Fantastic First Cruise!

Mardi Gras Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 10

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
Mardi Gras

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 13, 2024

Ship: Mardi Gras

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 11492

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 9 months ago

Review summary

Loved Mardi Gras. Can't wait to sail on her again!

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Couldn't believe how quickly we were able to check our bags in and get on the ship. It was wonderful!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
All in all, the food was excellent. I had one night in the MDR that the pork was dry and tough. Chibang at lunch was disappointing. Otherwise I really enjoyed everying, especially the Bloody Marys from Pig and Anchor!

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
Spent time in both the pools and hot tub. The Serenity area for adults was lovely. Played mini-golf with the kids in our group and that was great fun! The number and variety of activities available were great. I even won a "name that tune" contest!

Entertainment

5 out of 5
Couldn't believe how much there was to do and see. The stage shows were great. Piano bar performer was fantastic and funny. Wished I'd gotten the chance to see a comedian, but, seriously there was so much to do I didn't have time.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Only had one experience with a staff member that was disappointing. Our cabin steward was just okay. JavaBlue staff was wonderful! Our MDR service staff was incredible - remembering names, remembering what wine I liked, etc. Cleaning staff was incredibly pleasant and greeted me every time they saw me in the deck areas.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Huge ship! Only gained 5 pounds since I did so much walking. I was impressed with the cleanliness given that the passengers weren't always respectful of the spaces. (Who leaves half eaten food and drink in an elevator? Really? Come on people!)

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Cabin was perfect. Eating breakfast on the balcony every morning really got the day off to a good start. Plenty of storage room and the beds were comfortable. Best sleep I've had in a long time! Another benefit is that it is right by the aft elevators which tended to be less crowded.

Ship tip

Bring your patience and sense of humor. It didn't feel like there were 7000 people on the ship except at dinner time! LOL There are four banks of elevators. If the mid-ship elevators are crowded, go to one of the other banks. Remember you're on vacation and you're going to have an amazing time!

Ports of call

Port Canaveral, Florida

5 out of 5

Nassau, Bahamas

5 out of 5
We explored on our own. Loved the Pirate Museum!

Grand Turk Island

5 out of 5
Shopping was amazing. Did not do an excursion but loved our time there.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
QUICK! We were literally off the ship and at our vehicle within 30 minutes.

Traveler Photos

Part of our group of 19! Sunrise from Aft Sad to be packing at the end! Mardi Gras and Freedom (?) at Grand Turk Complimentary Room Service Breakfast on the Balcony
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7 Comments

lsbs     9 months ago

Thanks for the detailed review. Glad that you enjoyed.

javawoody     9 months ago

Glad you enjoyed your first cruise

Niavlys     9 months ago

Thanks for your review and advice

NavasotaCruiser     9 months ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise experience with us. Appreciate the details for all of your trip.

Gwbigdog     9 months ago

Thanks for sharing

RetiredRay     9 months ago

Glad you had a great time!

cruising2004     9 months ago

Glad you had an amazing time! Thank you for your review.

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