We’re all super excited about Mardi Gras, and most of all, when she will be arriving in the United States. Now that the new mega-ship has been delivered she has some stops scheduled in Europe before sailing for her first transatlantic crossing.
Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, is aiming to be a central LNG bunkering hub in Northern Europe. This is also the reason Rotterdam has the honor of being the first-ever port of call for Carnivals newest, biggest, and most environmental vessel yet.
You can take a look at this impressive timelapse video of the Mardi Gras arriving into Rotterdam:
Bunkering, Provisions, and Crew Changes
Before setting sail on her first transatlantic voyage, Mardi Gras will need to stock up on much-needed provisions and LNG, while also embarking crew members. The vessel will take on bunker in the port of Rotterdam, the largest port in the world, today and tomorrow.
After her departure tomorrow at 5:00 PM from Rotterdam, Mardi Gras will be steaming towards Barcelona, Spain, for more provisions and most likely a crew change as well. Like Rotterdam, Barcelona aims to be the major LNG-hub in the Mediterranean, so final bunkering before sailing across the Atlantic is likely.
After AIDAnova, Costa Smeralda and P&O cruises newest vessel Iona, Mardi Gras is Carnival Corporation’s fourth LNG-powered cruise ship.
Arrival To The United States
As of yet, there is very little information on when Mardi Gras will be arriving in the United States. It comes as no surprise that Carnival Cruise Line is overwhelmed with requests for information, as many would love to see the arrival of Mardi Gras.
What we can do is make an educated guess on her possible arrival date. We’ve made a timeline below, taking into account another day in Rotterdam and a two day stop in Barcelona. The vessel had an average cruise speed of 18 knots from Finland to Rotterdam, which we will take as the benchmark.
- December 23, 5 PM: Departure Rotterdam
- December 23-27: Sailing to Barcelona (± 1800 nautical miles)
- December 27-28: Barcelona
- December 28 – January 6: Sailing to Port Canaveral (± 4300 Nautical Miles)
- January 6, or 7: Arrival in Port Canaveral
Of course, this timeline gives no assurances on actual arrival dates. It does give an idea that it will be at least another two weeks before the Carnival fleet’s newest addition will arrive in Florida.
Anxious To See Her Anyway?
While we weren’t able to see much of the vessel in recent months, except the occasional press release from Carnival Cruise Line, we can always trust the Dutch to have technological surprises for us.
That’s why we can see Mardi Gras in all her glory today and tomorrow until 5 PM CET when you can watch her sailing away from the dock. The Port of Rotterdam has a wide variety of webcams set up around the vessel, so head on over to the following links to see live images of Mardi Gras in all her glory:
- Aft view/ Close up of BOLT!: https://fotopaulmartens.netcam.nl/erasmus1.php
- Full view: https://fotopaulmartens.netcam.nl/erasmus2.php
The aft view webcam gives an excellent view of BOLT! and how high up you will be flying when riding the only rollercoaster at sea. At the same time, we can start to appreciate the beauty that is Mardi Gras in full view.
Main Photo Courtesy: Port of Rotterdam
