Carnival Cruise Line has delayed the inaugural journey of its new ship, the Mardi Gras, for the second time.
The cruise line initially pushed the launch back to Feb. 6, 2021, however the ship, equipped with a roller coaster, will now set sail on April 24, 2021, Carnival announced Thursday. It was originally scheduled to sail in November.
“We continue to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global commerce, public health and our cruise operations,” President of Carnival Cruise Line, Christine Duffy, said in a statement at the time of the first delay. “In addition to our current pause in service, there have been many other unintended consequences, including shipyard, dry dock and ship delivery delays, and related changes to our deployment plans for our fleet.”
“While we had hoped to make up construction time on Mardi Gras over the summer, it’s clear we will need extra time to complete this magnificent ship,” Duffy added. “We share our guests’ disappointment and appreciate their patience as we work through this unprecedented time in our business and the lives of so many people. We remain committed to working with government, public health and industry officials to support the response to the pandemic and to return to operations when the time is right.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/ixD5fkaBsvI
Additionally, the company’s Carnival Radiance ship, which was undergoing a renovation and has been dry docked in Spain, has been delayed and will now likely not be completed until the spring. As a result, the Carnival Breeze will take over itineraries originally meant for the Radiance from November through April. Eighteen sailings on the Breeze from Fort Lauderdale through March 2021 have been canceled.
The company also has continued to cancel cruises into 2021.
Although the CDC has lifted it’s ‘No Sail’ order in October, the agency also classified cruising as a Level 4 —or very high — risk of contracting COVID-19 weeks after, recommending people avoid getting on ships.
Source: travelandleisure.com
