GALLERY: Carnival’s largest ever cruise ship starts sea trials

Carnival Cruise Line’s LNG-powered XL-class newbuild Mardi Gras headed out to sea trials on Monday morning, Finland-based shipbuilder Meyer Turku said.

The ship’s operations will be tested at sea for the next 10 days, after which it will return to the shipyard for a little while longer, the shipyard added.

The sea trials are being announced on the back of LNG refueling carried out two weeks ago.

Mardi Gras will be the largest Carnival Cruise Line ship ever constructed and the first in North America to be powered by LNG.

At 180,000 tons, the 5,200-plus lower berth vessel will be more than six times the size of its namesake.

Once completed, Mardi Gras will feature a length of 337 meters and a width of 42 meters.

The giant cruise ship was floated out at Meyer Turku shipyard in January 2020, and was scheduled for delivery in August 2020.

The delivery of the 5,200-passenger ship was delayed on several occasions, and due to the COVID-19 impact, it is now scheduled to enter into service from Port Canaveral, Florida, on 6 February 2021.