First, let's put this cruise ship history in perspective. Carnival Cruise Line's very first ship was called the Mardi Gras, and it started cruising out of Florida in 1972. Back in the day, this was advertised as "27,000 tons of fun." Looking ahead, the NEW Mardi Gras is about to sail next year, and when it does, it'll be hard to miss. This new XL ship is MUCH larger than the first one, weighing in at 180,000 tons, and almost 20 stories tall! And get this: there's enough room on board for the entire population of Walker, LA; about 6,500 (not to mention the 2,000 crew members).
According to Carnival's Brand Ambassador John Heald, "It's going to be a ship that's going to have so many jaw-dropping areas." Looks like it. Just a few are The French Quarter, Grand Central, and the Ultimate Playground, featuring that fun-looking roller coaster. The only down-side? It won't be sailing out of New Orleans. The home port will be the same one as the first Mardi Gras ship- Port Canaveral, Florida. Maybe we could start our campaign to change that. In the meantime, you'll be able to make your reservations beginning Wednesday (January 30).
Here are some of the artist renderings just released Friday morning.