Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras Cruise Review

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 5
Helpful Votes: 81

Overall rating:

4.1 out of 5
Mardi Gras

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 30, 2022

Ship: Mardi Gras

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 9335

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

It was a great time. I kept getting lost. Wasnt sure which way for forward and aft but eventually figured it out. I would do the Mardi Gras again

Embarkation

4 out of 5
For me it took a while bc I could not get Covid tested in Fl before the cruise bc of the cost per test. I had to take a test at the terminal. After showing all required paperwork, we were escorted to the testing area and had to tale a test. We waited 15 minutes, got our results and went to check in. The lady at the counter asked me what I needed and I was like, Umm.. to check in I assume ?? It was a very awkward conversation with this woman after that.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Cucina del Capitano

5 out of 5

I went here for lunch and dinner. My son had pizza and I had spaghetti with clam sauce. It was a great portion not too much but not a little one. I am upset that I did not getvthe dessert I saw when I was leaving the restaurant. They did not offer it during dinner time. So my advice, grab what you want when you want it

Emeril’s Bistro 1396

5 out of 5

We decided that we wanted to have breakfast at Emerils and each meal was about $6. My son has a bacon egg and cheese, i had shrimp with grits and hubby has the creole omelet. The food was well worth the money. I should have ordered the beignets but again I didnt..

Pizzeria del Capitano

5 out of 5

Best cruise pizza ever. They make so many pizzas and yet people are still always waiting. The line moves fast but when you grab your pizza, ask for a whole so you dont have to go back if you want more. You can also get 2 slices of 1 type and 2 sluces of another. The white is my favorite.. seemed everyone else liked pepperoni..

Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse / Brewhouse

5 out of 5

Only had breakfast here 1 day but they had the usual breakfast foods: pancakes, bacon, toast, eggs, etc. Food was good.

Palm Restaurant

5 out of 5

The food here was good. At times, the wait to order your food was a bit long but the friendly faces and the ambience made up for it. I would check their menu first on the app and determine if we wanted to eat there or try another place. Some days, I was not thrilled with the food being offered but you can check the menu days before to help you plan.

Street Eats

3 out of 5

I wasnt thrilled with the food offered at street eats. I dont eat meat and most of their offerings were meat. I would try to stop by daily but not thrilled with the option.

BlueIguana Cantina

5 out of 5

I love their tacos. I usually get chx or shrimp and the salad bar offers topping for your meal. I also went to the burrito side and grabbed myself a bowl with chx and shrimp some corn, guacamole, beans etc.. sooo yummy!

Piazza Piani

5 out of 5

So I had tontry as manybplaces as possible and this was aother spot. They offered some cold and hot sandwiches. I ordered 3 sandwiches which were very good. 1 hot and 1 cold. The line for this place is long so when you see a short line, jump on it!

Chibang!

5 out of 5

This was a fun restaurant to eat at. We had dinner here and there was a magician walking around while we were eating. He was very good. Stole my husbands watch right off his wrist. The food was also very good. Everyone is my party had a mix of meals. They offer mexican and chinese food. I tried like 4 apps bc I couldnt decide which one I wanted.

Big Chicken by Shaq

5 out of 5

I ordered a chicken sandwich and my son got the tenders. He said that they were so good, he should have been getting them since day one. (We got this on the last day). The chx sandwich was great. My son also said the Shaq sauce is his new favorite sauce.

Bonsai Teppanyaki

5 out of 5

This is BY FAR the BEST place. For the extra price, we had soo much food that we needed to be rolled out of the restaurant. They do offer lunch but we went for dinner and enjoyed every last bit of our meal. I had shrimp and chx. Others in my party had steak, as well as and said it was amazing. This is a must do!

Guy's Burger Joint

5 out of 5

So I do not eat red meat however my son LOVED guys burgers and the people in my party did as well. They stated the fries were fantastic and my son tried to grab a few extra onion rings but it was a no go.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
There were many onboard activities to choose from. They have the rope course, bolt coaster, water slides. Mini golf, sports area, arcade as well as pools, parties and indoor activities. We played bingo which always caused some issues. The atrium does not offer enough seats for all who play and the lack of clipboards to hold the bingo cards also caused problems.

Waterworks Aqua Park

4 out of 5

There is so much for kids to do here. They have the big bucket and the water slides. There are water spouts and other fun things for kids. There are no lounge chairs here and there are only a limited number of seats. This is right by the mini golf course. I dont like that the adults are using the water slides and getting off where the little kids are playing.. but adults, including myself, were playing in the aqua park so not much of a problem.

Atrium

3 out of 5

Although this place is different from other boats and it looks amazing, there are not enough seats for the amount of people on the boat. The three floors do not allow for everyone to enjoy the shows performed there.

Entertainment

3 out of 5
Umm.. not sure where to start... I did not see any comedians however those that I traveled with stated they were not impressed. They said they were not the best. We have seen some great comedians but not this time. The entertainers in the production shows were not great either. The whole production needs to be redone. Singing was not good.. dancing was limited. The Vegas show was very good. The things that those entertainers were doing was beyond amazing. Dj at the pool and after hours party on the lido deck was great. The entertainment staff was engaging and our cruise director Chris the Scotsman was THE BEST IVE EVER HAD!!!!

BOLT Ultimate Sea Coaster

4 out of 5

DO NOT WAIT FOR THE LAST DAY TO BOOK A RIDE. You register on the app for a time to ride and pay through there. I kept putting it off and finally got a time for the last day at 9am. Well it rained and my scheduled ride was cancelled. My money was refunded and I never got to ride. Dont make the same mistake I made.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Everyone we encountered was supportive, helpful and friendly. We chatted and learned about the many different people of the ship.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5
A few things im still confused about: 1) why are the elevatos so small? You definitely cant fit the max of 17 ppl in there. 2) outside the Palm restaurant, why is there a single restroom? Why wasnt it a room of 4 or more stalls? A few things should have been planned better to make this easier. The boat was always clean.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
The cabin had a balcony and a stand up glass shower. The room felt a bit tight but for 3 it worked. The balcony overlooked the Havana pool which was awful. We had no privacy and had to keep our blinds closed all day long.

Ship tip

1) book the bolt early, dont wait for the last day 2) check the restaurant menu early in to decide where to eat nightly 3) try all food option or you will be sorry 4) get to shows in the atrium early, almost an hr before, to get a seat. They go quickly!!! (Even for Bingo) 5) take any elevator you can get in even if its not going in your direction. You never know when you will find room in an elevator

Ports of call

San Juan, Puerto Rico

4 out of 5
We just walked around, took pics and went for lunch. It was an early port 7am.. had to be back on board by 3:30.

Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic

5 out of 5
We did the Ocean World day pass. This place is so much fun. They have a small swimming pool, a beach area, big water inflatables and water slides. They have dolphins, sharks, birds, and sealions shows. They have a small snorkeling pool and food (not so good). I would live to go ack here. If you have kids.. its a must!

Grand Turk Island

4 out of 5
Just walked through the port. Got my hair braided on the beach. My husband went into town to grab some lunch.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
This moved quickly. With such small elevators, you will never catch an elevator to take down with your luggage. Have them pick it up the night before so you could walk off the boat. For those with a passport, you move quickly but if you have an ID and BC, you will be waiting a while. Updated technology helps move the passport line.
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4 Comments

GabeNSteph    2 years ago

Thanks for the review

AuntPinkie    2 years ago

Appreciate your very detailed review. Glad you mostly enjoyed your cruise!

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise.

steve126    2 years ago

Great review, thank you

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