Boarding the Airship

Boarding the Airship, or , is the final course of Meringue Clouds in New Super Mario Bros. U. Like The Mighty Cannonship before it, the course is not seen until the player reaches its spot. It is unlocked via completion of Ludwig's Clockwork Castle and its own completion unlocks the path to Meteor Moat.

Layout
Unlike other the Airship levels in the Mario series, this one takes place outside of the airship, progressing to the boss arena. The first section is similar to the final part of Iggy's Castle in Super Mario World, where a giant object periodically comes down to crush the player. However, unlike Iggy's Castle, Boarding the Airship's object is the giant mechanical hand that was used to toss the Mario Bros. and Toads to Acorn Plains. During the later half of the first section, the hand will start punching the ground, destroying it in the process.

After the first Checkpoint Flag, the second section takes place below the hull of the ship, and the player must use a platform that moves when the Wii Remote or Wii U GamePad is tilted while avoiding Rocket Engines. At the end of this section is a yellow Warp Pipe that takes Mario to the second Checkpoint Flag and a Cannon Pipe.

After the second Checkpoint Flag and taking the Cannon Pipe up, the final section is the boss battle with Bowser Jr., in his Koopa Clown Car. Unlike before, however, Bowser Jr. equipped his Clown Car with boxing gloves, which destroy the steel blocks the player has to stand on, and Bowser Jr. himself tosses Bob-ombs, which the player can use to harm Bowser Jr. After three hits, Bowser Jr. is defeated.

A cutscene plays where the player drops onto the airship, and Bowser Jr. prepares to crush Mario, but he runs out of the way and the flagship itself is destroyed and crashes outside of the tornado ahead.

Star Coins

 * Star Coin 1: In plain sight, the player must collect it before the mechanical hand destroys the land surrounding it.
 * Star Coin 2: In the second section, slightly hidden behind a group of thick clouds.
 * Star Coin 3: Near the end of the course, the player must use a Super Acorn to get to the platform above that contains the final Star Coin.

Enemies

 * Rocket Engines
 * Rocky Wrenches
 * Bowser's Claw
 * Bob-ombs (boss battle only)

Trivia

 * This course is the only level in the entire game to have two Checkpoint Flags.