultimate theme
park ride to its ship due in 2020.
The Bolt will be an electric-powered roller coaster with
nearly 800 feet of twists, turns and drops.
Riders strapped into 2-person sleds will reach speeds of
nearly 40 miles per hour.
The Bolt will be installed on Carnival's largest ship, the Mardi
Gras, which is scheduled to sail from Florida's Port Canaveral, only an hour or
so east of Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and other thrill-ride
attractions.
Carnival said Bolt begins with an action-packed launch where
riders can achieve race car-like levels of acceleration and "culminates
with a high-powered hair-pin turn around Carnival's iconic funnel."
Riders' speeds are posted after the race (riders can set
their own pace), and guests can buy a photo taken during the ride for a
keepsake.
The coaster, built by Munich-based Maurer Rides, will follow
a track positioned 187 feet above the ocean "enabling guests to experience
the sea in an exciting new way with breathtaking 360-degree views,"
Carnival said.
"Bolt will continue the tradition of Carnival providing
exciting new ways for our guests to 'Choose Fun,'" Carnival president
Christine Duffy said.
The announcement follows last month's reveal that Carnival
will have a trampoline attraction crafted in partnership with SkyZone on the
Carnival Panorama, coming to Long Beach, Ca. in 2019.