Carnival Christmas - What a ship!

Item: Mardi Gras
Rating: 4
Author: YYCcruiser

Mardi Gras Cruise Review

YYCcruiser

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 23

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 23, 2023

Ship: Mardi Gras

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 9501

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 10 months ago

Review summary

Best CCL ship we’ve been on. Great cabin too!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

We had an Excel Aft Suite so check in was fast, but the general check in lines looked very reasonable as well. Much more organized than our last cruise (NCL) or our last CCL cruise (pre-Covid).

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5

Lido Marketplace

1 out of 5

Probably the worst lido buffet I’ve seen on any ship. Extremely limited choice. Ironically there is plenty of comfortable seating and of course great views. But the choice of about 2 dozen hot items and a skimpy salad bar was just not up to the standards for a ship like this. Don’t count on having this as a backup for any meal. You’ll likely end up sad.

Big Chicken by Shaq

5 out of 5

Guilty pleasure!!!

Palm Restaurant

3 out of 5

The service was great. Our waitstaff team was friendly and efficient. The food was … ok. Three meals. Lacking flavour and the choices were ok but not always super appealing.

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse

4 out of 5

Food was really good but service was a bit rushed. Still worth the surcharge.

The Chef's Table

4 out of 5

The seven course meal was spectacular. Great selection, incredibly artistic, but perhaps lacking in flavour diversity. The venue, with huge windows into one of the main galleys was great as well. Service was top notch… if you’re a foodie, worth the expense.

Cucina del Capitano

5 out of 5

Really enjoyed our two meals here. Solid food and great service.

Carnival Kitchen

5 out of 5

We did the pizza class. Really well done. The kitchen classroom is outstanding. We wish we had booked more classes.

Bar della Rosa

5 out of 5

Prompt and courteous service. Only downside was proximity to outside smoking area so sometimes it was a little stinky.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

It’s tough to work through a holiday far from family but the crew were really great. Felt well taken care of. Crew were relaxed but not indifferent at all.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Was really impressed with the ship design and layout. Even with a full ship it seems like there was always a place to sit. Lots of places to go and the central atrium was pretty spectacular.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

This cabin was incredible. Aft Excel corner suite. The balcony for the cabin on deck 9 is almost twice as large as the others above. The trade off is proximity to the pools on deck 8 below. It can be quite loud. As well, as it’s above the Heroes Lounge, you can hear the TV through the floor. If you don’t mind those things, then you will love this. Hot tub on the balcony is a game changer. Loungers and chairs and dining table in the balcony is amazing. Spent a lot of time on the balcony…

Ship tip

Book cooking classes as early as possible. The aft elevators are waaaay less busy than the other two. Get your ropes course or Bolt in early. They close due to wind often enough that it can be hard to get in.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic

4 out of 5

We booked a hillside cabana. Yes, it’s up a hill. Yes, there are issues with the hot tub (not hot). But very close to water slides and zip line. Great service and yummy tropical drinks. Pool was great.

Thumbs Up 0

Grand Turk Island

5 out of 5

Port Canaveral, Florida

3 out of 5