Mardi Gras to Offer Short Cruises from Port Canaveral

Carnival Cruise Line has announced that when Carnival Festivale joins the fleet in spring 2027 and begins sailing from Port Canaveral, the Mardi Gras will transition to operating short cruises from the same port.

“As new ships are introduced, this will allow us to upgrade capacity and hardware in key markets, with a particular focus on short cruises,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival's president. “With short cruises on Mardi Gras, our guests who may not have the time to take a weeklong vacation can experience all the amazing features of our Excel class.”

Carnival already offers short cruise options from most of its U.S. and Australian homeports, with the exception of Baltimore and Seattle.

Duffy reaffirmed Carnival’s dedication to serving smaller regional ports, noting the importance of making cruising accessible. She emphasized the line’s role as “America’s Cruise Line,” highlighting that 50 percent of the U.S. population lives within a five-hour drive of a Carnival departure port.

As part of this effort, Carnival will resume year-round sailings from Mobile, Alabama, starting in spring 2027. The line had previously operated full-time from Mobile but currently runs on a seasonal schedule.

Additionally, Carnival is considering deploying a larger Conquest-class vessel to Baltimore in 2027. This ship would have capacity for approximately 1,000 more passengers than the Carnival Pride, a Spirit-class vessel currently sailing from that port.