PORT CANAVERAL, Fla., July 31,
2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate Carnival Cruise Line's
maiden voyage of its newest and most innovative ship,
Mardi Gras, Carnival
President Christine Duffy and
Mardi Gras Captain
Giuseppe Giusa led a "Back to Fun"
ribbon-cutting ceremony officially welcoming guests on board.
Mardi Gras is the
first cruise ship to set sail with guests from Port Canaveral since
the industry-wide pause in operations 16 months ago.
As the line's newest flagship, Mardi
Gras is the first cruise ship in the Americas to be
powered by eco-friendly Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and the first
to feature a roller coaster. The 180,000-ton ship boasts six
distinct themed zones with a variety of food, beverage and
entertainment options, including dining venues from Emeril Lagasse,
Guy Fieri, Rudi Sodamin and its Chief Fun Officer
Shaquille O'Neal.
"Mardi Gras has been five
years in the making so to finally welcome guests on board to
experience this one-of-a-kind ship is something that we've been
looking forward to for a very long time," Duffy said. "Not only is
Mardi Gras providing a truly
unique vacation experience to our guests, it's so gratifying to be
able to play a role helping the local community by providing
much-needed jobs and a boost to the economy."
Added Giusa, "Today was a truly emotional moment for our entire
Mardi Gras team. Having
the distinction as the flagship of Carnival Cruise Line is a great
honor and our entire team is ready to provide our guests with the
vacation they have been so patiently waiting for. We are ready to
get back to fun!"
Mardi Gras will set
sail this afternoon at 6 p.m. from
Port Canaveral's Cruise Terminal 3 for a weeklong cruise with stops
in San Juan, Puerto Rico;
Amber Cove, Dominican Republic and Nassau, The Bahamas.
Mardi Gras is the
fifth Carnival Cruise Line ship to resume service with additional
vessels set to restart operations soon. By October, 15
Carnival ships will be sailing – more than half its fleet.
Carnival Cruise Line has been sailing from Port Canaveral for
more than 30 years and during that time the line has carried
millions of satisfied guests.
For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a
cruise vacation, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit www.carnival.com, or
contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site.
About Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line is
proud to be known as America's Cruise Line with a total of 24
ships, sailing from 14 U.S. homeports and employing more than
40,000 team members from 120 nationalities. The line resumed
cruise operations July 3, 2021 while
its newest and most innovative ship, Mardi Gras, featuring the first roller
coaster at sea and the first in the Americas powered by
eco-friendly Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) debuted from Port
Canaveral, Fla., July 31, 2021.
As part of its 50th Birthday festivities, Carnival
Celebration, sister ship to Mardi
Gras, is scheduled to debut in late 2022 from PortMiami,
along with as-yet-unnamed vessel in 2023.
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SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line