Construction officially started on Carnival Cruise Line’s biggest ship ever, Mardi Gras. The 180,000 GT vessel is scheduled to debut in 2020 and will be the first cruise liner ever to boast a roller coaster.
The official keel laying and coin ceremony for Carnival's newest liner took place at Meyer Turku Shipyard in Finland earlier today, June 18.
The keel laying marked the official beginning of construction of Mardi Gras as it signifies the beginning of the physical construction. Newly minted coins were placed under the ship's keel, which then stays in place through the end of construction. The coins are said to bring luck to the vessel during its construction and then to the Captain and crew when she's at sea.
Currently under construction at Meyer Werft's shipyard in Turku Finland, Carnival Mardi Gras is slated to enter service in Europe on August 31, 2020.
After repositioning to NYC New York (for an inaugural US season), the cruise ship will be homeported in Port Canaveral FL for year-round 7-day Caribbean cruises (starting October 2020).