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RMS Empress of Canada 1956. - Mardi Gras 1972


The Transformation of RMS Empress of Canada

Launched in 1960 by Vickers-Armstrongs for Canadian Pacific Steamships, RMS Empress of Canada was a 650-foot, 27,284-ton liner designed for transatlantic service between Liverpool and Canada. With a bulbous bow and a top speed of 23 knots, she also operated as a winter cruise ship.

In 1972, she was renamed Mardi Gras and became the first ship of Carnival Cruise Lines, marking the beginning of the company’s rise in the cruise industry.

After several ownership changes and renamings, she was scrapped in Alang, India, in 2003.

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