Carnival Cruise Line pops the champagne while christening new Mardi Gras cruise ship

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — Carnival Cruise Line popped the champagne and christened its Mardi Gras cruise ship on Saturday.

It was the first cruise to set sail again since ships stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ: Hali, a great white shark, is located off east coast of Florida

Saturday was a day for the Carnival history books.

Carnival CEO Arnold Donald opened the ceremony to their newest ship by highlighting diversity.

One by one, staff carried flags to represent their native countries.

WATCH: NASA fully assembles SLS rocket ahead of Artemis mission to moon

The corporation president then followed, along with Miss USA.

And at the end of the line, chief fun officer, Shaquille O’Neal.

The NBA star and business owner also had a ceremony of his own earlier in the day.

READ: Walmart announces new delivery options for the holiday season

Shaq helped cut the ribbon for his newest restaurant on the Mardi Gras, Big Chicken.

“We take pride in everything,” O’Neal said. It’s not just one or two restaurants. We just started franchising and we’re looking to branch out quickly and methodically.”

With COVID-19 cases getting lower, and more people cruising, Carnival leaders are excited for the future of the industry, getting more people back on the water again.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, and click here to watch the latest news on your Smart TV.

©2021 Cox Media Group