Meyer Turku, the Finnish shipyard in charge of building Carnivals newest vessel Mardi Gras has today officially handed over the vessel to Carnival Cruise Line.
Although the ship is not sailing until April 24, it is a massive step for the Cruise Line as they will now be able to start preparations for its first sailing. The vessel delivery had been postponed multiple times because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CEO of the Meyer Turku shipyard said in a first reaction the vessel would be one of the most environmentally friendly ships sailing in North America:
“We are delivering a beautiful and highly advanced ship with world-class technology such as LNG propulsion, to name just one. With these sophisticated systems, she will be one of the most environmentally-friendly ships to sail the North-American waters. I am very proud of our team of shipbuilders and would like to thank everyone involved for their dedication during the building process”,
A First In Many Ways
Mardi Gras has been built and designed with beautiful and classical ship lines. Key Carnival design features like the wing-shaped funnel are ever-present of course, as is the first-ever rollercoaster at sea.
Bolt is a custom-built rollercoaster that lets the rider control the speed of the car. The top speed of the rollercoaster is an incredible 64km/h. While construction of a rollercoaster is never easy, imagine doing so onboard a cruise ship!
Another beautiful feature onboard the newest Carnival Cruise ship is a beautiful atrium, an incredible three stories high, with floor to ceiling windows that let you enjoy an incredible view of the ocean while enjoying a drink at the bar, or a concert.
Mardi Gras will feature six distinct themed zones that will offer something for everyone. With the French Quarter, La Piazza, The Summer landing, The Lido area, the Atrium, and the playground, there will be more than enough to do for anyone and everyone. Guests will have the choice of more than 2,600 staterooms and 180 suites across eleven categories.
Reacting to the new long-awaited vessel’s arrival, Carnival Cruise Line’s President Christine Duffy thinks guests will love the new vessel:
“We value our partnership with Meyer Turku, which has worked closely with us to deliver a beautiful ship that our guests will love. Mardi Gras’ technology, venues, and accommodations will make this a game-changing vessel in North America.”
The President is already looking forward to the sister ship of Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, which will be delivered in 2022:
“With this delivery, we can now focus our collective efforts on the building of her sister ship, Carnival Celebration, which will arrive from Turku in 2022 in time for our 50th birthday.”
Mardi Gras has gotten her name from a famous predecessor. In 1972, Ted Arison bought the RMS Empress of Canada, which was renamed Mardi Gras on February 21, 1972. She left for her first Caribbean voyage on March 11, 1972.
Sometimes we need some good news, especially with the holidays coming soon. With the fantastic Holiday message we got from Carnival yesterday and today’s news about Mardi Gras’ delivery, it is undoubtedly a good day!
The new mega-ship is the first in the fleet to be powered by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). She is 180,000 gross tons with a guest capacity of 5,200 along with 2,000 crew members. She will be sailing Caribbean cruises out of the new Carnival Terminal 3 at Port Canaveral, Florida.
