Carnival’s mega-ship Mardi Gras on track for 2021
After being forced to delay the delivery of its new mega-ship Mardi Gras not once, but twice, Carnival Cruise Line has released new pictures that show its on track once more. The new photos show the gargantuan ship, the largest ever built for Carnival Cruise Line, under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland.
She is now due for delivery in February, 2021, after the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent Europe-wide lockdown derailed supply chains and work schedules at the yard. Mardi Gras was meant to be delivered in August, 2020, but that date was pushed back to October, 2020, due to the complexities of the ship’s LNG power plant, similar to the delays faced by sister ships Costa Smeralda.Then the Coronavirus pandemic hit and Carnival was forced to delay the ship a second time, this time until February next year.
“We have been working closely with Meyer Turku executives to keep the Mardi Gras delivery on schedule, and while we deeply regret disappointing our guests, this change in the delivery date is required to make sure all of the ship’s systems, features and technology will be fully operational, so that we can give our guests the vacation they expect,” said Ben Clement, Carnival’s senior vice president of newbuild at the time.
Now, however, Mardi Gras’ industry-first BOLT rollercoaster is being installed, with 800 feet of track built so far, and all 2,600 of her staterooms have been installed. Workers are now putting the finishing touches to her cabins and 180 suites across 11 different categories.Mardi Gras’ six themed zones are also beginning to take shape. Carnival has previously announced that these areas will include several dozen dining, beverage and entertainment options, including restaurants from Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri and Shaquille O’Neal.With 21 passenger decks, the 180,000-gross ton Mardi Gras will offer a groundbreaking new layout dominated by Grand Central, a massive atrium with three-deck-high windows overlooking the sea, as well as a French Quarter, a Summer Landings beach deck and several other distinct ‘zones’. She will homeport in Port Canaveral, sailing Caribbean itineraries from Terminal 3, a new two-story, 188,000-square-foot cruise terminal that cost US $163 million to build, the largest project in the port’s history.
