It was a relaxing, though unremarkable, cruise.

Mardi Gras Cruise Review

Sdgalla

Contributor Level: Second Mate

21 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 6

Helpful Votes: 160

Overall rating:

3.1 out of 5

8 Night Southern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 03, 2024

Ship: Mardi Gras

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 10331

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 3 months ago

Review summary

All in all, it was a good cruise. The standout stars were Jess and Ora from Bar Della Rosa and Wisnu, our stateroom attendant. However, there is room for improvement, particularly with the dining room staff; Yogi and Paul need additional training. We never received table service, and it took over 45 minutes just to have our presence acknowledged. By then, we needed to disembark the ship, so we decided to leave. Additionally, the internet and chat features weren’t working for the first couple of days. As for the ports, Aruba was okay, but our favorite was surprisingly Bonaire! We really enjoyed Sebastian’s.

Embarkation

3 out of 5

I am unsure if this is a recent change, but it appears that access from the third-floor elevator of the parking garage has been restricted. We were directed to walk down to the first floor after parking on the top level and then cross to access the terminal at ground level.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

As always, I am indifferent to potential backlash, but I must note that the quality of Carnival's food is often inconsistent, particularly in specialty dining. Despite the substantial cost of the Steakhouse, the food was only lukewarm. Similarly, the main dining room's service was slow, and the food was often only warm, if it arrived on time. Given that the pandemic has been over for some time and prices have increased, I believe Carnival needs to improve its food quality standards.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Punchliner Comedy Club

3 out of 5

I don’t know when Carnival will start updating their production shows. It would be great if they could introduce new ones every few years. That’s why I rated it as I did. However, the comedy was excellent; Just June was hilarious.

Mardi Gras Theater

4 out of 5

Due to family feud and love and marriage being in the theater, those were the best shows.

Service and Staff

2 out of 5

I gave that rating based on the food service staff. However, I must say that our bartender Jessa, Ora, and our stateroom attendant Wisnu were awesome!

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Our stateroom attendant, Wisnu, was excellent. Although we had to ask him to re-clean our cabin upon embarkation, he quickly addressed the issues we encountered, such as sticky surfaces around the mirror and balcony, as well as items left under the bathroom cabinet. Once he cleaned the cabin, everything was perfect.

Ship tip

Do your best to enjoy the variety, though some things are repetitive. The notable exceptions are "Love & Marriage" and "Family Feud," as well as the comedians.

Thumbs up

Disembarkation

3 out of 5

Traveler Photos

Brownie with ice cream from Pig and Anchor that was additional cost

Lobster bisque soup from the Steakhouse.

Yes, I still travel with sheets and other items due to my chronic illness.

The Fun times! If you’ve been on the ship in the last couple of years, there might be a different Cruise Director and comedians, but the production shows are still the same.

10 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe 1 month ago

Thanks for sharing

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ShevyMan 2 months ago

Thank you. This leaves me with hesitation. Unsure if it’s worth it.

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Sogmoore 2 months ago

Great pix and thanks for sharing

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javawoody 3 months ago

Appreciate the write up

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AuntPinkie 3 months ago

Appreciate your feedback. These new XL ships do not seem enticing enough for me. Sorry this cruise didn’t meet your expectations.

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Sdgalla 3 months ago

You should check out: Griff and Alyssa on YouTube. They cruise on a lot of different ships and recently reviewed the Mardi Gras. I also follow them for their reviews of Royal Caribbean. https://youtu.be/n6Js9B67OuM?si=d5wXTpi_WVnoo6We

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HeavySeas 3 months ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise experience

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guesswho21900 3 months ago

Thank you for the review, I have been reading a lot of reviews for the Mardi Gras, as my wife and I are on it for 14 nights in November of 2025. I will be a first timer on Carnival and a little nervous, as my wife and I are only used to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.

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Gwbigdog 3 months ago

Thanks for sharing

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cruising2004 3 months ago

Thank you for your detailed review. Sorry this cruise was not up to par.

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Other reviews of this sailing

It was okay

Buyer Be Aware

Super Fantastic Caribbean Cruise.