I would have to say that being able to cruise/vacation with my husband made my cruise wonderful. We were celebrating our sixth wedding anniversary. Carnival has to definitely address a few things.
The ship is beautiful with nice amenities. I don’t feel that there was enough staff/crew to balance all of the guests on board.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Embarkation was slightly chaotic at port Canaveral. The setup was different from the other ports. I didn’t like how you were at a table providing your documents and they called someone else up at the same time. No privacy at all!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
I will start with the buffet (horrible) the food was less than mediocre. Carnival does not enforce the dress code while dining in the Market Place (buffet) guests were allowed to walk thru barefoot and did not require coverups some of the men were shirtless. I also complained that a guest coughed in his hands and proceeded to pickup a serving utensil while putting food on his plate. Even though there were sinks to wash hands that was never enforced. Nor was the utilization of hand sanitizer. There was a gentleman who walked in with both hands in his pants and prepared his food (disgraceful). The specialty restaurant (Fahrenheit 555) was definitely on point and delicious; I will rate them a five in all levels. The last two nights of the cruise we dined in the Palm Restaurant (Main) and after having to complain to guest services we were given A-class treatment by Mr A. he is the reason if any that I would consider cruising again on the Madi Gras.
His actions were very heartfelt and sincere I wish we’d met him early on. Thank you Mr. A.
Also if you don’t make reservations before your cruise you have late dining
Pizzeria del Capitano
5 out of 5
Always a favorite
Piazza Piani
4 out of 5
My husband enjoyed the Ruben
Palm Restaurant
5 out of 5
Thank you Mr. A and George
La Piazza
5 out of 5
Delicious
JavaBlue Cafe
5 out of 5
Great service and good coffee and dessert
Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse
5 out of 5
AlwaYs my favorite when sailing Carnival
Big Chicken by Shaq
5 out of 5
Awesome venue… Chicken was delicious is
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
We were not able to ride the Bolt as it only ran twice during the seven day trip. The hot-tub was always crowded with small children! The pool /lido is a lot smaller than other Carnival ships it was always overly crowded.. Carnival has done away with the library and games that were on the other ships. Thank God we brought some of our own from home; which we utilized on the sea days.
The Fun Shops
3 out of 5
I enjoyed shopping at the fun shops however I hate that carnival has done away with the T-shirt sales and you can no longer book future cruises on board.
Pixels
1 out of 5
Over priced. And misleading. One representative told us that if we purchased the digital then the prints were included (totally misled) They charge the same price for 2 of the 5x7 as one 8x10 and the 5x7 had to be the same photo
Patio Pool & Whirlpool
1 out of 5
The pool was overly crowded in a small space and too many young children in the hot tubs all of the time
Guest Services
5 out of 5
The customer service was superb
Cherry on Top
5 out of 5
Can’t go wrong with CANDY
Entertainment
1 out of 5
I especially enjoyed the three violinist as I’ve seen them previously on the the Vista. You had to make certain to arrive over an hour early if you wanted a seat in the too small theaters. Even when it came time to see the comedians otherwise there was no seating. For the ship to be as large as it is the spaces were tight and small.
Mardi Gras Theater
2 out of 5
Not enough seating.
BOLT Ultimate Sea Coaster
1 out of 5
Was not able to partake… Never ran
Children's Programs
No children
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Again. Tremendous shoutout to Mr A. George The Asst M D in the palm his customer sevrvice was impeccable. Christopher who I saw in the mornings while dining in the Market Place was always smiling and offered great conversation. Last but not least our waiter in the Palm Anthony from St Vincent: thank you for your awesome service and conversation we always looked forward to chatting with him. He always offered a kind word and excellent service.. our room steward “K” we only saw him twice however; our cabin was always tidy, he filled our ice bucket and on embarkation day I requested a lounge chair and he made certain that I had one.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The shop itself is beautiful. Well maintained and clean. I just wish that Carnival would have made the bathrooms larger, the showers were nice but small. I will say every morning when we went to have coffee you could smell bleach which made me feel at peace knowing that the ship was being sanitized.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Our cabin over all was okay just smaller than usual.
Ship tip
Get to the venue’s at least an hour early, you may have to stand in line but at least you’ll get a seat.
I agree. Our food was not like it usually is on other ships, it was either microwaved until it was like rubber or cold. Shaqs and guys was the best option for free food. The restaurants that you had to pay extra for always had good food. I had quite a few "uncarnival like" experiences if you will, but I made the best of it. It's a beautiful ship they just need more staff and maybe more training
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