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Hey, how's it going? My name is Doug Parker. Thanks for checking out this episode of Cruise Radio. A busy show today. We have a review of Holland America's Konigsdam by request. By the way, if you have a ship coming up or a cruise coming up and you want to hear a review of, I have a lot of them so I can move yours to the front of line. Just email me, Dougatcruiserad.net like we're doing with Rick's review this week. Also, Sherry Laskin is standing by with Cruise News. Dan Skilken from Tripinsurance.com is here to talk about a crazy story. This guy who had a, well, he thought he had a heart attack in the British Virgin Islands, and he got medevacked home, didn't have travel insurance. We'll talk about this later. But six-figure bill, pretty wild. So a really informative interview coming up with Dan. Richard Sims standing by right now in Manhattan. Carnival just did a big reveal for the Carnival Mardi Gras. They have a, well, one of the reveals is they're going to have a Tiki bar there. It's going to be the Red Frog Tiki Bar, a two-story tiki bar by the pool. It actually looks really cool checking out the photos. They're also going to have a watering hole, a bar on the side of the ship, but more towards the back of the ship. And it's going to be just kind of like a chilling out in someone's backyard. And they also announced this street eats concept, so maybe think food trucks, but not food trucks, just a bunch of little venues on a strip that's all going to be complimentary. And by the way, all this is fully outlined at cruise radio.net. We're going to jump right to Richard. He is with the president of Carnival Cruise Line, Christine Duffy. Thanks, Doug. I'm sitting here with Christine Duffy.

Thank you so much

for taking the time to talk to us. Of course. My pleasure. So Mardi Gras is sort of a big game

changer. What made this the right time to introduce a ship that was going to introduce so many

new to Carnival concepts? Well, I think the fact that this is the a ship that was going to introduce so many new to carnival concepts.

Well, I think the fact that this is the largest ship that Carnival Cruise Line has ever built,

and it's the first ship that we're bringing to North America that will be powered by LNG,

liquidified natural gas. We have a big playground that we can really expand our horizons and think about

all the things we'd love to have. So we've had a lot of fun coming up with new ideas and concepts

that we're delivering for the ship. Of all the zones on the ship, which is the one you would be

most likely to spend your

time hanging out in? Well, I have to admit, I am a spa person, and the spa is going to be beautiful.

But I think that roller coaster is going to be pretty unique. And then, of course, I love New Orleans,

so if I have to choose, I'd say French Quarter. Anything you want to tease about the other shifts that are coming? Well, the one thing I still have to tease is that we have not finished our announcements about Mardi Gras. Really? So there is more to come. And on that, we're going to end because that's the perfect tease. Christine, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us. Of course. Thank you. Thanks, Richard. Yeah, this is going to be one big ship for Carnival because, you know, they're used to those 130,000, 133,000 tons ships. This one's going to add about 50,000 tons. Not to mention a lot of food options on here.

We're going to have the Guy Fieri Smokehouse and Burgers, the Emeraldogasi restaurant,

and announced today that there's the big chicken that is ran by Shaquille O'Neal

...