Carnival Cruise Line’s biggest ship ever has officially arrived at Port Canaveral in Florida.
The 1,130-foot-long, 180,800-gross-ton vessel named Mardi Gras, with a roller coaster at the top has made its way into Central Florida after being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Carnival Freedom and Carnival Liberty escorted the Mardi Gras into Port Canaveral Friday morning, making it the largest ship Carnival has at Port Canaveral.
The next step for the cruise line will be to get CDC approval for the Mardi Gras to do a test sailing and earn its conditional sailing certificate.
Carnival Cruise line will also work on getting the ship’s crew vaccinated at the port.
The Mardi Gras is breaking new ground by being powered by liquefied natural gas. The fuel is supposed to be cleaner-burning than typical cruise ships fuel, and better for the environment. Most cruise ships burn heavy fuel oil (HFO), which is the dirtiest fossil fuel available. Most of these ships also do not have any diesel particulate filters or selective catalytic converters to clean the exhaust – technologies that are standard for road vehicles like trucks.
Disney Cruise Line’s new ship, which is also headed for Port Canaveral, will also be powered by liquefied natural gas when it arrives in summer 2022.
