Carnival’s Mardi Gras Completes One Year in Service

Posted on 31 July, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

The new Mardi Gras from Carnival Cruise Line has just completed its first year in service. As the first ship in Carnival Cruise Line’s XL-Class, the vessel welcomed its first guests on July 31, 2021.

On that day, it departed Port Canaveral on an inaugural cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.

The seven-night voyage included visits to San Juan, Amber Cove and Nassau and three full days at sea.

Continuing its debut season, the 5,200-guest ship offered other cruises in the region over the last year, also visiting the Western Caribbean and other destinations such as Cozumel, Roatán, Grand Turk, Mahogany Bay and more.

As the first LNG-powered cruise ship to be homeport in the United States, the Mardi Gras is considered one of the most eco-friendly vessels sailing from the country.

With several new features, the 183,900-ton ship is also the largest and one of the most innovative vessels ever built for Carnival.

Among its attractions are BOLT, the industry’s first roller coaster, and a selection of new dining venues, including Emeril’s Bistro 1396, Shaq’s Big Chicken, Chibang! and Street Eats.

The Mardi Gras is set to be joined by the second XL-Class vessel later this year when the new Carnival Celebration enters service.

Currently, under construction in Finland, the vessel is set to debut in November, kicking off a program of Caribbean cruises departing from PortMiami.

Marking the arrival of the XL-Class to Texas, the Carnival Jubilee will be the third ship in the series. Based in Galveston, the ship is scheduled to enter service in November 2023.

In addition to the XL-Class vessels, the Carnival Cruise Line fleet is also receiving three extra ships over the next few years.

Presently sailing for Costa, the Carnival Luminosa will debut for the brand this November, with a series of cruises in Australia.

In 2023 and 2024, respectively, Carnival is also receiving the Costa Venezia and the Costa Firenze.

The Vista-Class ships will operate under the Costa by Carnival label, which combines Costa’s Italian hardware with Carnival’s service, entertainment and cuisine.

Carnival Brings Texas Flair to Jubilee’s Keel Laying

Posted on 25 July, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

The Carnival Jubilee is set to sail from Galveston, Texas, next year and Carnival Cruise Line’s third cruise ship to be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG) got its first taste of Texas today with the keel laying ceremony at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany., according to a press release.

Wearing cowboy-shaped hard hats, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy was joined by Meyer Werft Managing Director Bernard Meyer and Carnival’s Senior Vice President of Newbuilds Ben Clement, among others, to celebrate the construction milestone by placing coins under a 375-ton keel block.

The coins signify good luck for the ship and will remain under its foundation as the structure is built. the company said.

One of the ship’s lucky coins is an official ship coin. It commemorates an integral part of Carnival history while celebrating its future by showing the Carnival Jubilee alongside the original MS Jubilee from 1986. The coins will later be placed in a special compartment near Carnival Jubilee’s mast as permanent fixtures of the ship.

“Our plans for Texas are as big as the state itself, and we’re looking forward to bringing guests aboard our third Excel-class ship that will be just as magnificent as her sister ships Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration. I’m ecstatic to be here for this important moment and witness construction now officially underway. Carnival Jubilee will significantly enhance our offerings from Galveston as the industry leader in the Texas cruise market and an important contributor to the Galveston tourism economy,” said Duffy.

The Carnival Jubilee will be the first Carnival Cruise Line ship built in Papenburg, Germany. Meyer Werft has already built four other LNG-powered ships for other cruise lines under Carnival Corporation.

“We are pleased to take another symbolic step in the construction of Carnival Jubilee with the keel laying. The Meyer team will once again produce an advanced and innovative cruise ship that will provide a great vacation for millions of passengers,” said Meyer.

Carnival Launches Special Website and Updates for Carnival Luminosa

Posted on 7 July, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Cruise Line fans can now register to be the “first to know” about Carnival Luminosa’s itineraries and special sale promotions at www.carnival.com/carnivalluminosa.

The Costa Luminosa will join the Carnival fleet in September and will start guest operations as Carnival Luminosa in November 2022 from Brisbane, Australia.

The Carnival Luminosa will operate seasonally from October through April from Brisbane, then reposition to Seattle, where it will sail Alaska itineraries from May through September, before returning to Brisbane, according to a press release.

Cruises out of Brisbane will be announced shortly, and Carnival will sail a variety of itineraries that will initially include visits to Australian favourites such as the Great Barrier Reef and Airlie Beach, and, as destinations open over time, ports of call such as Noumea and Lifou Isle in New Caledonia, Port Vila and Mystery Island in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

The Luminosa is a sister ship to the four other Spirit-class ships that already sail for Carnival. Given the short timeline to get the Carnival Luminosa ready for service, the ship will go through some modest updates to change over from Costa to Carnival over the next few months ahead of the November service start-up.