Santa Claus took a break from his pre-Christmas festivities to venture down to Finland and take a test run on BOLT, the first-ever roller coaster at sea aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s new Mardi Gras which is being delivered at the Meyer Turku shipyard later this week.
Santa zipped along the 800-foot-long track featuring a hairpin curve around the ship’s iconic funnel, all while achieving speeds of up to 40 miles an hour. The all-electric coaster can accommodate two riders – or one Santa Claus and his bag of toys, perhaps – in motorcycle-like vehicles that race 187 feet above the water line, providing unique views to the sea below.
Built in partnership with Germany-based Mauer Rides, BOLT is a first-of-its-kind open-air attraction that take cruise industry innovation to new heights when the ship enters service in 2021 from Port Canaveral, Fla.