Carnival's newest ship, Mardi Gras, arrives at Port Canaveral. But when can it sail?

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — This morning's arrival of the Carnival Mardi Gras to Port Canaveral was a symbolic event, signaling to many that cruising will soon be back, after the U.S. cruise industry has been idled since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The new Carnival ship — still awaiting its first paying passenger — sailed into Port Canaveral shortly after sunrise, joined later by two other Carnival ships, the Freedom and the Liberty.

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