Mardi Gras - You've Come a Long Way Baby
Carnival Mardi Gras will be the first LNG-powered cruise ship to home port in North America. Mardi Gras, which was to have debuted last year but due to the COVID-19 shutdown, her debut is still to come. Sister ship Carnival Celebration is set to debut out of PortMiami in 2022.
Mardi Gras, the first of Carnival's Excel class ships, required a new terminal. Port Canaveral rebuilt Cruise Terminal 3 to support what is the largest ship in Carnival’s fleet, coming in at 1,130 feet long, 180,800 gross tons and a 5,282-passenger capacity based on double occupancy.
LNG creates less exhaust than commonly used cruise industry fuel. It’s an odorless, colorless fuel in its liquid state kept cold at -259 degrees Fahrenheit. The fuel will be stored in three tanks onboard the ship. While the ship will be refueled weekly, the design allows for 14 days of cruising without refueling. The fuel will power the propulsion system as well as everything else onboard the ship.
To operate this LNG powered ship introduces new logistic issues which Carnival has planned for. LNG isn't readily available in all ports of call. A special refueling barge will be used in Port Orlando to refuel the vessel in order to comply with necessary safety protocols. Port Canaveral also invested in additional fire training for their personnel and a new fire boat, to address safety concerns with LNG use.
Watch this video to learn more about LNG fuel and Carnival's commitment to sustainability. You can also visit carnivalsustainability.com to learn more about their environmental goals and progress to date.
“The introduction of new, more efficient ships, and investments in other technologies and initiatives, we intend to continue to build on our pledge and continue to reduce emissions and exceed our goals,” the video states.
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