​Carnival Cruise Line Announces Name Of First XL-Class Ship

Carnival Cruise Line has announced the name of the first XL-class ships due to be delivered in 2020. The 180,000 gross tonne ship will be named Carnival Mardi Gras.
 
Carnival Cruise Line revealed the name for its new flagship on the population game show Wheel of Fortune, which was broadcast nationwide across the United States.

The name was the name of Carnival Cruise Line’s first ship, which entered service in 1972.
 
Carnival Mardi Gras will be the largest ship ever constructed for the cruise line and the first ship in North America to be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
 
Christine Duffy, President, Carnival Cruise Line, 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.”
 
The new ship will be based in Port Canaveral. Details of the ships inaugural season are expected to be announced in January 2019, along with details of the new ship’s vary array of exciting features.
 
Carnival Mardi Gras is currently under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. A second XL-class ship will be delivered to Carnival Cruise Line in 2020, which will also be the 50th anniversary of the cruise line.