Carnival is finally moving its most anticipated new ship, the Mardi Gras, to Port Canaveral. She’ll arrive at her new homeport on June 4th following a transatlantic journey scheduled to leave from Barcelona on May 21st. The eagerly-awaited Mardi Gras was originally scheduled to debut in 2020, but all sailings from the U.S. were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With the recent news of discussions between the cruise industry and CDC about resuming operations soon, Carnival decided to move the Mardi Gras to Port Canaveral to get her ready for sailing.
Port Canaveral officials have been preparing to support LNG fueling as the Mardi Gras will be the first liquified natural gas powered ship based out of North America. “We’ve been planning for this for several years, and are pretty excited to finally see her sail into our port,” said Port Canaveral CEO John Murray. “Without question, the Mardi Gras will be a game changer for cruises and we can’t wait to begin welcoming guests to her new home at our new Cruise Terminal 3.” Upon arrival, the Mardi Gras will bring aboard joining crew members and provide training on new equipment, technologies, and procedures as well as get ready to welcome guests on her inaugural sailing.
As the Mardi Gras sails into port, she will now be sporting the Bahamian flag as the ship was re-registered from Panama to the Bahamas. The president of Carnival Cruise Line, Christine Duffy, expressed gratitude to the Panama Maritime Authority for their support during the construction and registration process, but explained that the move to the Bahamas Maritime Authority made more sense for business operations. “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 stated.
The cruise line also recently named Miss Dominican Republic, Kimberly Jimenez, as the godmother of the Mardi Gras during the broadcast of the Miss Universe pageant. One of the regularly-planned destinations for the ship is Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic.
The Mardi Gras is the largest ship Carnival Cruise Line has ever built measuring 1,130 feet long and weighing in at 180,800 gross tons. Based on double occupancy, she has a 5,282 passenger capacity. One of the ship’s most exciting features is Bolt, the first roller coaster at sea. It’s 187 feet above water, reaches speeds of 40 miles per hour, and has 800 feet of track. The Mardi Gras will offer 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries year-round sailing out of Port Canaveral.
Travel Tips for Carnival Mardi Gras Cruisers
Are you sailing on the Mardi Gras? After booking your cruise, let Go Port take care of the rest! We’ll make your hotel accommodations and transportation plans for you, so you can make the most of your vacation. Over the years, more than 211,372+ Carnival cruisers have trusted Go Port to take care of their pre and post Port Canaveral cruise needs. Check out what they’re booking to complement their cruises and why.
Cruise Transportation
Go Port’s cruise shuttle transportation costs only $29.99 per person, each way compared to Carnival’s price of $35.99 — saving you 17% on cruise transfers from the airport! Our luxury coaches run regularly between the Orlando Airport and Port Canaveral to get you to your terminal with plenty of time to board your ship and back to the airport for your flight home.
Cruise Hotel Packages
If you’re flying or driving in early for your Carnival Mardi Gras cruise, Go Port offers affordable hotel packages that take care of everything you need ashore— all for one low price. Our Fly Snooze Cruise packages include a hotel stay, round-trip airport transportation, and cruise transfers. Our Snooze Park Cruise packages include a hotel stay, cruise parking, and round-trip cruise transfers. Choose from over 30+ Orlando and Port Canaveral area brand-name hotels!
Cruise Parking
Don’t get stuck paying $136 for parking at the port. With Go Port, you can arrange up to 15 days of cruise parking with air-conditioned shuttle transfers to your ship and back to your vehicle starting at just $60. Our parking plaza is paved, lighted, gated, and located just 5 minutes from the Port Canaveral cruise terminals.
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