Carnival Mardi Gras Returns to Service Following Dry Dock

Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras has returned to service after completing a month-long dry dock at Chantier Naval de Marseille in France.

Side view of the large cruise ship "Mardi Gras" with its bright blue hull and multiple decks with balconies. On this busiest day at Port Canaveral, the sky is partly cloudy, and greenery is visible in the distance as 25 vessels fill the open waters where it is docked.

The first vessel of Carnival’s Excel-class finished its dry dock on October 16, 2025, and departed on a 15-day transatlantic cruise back to its homeport of Port Canaveral, Florida.

The repositioning itinerary includes stops in Málaga and Cádiz, Spain; a visit to Celebration Key, Carnival’s private destination in the Bahamas.

Following the repositioning cruise, Mardi Gras will resume year-round Caribbean sailings featuring updated accommodations and modernized public spaces.

Mardi Gras Upgrades

A row of brightly lit slot machines lines one side of the Carnival Mardi Gras casino, featuring colorful carpeting and empty chairs. The environment is clean and modern, recently refreshed after dry dock, with ceiling lights and digital displays.

During the dry dock, Carnival completed renovations for accessibility improvements and accommodations for families.

One hundred staterooms were modified with new connecting doors to support multi-generational travelers and larger parties. Public walkways and guest areas were redesigned with improved accessibility features, and guest cabins received upgrades for enhanced comfort.

Read More: 21 Things to Do on Carnival’s Mardi Gras

In addition to lodging enhancements, Mardi Gras’ casino was expanded to include new slot machines. Retail outlets, including Tag Heuer, Breitling, Pandora, and Swarovski, received interior refreshes.

A modern store lounge with brown leather sofas and chairs, a display case of watches, a model yellow airplane on the coffee table, brick walls, a Breitling sign, and a large photo of Carnival Mardi Gras returning to service with a surfboard-topped vintage van.

The Carnival Adventures deck was reconfigured to streamline shore excursion operations for the ship’s 5,270 passengers (at double occupancy).

“Mardi Gras was a game-changer when she debuted as our first Excel-class ship, and now she’s setting the pace again as the first in her class to complete a dry dock,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

Resuming Caribbean Service

The Carnival Mardi Gras, a large cruise ship, is docked at a port in the evening, brightly lit with multiple decks visible. City lights and buildings form the backdrop as the ship returns to service after dry dock.

After returning to Port Canaveral on October 30, 2025, Mardi Gras will begin a nine-night Eastern Caribbean sailing visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and private destination Celebration Key.

Other itineraries will include seven-night roundtrip voyages offering both Eastern and Western Caribbean options.

Carnival continues to modernize its fleet, with Mardi Gras’ dry dock following Carnival Liberty’s recent refurbishment. Carnival Elation and Carnival Spirit are scheduled for dry dock in early 2026.

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Frank M

Frank is a seasoned travel journalist with over a decade of experience covering hospitality, cruise, and air travel. He has traveled extensively by land, sea, and air, collaborating with industry giants like Marriott, Hyatt, Disney, and Carnival Corp. His work has been featured in major international and industry publications across four continents.
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