I would not recommend this ship - "Mardi Gras" is just the name. There is no Mardi Gras vibe AT ALL

Item: Mardi Gras
Rating: 3.4
Author: tlinz

Mardi Gras Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

tlinz

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 5

Helpful Votes: 157

Overall rating:

3.4 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 23, 2023

Ship: Mardi Gras

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 9493

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Overall I was extremely disappointed in the food, entertainment and service on the cruise. I will not be booking Carnival again.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Embarkation was smooth and easy

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5

Specialty restaurants were good. The breakfast dining at the Palm had terrible service. The breakfast on the Lido deck was better. Our evening dining experience at Flamingo was good and our server Mayori was great.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Mini golf closes at 8pm. This is extremely too early. fitness center should open earlier than 7am. There is no kiddie pool. the kid area only has water slides and sprinklers. My 2yr old got tired of that quick and there should be a kid specific pool.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

the shows were very poor. the lido deck DJ and Mr Tan cruise director were good but this music was not plated enough on the ship. Havana club had the best night time music. Comedians were good. 90's party was terrible (need to include more hip hop and pop). Family feud and love marriage were good.

Children's Programs

2 out of 5

Not enough to do for younger kids (2 yrs and younger) who are not comfortable going to club ocean.

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Mayori was the best staff on the ship

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Ship was clean

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Cabin was good no issues

Ship tip

Do not expect a "Mardi Gras" vibe. They don't even great you w/ beads as you on board the ship

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Nassau, Bahamas

5 out of 5

Did a resort for a day which was excellent. It would be helpful if carnival informed guest that this island was credit card only and no cash.

Thumbs Up 0

Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic

5 out of 5

Rented a bungalow which was excellent. DR is really set up to entertain guests arriving off the ship

Thumbs Up 0

Grand Turk Island

1 out of 5

This was the worst port of the call. The only good thing was the clear blue water. The beach is OVER CROWDED. It is CASH only again would be helpful if carnival knew this and informed guests. This island needs to learn from DR on how to properly entertain.

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

4 out of 5

no issues. was smooth

10 Comments

Need2CruiseSoon 1 year ago

I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy your cruise. Mardi Gras seems to be loved or hated. I hate a great time in January and pretty the exact opposite experience you had. Grand Turk is also up there as one of my favorite ports out of 9 cruises now. Word of advice since you seem to be less than experienced. Always carry cash. Never in a million years would I want to use my credit card in a foreign country. Next thing you’d be complaining about is someone steeling your credit card information.

Thumbs Up 0

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Sogmoore 1 year ago

Did not know putt putt closed. Thanks for sharing

Thumbs Up 0

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sfcvan 1 year ago

Another privilege person who thinks, Carnival should entertain only their child. My 2 year old grandchild had a great time and had no problems being in Ocean. He loved it so he didn't want to leave. more Guys burgers and Shack chicken for me.

Thumbs Up 1

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javawoody 1 year ago

Appreciate your comments

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lsbs 1 year ago

Thank you for the review.

Thumbs Up 0

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GLINER43 1 year ago

Oddly enough, I was on the same cruise and I found the food to be amazing. Not one bad meal at all. Service was a bit slow on the first night, but so what? You're not cooking or cleaning. ChiBang was incredible and Cucino Del Capitano was amazing. Go try other lines, I have, and their food and service is no better and in most cases worse. Especially NCL.

Thumbs Up 1

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AuntPinkie 1 year ago

Appreciate your detailed feedback. I would enjoy a kids only cruise as long as that means an adult only one as well. Sorry your 2yo. didn’t have fun and this cruise didn’t meet your expectations. I agree Disney would probably fit your needs better.

Thumbs Up 0

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sopha 1 year ago

It was named Mardi gras as a tribute to their original ship.

Thumbs Up 4

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Gwbigdog 1 year ago

Research is #1, thanks for your review

Thumbs Up 4

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cruising2004 1 year ago

Thanks for sharing your dissatisfaction.

Thumbs Up 1

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