Quirks sour Mardi Gras cruise!

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 9

Review summary

I just returned from Carnival’s Mardi Gras with stops in Mexico (Cozumel and Costa Maya) and Honduras (Isla Roatan) for seven days the first week of February 2022. Overall, it was a good time mainly due to my travel companions. There were certainly some bright spots, but the disappointing ones point to a larger problem the cruise line needs to address. The bright spots included the three ladies at the Bar della Rosa who served me my morning lattes and favorite cocktail daily. They took the time to recognize me and my orders and most of the time I did not have to ask for it. Instead, they would ask me based on the time of the day if I wanted my regular drink by name. It made me smile and tip them every time. My favorite eatery was Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse/Brewhouse. The food was flavorful, the barbeque was tender, and the drinks were spot on. I am not a Bloody Mary drinker, but with the bacon and vodka-infused veggies I almost gave it a try. I found the gym to be stocked full of equipment, and the yoga class, although very basic, was good. However, there was no real space to stretch between the cardio and weight area without going into one of the studio rooms used for yoga or spinning. As for my cabin, it was a pleasant surprise to find a comfortable bed and pillows. While I only used my balcony once, the view of ocean was wonderful. As for COVID, the passengers provided proof of vaccinations and received a negative COVID test two days before sailing. Generally, most of the passengers wore a mask inside and outside unless they were eating or drinking. I was more uncomfortable flying to Florida than I was cruising. However, when it comes to the disappointing spots, there were several that I hope Carnival will address soonest or risk losing customers. For such a large ship, the elevators were tiny, and passengers packed themselves in. I usually just took the stairs to avoid the crowd. Overall, the crew was friendly, but they seemed more robotic than genuine. I never met or saw my cabin porter, which I expected to do at least once over seven days. The food in the main dining room was inconsistent in flavor, but the presentation was great. My biggest disappointment is how they handled food allergies or medical dietary needs. One of my travel companions must avoid all things gluten and was very upfront about it. She included it in her cruise profile, notified the Maître d', servers, etc. Yet, there was no gluten-free menu or items identified on the menu as gluten-free, vegetarian, or low sugar (I’ll come back to this in a minute). She had to pre-order her meals a day in advance. Just imagine having to sort out your breakfast, lunch, and dinner choices the night before while on vacation. I don’t know what I want to get an hour in advance of meal most days. We even tried Bonsai Sushi thinking rice and fish would be safe. No, not at all. She ordered two rolls. While the rest of us started receiving our meals, the server informed her that there was only one item on the menu she could eat because of the way the prepared the other dishes with gluten products. She was left with half a dinner. We also dined at the Chef’s Table one night where you reserve in advance of the cruise, note any food allergies or limitations, and then call again when on the ship to reconfirm and once again note any allegories or food limitations. While she did that, the servers accidentally served her a gluten-filed item. Fortunately, they whisked it away before she took a bite. Not only did my friend experience all of this, so did I but for different reasons. I am a Type 1 diabetic and watch my sugar intake. I, too, noted it on my Carnival profile for the cruise prior to boarding. I notified the ship’s Maître d', told food servers, and even mentioned it again when I reconfirmed my Chef’s Table reservation. Not once during the entire cruise did anyone serving my food in the main dining room or two specialty dinners (Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse or Chef’s Table) ever offer me a low-sugar or sugar-free option. Now, I usually eat mostly meat and vegetables and try to keep carbs and desserts to a minimum rather than taking more insulin to compensate for it. I spoke to another passenger who is allergic to almonds. She did the whole notification in advance as me and my friend did only to find multiple times where she could not eat something because there were almonds in it, and it could not be prepared without almonds. I did not realize how spoiled I’ve become. Everywhere else in the world I go while not cruising offers me at the very least a menu that flags at least several items that are gluten-free, lower carbs or vegan/vegetarian. My hope is that Carnival will step up its game and get on the same level as most dining establishments across the country when it comes to dealing with food allergies and dietary restrictions. It’s a great deal of money to spend for a cruise that boasts about its many culinary offerings, which is not hitting the mark. The cruise line is leaving out a large segment of the population, and as a result, it is making me rethink whether I want to cruise with Carnival again.

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Port Canaveral, Florida

Cozumel, Mexico

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

Disembarkation

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