Carnival’s newest ship arrives at Port Canaveral

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — Carnival’s newest ship, the Mardi Gras, made its way through Port Canaveral on Friday morning.

Crowds of cruise enthusiasts packed Jetty Park to get a glimpse of the new ship.

The ship traveled through the port just before 7 a.m.

READ: CDC approval clears Carnival Cruise Line to restart sailings

The Mardi Gras includes the La Piazza, an Italian-themed zone and a new electric roller coaster called BOLT.

Riders will achieve speeds of up to 40 miles per hour as they enjoy views to the sea 187 feet below, Carnival said.

READ: Disney Cruise Line approved to sail test cruise out of Port Canaveral

The roller coaster is the centerpiece of the Ultimate Playground, which features a water park with three slides, a suspended ropes course, mini golf and more.

“BOLT is the most-talked about feature on our most highly anticipated ship and we can’t wait for our guests to check out this amazing new attraction,” said Ben Clement, Carnival’s senior vice president of new build, refurbishments and product innovation. “Receiving The Points Guy’s first-ever Most Innovative New Cruise Ship Attraction award is a wonderful validation of all the hard work that we’ve put forth in creating this one-of-a-kind shipboard feature.”

READ: Local cruise leaders work to get ships sailing by summer

The Mardi Gras is scheduled to set sail later this year.

“All of our home-ported cruise lines are ready to go,” said Capt. John Murray, the CEO of Canaveral Port Authority. “It’s just the timing of getting the crews on the ships, getting them vaccinated, and getting them started.

To learn more about the ship, click here.

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