SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The Carnival Mardi Gras docked Tuesday in Puerto Rico — the first time a cruise ship has visited the U.S. territory since the pandemic began.

Carnival President Christine Duffy and Carnival Senior Vice President of New Builds Ben Clement joined Meyer Turku CEO Tim Meyer to welcome Carnival Celebration into the fleet. "We have so many ...

It was pure luck our trip to Ponce, Puerto Rico, coincided with February Carnaval. We arrived to the second largest city on the island on Fat Tuesday. The fiesta already had begun.

As part of its 50th Birthday festivities, Carnival Celebration, sister ship to Mardi Gras, is scheduled to debut in late 2022 from PortMiami, as well as a third as-yet-unnamed XL-class ship in 2023.

Celebration will sail year-round Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami, visiting destinations such as San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Grand Turk, according to a news release.