Carnival Cruise Line’s newest cruise ship, Mardi Gras, just spent two days at sea, giving guests the chance to explore every corner of the vessel fully. However, just after dinner last night, the vessel encountered something that drew the attention of the watch officer, Captain, Hotel Manager, and Carnival’s ambassador John Heald.
Mardi Gras Encounters Half-Sunken Ship and Activates Rescue Procedures
Just after 10 p.m. on Monday, August 2, Mardi Gras’ watch officer encountered a nearly entirely submerged ship with just the bow coming up from the ocean’s surface. As the ship was not a known wreck and not marked on any charts, Mardi Gras’ officers took immediate action.
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With the powerful spotlights mounted on the ship, the Captain immediately changed course and scanned the vessel for any signs of life. Neither the half-sunken vessel nor the immediate surroundings showed any signs of human activity.
As cruise director Chris was doing a show, it was up to Brand Ambassador John Heald to inform the guests of what was happening around the vessel. Unsurprisingly, with the ship making sudden course changes and the many spotlights searching the ocean for survivors, guests quickly caught up on what was happening.
“Now obviously the guests had seen this massive spectrum of light and the boat wreck and were lining the open decks and on their balconies so I switched myself over to soft spoken CD mode and let everyone know what was happening.”
“My announcement included the fact that we as a company were committed to aiding and helping those in peril on the sea. I explained that no distress fares had been sighted, that a full sweep of the area showed no signs of life and that the position of the wreck had been reported to the U.S. Coast Guard. Finishing with our hopes that those on the boat had been rescued I say goodnight.”
After the ship had performed a figure eight looking for any survivors, the vessel continued on its route to Puerto Rico.
Rescues at Sea
As John Heald notes above, Carnival is committed to aiding those at sea. This has been shown multiple times, for example, in October of 2020 when Carnival Sensation came to the rescue of a small boat with 24 people on board. The boat was in distress in international waters 37 miles off the coast of Palm Beach, Florida.
A short while later, in November of 2020, Carnival Ecstasy came to the rescue of a crew member of a small yacht who had sustained multiple injuries around the Bahamas. The list of ship rescues is a long one and signifies that although cruising has become incredibly safe in the last 50 years, life at sea still has its dangers.
Life Onboard Mardi Gras
While the appearance of a mystery ship half sunk in the ocean was undoubtedly something guests will remember, life onboard Mardi Gras has been delightful for both the guests and the crew, it seems.
Also Read: Carnival’s Mardi Gras Cruise Ship – Everything You Need to Know
As John Heald reported: “Last night showed yet again how brilliantly designed this ship is. Everyone was out having fun, eating and drinking and enjoying the live entertainment and shows and the first round of Family Feud. Cucina del Capitano and ChiBang served wonderful food for no added charge with each restaurant serving 400 (Cuccina) and 600 (Chiang) people, all of whom enjoyed brilliant service and wonderful food.“
“The crew are still getting to know the galley and the service and the menus so things will only get better and it is easy to forget that this is the first cruise of a brand new class of ship and the first time these brilliant men and women have worked like this in 17 months.“
Mardi Gras is in Puerto Rico today on what is her first-ever port of call. After this call, Carnival’s newest mega-ship will sail to Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic and, after a day at sea, Nassau in the Bahamas. She is expected to return to Port Canaveral on August 7.
