Carnival Cruise Line said Friday it has officially taken the delivery of Mardi Gras, the first North American LNG-powered cruise ship.
Finland’s Meyer Turku Shipyard handed over the 340 meters long ship on Friday during a live virtual signing ceremony.
Carnival Cruise Line is a unit of the world’s largest cruise ship operator Carnival Corporation.
To remind, the US firm delayed the maiden voyage of the new vessel for several times, mostly due to construction delays at the yard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The cruise line now looks for the inaugural sailing of Mardi Gras on April 24, 2021. The vessel will work from the US Port Canaveral in Florida.
Mardi Gras to depart to US later this month
When Mardi Gras begins guest operations in April, the 180,000-gross-ton vessel will be the “most innovative ship in North America as it will be the first ship to be powered by LNG, boast a suite of new technology, and BOLT, the first-ever roller coaster at sea,” Carnival said.
Mardi Gras will accommodate more than 5,200 guests and a crew of 2,000. Guests will have the choice of more than 2,600 staterooms and 180 suites across 11 categories.
The LNG-powered vessel has classical ship lines and predominately blue hull. The ship’s centerpiece is a three-stories-high atrium in the middle of the ship, opening up to a floor-to-ceiling window and movable LED screens.
“Notwithstanding the delays related to the pandemic, there is tremendous enthusiasm and pent-up demand for this ship. Next we will work on the development of her sister ship, Carnival Celebration, which arrives in 2022 and has sold very well since inventory opened in October,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
Duffy said Mardi Gras will depart from Turku later this month to begin her voyage to North America.
The ship will operate seven-day Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral. Carnival has worked closely with the port to build a new cruise terminal to accommodate the Excel-class ship and also facilitate the new LNG fueling process.