With great speculation at hand about possible names for the next two Excel class ships, as well as the already announced brand new ship class to debut in a few years, there has been renewed interest in one specific Carnival cruise ship – Mardi Gras.
Why does this one vessel, of all the soon-to-be 29 ships in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, not have the identifying “Carnival” as part of her official name?
The question was posed to John Heald, the cruise line’s Brand Ambassador, through his popular Facebook page. While Heald regularly responds to guest questions and comments about dining concerns, spreading ashes at sea, dress codes, and other topics, ship names aren’t as common an inquiry.
“Why is Mardi Gras only called Mardi Gras and doesn’t have Carnival in front of it like every other ship in the fleet?” a guest asked.
It is true that the first Excel class ship is simply known as Mardi Gras, whereas all other Carnival cruise ships are “Carnival” named.
“Someone in another forum said it’s because there was already an original Mardi Gras from the past and the company wanted to differentiate the two in history,” the guest continued. “If this is true, then why not also just call the Carnival Celebration, just Celebration because there was definitely a previous Celebration ship in Carnival’s past.”
Carnival’s Fantasy class ships were previously known by just one name – Paradise rather than Carnival Paradise, for example. The ships were quietly renamed in the early 2000s to add “Carnival” to each name and therefore provide more consistency and identifiable branding throughout the fleet.
Mardi Gras, however, debuted in 2021, breaking that branding tradition without “Carnival” in her name.
“Thank you so much for the wonderful question,” Heald responded. “[The earlier ship] wasn’t the Carnival Mardi Gras and it is something that we wanted to keep consistent in this particular case.”
The name is a definite nod to the cruise line’s history, as Mardi Gras was the very first ship to set sail as a Carnival Cruise Line vessel in 1972.
“Our first ship Mardi Gras was a historic vessel, introducing a brand new style of cruising to the vacationing public. What better way to pay tribute to our company’s nearly 50-year history of creating wonderful vacation memories than by naming this groundbreaking vessel after our original and beloved ‘Fun Ship,'” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, in 2018 when the name was announced.
Mardi Gras‘ two sister ships in the Excel class, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee, have also been nods to their predecessors. The original Celebration sailed with Carnival Cruise Line from 1987-2008, while Jubilee welcomed guests from 1986-2004.
Will New Ships Be Given Historic Names?
No names for Carnival Cruise Line’s five new ships on order have been announced, but there is great speculation about whether or not they may also enjoy connections to former Carnival ships.
Carnival Holiday is a popular choice, as is Carnival Festivale or Carnival Tropicale.
Read Also: Former Carnival Cruise Ships – Where Are They Now?
It is unlikely the cruise line would name a ship for the second vessel in the Empress class, the original Mardi Gras‘ sister ship – Carnival Carnivale just sounds a bit too odd.
Another top contender for a new ship name would be Carnival Fantasy, resurrecting the lead ship of the Fantasy class that became such iconic ships for the cruise line in the 1990s and beyond.
Of course, the cruise line could easily add completely new names to the fleet, bringing new identities to the upcoming vessels and starting new traditions cruise travelers will enjoy for decades to come.
