After more than a year of hiatus, cruise lines are looking for fresh ways to attract guests again. For Carnival Cruise Line, that’s where their much-awaited ship enters the picture. The 15-deck-high Mardi Gras is not only the biggest ship from Carnival, but it is also the world’s second-biggest. It is scheduled to sail for the first time on Saturday.
What to Expect From Mardi Gras?
So what can guests expect from the Mardi Gras? It is 35% bigger than Carnival’s 19-month-old Carnival Panorama. However, it is not just the size of the ship that made it notable. Mardi Gras will feature the first-ever roller coaster at sea.
BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster is going to have an 800-foot long track and it will reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. Aside from the roller coaster, it will also feature the largest waterpark. This is a nod to the demand for a megaresort experience.
Guests can also expect features such as larger suites than what Carnival ships had before. Plus, you also have new dining venues including the very first Emeril Lagasse restaurant at sea.
Bigger and Greener
The Mardi Gras isn’t just a large ship. The newest ship will also run on liquid natural gas which is a greener option than traditional ship fuel.
Carnival’s decision to have a ship the size of Mardi Gras is a big deal. The cruise line resisted the trend of having large ships. The Carnival Panorama, for instance, isn’t even on the list of the top 40 biggest ships. But this time around, it seems that Carnival is going all out.
The name Mardi Gras is named after Carnival Cruise Line’s first ship that sailed from 1972 to 1993. The ship was supposed to debut in August 2020 but was then pushed back several times because of the COVID pandemic. It is scheduled to sail to the Bahamas and Caribbean from Port Canaveral in Florida.
