Today is March 11, 2021. Forty-nine years ago, the first Carnival Cruise Line ship, TSS Mardi Gras, sailed for the first time out of Port Miami. It ushered in an era of fun, affordable vacations that were the domain of the rich and famous.
Of course, the line has had many industry firsts and grew steadily to be the world leader in the cruise industry. The cruise line has now carried more than 90 million guests, and it is the flagship cruise line of Carnival Corporation.
This year, the Mardi Gras, the line’s first new ship, is scheduled to debut in early June. The ship has several firsts, it is the first LNG-powered ship in North America. It also boasts the first roller coaster at sea. An upcoming sister ship, Carnival Celebration, is expected to enter service next year.
Related: Carnival’s Mardi Gras Debut Has Been Delayed Five Times
To celebrate all these achievements in its 49 years, in what is a challenging year for Carnival Cruise Line, the line has asked guests what they missed most sailing onboard. You can find the entire list at the bottom of this article.
The 48th Year is a Year to Remember What We’ve Been Missing
Although the 49th year will be a year where we can hopefully celebrate a return to cruising as we know and love, the 48th year will be a year to remember only as the year that went missing.
It has been a year where we’ve seen what a virus can do with cruise ships and with cruise lines. Carnival Cruise Line has been incredibly hard hit in what should have been a year to celebrate the arrival of the most anticipated cruise ship in its history, Mardi Gras.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line Cancels All Cruises Until June 2021
It has been a year where guests have wanted to go onboard, crew members wanted to go back to work, and ships sat idly at anchor in ports and anchorages in the US, Bahamas, Europe, and Asia, and Australia.
The 48th year will therefore go into history as the year where Carnival Cruise Line ships did not sail.
49 Moments Carnival Guests Miss The Most
This year’s celebration will build-up to the 50th birthday celebrations next year. Carnival’s 50th birthday celebrations will get underway in March 2022 – the company’s birthday month – with a series of at-sea ship meet-ups.
These will take place off the coasts of The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, and Australia along with unique entertainment and activities continuing all year long. The year will conclude in November with the arrival of the Carnival Celebration at PortMiami.
Before we are there, and to celebrate the cruise lines’ 49th Birthday Celebrations, we should remember why we love sailing onboard a Carnival ship so much. Here are the 49 Moments Carnival Guests Miss The Most:
- Late Night Strolls
- Waking Up In A New Destination
- Lounging By The Pool
- Excursions
- Family Time
- Blue Iguana
- Sunday Brunch
- Trivia Games
- Partying with the Fun Squad
- Pizza at any time!
- Skyride
- Funnel Horn!
- Star Gazing From The Top Deck At Night:
- Havana Club
- Chefs table
- Exploring the Islands
- Drinks on Serenity Deck
- Visiting the Bridge
- Cruise Director Announcements
- The Shows
- Sunsets and Sunrises
- Alchemy Bar
- Days at Sea
- Being Able to Unplug
- Free Ice Cream
- Sailaway party!
- Elegant Night
- Piano Bar
- Cocktail on My Balcony
- 80’s Night
- Chocolate Lava Cake
- Waiters Singing and Dancing During Dinner
- Water Slides
- ●Room Service
- 02
- The CREW!
- The Sound of the Ocean at Night
- Not Having to Cook or Clean
- The Casino
- Red Frog Pub
- That moment when you first walk onboard
- Half Moon Cay
- The Spa
- Punchliner
- Ocean Views
- Meeting New People
- Guys Burgers
- Late Night Movies
- Sailaway!
Are we missing something? There must be plenty of things missing with so many fun things to do onboard; what is your favorite thing to do onboard?
All we know is we can’t wait to get back on board and celebrate Carnivals 49th Birthday onboard! And in the meantime, experience all 49 moments ourselves again!
Main Image Courtesy: Carnival Cruise Line
