We are not annual cruisers. I would definitely avoid this large size ship due to the excessive waits everywhere and limited activities onboard. These were universal complaints vocalized by other passengers.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Relatively smooth
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Main restaurant menu was impressive, execution could have been better. We couldn't get to specialty restaurants as our kids wouldn't last the long waits. Buffets were average.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
Very few organized activities, especially compared to other cruisers. The daily itineraries were filled with shopping experiences (discover our new beauty products etc), and meet & greet events. The limited group activities there were (dance, build-a-bear), were overcrowded.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Acts were average. Again, the ship is overcrowded so there is limited seating in main venue & theater. We had to get there a half hour early for less than ideal seats.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
The kids club had a mix of activities. There were almost no activities on the main ship itinerary that catered to kids/families.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Very friendly and personable. Worked hard.
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
Ship was certainly clean. But the theme was that the ship was too large. Stocked with people and extra cabins, but designers didn't have enough restaurants, seating in theaters, venues for activities. And the elevator waits were atrocious. People seemed visibly frustrated. We ended up carrying our kids up and down stairs, probably averaging 30 flights of stairs a day just to avoid the wait.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We paid premium for a suite, and it was a nice comfortable size. We paid probably double the standard room w window, but it was a very nice upgrade.
Ship tip
Don't go. I'd either sail on a smaller, standard size ship. Or just understand that you're paying less with Carnival for a reason. Don't set expectations too high.
Sorry you didn’t think there were activities for kids . Mine stayed busy in the pool , the waterpark , arcade , put put golf , the roller coaster , the ropes course , and the sports court
We loved Mardi Gras with our 3 kids (ages 5/5/3). On sea days we took them to the water park in the morning as long as we could, had lunch, rested for a bit. They went to kids camp in the afternoon or got a treat and explored a little. Went to dinner with them, then dropped the kids off at camp if we were going to do some adult stuff. On port days we would wear them out off the ship as long as we could, then come on and rest or they sometimes wanted to go right to camp. Dinner comes before you know it and the day is basically over! I think if you would have figured out a routine it would have helped. We loved the Dr suess breakfast as well, and we did the dr Seuss parade one day too.
Sorry that you didn’t enjoy. We do enjoy the Excel class ships as well as all other classes. As others have said we worked around the crowd. Loved the variety of shows, food and layout of the ship. We will be on the Jubilee this Saturday. Hope that your next cruise is more enjoyable for you.
My only issue with the Excel Class Ships is the punchliner comedy venue. It is small. You have to be in line over an hour in the hopes of getting a seat. Fortunately, several comedy shows were shown in the theater during my sailing. That is something carnival has to revisit.
We sailed Mardi Gras in January. It did not feel crowded at all. Only crowded at the buffet and at Showtime as expected. When the elevator was crowded we would walk either forward or aft to a different elevator bank. At Showtimes front elevators were busy at mealtime rear, use elevators not busy. Work around the crowd not in it.
Things have changed and almost all cruise ships are now booked to capacity with so many people taking cruises. Unfortunately, most cruise activities do not focus on smaller children other than the children's programs. Royal Carabbean has water theme areas for smaller kids on their newer ships. The new Icon of the Seas is suppose to be family oriented. You might look at that, but it is expensive being a new ship.
I'm sorry your experience on the Mardi Gras was not a good one. We sailed on her, but it was only 4 of us & no kids. Our experience was it didn't seem crowded at all. Maybe because we sailed in April, so it wasn't a lot of kids. I hope you have a better experience next time.
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