Overall it was a great cruise. Needed after not being able to go for two years. Mardi Gras is a great ship... look forward to cruising on her again.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We arrived at the port earlier than our scheduled arrival time due to an ambitious transport driver. Pick up and drop off area is the same so a little hectic but nothing too bad. Gave our bags to porter and headed inside terminal which is accessible from floor three of the parking ramp. Showed our boarding passes and went right inside. Once inside there were many tables available to check people in. They reviewed our covid test results, Vax cards, passports, and then directed us to the waiting area. Waiting area is very nice but you cannot hear any announcements. We finally boarded after about a 45 minute wait. All in all could have been a worse experience.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Generally speaking the food is what you would expect. Main dining room service (our waiter Ida was the best!!!) was phenomenal and food was good. Breakfast is normal breakfast food. Sea day brunch was the best meal. Do it every sea day you can!! The skillet cake is amazing and so is the frittata. We had assigned dining time but you can eat at Chibang or Cucina del Capitano if you wait until after 8.
Cucina del Capitano
4 out of 5
Similar to Chibang we skipped main dining room this night and elected to eat here instead. Apps were delicious, I'd suggest the minestrone soup and arrancini. For mains we had a pretty typical chicken parm and really good spaghetti carbonara. It was good but go on a night that the menu in main dining room doesn't look good.
Chibang!
5 out of 5
Ate here for dinner one night. We had assigned dining so weren't able to check in until 8pm, but got in within five minutes. There were four in our group and some ate from Chinese side and others ate from Mexican side. Apps were the best. Mains were good. Highlights were the spring rolls, egg drop soup, and sweet and sour shrimp. For margarita lovers the Chibang marg is fantastic!!
Piazza Piani
5 out of 5
Quickly became one of our favorite places. Meatball sub is great! Ham and cheese was good too. Only wish they were open later, not that 10pm isn't late enough...lol.
Big Chicken by Shaq
4 out of 5
Had a chicken sandwich which was very good. The chicken strips are even better though. The fries, which are flat and thin, were also very good.
Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse / Brewhouse
5 out of 5
Good BBQ food. The collard greens are the best I've ever had. I need that recipe. The meats themselves were good. Juicy and moist.
Brass Magnolia Bar
5 out of 5
Drinks were good. Id recommend Pimm's Cup or the Bayou Lemonade. Honestly we watched the New Age violin trio here and they were amazing!
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Lots of trivia if you like that. Bingo was fun. Casino was great even though we made a good size donation to it...haha. Bolt is a must do!
Entertainment
4 out of 5
New Age violin trio was the absolute best. We could have listened to them all day. Saw the rock show which was very good. Broadway show was just okay. Comedians were all very good, but more explicit than ones we've seen in the past. We enjoyed it but I can understand how others may not have. Other live music was good too.
BOLT Ultimate Sea Coaster
5 out of 5
I recommend everyone splurge and at least ride Bolt once! It's pricey at 15 per person but worth every penny. Reserve a time through the Hub app. Show up at your reserved time. They do a quick check to make sure you're eligible to ride (they weigh you but it doesn't show your weight, just a green light if you're good to go) and then go through a quick run down of how it works. The driver in front controls the speed with a throttle(which you leave wide open if you want the fastest) and then you get to use a boost for a little extra speed. I drove and thought it was a blast and soo fast. You do get 2 laps, at least this cruise you did. I hope they keep the 2 laps.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room steward, John, was great. Always took care of everything we needed. Main dining room wait staff was best we've had in 15 cruises. We'll definitely be letting carnival know that! Beyond that all the day we interacted with were great and pleasant. The fun ship had fun staff to match.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
It definitely feels different than normal carnival ships but we loved it. New, cosmetically appealing, crisp, clean. Rooms were beautifully designed although a little smaller than other rooms on carnival cruises. LOVE the new showers in the bathroom with the glass doors. I'll take that even if that means a smaller bathroom. Overall I'd love for this ship style, layout, and design to be an option on carnival for years to come.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Great cabin... good location. Smaller than other balcony cabins but loved the look and feel of the rooms. Again.... love the new showers!!
Ship tip
We always do assigned time dining just to have a schedule but I'd recommend doing anytime dining to open up your options since there are so many dining options. Ride Bolt! Watch New Age violins!
Great Port with everything you need right there in Port! Pool, drinks, music, shopping! We also did the ATV adventure track excursion. That was a blast and inexpensive (60 per person). Be careful with anything you do and stay within your comfort zone. We had someone riding the ATVs fall off and injure herself. She will be okay but it could have ended worse.
We did the Maestro Tabasco cooking class. Everyone should do this!!! So much fun and you learn to make amazing food. Free drinks included and you overlook a dolphin swim from where you cook!
We elected not to carry off our luggage. We had zone 5 tags (diamond VIFP). Went up to eat breakfast at 8 and they had already called our zone. We were in no rush so ate breakfast until 8:30. Got off the ship, retrieved our bags, got a porter to take us through the terminal and boarded our shuttle to airport by 8:50. Very fast disembarkation!!!
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