First steel was cut on Friday, March 18, for CCL-Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Jubilee which is due to be arriving in Galveston TX in November 2023.
The official ceremony took place in Papenberg (Germany) as Carnival and Meyer Werft representatives attended the ship’s steel-cutting, representing the first major milestone in Jubilee’s construction.
The steel-cutting ceremony, a maritime tradition, was celebrated by Carnival Jubilee’s shipbuilders. At the laser center of the shipyard, the silhouette of the cruise ship was cut from the steel and signed by everyone in attendance. A special plaque was cut from the same piece of steel to commemorate the line’s 50th birthday.
The 182,800 GT ship is part of Carnival’s Excel-class design first delivered by Finland's Meyer Turku shipyard. Carnival Jubilee cruise ship is the CCL fleet's third newest and largest liner (of the XL-Class) scheduled for inauguration in 2023. All the three units in this series are from the German shipbuilder Meyer Werft (shipyard Papenburg). As with all other "Fun Ships", the shipowner is Carnival Corporation - the world's largest passenger shipping company.
Like the sisterships Mardi Gras and Celebration, Jubilee has the industry's first-at-sea roller coaster. The facility ("BOLT Ultimate Sea Coaster") will be built by Maurer Rides (Munich Germany-based company) specializing in roller coaster design and manufacturing. The race track has a length of 244 m (800 ft), with twists, turns, drops, and speeds up to 64 kph (40 mph). Individual speeds are posted after the race. Carnival's roller coaster is all-electric and allows 2 riders to race along in motorbike-like vehicles at height 57 m (187 ft) above the sea. The experience features breathtaking top-deck 360-degree views and ends with a high-speed turn around the funnel/smokestack.
Carnival Jubilee will sail on 7-day Western Caribbean cruises from the Port of Galveston TX beginning November 18, 2023, with calls in Cozumel & Costa Maya (Mexico), as well as Roatan Island (Mahogany Bay-Coxen Hole, Honduras).