Carnival Cruise Line's latest ship, Mardi Gras, has been reflagged to Bahamian registry. That means the new ship will become the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) ship to operate in North America when it arrives at its new home in Port Canaveral on 04JUN.
In preparation for sailing under the new CDC guidelines, the Mardi Gras will be departing Barcelona on 21MAY for its repositioning to North America. Its original voyage was delayed due to a pause in cruise operations during the pandemic.
Upon arrival to Port Canaveral, Mardi Gras will continue to bring crew members on board for training, and get ready to welcome guests for its inaugural sailing. Carnival also recently named Miss Dominican Republic Kimberly Jimenez as the Mardi Gras godmother during the Miss Universe competition.
Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, thanked the Panama Maritime Authority for their support during the ship’s construction and registration process, and explained the reflagging. “The Bahamas will be a frequent destination for Mardi Gras, and we are pleased to bring this new level of environmental sustainability to the many ports in the Bahamas and the Caribbean that the ship and our guests and crew will be visiting,” she said.
In addition to the new, more environmentally-sustainable LNG technology, Mardi Gras has some other, fun firsts, including being the first cruise ship with a roller coaster.
The Dominican Republic destination of Amber Cove will be among the destinations the ship will regularly visit on seven-day itineraries.
