Delivery of North America’s 1st LNG-Powered Cruise Ship Delayed

Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku has delayed delivery of Carnival Cruise Line’s new cruise vessel, Mardi Gras, until late October 2020. 

The 180,000 GT newbuild, which was scheduled for delivery in August 2020, will be the largest Carnival Cruise Line ship ever constructed and the first in North America to be powered by LNG.

In June 2019, Meyer Turku launched the hull assembly phase of Mardi Gras, which was followed by the arrival of the floating engine room unit from Neptun Werft in Germany.

“Meyer Turku is adjusting its production schedule and will consequently move the delivery of Carnival Mardi Gras from August 2020 to October 2020,” the shipbuilder said in a statement.

The change in delivery date is required to make sure that all of the ship’s systems, features and technology will be fully operational, according to Ben Clement, Carnival Cruise Line’s Senior Vice President, Newbuilds, Refurbishments and Product Innovation.

With this new schedule, the ship’s first revenue sailing will depart from Port Canaveral on November 14, 2020. Consequently, the first eight sailings that were scheduled starting August 31 have been canceled, including European, transatlantic and New York-based itineraries and four Port Canaveral itineraries, Carnival Cruise Line said in a separate statement.

Once completed, the 5,200-plus lower berth vessel will feature a length of 337 meters and a width of 42 meters. It will be based in Port Canaveral’s new cruise terminal.