Meyer Turku floats out Carnival Mardi Gras

Written by Nick Blenkey
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Water starts entering Meyer Turku building dock as the float out process begins (Image: Meyer Turku)

Carnival Cruise Line’s 180,000 GT, LNG-fueled future flag ship Mardi Gras was today floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

The 5,200-passenger ship was originally set for delivery in August, but after what the shipyard in December called an “adjustment in its production schedule,” the ship is now set for delivery in October, with its entry into revenue service planned for November 14.

“We can’t wait for our guests to experience Mardi Gras, a one-of-a-kind ship that is true game changer and continues the evolution of the Carnival vacation experience,” says Ben Clement, Carnival’s senior vice president of newbuilds.

“I believe Mardi Gras will be a truly special ship. She will be the first to use our now proven LNG cruise ship propulsion system in North American markets and feature many other sophisticated technologies – including BOLT, the first roller coaster onboard a ship,” CEO of Meyer Turku Jan Meyer states.

With the float-out, the giant ship’s six themed zones are also beginning to take shape with the interior build out of spaces like Emeril’s Bistro 1396 created by famed chef Emeril Lagasse and a groundbreaking new atrium concept with spectacular three-deck-high floor-to-ceiling windows and moveable LED screens.

Almost 1,000 specialized companies are engaged in providing materials and complex services to create the cruise ship at Turku Shipyard.

“We are building all the facilities a smart modern city would have: hospitals, IT-networks, restaurants and sophisticated environmental technologies, on a ship sailing the seas,” says Meyer Turku CEO Jan Meyer. “It is a very difficult undertaking but also the end result is really spectacular.”

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