FUNtastic Cruise

Item: Mardi Gras
Rating: 4.3
Author: ronajona

Mardi Gras Cruise Review

ronajona

Contributor Level: First Mate

23 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 9

Helpful Votes: 163

Overall rating:

4.3 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 09, 2022

Ship: Mardi Gras

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 11241

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

We love cruising, so we have a good time no matter what. We were concerned about the crowd size and Covid, but we took precautions by keeping our distance, wearing a mask and sanitizing. There were 51 people, including children, in or group and no one reported positive for Covid upon returning home (I mention this only because some people are avoiding cruises for fear or Covid). The Mardi Gras ship was fun, activities were abundant (use that Hub App to maximize your experience), food was good. That Family Feud live show was a hoot. They need to have more on a sailing because it was so popular, it could not accommodate the number of people who wanted to attend. The magic show had us waiting 40 minutes to get in only to be a dud. The comedy shows were nice, but we often had to stand in line to get into the show. The Punchliner Club and the Limelight lounge host the shows, but the venue is much too small for the Mardi Gras ship capacity. We loved the cruise, as a whole, but after sailing on the Mardi Gras XL class, we find that we prefer a smaller ship and smaller crowd. The port destinations were meh 🫤. The excursions did not seem exciting enough for the cost, so we just toured on our own. All in all, it was good to get back to cruising after 2 1/2 years. We had a blast!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Crowded but organized. We arrived at port right at our show up time and moved continuously through the line. Excited cruisers made the crowd less intimidating and fun.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

We found all the food good. We tried as many included food locations as possible. We had dinner in the Palm 3 out of 4 evenings. Checked in with the Hub App for “Your Time” dining, waited for our table to be ready and escorted in. The food choices were plentiful and tasty (we did return the lamb for an alternative). The Palm dining room servers were always friendly and entertaining. We thoroughly enjoyed Bonsai Teppanyaki (highly recommended). The service, chef’s enthusiasm an food we’re all fantastic. Chibang restaurant servings were smaller than any of the other restaurants, but tasty. La Piazza wait time was long and service was a little slow, but worth it once we got in and served. The choices around the ship were abundant. We had breakfast at the buffet, lunch at Big Chicken by Shaq, and all our favorites like Guys Burger, BlueIguana Cantina and Pizza. However, there are so many places. We have no complaints with the food.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

We have never met a room steward we didn’t like. However, Suardana “Su”, was exceptional. He met us as we entered our cabin for the first time and called us by name immediately. He was always available and never intrusive. Anything we needed, he provided. He noticed the ice bag, my husband used for knee pain, and provided a full ice bucket each day. We loved our waiter, Joseph, in the Palm, along with the team at our table.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Beautiful ship and the staff works hard to keep it that way.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ship tip

If cruising with Covid protocols in place, wear mask in elevators and in crowds and sanitize hands often. The Mardi Gras carries a large amount of passengers. Be patient and kind. Also, when using the public restrooms, pay close attention to the door lock indicators. If not, the doors may open while you’re using the restroom.

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