CCL-Carnival Cruise Line on Friday, December 18, took delivery of its highly anticipated newbuild, Mardi Gras, in a live virtual signing ceremony at Meyer Turku Shipyard in Turku Finland.
When the new Mardi Gras ship begins passenger operations in April 2021, the 180,000 GT vessel will be the most innovative in North America as she will be the first ship to be LNG-powered (liquefied natural gas), boast a suite of new technology, as well as the first-ever roller coaster at sea - BOLT.
The venues, dining, and entertainment aboard the ship will be dispersed throughout 6 distinctive zones, and feature a new restaurant by celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, the first-ever for Carnival Big Chicken by Shaquille O’Neal, 2 dining venues led by Food Network star Guy Fieri, along with a new restaurant concept by master chef Rudi Sodamin.
Mardi Gras' centerpiece is the 3-deck-high Atrium with floor-ceiling windows and movable LED screens.
Carnival Mardi Gras has max passenger capacity 6338 (5282 lower berths) plus 1745 crew-staff. Passengers will have the choice of 2641 staterooms in 11 categories (including 180 suites) across 11 cabin decks (out of 18 total).
MS Mardi Gras will depart from Turku later in December to commence the passenger-free Transatlantic crossing to North America. The vessel will operate 7-day Caribbean itineraries leaving roundtrip from homeport Port Canaveral Florida USA. Carnival has worked closely with Port Canaveral to build a new cruise terminal with capacity to handle the Excel-class vessel and facilitate the new LNG fueling process.
The inaugural Mardi Gras' voyage is scheduled for April 24, 2021.