Carnival Cruise Line’s LNG-powered Mardi Gras will finally depart from Barcelona to Florida after a long wait due to an extended pause in cruise operations from US ports.
The ship would depart from Barcelona on May 21 to start its transatlantic voyage. It should arrive in the US Port Canaveral in Florida on June 4, according to Carnival.
In addition, Carnival said in a statement the 340 meters long LNG-powered cruise vessel will now have Bahamas registry, not Panama as originally planned.
According to the US firm, the ship is the biggest in its fleet and also the first North American LNG-powered cruise ship. The Shell-chartered Q-LNG bunkering barge will fuel the vessel in the Florida cruise port.
Carnival took delivery of this newbuild at Finland’s Meyer Turku in December after the vessel bunkered LNG in Rotterdam, and then sailed to Barcelona.
However, Carnival delayed the vessel’s debut several times due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the extended pause in cruise operations from US ports.
“But with more and more hopeful signs of a return to guest operations and constructive discussions between the industry and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Carnival is moving the ship to Port Canaveral to get her ready for sailing,” it said in the statement.
Upon arrival to Port Canaveral, Mardi Gras will get ready to welcome guests for its inaugural sailing. Carnival also named Miss Dominican Republic Kimberly Jimenez as the Mardi Gras godmother, it said in the statement.
The Dominican Republic destination of Amber Cove will be among the destinations the ship will regularly visit on seven-day itineraries.
