Carnival’s new ship Mardi Gras gets her funnel as November, 2020 delivery nears

Carnival Mardi Gras’ immense funnel has been installed atop the new Excellence-class cruise liner at Meyer Turku, bringing the ship a step closer to launch and giving her the iconic look of a Carnival Cruise Line ship.

A sister ship to Costa Smeralda, AIDAnova, and Iona under construction for P&O Cruises, the LNG-powered, 5,200-passenger ship will debut in November this year in Port Canaveral.

RELATED: Carnival Panorama channels Mardi Gras with largest retail space in fleet

RELATED: Carnival announces even more new-to-the-line eateries for Mardi Gras

Although Carnival will take delivery of the ship in late October, she won’t sail her first revenue-generating cruise until November 14^th, 2020 (assuming she doesn’t face any further construction delays).

Mardi Gras will feature the first roller coaster at sea. BOLT will take center stage in the Ultimate Playground, spanning Decks 18-20 and home to the largest WaterWorks aqua park in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet.

The water part will have three unique heart-racing slides designed for all-ages, an exciting zone designed specifically for kids with a 150-gallon PowerDrencher tipping bucket and numerous water toys.

Mardi Gras will introduce Emeril’s Bistro 1396, the first seagoing restaurant by famed New Orleans chef Emeril Lagasse that will be housed in the ship’s French Quarter, one of six themed zones on board offering a variety of food, beverage and entertainment choices.

RELATED: Carnival to expand Terminal F in Miami to accommodate Mardi Gras sister ship in 2022

RELATED: Carnival Corporation’s P&O, Princess, Costa and Carnival will all launch new ships in 2020

There will also be a new seafood restaurant designed by chef Rudi Sodamin.

Rudi’s Seagrill will offer dishes as artistic as they are flavourful, the company said, in addition to an extensive selection of seafood entrees and sides, there will also be several dishes presented as playful “food faces” that double as Instagram-worthy pieces of art.

Entertainment will be at the heart of Mardi Gras’ onboard experience with never-before-seen offerings including a first-in-fleet partnership with Family Feud, new high-tech Playlist Productions shows, a dedicated Punchliner Comedy Club, and new live music and entertainment options.

Mardi Gras is a venerable name for Carnival Cruise Line. It was the name carried by the first-ever ship in the fleet back in 1972.

The former Empress of Canada ocean liner was converted into a cruise ship and throughout the 70s played a leading role in generating widespread popularity for cruise vacations in the U.S.