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Keel-Laying Ceremony Held for Mardi Gras Set to Debut in Europe in August 2020

Inkeeping with maritime tradition, a keel-laying ceremony was held today at theMeyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, for Carnival Cruise Line's Mardi Gras,which is scheduled to enter service in August 2020.

Theceremony, which dates back hundreds of years, was highlighted by the placementof coins placed on top of a 750-ton keel block called 3C signifying good luckfor the ship and the official start of construction.

Carnival's SeniorVice President of Newbuilds Ben Clement and Mardi Gras Captain Giuseppe Giusa, Chief Engineer Ferdinando Ruocco and Hotel Director PierreCamilleri joined MeyerTurku CEO Jan Meyer at the festivities.

MardiGraswill be a stunning expression of the Carnival vacation experience offering avariety of groundbreaking innovations, including BOLT, the first roller coasterat sea; the first seagoing restaurant by legendary chef Emeril Lagasse; and sixthemed zones with a wide range of culinary, beverage and activitychoices. Mardi Gras will also be the first cruise ship inNorth America to be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), part of CarnivalCorporation's "green cruising" platform.

"Thisis a historic day for Carnival – the official start of construction of thespectacular Mardi Gras which will usher in an exciting new chapter for ourcompany and introduce so many guest-pleasing innovations," said Clement.

"We have been veryexcited to design and now finally to start assembling Carnival Mardi Gras. Allthese different features onboard require a lot of engineering and designexpertise which we have been happy to provide to our customer," CEO of MeyerTurku Jan Meyer states.

MardiGrasis set to debut in Europe Aug. 31, 2020, then reposition to New York for aseries of voyages before shifting to Port Canaveral, Fla., for year-roundCaribbean departures.

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