Key Aspects:
- Carnival’s Bolt Roller Coaster has been voted the Best Cruise Ship Feature of 2025.
- The Ultimate Sea Coaster has won the top honor for five consecutive years.
- Bolt is found on all three of Carnival’s Excel-class ships but will not be built on future vessels.
The votes are in and it’s official: Carnival Cruise Line’s Bolt Roller Coaster is the Best Cruise Ship Feature of 2025!
Chosen from a select list of highly popular onboard features, Bolt: Ultimate Sea Coaster took the top honors with 22.9% of votes agreeing that the thrilling ride is a must-do for avid cruisers.
This is the fifth consecutive year Bolt has received this cruiser-driven recognition. The very first Bolt roller coaster debuted aboard Mardi Gras when the ship debuted in 2021, making this distinctive honor even more prestigious: Bolt has been selected as the best cruise ship feature for every year it has been thrilling guests.
The ride was first announced in 2018 and built by German manufacturer Maurer Rides. While land-based roller coasters are far more spectacular, the stats on Bolt are by no means paltry, considering the challenges of building a roller coaster on a cruise ship.
- Length: 721 feet
- Height Above Sea Level: 187
- Acceleration: 1.2 Gs
- Guest Capacity: 190 riders per hour
The first-ever rollercoaster at sea, Bolt has been a hit for guests on all three of Carnival Cruise Line’s Excel-class ships: Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee.
The track curves and dips for 430-degrees around each ship’s signature whale tail funnel, offering riders outstanding views of the surrounding ocean. Riders control the top speed of the electrically-powered ride and a boost option can deliver exciting extra thrills with a twist of the driver’s grip.
Two floater hills on the ship’s starboard side provide a bit of airtime, especially for guests who appreciate the top speed experience.
As a matter of interest, Carnival Cruise Line has already announced that the two new Excel-class ships currently under construction, Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale, will not feature their own Bolt rides. Instead, the new ships will have a much more massive waterpark: Carnival WaterWorks Ultra.
Are You Ready to Ride Bolt?
While the onboard roller coaster is certainly popular with Carnival cruise guests, it isn’t necessarily the best feature for everyone to try.
Guests must be at least 52″ tall to ride Bolt, and the ride cannot accommodate anyone taller than 77″ (6’5″). The ride’s weight limit is 300 pounds per person and no more than 440 pounds per ride vehicle when two riders join the fun together.
Read Also: What’s It Like to Ride the First Roller Coaster at Sea? I’ve Done It!
Children under age 12 must be paired with a rider age 15 or older. Older riders can ride solo or with a friend, though solo rides may be limited when wait times are lengthy.
Bolt does have an extra fee and operating hours can vary depending on other ship activities, port or maintenance schedules, and weather conditions.
Other Popular Ship Features
While Bolt took the top prize for 2025, other popular ship features certainly have their fans.
Celebrity Cruises’ Magic Carpet, the transformational space found aboard the Edge-class ships, took second place with 18.6% of the votes, followed very closely by MSC Cruises’ Cliffhanger, the exhilarating swing on the brand new MSC World America, with 18.2%.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Aqua Slidecoaster from Norwegian Aqua and Norwegian Luna came in fourth at 16.7%, with Royal Caribbean’s Crown’s Edge adrenaline-inducing ropes course at 16.5%.
Disney Cruise Line’s AquaMouse rounded out the selections with just 7% of the votes.
Voting for the annual Cruise Hive awards began October 14, 2025 and ran through December 19, with readers able to cast their votes in eight categories. No spam, bot, or other suspicious votes were included in the final totals to choose the winners.
