When Carnival Cruise Line was founded back in 1972 by Ted Arison they set sail with one ship and a vision to make cruising fun and affordable. Today, Carnival is the largest cruise line in the world and recently signed an order to build the largest ship in the line’s history – one so big, it’s was simply called “XL” – until now.
Viewers of the long-running television game show, Wheel of Fortune, were the first to find out the name of the new Carnival ship when it was revealed on the game’s Puzzleboard.
Carnival Mardi Gras!
If the name sounds familiar to you, it should…. it’s the name of the cruise line’s first ship.
The original Mardi Gras wasn’t a new ship, it was a converted trans-Atlantic ocean liner purchased by Arison to carry the line’s first passengers. The
Since then, times have changed and so have the size of ships that now carry passengers on vacations all over the world. The new Mardi Gras, which is expected to enter service in 2020, weighs in at 180,000 tons – nearly six times more than the original. She will carry 5,200 passengers.
“Our first ship Mardi Gras was a historic vessel, introducing a brand new style of cruising to the vacationing public. What better way to pay tribute to our company’s nearly 50-year history of creating wonderful vacation memories than by naming this groundbreaking vessel after our original and beloved ‘Fun Ship,'” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “The new Mardi Gras will follow the trailblazing lead of her predecessor, introducing features and technological innovations that have never been seen before on a cruise ship while setting a new standard for seagoing vacations.”
Carnival Mardi Gras will sail from Port Canaveral, FL from a newly constructed terminal built specifically to handle this new class of cruise ship. Itineraries will be announced in early January 2019 with cruises on sale by the end of the month.
A second XL class vessel is scheduled to be delivered in 2022 to coincide with Carnival Cruise Line’s 50th anniversary.
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