The ship was gorgeous and Kyndall was an amazing cruise director. The food was top notch and the ports were amazing. Bolt broke down halfway through the trip and they were working on it last sea day, but we fortunately got on twice before that happened. The arcade was a joke and most games were broken or took money with poor performance. Shows were hard to get into as venues were full about 10-15 min before showtimes. Crew was awesome as always. Overall I would book this ship, or a sister ship, again in a heartbeat. Mardi Gras is my favorite carnival ship now, just pointing out some things that some people may want to know before hand.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Embarkation was great despite the surprise inspection by the coast guard. I knew it could happen, but felt bad for those who paid for faster to the fun and still had to wait 2+ hours to embark. Once the process started it was super quick so I feel it can go smoothly without u expected hiccups.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Chibang was a great addition. This particular Cucina was the best I have ever experienced, despite paying on other ships and having this location included, I was more impressed with this one. Emerils bistro is an absolute must and shrimp and grits were acquired 3 days out of 7!!! I couldn’t get enough!!! Shaqs big chicken was overrated in my opinion and was one and done for both breakfast and lunch. Guys burgers is always a win. Guys pig and anchor was good but one and done as well due to the difference in check in process..get there at 530 for no wait, if not be prepared to stand around with a pager until a table is ready and even then they seemed confused and lost. The other dining check in process on the app should have been applied at pig and anchor as well because it was a great process.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
There were so many activities we didn’t have time to enjoy them all. Bolt broke down half way through the cruise so once you get on board book it asap!!! The arcade was a straight up joke and with almost nothing working
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Many of the venues filled up quickly and we missed a lot of shows. The main stage was a choke point as people stood around and made it hard to navigate during shows. It was a good concept but still needs a lot of thought and work. The arcade..most games were broken or took money without actually working.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
All my carnival trips I have seen crew constantly cleaning. There was a lot of maintenance being done as well throughout the trip. It seems people were constantly breaking things and not caring for the ship which is sad but carnival was constantly working to fix what people were breaking. The arcade…nothing worked at all. Save your money bc it ate lots of credits for games that didn’t work properly
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We absolutely loved our room!! Right above the gangway for port days and easily caught elevators being lower to the bottom. It was quiet and close enough to the elevators to not walk far. No motion sickness or loud venues close by either.
Ship tip
Book bolt asap. Get a passport for easy embarkation and Debarkation. Try as many dining options as possible as they were all amazing.
It was overall good, we did fury catamaran snorkeling and beach break. Do not take young ones who are not strong swimmers snorkeling! We have been snorkeling at beaches but this was totally different and much harder for my youngest. The crew was great about safety but it had stormed earlier that morning and I couldnt enjoy it due to worrying about the waves and my children in the ocean. I was treading water so hard and having a 6 year old hanging on me was something I will never do again. Just know it is an intensive shore excursion and not for the weak or faint. My elderly mother stayed on the boat and I’m so glad she did!!
Elevators are a problem..I felt bad for the disabled people waiting on Debarkation day. I ran up 3 flights of stair 3 times with luggage because the line was ridiculous and had my elderly mother wait each time with the remaining luggage. There’s no way to get past that unless you get the car to get your luggage and party but there’s still a line at pickup area. People were driving crazy so watch young kids!!!
My absolute favorite port was Roatan!! We did monkeys sloths and macaw excursion and it was totally worth it!! Our tour made a few other stops and was very informative about the city and history. The sloths were my highlight of the trip!! The monkeys were not cooperative and we didn’t get to touch them or take pictures through so don’t expect them to come down if they don’t want to.
Absolutely gorgeous port, unfortunately the credit cards were down in all of the port so we had to leave early and come back to the ship for lunch. Bring cash and know the locals will definitely try to get all they can. We did the aviary in port and it was really awesome with great views. The local pool is great too and they are building another one on the backside.
So quick and easy!!! We have a passport and didn’t stop moving until we were out the door!! The birth certificate line was significantly longer and slower so keep in mind passports always make things like this easier
Appreciate your very informative review I both the ship and the ports of call. Every cruise is a learning experience in my opinion, and it appears that you learned a few this time. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.
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