It’s been a busy voyage for Carnival Cruise Line’s newest cruise ship Mardi Gras following the ship’s naming ceremony on October 23. With the ship’s godmother Miss Universe Dominican Republic, on the vessel, Mardi Gras made a call to her home country.
Mardi Gras Visits Miss Universe Dominican Republic’s Home Country
Even though the Mardi Gras has already been sailing since July 31, 2021, it’s the inaugural voyage due to the ship finally being christened on October 23 in Port Canaveral, Florida, just before the start of the current voyage.
Mardi Gras is making a call at Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, the home country of the vessel’s godmother, Miss Universe, Dominican Republic, Kimberly Jiménez.
The important visit was elevated with a $25,000 donation being presented by Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy to Niños de Cristo home for girls in La Romana, which is a special cause for Kimberly.
“We are thrilled to bring our flagship, Mardi Gras, here to the Dominican Republic with our Godmother who is such an incredible ambassador for the beauty, hospitality and culture of this island,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “In honor of Kimberly, we also wanted to show our support for the amazing work she does with Niños de Cristo.”
On October 26 (the day before), Mardi Gras made a memorable call at San Juan, Puerto Rico. With Miss Universe, Dominican Republic onboard, the ship was welcomed by reigning Miss Universe Puerto Rico Estefania Soto-Torres and the incoming Miss Universe, Puerto Rico, Michelle Colón.
The naming ceremony in Port Canaveral was a much-anticipated event due to continued delays since the cruise first started to suspend operations in March 2020. The event was hosted by Mardi Gras Cruise Director Mike Pack and the famous cruise line Ambassador John Heald, and both are also on the current cruise. You can watch some highlights below:
Mardi Gras is sailing a seven-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary making calls at San Juan in Puerto Rico, Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, and Nassau in the Bahamas. The ship will complete the voyage back to Port Canaveral on October 30, 2021. The next voyage will be a seven-day Western Caribbean itinerary.
Also Read: Carnival’s Mardi Gras Cruise Ship – Everything You Need to Know
The new Carnival cruise ship is the only one in the fleet fully powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and features the first rollercoaster at sea. There are tons of new venues on board, including new restaurants from Guy Fieri, Emeril Lagasse, Rudi Sodamin, and the line’s Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O’Neal.
