A traditional coin ceremony was held in the latest milestone in the building of new Carnival Cruise Line ship Carnival Celebration.
The event at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland came ahead of the US line’s second new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-powered ship entering service in November from Southampton to Miami.
The ship will debut along with Carnival’s redesigned Terminal F at PortMiami, which will be among the first terminals to be shore-power ready in 2023.
Carnival Celebration is the sister ship to Mardi Gras, which entered service last year as the first ship in North America to run on an LNG propulsion system.
Carnival Celebration, Mardi Gras and Carnival Jubilee, which is also under construction and set to enter service next year, are part of the cruise line’s new Excel-class featuring a roller coaster and newly-designed accommodation.
The coin ceremony is a centuries-old custom in shipbuilding, symbolising good fortune for the ship and its crew.