CCL-Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras, the first vessel of the Excel class, has re-entered service following an extensive dry dock at Marseilles, France. The 6,400-passenger ship departs from Barcelona on a 15-day transatlantic voyage to her homeport of Port Canaveral, Florida, where she will resume a year-round schedule of Caribbean cruises.
During the refit, a range of updates were introduced to enhance guest experience and vessel functionality. One hundred staterooms were fitted with new connecting doors to provide greater flexibility for families and larger travel groups. Carnival Adventures, the ship’s excursion centre, received a complete redesign intended to streamline the booking process for shore activities. The casino was expanded with additional slot machines, while several retail outlets—including Tag Heuer, Breitling, Pandora, and Swarovski—underwent interior refurbishments.
Accessibility improvements formed a key part of the work, with modifications made to public walkways and cabin features to facilitate greater ease of movement for all passengers.
CCL's President Christine Duffy noted that the EXCEL-class Mardi Gras is now more competitive following the refurbishment. She added that the updates reflect the company’s continued commitment to evolving the onboard experience and to advancing future fleet development.
Following the transatlantic crossing, which is scheduled to visit Málaga and Cádiz (Seville) in Spain, Tenerife in the Canaries, and CCL’s private destination, Celebration Key, Mardi Gras will operate 7- to 9-day Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral. In 2027, Mardi Gras will be the first and largest Excel-class vessel to operate shorter itineraries (4- and 5-day) to the Caribbean.