Carnival Cruise Line is reviving the name Mardi Gras for its largest new ship due to join the fleet in 2020.
At 180,000 tons, the new Mardi Gras will be more than six times the size of its namesake which entered service in 1972 as the company’s first ship.
The 5,200-plus passenger vessel will offer a variety of “never-before-seen” innovations and attractions, according to the US line.
Mardi Gras will be the largest Carnival Cruise Line ship ever built and the first in North America to be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), part of parent company Carnival Corporation’s green cruising platform.
Carnival previously announced that the ship will be based in Port Canaveral in Florida to operate from a new state-of-the-art terminal.
Itineraries will be revealed in January and go on sale later that month. The ship is being built at the Meyer Turku ship yard in Finland,
A second XL-class ship will start construction in 2020 and be delivered in 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Carnival Cruise Line’s founding.
The original 27,000-ton TSS Mardi Gras, a converted transatlantic ocean liner purchased by entrepreneur and Carnival founder Ted Arison, ushered in the modern-day cruise industry when it set sail on its inaugural voyage in 1972. It helped transform cruising from an experience once reserved for the elite into a mainstream holiday option accessible and affordable to everyone.
Carnival Cruise Line president Cristine Duffy said: “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 ground-breaking vessel after our original and beloved ‘fun ship’
“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.”