Carnival’s Mardi Gras Returns with Fresh Enhancements After Dry Dock
Carnival Cruise Line’s Excel-class ship, Mardi Gras, is back in action today following a comprehensive dry dock in Marseilles, France, sporting a variety of fresh enhancements. The ship has set sail from Barcelona on a 15-day transatlantic journey back to her homeport of Port Canaveral, Florida, where she will resume a year-round schedule of Caribbean cruises.
The updates focus on increasing flexibility for families and groups and generally improving the guest experience:
- New Interconnecting Staterooms: One hundred staterooms now feature new connecting doors, making it much easier for multi-generational families and larger groups to vacation together.
- Enhanced Guest Spaces:
- Carnival Adventures was revamped with a new layout for a more seamless excursion booking experience.
- The casino has been expanded with new slot machines.
- Several retail venues, including Tag Heuer, Breitling, Pandora, and Swarovski, received a refresh.
- Improved Accessibility: The ship underwent a series of changes to improve accessibility, including redesigned walkways and upgraded features in both public areas and guest cabins.
Carnival’s Mardi Gras – Expanded casino area aboard
Carnival’s Mardi Gras – Redesigned retail spaces
Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line said:
“Mardi Gras was a game-changer when she debuted as our first Excel-class ship, and now she’s setting the pace again as the first in her class to complete a dry dock,” “These updates not only enhance the onboard experience for families and groups but also signal the exciting direction we’re heading in with future fleet enhancements.”
The current 15-day transatlantic sailing to Port Canaveral includes stops in Málaga and Cádiz (Seville), Spain; Tenerife, Canary Islands; and Carnival’s new exclusive destination, Celebration Key. The 6,400-passenger ship will continue to homeport in Port Canaveral, offering popular seven- to nine-day itineraries to the Caribbean. Looking ahead to 2027, Mardi Gras will also be the first Excel-class ship—and the biggest in the fleet—to offer shorter four- and five-day Caribbean itineraries.
Do any of these changes onboard Mardi Gras interest you? Leave a comment below or join us on the Talking Cruise Community forums.
