Carnival Cruise Line’s the Mardi Gras is returning to Port Canaveral later this week after undergoing a drydock in Europe.
Currently offering a trans-Atlantic crossing that departed from Spain, the ship is set to return to its homeport in Central Florida on Oct. 30, 2025.
The Mardi Gras will then resume its regular schedule of cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas departing from Port Canaveral.
For its first cruise, the 5,200-guest ship offers a nine-night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean that will feature visits to five destinations.
Ports of call set to be visited include Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, San Juan in Puerto Rico, Philipsburg in St. Maarten and Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas.
The Mardi Gras is also set to make a visit to Carnival’s new private destination in Grand Bahama, Celebration Key.
Following the longer cruise, the 2021-built vessel kicks off a series of seven-night itineraries to either the Western or the Eastern Caribbean.
All cruises sail to Celebration Key while also visiting ports such as Nassau, Grand Turk, Cozumel and Mahogany Bay.
In addition to undergoing routine maintenance and class inspections, the Mardi Gras saw the debut of new features during its drydock at the Chantier Naval de Marseille in France.
Among the new additions are connecting doors across 100 staterooms, which are said to offer more flexibility for multi-generational families and larger groups to enjoy their vacation together.
The Carnival Adventures shore excursion counter was revamped with a new layout, while the ship’s casino was expanded with new slot machines.
Retail venues, including Tag Heuer, Breitling, Pandora and Swarovski, were also refreshed during the shipyard stay.
Carnival also introduced a series of changes aimed at improving accessibility, including redesigned walkways and upgraded features in both public areas and guest cabins.