Embarkation was seamless but strangely low tech. Upon getting on the ship, I was disappointed by the lack of a grand foyer like every other ship I've sailed on Carnival. Magic is a smaller ship with a beautiful entryway. Mardi Gras is a newer and larger ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
While service was slow due to the last of staff, the food was great. I loved the entertainment. The wait staff remembered my preferences for drinks. Although we sat at different tables for breakfast, Deepak and I Komang always managed to stop by and say hello.
Food at the Italian Restaurant was just okay. It was room temperature. Again, I think the issue was staffing. I only ate the the buffet once. No concerns. I am just not a buffet type of person.
Big Chicken, Blueiguana, and Guy's Burger were great options. My only issue with Blueiguana was the taco and burrito lines were not clearly marked. On some ships, there was just one line and you told the staff what you wanted. On Mardi Gras, there were two separate lines. Most people accidentally stood on the taco line (like me) when you actually want a burrito.
The food smelled great at Guy's Pig and Anchor Bar-B-Que. It was a little deceptive. the food was just okay.
The pizza was good and always fresh. The "panini sandwich" was not a true panini. It was cooked in an oven not a panini press.
I did not eat at the other restaurants.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
This cruise was CROWDED! Due to this, I avoided the pools. They were overflowing with children and other passengers. So were the hot tubs, even saw babies in the hot tubs with diapers... yuck!!!
The spa staff were pushy. I had a Cloud 9 spa room but did not get to enjoy the thermal spa much. Again, too many passengers.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Just June and Percy Crews 2 were my favorite comedians. There were long lines for each venue so I was discouraged from attending many shows.
Children's Programs
No children in my group
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
My room steward, Sal, was excellent. Honestly, I did not have an issue with any staff. They were overworked due to the number of passengers and the lack of adequate personnel. Even the works at customer service were very nice and helpful.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The common areas did not stay clean due to passengers being lazy. Plates were left on stairways, in elevators, etc. I don't mind outside the staterooms. While it looked nasty, who wanted to smell food in the room all day or night? Staff tried their best to clean up.
The ship was big so it took time to learn the layout. Again, I missed having a grand entryway and glass elevators.
There were many HOT areas around the ship including elevators and some interior hallways.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
I think that the room was small as was the balcony. However, our room stayed clean thanks to Sal. the Elemis products did not smell the best. I was afraid to fall off of the twin sized bed (my issue and no fault of the ship).
Our room did not adequately maintain the set temperature. Sometimes the room was hot. Other times, the room was very cold. This fluctuation occurred without us touching the "thermostat" and the balcony door was properly close with the handle UP as instructed.
We did the Kukoo Kunuku tour. It was fun. We thought that the beach drop off was option as staying two hours in the scorching heat was not our desire. We were able to utilize the local bus for $2.60pp back to the cruise port.
We toured the Southern half of Bonaire. the beach drop off was optional so we did not stay. Again, it was too hot. I enjoyed touring the island and stopping for pictures. We were allowed to bring back salt that is mined on the island.
We did a b2b on February and will ever sail again at that time of the year. It was a family trip and my SIL has to go according to school schedule. Tooooo many on the MG and really crowded. We loved this ship the first time we sailed in 2022 but never again.
Pool areas too crowded and decking was literally pulling up. Agree with your comment on dirty. Come on people find a place for your cups and plates!
We actually sailed on the Celebrity Ascent the day after we disembarked the MG…..now that was a stress free relaxing cruise. Check it out!
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