Mardi Great!

Item: Mardi Gras
Rating: 4.5
Author: TXgandy

Mardi Gras Cruise Review

TXgandy

Contributor Level: Second Mate

245 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 12

Helpful Votes: 124

Overall rating:

4.5 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 18, 2023

Ship: Mardi Gras

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 4296

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Very much enjoyed the Mardi Gras. Nice to go on Carnival again after a couple Royal Caribbean cruises. Both companies are cutting back, not what it used to be but still pretty great.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Overall we think Carnival food is better than Royal Caribbean. We loved the variety on the Mardi Gras.

Big Chicken by Shaq

4 out of 5

The chicken and fries are great. The hot honey sauce in the morning is great. The biscuits were not. Good Nashville hot sandwich.

Street Eats

3 out of 5

Fun mix for quick snack. Some options good, others not as much.

Lido Marketplace

3 out of 5

The buffet was good. Here I think Royal Caribbean does better. I liked the layout and the shawarma and gelato were great.

Palm Restaurant

4 out of 5

Some menus were better than others but overall solid food and great service. The room itself is not as grand as other ships. No table clothes.

La Piazza

4 out of 5

Really enjoyed the pizza. Better than Royal Caribbean in my opinion. But not as good as Princess. Pepperoni is always a go to but also the Quattro Formaggi.

Guy's Burger Joint

5 out of 5

Always solid, love Guy’s. Good burgers anywhere, best at sea for sure.

Cucina del Capitano

4 out of 5

The short rib and chicken parm were pretty good. Nice to have this as an included option.

Chibang!

3 out of 5

Need concept and great having other included options but didn’t wow me.

BlueIguana Cantina

4 out of 5

Love the huevos rancheros. The tacos were pretty good as well. The habanero sauce will get you later.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Serenity Adult-Only area

4 out of 5

Loved the Serenity area. Nicely appointed and salad available at lunch.

Summer Landing

3 out of 5

Great layout and views. Sometimes get some smoke from the smoking deck area starboard.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Pretty good. The singers were good. Some of the dancing was odd and repetitive. Violins, excellent. Magician, ok. Great comedy and a great mix of comedians.

Mardi Gras Theater

4 out of 5

Nice not having any pillars blocking the views.

BOLT Ultimate Sea Coaster

4 out of 5

Pretty fun but short. Pricey at $15 for two laps.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Hard to find a fault in the happy hard working crew. Steward and wait staff were great. Customer service was very helpful and professional.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Mostly new, great layout and venues. Rarely felt crowded.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Great inside cabin near the front stairwell/ elevators. The bathroom seemed larger with a decent sized shower with a door! Plenty of storage and easy to slide luggage under the bed.

Ship tip

Don’t let the size worry you. You can find your way around and always find a quiet spot.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Grand Turk Island

4 out of 5

Pretty good port area. Nice to have complementary loungers at the beach.

Thumbs Up 0

Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic

4 out of 5

Nice port area. Did the catamaran and snorkel excursion through Carnival. Hour plus bus ride, see a little of the towns and countryside. The catamaran was nice. Snorkeling was ok.

Thumbs Up 1

Port Canaveral, Florida

4 out of 5