Carnival Cruise Line's Mardi Gras cruise ship was floated out at its shipyard for the first time.
The new cruise ship was floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. The first time a ship is floated out is a significant milestone in the construction of the vessel, and one giant step closer to completion.
Following the float out, Mardi Gras was repositioned to a new location at the yard to finalize its interior and exterior outfitting, including the installation of BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea in the coming weeks, part of the Ultimate Playground outdoor recreation area.
Mardi Gras will also be the first cruise ship in North America powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
Mardi Gras is set to debut from Port Canaveral, Fla., operating year-round seven-day cruises to the Caribbean and Bahamas beginning Nov. 14.
Matt Hochberg
Matt loves to cruise, and started Cruise.Blog as a place to share different cruise experiences, advice, and what to know before going on a cruise.
He lives in Florida with his wife and two daughters, where he can be found on any given day trying to convince his wife they "need" to book another cruise.
