originally posted on 2/2/2020
Photo Courtesy Dream Cruises. View full-sized image.
A second powered coaster ride has been announced for a cruise ship.
In early 2019, Carnival Cruise Lines announced the installation of Bolt: Ultimate Sea Coaster on the new Mardi Gras passenger ship being built in Finland. It is slated to set sail from Port Canaveral in summer 2020 (see the ACE News article “Carnival Cruise Line Puts A Roller Coaster Onboard,” posted on Thursday, February 14, 2019).
Now, another cruise line company, Dream Cruises, has announced “the world's longest roller coaster at sea.” Named Space Cruiser, the attraction — which is 25 percent longer than Bolt, and thus the longer of the only two-so-far such rides at sea — will be on the firm’s newest cruise ship, Global Dream, being built in Germany. It is scheduled to debut in early 2021.
Both the Bolt: Ultimate Sea Coaster and Space Cruiser attractions are Spike-model steel powered coaster-like rides created by Maurer Rides GmbH. Currently, two such Spike-model rides are in operation in land-locked locations: Spike Dragster at Skyline Park (Bad Wörishofen, Germany) and Desmo Race at Mirabilandia (Savio, Italy) (see ACE News’s “Accelerate Over to Italy’s Mirabilandia and Motorcycle Ride on a World’s First,” posted on October 12, 2019). On both rides, the Spike vehicle seats two riders motorcycle style.
Space Cruiser will offer three vehicles, each with two riders, capable of powering down the track at speeds in excess of 37 mph. Marco Hartwig, project manager at Maurer, said the coaster is outfitted with powerful electric motors and positive-locking drive systems, adding that the coaster “defies the physical limits experienced by conventional roller coasters, thus allowing acceleration over 1 G almost everywhere on the 300-meter track. All this guarantees a spectacular and breathtaking ride over the heads of fellow passengers [and the sea below].”
Interestingly, Space Cruiser will be part of the first-ever theme park touted on a cruise ship. According to Michael Goh, president of Dream Cruises, the new ship will highlight “cutting-edge features and facilities” to provide “innovative leisure, entertainment and recreation options.” The sea-faring park, named Dream Park at the Pier, will also have an inflatable area (Bounce Activity Park), a special trampoline park (Jump!), a bungee trampoline (Shark Bay), a surf simulator (Wipe Out) and mini karts for children (Little Dreamers Ride). It will also offer not-yet-seasick passengers the chance to turn into a human gyro on Cosmic Chaos, as well as fly in the arms of “Kranky Kraken” the octopus.
— Randy Geisler
@#$%&!
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