Mardi Gras Christmas Cruise
Mardi Gras Cruise Review
7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)
Sail date: December 17, 2022
Ship: Mardi Gras
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 14302
Traveled as: Family (older children)
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Review summary
This was our first cruise at Christmas and the fellow passengers and families were fun and the atmosphere was so much better than same exact cruise in November 2022.Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Cucina del Capitano
There were 3 of us and we went to Cucina twice for dinner. We all shared appetizers and entrees to try everything. The pistachio pasta, beef short rib, cured tuna and veal Marsala were all delicious. We had more items and all were good.
Piazza Piani
The variety and quality of the 12 sandwiches is excellent. I love the eggplant #8 and had it more than once. My daughter loves the tuna #2 and my husband raves about #12 which is similar to a Philly since I can’t remember the name.
Pizzeria del Capitano
The pizza was much improved this sailing. I’m not sure what they did but taste and quality was excellent. When the line was long during peak hours they had a person helping to expedite handing out the available pizza which made it go a little faster.
Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse
The whole experience was excellent. The fee which includes gratuity even though they increased it is reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. Steakhouses on land at this level of service and food are more than double the price. I had the shrimp cocktail, lamb chops, garlic mashed potatoes and apple tart. Everything was perfect except the apple tart puff pastry crust was chewy and I needed a knife to cut it. I highly recommend going to the steakhouse at least once. They have eliminated a few things that they did/had since before the pandemic but they were smart to change and not missed. They no longer show you the salts and cuts of meat which increases efficiency. The raspberry, strawberries and white chocolate were eliminated from cheesecake presentation.
BlueIguana Cantina
We love the breakfast burritos but this was the first time having the lunch tacos. The chicken tacos are delicious and the taco shell is tasty and a good texture. The pork was not as tasty as chicken or fish.
Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse / Brewhouse
Let me start by saying we did not eat here this trip. I went by on embarkation day to verify daily special and waiter acted like they never had daily specials when I saw pictures of them and this was my 3rd time on Mardi Gras. Was thinking of trying 1st night steak special which I guess was eliminated.
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Read up on food options available. I met quite a few people who didn’t know about all the free/included dining venues.
Ports of call
Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic