Carnival Cruise Line has notified customers and travel agents of changes to the delivery of its newest ship, the Mardi Gras, as well as the Carnival Radiance, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting new itineraries for the Carnival Breeze and Carnival Magic.
Mardi Gras, the first LNG-powered ship to operate in the Western Hemisphere and home to the first roller coaster at sea, will now enter service from Port Canaveral, Florida, on February 6, 2021. Itineraries departing between November 14, 2020, and January 30, 2021, have been canceled.
Refurbishment work on the Carnival Radiance at the shipyard in Cádiz, Spain, was suspended this spring when the COVID-19 pandemic forced a nationwide lockdown. Carnival is now evaluating options to complete the refurbishment, but the ship is unlikely to be finished until spring.
As a result of the delayed arrival of Carnival Radiance, Carnival Breeze will relocate from Fort Lauderdale to Port Canaveral and will take over Carnival Radiance's itineraries from November 8, 2020 through April 24, 2021.
“We continue to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global trade, public health, and our cruise operations. In addition to our current pause in service, there have been many other unforeseen consequences, including shipyard and ship delivery delays, and related changes to our fleet plans,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “While we had hoped to make up the construction time for Mardi Gras during the summer, we will need more time to complete this magnificent ship. We share our guests’ disappointment and appreciate their patience as we work through this unprecedented time. We remain committed to working with government, public health, and industry leaders to support the pandemic response and return to operations when the time is right.”.
