MIAMI BEACH -- Carnival Cruise Line will bring the popular "Family
Feud" TV game show aboard the 5,200-passenger Mardi Gras, a ship entering
service Aug. 31, 2020.
A partnership with the distributor of the long-running game
show was announced here at the Seatrade Cruise Global conference. Family Feud
Live will feature the same format and signature set as the TV show. Two
five-person teams will battle it out by naming the most popular answers to
survey questions such as "Name something that might get rained out."
Carnival president Christine Duffy said the show is a great
fit for Carnival passengers. "Carnival Cruise Line is all about fun,
family and friends, just like Family Feud," she said.
First aired in 1976, the show originally featured actor
Richard Dawson as host. The current syndicated version, featuring broadcast
personality Steve Harvey, has viewership of over 8 million and in 2015
surpassed "Wheel of Fortune" as the most watched syndicated TV game
show, according to Variety.
On the Mardi Gras, hosting duties will fall to the cruise
director, Carnival said. Families that play will be eligible for "a host
of prizes."
The addition of Family Feud will bring another element to
the Mardi Gras that isn't part of the current package of amenities on other
Carnival vessels. Other first-time features include a New Orleans-style
restaurant by chef Emeril Lagasse and the Bolt electric roller coaster, which
will wrap around the funnel of the ship.
The 180,000-gross-ton ship is Carnival's biggest. Carnival also
calls the Mardi Gras its "most innovative ship.