Carnival’s Mardi Gras cruise ship set to sail from Port Canaveral

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Port Canaveral’s first cruise to sail with paying passengers in 18 months departs Saturday.

Guests got a sneak peak of Carnival’s new flagship, The Mardi Gras, on Friday and some undoubtedly notice some changes.

The changes start before passengers even reach the terminal.

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There is a health declaration notice that must be filled out within 72 hours of boarding.

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Carnival Cruise Line's Mardi Gras Carnival Cruise Line's Mardi Gras (Mel Holt)

When this ship sails on Saturday, it will be with 4,000 passengers and at 70% of its capacity.

The liquefied natural gas-powered Mardi Gras will start operating seven-day cruises to the Caribbean from Port Canaveral.

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The biggest change is before passengers come on board. The cruise line will have to know if passengers are vaccinated or not, because there are different protocols for people who are vaccinated than people who are not vaccinated.

Unvaccinated guests must have a negative test in hand at the cruise terminal. They are also tested before they board, and if a voyage is longer than 4 days, they are tested again.

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Carnival’s president said when it comes to COVID-19, she doesn’t think cruise lines are ever going to get to zero, just like it’s not going to be zero anywhere else.

See more in the video above.

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