Mardi Gras 9/4-11/21 Somewhat Live Thoughts and Information

[evandbob]

On 9/9/2021 at 9:38 AM, kwokpot said:

Beets are good for you! I used to hate them but I learned to love them. 

Super food!

[evandbob]

On 9/9/2021 at 12:11 PM, lilchuckie said:

Enjoying the review. What does your hubby usually play - just slots? Have they been tighter or looser than normal? I have so many offers that I'm worried there's no way I'll ever hit on a ship again lol

We found the slots tight on day 1 and 2, but day 3 hit my 1st JP.  We did come home with enough winnings to have paid for our cruise.

 

One man who played slots in the same area that we did hit at least 3 MAJOR JP's of over $10,000 each that we saw.  I was cynically wondering if he was a "plant" of the casino and in cahoots with them to scare up business.

 

Max play was high on many machines, $27 on a dollar machine was not uncommon.  Penny slots had $5, 6 or 8.88 max amts.

 

There were many more non smoking machines than usual, and I didn't notice anyone lighting up or vaping where they shouldn't.  Most smokers, players and idlers, stayed near the smoking area around the casino bar.  There were doors at all entrances/exits of the casino that didn't allow much smoke into the adjacent areas.

Edited September 12, 2021 by evandbob

[kwokpot]

15 minutes ago, evandbob said:

We were on this sailing as well.  There was no priority boarding for Diamond or Platinum guests.  Did you get priority boarding with the Elite casino fare?

We are Platinum which allowed us to choose our check-in two days earlier. When Check-in time came up, 10:00 -10:30 and 11:00 - 11:30 were the two earliest time slots available. We chose the later. We were staying in Orlando by the airport so a check-out time and  car service pickup from our hotel at 10:00am worked out perfectly. 

Besides the check-in time there's a Boarding Zone Group that's assigned to you when you choose your Check-in time and print out your boarding pass.  Our Boarding Zone Group was B01. They start with A01 and I tried to figure out how many group numbers were in each letter but I couldn't hear the announcements clearly. By the time we were all checked in and ready to board they were already at B07, so we didn't need to sit and wait to board but was able to procced onto the ship immediatly.

[evandbob]

Just now, kwokpot said:

We are Platinum which allowed us to choose our check-in two days earlier. When Check-in time came up, 10:00 -10:30 and 11:00 - 11:30 were the two earliest time slots available. We chose the later. We were staying in Orlando by the airport so a check-out time and  car service pickup from our hotel at 10:00am worked out perfectly. 

Besides the check-in time there's a Boarding Zone Group that's assigned to you when you choose your Check-in time and print out your boarding pass.  Our Boarding Zone Group was B01. They start with A01 and I tried to figure out how many group numbers were in each letter but I couldn't hear the announcements clearly. By the time we were all checked in and ready to board they were already at B07, so we didn't need to sit and wait to board but was able to procced onto the ship immediatly.

I'm Diamond, and had a 10:30 to 11AM boarding slot, but there wasn't a diamond line for check-in, and no diamond lounge to wait in.  We had an A12 boarding time slot, so we just sat around in the very busy and crowded terminal until our # was called.

 

For debarkation, there was a Diamond priority and we met in Punchliners at 7:30AM, walked our luggage off the ship and proceeded through Customs by 7:50 AM.  Very smooth, just like you said!

[kwokpot]

On 9/9/2021 at 12:11 PM, lilchuckie said:

Enjoying the review. What does your hubby usually play - just slots? Have they been tighter or looser than normal? I have so many offers that I'm worried there's no way I'll ever hit on a ship again lol

Robert enjoys playing the slots. About twenty years ago he was mainly a table games player, Roulette and craps, but after taking his mom to Atlantic City and seeing her get better comps than he despite having a smaller bankroll, he changed what he played. He had spoken to a Pit boss who confided that table games players don't get as many complimentaries as slot players since the house advantage is far less. From that conversation Robert slowly migrated his games of choice. He still enjoys playing craps and roulette but the majority of his play is on slots.

 

Robert said he found the slots on Mardi Gras more or less about what other Carnival ship casinos having been like in the past regarding payouts. On this trip Robert won about six jackpots, four of which he received W2-G tax statements. At the end he received a future comped balcony cabin with drinks while playing from the casino department. For those who track points he made 13,578 points gambling on this cruise. 

[evandbob]

On 9/8/2021 at 5:35 PM, canes20 said:

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer. Enjoying following along.

Indeed!  I appreciate the OP's effort and comments on this exceptional ship.!  Thank you, OP!!!!

 

Just a few comments of my own:

 

I loved the:

 

1) Glass shower door!  No darn plastic curtain!

 

2) The sliding (not hinged slamming) balcony door!!  Carnival finally joins the other cruise lines with this design improvement.

 

3) The balcony railings are no longer wooden, they are some coated white material that doesn't get hot, and spray or rain drops just slide right off.

 

4) The bright decor throughout the ship.  Looked more like Celebrity or MSC.

 

5) The BOLT was exhilarating. I went on the 1st port day and was the only one riding.  Definitely use the app to queue a time on a sea day when it gets crowded.

 

6) Speaking of the app, it was an easy way to "skip lines" for MDR meals.  Just check in on line, walk to the Palm MDR and right into Sea Day Brunch.

 

7) So many dining choices!  We enjoyed dinner at the Steakhouse (best meal all week, as usual), Rudi's was better than MDR food by just a bit, and Emeril's had great gumbo but so so jambalaya.  Of course, JMO, food is so subjective and YMMV.

 

8   Late dining in the MDR was more than half empty on the nights we did eat there.

 

9  We saw 6 different comedians on 6 different nights in Punchliners, plenty of adult laughs all around.  Family comedy was in Limelight Lounge, we didn't go there.

 

10  Mardi Gras is a game changer for Carnival and goes way beyond the concepts started in Vista and Horizon.  It will be my fav Carnival ship, and we've booked in again on a casino fare for Nov 2022.  I'll guess that Celebration will be just as good.

 

There were a few minor issues I didn't like, such as no diamond priority check in line or lounge, but I'll carp about those minor things in later posts.  Once again, thanks to the OP for his great review!!!

 

 

[jordanaire]

34 minutes ago, evandbob said:

I'm Diamond, and had a 10:30 to 11AM boarding slot, but there wasn't a diamond line for check-in, and no diamond lounge to wait in.  We had an A12 boarding time slot, so we just sat around in the very busy and crowded terminal until our # was called.

 

For debarkation, there was a Diamond priority and we met in Punchliners at 7:30AM, walked our luggage off the ship and proceeded through Customs by 7:50 AM.  Very smooth, just like you said!

How do you find out which "slot" number you get? I have 10:30-11:00 boarding time.

[kwokpot]

On 9/5/2021 at 11:33 PM, mondello said:

@kwokpotthank you for posting all this info. I was a little surprised that you were into the gym so quickly at the beginning of your cruise. I'd guess it wasn't very busy the first day, was it?. Congratulations on all the comps. I've heard great praise for Rudi's Seagrill if you enjoy seafood.

 Robert and I took early retirement at the age of forty-five. It entailed moving from Manhattan to Philadelphia for a lower cost of living to allow early retirement. A year after settling in Robert said we need to start a fitness program as part of our retirement. Prior to this we didn't have a gym membership and would occasionally use the fitness centers when away on a cruise or at a hotel. We joined a local gym and used a trainer to help us get started. After one month with a trainer we went off to do our own thing. Robert eventually stopped going, but I kept at it and it's been nineteen years since I first started at a gym! 

 

I felt it was important to establish some type of daily routine in retirement. We always wake up between 8-8:30am (Yes I know for some that's LATE, even in retirement!). We always eat lunch and dinner together, yet we spend time apart pursuing out own interests. One of those interests for me is personal fitness.  I try to lead a healthy lifestyle which includes eating healthy and regular fitness. As my 60th birthday is in three weeks my fitness training is not as robust as I was in years past. On cruise vacations I used to go to the gym twice a day every day; cardio late morning and strength training late afternoons. It's been a couple of years since I've done that. Longer cruise journeys such as TA's and TP's provides more opportunities for more frequent gym visits. For now though, a focused but shorter workouts everyday seemed to be a perfect way to maintain my body. 

[kwokpot]

10 minutes ago, jordanaire said:

How do you find out which "slot" number you get? I have 10:30-11:00 boarding time.

It's on your boarding pass, right next to your Arrival appointment time.

Edited September 12, 2021 by kwokpot

[mondello]

@kwokpot Anthony, you're probably healthier than 99% of us. Thank you for allowing us this glimpse into your life. One last thing I'm dying to know, where do you get cheesesteak in Philadelphia, if you were so inclined? Or does that conflict with your healthy lifestyle?

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, mondello said:

@kwokpot Anthony, you're probably healthier than 99% of us. Thank you for allowing us this glimpse into your life. One last thing I'm dying to know, where do you get cheesesteak in Philadelphia, if you were so inclined? Or does that conflict with your healthy lifestyle?

The real yummy Philly sandwich is Roast Pork with Provolone and Broccoli rabe. Dinc's in the Reading Terminal Market and John's Roast Pork is the best for those. If I have a cheesesteak, I would have to say probably Tony Luke's. Having said that I haven't had either sandwich in awhile.   

[mondello]

@kwokpot thank you. I've only rode Amtrak through Philadelphia, been thinking about finally making a visit. The roast pork sounds even better than cheesesteak to me.

[kwokpot]

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

 Robert and I took early retirement at the age of forty-five. It entailed moving from Manhattan to Philadelphia for a lower cost of living to allow early retirement. A year after settling in Robert said we need to start a fitness program as part of our retirement. Prior to this we didn't have a gym membership and would occasionally use the fitness centers when away on a cruise or at a hotel. We joined a local gym and used a trainer to help us get started. After one month with a trainer we went off to do our own thing. Robert eventually stopped going, but I kept at it and it's been nineteen years since I first started at a gym! 

 

I felt it was important to establish some type of daily routine in retirement. We always wake up between 8-8:30am (Yes I know for some that's LATE, even in retirement!). We always eat lunch and dinner together, yet we spend time apart pursuing out own interests. One of those interests for me is personal fitness.  I try to lead a healthy lifestyle which includes eating healthy and regular fitness. As my 60th birthday is in three weeks my fitness training is not as robust as I was in years past. On cruise vacations I used to go to the gym twice a day every day; cardio late morning and strength training late afternoons. It's been a couple of years since I've done that. Longer cruise journeys such as TA's and TP's provides more opportunities for more frequent gym visits. For now though, a focused but shorter workouts everyday seemed to be a perfect way to maintain my body. 

Minor timeline correction.

It's been 14 years since I started working out regularly at a gym. This November will be fifteenth years  relocating to Philadelphia for our early retirement. My last day of work was October, 2004 at a bank in New York City. When we decided to move to Philadelphia in 2006 and retire instead of finding a new job it was the most life changing decision we have had to make. We are very fortunate that everything has turned out the way I envisioned. We are very happy and content. Cruising is one of the activities we really enjoy and we're glad it's back!

[jordanaire]

3 hours ago, kwokpot said:

It's on your boarding pass, right next to your Arrival appointment time.

I just now was able to see our boarding passes and it says A01. Thanks 

[kwokpot]

4 minutes ago, jordanaire said:

I just now was able to see our boarding passes and it says A01. Thanks 

That means as soon as they're ready to board people you'll be in the first group. 

[magictam]

Hi Anthony

I'll be on the Mardi Gras in 62 days. Would mind sharing how you traveled from the Airport to your hotel and from the hotel to the cruise terminal? I'm trying to make a plan 😀

 

I'm looking forward to your Spa9 review. I have a. spa cabin and plan on using it often.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[HxFx]

On 9/5/2021 at 7:20 PM, kwokpot said:

Pre dinner drink at Fortune Teller Bar. As I previously noted I'm not a big drinker but with Casino booking giving us Cheers I might as well have something besides a glass of wine at dinner. This drink is called The Golden Galaxy; Absolut Vodka, Absolut vanilla Vodka, Kahlua, Gold

There's a folk singer performing and he's really good. Great acoustics. 

 

Observation:

It's Elegant Night and surprisingly lots of people are dressing up.

 

 

 

 

We were there that night and I got the same drink! Probably later than you as it was the hour before our 8:15 dinner. We really enjoyed the solo guitarist (Owen Stephen).

[HxFx]

On 9/6/2021 at 11:04 PM, kwokpot said:

Trying a new drink in a new bar. The Brass Magnolia Bar and a cocktail named Vieux Carre; Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Hennessy VSOP Cognac, Cinzano 1757 Sweet Vermouth, Benedictine, Peychaud's Bitters, Angostura Bitters. Grownup cocktail. I like the additional subtle flavors besides the whiskey. It packs a punch!

I really liked their French 75, made with cognac instead of gin!

[HxFx]

On 9/7/2021 at 4:02 PM, kwokpot said:

We were awaken to the knock of Room Service delivering coffee that Robert had ordered for us. It was way early, but that was ok.

That happened two mornings for us so we decided against getting the coffee again. It worked okay those 2 days since we had early-ish excursions but otherwise, we want to sleep in!

[lilchuckie]

8 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Robert enjoys playing the slots. About twenty years ago he was mainly a table games player, Roulette and craps, but after taking his mom to Atlantic City and seeing her get better comps than he despite having a smaller bankroll, he changed what he played. He had spoken to a Pit boss who confided that table games players don't get as many complimentaries as slot players since the house advantage is far less. From that conversation Robert slowly migrated his games of choice. He still enjoys playing craps and roulette but the majority of his play is on slots.

 

Robert said he found the slots on Mardi Gras more or less about what other Carnival ship casinos having been like in the past regarding payouts. On this trip Robert won about six jackpots, four of which he received W2-G tax statements. At the end he received a future comped balcony cabin with drinks while playing from the casino department. For those who track points he made 13,578 points gambling on this cruise. 

 

That's really interesting how he changed. I totally agree with his strategy adjustment. I generally play tables games ashore but I play slots (usually video blackjack) onboard for the same reason to boost my points. Seems like he has figured out the system better than me as I've never had a balcony comped and I usually hit around that many points, even a bit more. I also envy the free cheers instead of drinks on Us in the casino, especially when one partner doesn't gamble as heavily. 

 

I really enjoyed your review. Love your writing style and love approach to cruising. This is one of the best I've read since cruising made its return.  I hope to see another review soon!

 

9 hours ago, evandbob said:

We found the slots tight on day 1 and 2, but day 3 hit my 1st JP.  We did come home with enough winnings to have paid for our cruise.

 

One man who played slots in the same area that we did hit at least 3 MAJOR JP's of over $10,000 each that we saw.  I was cynically wondering if he was a "plant" of the casino and in cahoots with them to scare up business.

 

Max play was high on many machines, $27 on a dollar machine was not uncommon.  Penny slots had $5, 6 or 8.88 max amts.

 

There were many more non smoking machines than usual, and I didn't notice anyone lighting up or vaping where they shouldn't.  Most smokers, players and idlers, stayed near the smoking area around the casino bar.  There were doors at all entrances/exits of the casino that didn't allow much smoke into the adjacent areas.

 

 

That's interesting, I've heard lots of gamblers over the years say they always think they hit more at the start. One of my poker friends just got back from a cruise and said he had an epic run like that, I wonder if it was the same person? Was this guy a very heavy Vietnamese guy in his 40s, probably always smoking or had a drink in his hand. Congratulations on your winnings and thanks for the info! 

[kwokpot]

48 minutes ago, lilchuckie said:

That's really interesting how he changed. I totally agree with his strategy adjustment. I generally play tables games ashore but I play slots (usually video blackjack) onboard for the same reason to boost my points. Seems like he has figured out the system better than me as I've never had a balcony comped and I usually hit around that many points, even a bit more. I also envy the free cheers instead of drinks on Us in the casino, especially when one partner doesn't gamble as heavily.

I guess you can say Robert has figured out a system to optimize his gambling budget. We get comped cruise offers from Carnival, Royal, Celebrity. We used to get offers from NCL, but he hadn't reached the level where ' Document Fees' for booking a comped cruise are waived, so a comped cruise on NCL had an added $200-$300 extra fees, so we stopped sailing with them unless we're traveling with others on a specific itinerary. We sailed three Princess cruises and don't particularly like that cruiseline. If we had to pick our favorite cruiseline it would be Celebrity, but Robert actually prefers the casinos and the casino program itself on Carnival.  Royal would be second. Celebrity's casino program is convoluted and chinzy and the casinos themselves don't always have the latest games that Robert likes to play.

 

All his gambling does create it's own sorts of issues, specifically with income taxes. We've spent lots of time and money with our accountant to figure out how to report his gambling for income tax purposes. I may be revealing some personal information here but I think it's important for other gamblers to understand the financial issues that come with regular gambling. The IRS doesn't specify HOW to keep gambling records, it just mentions that you need to. In the past several years Robert's annual W2-G (the reporting form that is filed when you win more than $1200 at one time - most, but not all table games are excluded from this tax filing) forms have totaled more than he ever made when he was working at his job. He needs to keep accurate records of the amounts of money he is spending so he can offset the taxes that must be paid on the reported winnings. One doesn't necessarily need to do this, but if you don't then you'll be paying income taxes on all those W2-G forms you've collected throughout the year.

The case could be made that Robert is a professional gambler, but that's definitely not the case. He's not a Big Whale gambler on land or sea, he nor we have that kind of money. What I can say is he takes advantage of how each casino program, whether on land or sea works, and uses it to his advantage with the gambling budget he has. Most importantly he is friendly, outgoing and a generous tipper with all the casino staff, whether server, dealer, Pit Boss, casino management. 

Edited September 13, 2021 by kwokpot

[kwokpot]

38 minutes ago, lilchuckie said:

I really enjoyed your review. Love your writing style and love approach to cruising. This is one of the best I've read since cruising made its return.  I hope to see another review soon!

Thank you for your kind words. I enjoy doing this as a hobby. Travel and travel planning are the main activities that take up most of my time. I've been asked many times why I don't do this professionally as blogger or travel agent. The reason I don't is once you do something as a source of income, it's no longer a hobby but a JOB. Even a professional blogger or Youtube channel personality needs to constantly create content for your followers. I am fortunate enough I don't need to do anything for income. So I now spend lots of my time trying to help others by obtaining as much knowledge, whether through experience or research, about travel and traveling planning and sharing this information.

[mondello]

5 hours ago, magictam said:

Hi Anthony

I'll be on the Mardi Gras in 62 days. Would mind sharing how you traveled from the Airport to your hotel and from the hotel to the cruise terminal? I'm trying to make a plan 😀

 

I'm looking forward to your Spa9 review. I have a. spa cabin and plan on using it often.

 

Thanks for sharing.

One of the perks of their comped cruise was included two-way car service to the port.

[ClearwaterFlorida]

Thanks for all info. Could you tell me if masks were a big turn off for cruise? Did they require them in gym or around the pool?

[kwokpot]

20 minutes ago, ClearwaterFlorida said:

Thanks for all info. Could you tell me if masks were a big turn off for cruise? Did they require them in gym or around the pool?

I personally didn't think it was an imposition. There were no fights or confrontations about masks. They weren't required in the pool or in the gym or thermal suite. Also not required anywhere out on the decks.