The coronavirus outbreak delays the arrival of one of the world's biggest cruise ships
You'll have to wait until next year to ride a roller coaster on a cruise ship.
Citing construction delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Carnival Cruise Line on Tuesday pushed back the debut of its much-awaited, 180,000-ton Mardi Gras -- a ship so big it'll famously have room for a roller coaster on its top deck -- to 2021.
Currently being built at a shipyard in Turku, Finland, the 15-deck-high vessel originally was scheduled to debut in August of this year. But even before the coronavirus outbreak, its arrival had been delayed to Nov. 14. The new target date for the first Mardi Gras sailing is Feb. 6, 2021.
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"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," Carnival president Christine Duffy said in a statement. "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."
A dozen departures of Mardi Gras that had been scheduled from Nov. 14, 2020 to Jan. 30, 2021 have been canceled.
Mardi Gras is the first of a new series of bigger Carnival ships designed to take the line’s “fun ship” shtick to a new level. In addition to a roller coaster -- a cruise industry first -- it’ll also have a far broader array of suites than earlier Carnival vessels and new dining venues such as the first Emeril Lagasse restaurant at sea.
Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles
Mardi Gras also will be notable as the first ship from a North America-based line designed to operate on liquid natural gas. The fuel is touted as being cleaner than traditional ship fuel.
At around 180,000 tons, Mardi Gras will be nearly 35% bigger than Carnival’s recently unveiled Carnival Panorama and one of the biggest ships from any line. Depending on its final measurements, it'll either rank seventh or eighth among the biggest cruise ships ever built.
Related: TPG cruise editor Gene Sloan offers a peek inside Carnival Panorama
Mardi Gras is designed to hold up to 6,630 passengers per sailing with every berth filled.
Carnival on Tuesday also announced that its 2,984-passenger Carnival Radiance would not return to service this year. The vessel was about to undergo a massive, $200 million makeover earlier this year at a shipyard in Spain when the coronavirus outbreak put the project on hold.
Carnival said the overhaul of the ship now is unlikely to be completed before spring 2021.
The delay of the Carnival Radiance makeover will cause a cascade of deployment changes and cancellations at the line.
For starters, Carnival said it would redeploy its 3,690-passenger Carnival Breeze from Fort Lauderdale to Port Canaveral, Florida, to assume Carnival Radiance's itineraries from Nov. 8, 2020 to Apr. 24, 2021.
As a result of the Carnival Breeze redeployment, Carnival has, in turn, canceled 18 sailings of the Carnival Breeze from Fort Lauderdale scheduled to operate from Nov. 7, 2020 to Mar. 7, 2021.
In addition, seven sailings previously scheduled for Carnival Breeze from Fort Lauderdale from Mar. 13 to Apr. 24, 2021 will move to PortMiami and take place on a different ship, the 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic. The itinerary will remain the same.
Related: Is cruising done for 2021? This cruise line thinks so
To free up the Carnival Magic for the latter sailings, Carnival has canceled its transatlantic and Europe itineraries scheduled to take place from Mar. 13 to May 3, 2021.
When it debuts in 2021, Mardi Gras will sail out of Port Canaveral, as planned.
Carnival is just the latest line to push back the arrival of a new ship due to coronavirus pandemic-related delays at shipyards. Princess Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Royal Caribbean also have significantly delayed the arrival of new vessels in recent months.
Carnival hasn’t said how many customers are affected by its new cruise cancellations, but the number could be in the tens of thousands or more.
Like most cruise lines, Carnival currently is not operating any cruises due to the coronavirus pandemic. It has canceled all sailings in North America through the end of September.
Additional resources for cruisers during the coronavirus outbreak:
- When will cruising resume? A line-by-line guide
- Why you shouldn't expect bargain-basement cruise deals anytime soon
- How to cancel or postpone a cruise due to coronavirus
- Expecting a refund for a canceled cruise? Here's how long it will take
- Some of the year's hottest new ships could be delayed
- Stream these 13 movies, television shows to get your cruise ship fix
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.