My review: Watch out RCL and NCL, Carnival is coming after your loyal guests!

[tx121]

The cruise isn't even over yet and I am already writing a review of my experience on Carnival's Mardi Gras. That's how confident and impressed I am with this ship!  Watch out Royal and NCL, Carnival's out to get your  loyal members with this ship.  

 

Background 

I usually gravitate towards the Royal Caribbean / Celebrity brand (diamond/ elite status) and Norwegian Cruise Line (gold status). Since the cruise restart I have cruised 6 times, basically taking advantage of the great deals and lower capacities. My goal is also to try out cruise lines that I haven't experienced before like MSC and Carnival.

Prior to this cruise, my only experience on Carnival was on the Sunrise in November. Now expectations were low for that cruise and i was expecting the "typical reputation" Carnival gets. Well all of that was proven correct as the food wasn't that great, the entertainment/ production shows were just ok compared to other cruise lines, service was spotty. However what I did like which was surprising was the fellow guests. People from all backgrounds were there to just have a good time. The best way to describe the atmosphere was care free. 

Now after a few weeks at home, I got a email discount offer from Carnivals VIFP program. The cruise rate was about $350 per person WITH taxes and fees for this sailing on the Mardi Gras. This was a no brainer and I booked. 

 

Embarkation 

This went pretty fast. It took maybe 25 minutes from start to finish. I noticed that people were bringing a 12 pack of soda with them onboard. It's good to know for next time that this is allowed.

 

The Ship

It is Amazing!! The Mardi Gras ship design is in my Top 2 favorites, only behind the Oasis class ships on Royal Caribbean. I love how it flows, the massive amount of dining options (free and fee), the themeing of the venues and areas around the ship. Everything looks modern and designed to space people out. Now I think we are only sailing around 60% because of cancellations due to omicron surge. I am curious to know how it will be with 100% capacity and if the design still works for this ship. 

 

Activities and Entertainment 

Where do I begin?! There are so many activities on this ship that it is impossible to do them all. A lot of them overlap each other but i think that it's great to have options. You will not be bored. 

The production shows in the main theater are just ok but the shows at center stage are amazing! I thoroughly enjoy the different shows that are showcased here. 

Family Feud is a must see. Even the audition finals are entertaining to watch.

If you like comedy, this is the ship for you. There are many shows throughout the cruise with around 5 different comedians for the week. 

Everything is fun fun fun! The cruise director Mike has done a great job planning activities and events for this cruise. I love how visible he is around the ship and his energy. 

 

Food

There are so many food options available on this ship. Now I am not sure if certain places like Chibang, Guys BBQ dinner, Cucina del Capitano will be free after the inaugural season. These are great places to go besides the main dining room. They are all very good.

Shaqs chicken, Guys burgers, Iguana Cantina are good. 

The street eats area is hit or miss depending on the day.  

The pizza is fresh and surprisingly really good. The hidden gem is the panini /sandwich place next to the pizza. They are so good! 

The buffet has a limited options and isn't that big as far as variety...but with so many more options around, it's ok. 

I had Teppanyaki last nite and I thought it was decent.

Tonight we are headed to 555 Fareinheit Steakhouse.  Anyone have any recommendations of must try dishes? We really wanted to try Rudis but it was all booked up for the week. 😔

 

Overall Thoughts

I HIGHLY recommend the Mardi Gras. Carnival has done a great job with this ship and I really think this will attract loyal customers from other cruise lines who are hesitant to try Carnival because of the past reputation and style of their older ships. 

 

 

 

[sparks1093]

Thanks for your thoughts. We've found the three lines to more similar than different in those areas that matter to us. Now that we will be flying to the port instead of driving I am hoping that we'll be able to try out the newer ships.

[Joebucks]

Thanks your the review! The Excel class definitely has me excited. Hard to believe there will be 3 of them by end of next year. I know that it's not everyone's thing, and that there are pros and cons. Personally, I love the bigger ships. More food options, more entertainment options, more everything! To me, offering that many more ways to enjoy myself outweighs any of the negatives. All of that at the low Carnival prices and you have yourself a fantastic vacation option!

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, tx121 said:

 We really wanted to try Rudis but it was all booked up for the week. 😔

 

I would think you could be added to a wait list.

[rabadipscavern]

Thank you for this post! Will you be trying out the seafood specialty restaurant?

 

[tx121]

36 minutes ago, rabadipscavern said:

Thank you for this post! Will you be trying out the seafood specialty restaurant?

 

Youre welcome. The Seafood restaurant is Rudis which was full when we wanted to try it. But it's ok we will just try it next time we cruise the Mardi Gras or the sister ships. 👍

[ninjacat123]

Check out Emeril's!  We had the Pain Perdue and Bananas Foster crepes, both were so yummy!  Came back another day and split a muffuletta sandwich which was delish!  I wish we would have had more meals at Emeril's.  Next time😁 

[Lisa3635]

I agree.  We were on the Mardi Gras 1/15.  The ship is beautiful, the food was excellent, sans a couple of meals in the main dining room which were just ok.  

[ninjacat123]

1 minute ago, Lisa3635 said:

I agree.  We were on the Mardi Gras 1/15.  The ship is beautiful, the food was excellent, sans a couple of meals in the main dining room which were just ok.  

Our MDR meals were not up to Carnival's usual but the service was great!  Loved our waitstaff!

[Pellaz]

OP, comparing the Oasis class to the Mardi Gras, I'm curious if the Oasis ships have as wide a variety of "free" (i.e., included) eats as the Mardi Gras?  

I've been on RCCL's Freedom class and was surprised at the lack of included dining options on a relatively big ship, but Oasis and her sisters ARE much bigger than those, so.....

 

[cruisinqt]

Guys BBQ has always been free so don’t worry about it costing you anything in the future. Cucina Del Capitano is free for lunch but has a small fee and bigger menu for dinner. Whole pizzas can be ordered for free which is great to take back to your room to eat at your leisure. They don’t advertise it but they have great salads too. One day the breakfast line was enormous so we tried the Blue Iguana Cantina’s breakfast burritos and were very impressed. They rarely have a line and taste a lot like Chipotle’s. We prefer it over the breakfast buffet now. And it’s a great quick on the go meal on port days too. Hope these tips help. Have a great cruise!

[ilovesparky13]

33 minutes ago, cruisinqt said:

Guys BBQ has always been free so don’t worry about it costing you anything in the future. 

This is not true. On ships that have it, Guy’s BBQ is only free for lunch, and then extra fee for dinner. 

[tx121]

2 hours ago, Pellaz said:

OP, comparing the Oasis class to the Mardi Gras, I'm curious if the Oasis ships have as wide a variety of "free" (i.e., included) eats as the Mardi Gras?  

I've been on RCCL's Freedom class and was surprised at the lack of included dining options on a relatively big ship, but Oasis and her sisters ARE much bigger than those, so.....

 

Carnival Mardi Gras right now has many for free dining options that are usually charged for dinner like Guys BBQ, Cucinca del Capitano, Chibang. I am not sure if these venues will be free after the inaugural season, so we shall see. It definitely helps spread out the crowds and gives guests a lot more options for dinner. 

 

Comparing Oasis class to Mardi Gras for usual free venues:

Iguana Cantina = El Loco Fresh

Piazza Panini = Park Cafe / Cafe Promenade

Cucina del Capitano Pizza= Sorrentos

 

Carnival other free options like Guys Burgers, Street Eats

 

Royals other free options: 

Dog House (Hot dogs)

 

In my opinion Mardi Gras food was better than Royals Oasis class in these venues.  Royals Main Dining room is better than Mardi Gras. 

 

 

[DallasGuy75219]

Any Carnival ship has more free food options than any pretty much any Royal ship smaller than Oasis class. However free food options are not my only basis for cruise line preference, and overall Carnival's cuts in service and quality have driven me to Royal and to a lesser extent Princess.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

On 1/28/2022 at 10:37 AM, ninjacat123 said:

Check out Emeril's!  We had the Pain Perdue and Bananas Foster crepes, both were so yummy!  Came back another day and split a muffuletta sandwich which was delish!  I wish we would have had more meals at Emeril's.  Next time😁 

 

Agreed - I think that there's still more to discover there (assuming I can read the posted menu, LOL).

 

We enjoyed the muffuletta as well, having never tried one. I did some local searching and found a place that made them - with good reviews. Let's just say it missed the mark, by a mile, and we're looking forward to having another upon our return.

 

Tom

[firefly333]

3 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

Any Carnival ship has more free food options than any pretty much any Royal ship smaller than Oasis class. However free food options are not my only basis for cruise line preference, and overall Carnival's cuts in service and quality have driven me to Royal and to a lesser extent Princess.

I'm with you. I thought a cruise is a cruise is a cruise and did 3 on carnival and said I'm done. Wine. I asked for something like a resiling or german wine and twice got this awful italian. Either they dont have wine I like or dont have any idea what they are doing. I had cheers twice and it was wasted. 

 

Didnt like the dinner entrees except lobster and ribs. I like the cold soups but every time they were overly runny and watered down those cruises. Just the food wasnt for me. I tried bacon lettuce and tomato and the bread was like a brick. Both times. Who eats toast that hard? No one thing, but it's not enough for me to pay the same for a inside on jubilee as I can book a inside balcony on allure. I'll keep watching but wait and see if prices come down. 

 

Shows better on allure, the dive show and the ice show especially. The zip line and surf zone and climbing wall. I love the cafe. I get 5 free drinks a day on rcl, none on carnival. Overall carnival isnt a good value for me right now. If I got casino offers i might feel it's a better value but not for me.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

3 hours ago, tx121 said:

Carnival Mardi Gras right now has many for free dining options that are usually charged for dinner like Guys BBQ, Cucinca del Capitano, Chibang. I am not sure if these venues will be free after the inaugural season, so we shall see. It definitely helps spread out the crowds and gives guests a lot more options for dinner. 

 

Comparing Oasis class to Mardi Gras for usual free venues:

Iguana Cantina = El Loco Fresh

Piazza Panini = Park Cafe / Cafe Promenade

Cucina del Capitano Pizza= Sorrentos

 

Carnival other free options like Guys Burgers, Street Eats

 

Royals other free options: 

Dog House (Hot dogs)

 

In my opinion Mardi Gras food was better than Royals Oasis class in these venues.  Royals Main Dining room is better than Mardi Gras. 

 

 

 

The crème de la crème on the Oasis class (and "included") has to be the roast beef sandwich at the Park Cafe. I probably had 6 the last time we sailed. That, oddly, is one of the driving factors that will get me back onboard one!!

 

... it's the little things... 🙂

 

Tom

[jimbo5544]

21 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Agreed - I think that there's still more to discover there (assuming I can read the posted menu, LOL).

 

We enjoyed the muffuletta as well, having never tried one. I did some local searching and found a place that made them - with good reviews. Let's just say it missed the mark, by a mile, and we're looking forward to having another upon our return.

 

Tom

I made mention to the Hotel director when we met up as to how damn hard that menu is to mread.  He agreed.

[jimbo5544]

18 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

The crème de la crème on the Oasis class (and "included") has to be the roast beef sandwich at the Park Cafe. I probably had 6 the last time we sailed. That, oddly, is one of the driving factors that will get me back onboard one!!

 

... it's the little things... 🙂

 

Tom

That is a good sandwich for sure.

[kdr69]

48 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

The crème de la crème on the Oasis class (and "included") has to be the roast beef sandwich at the Park Cafe. I probably had 6 the last time we sailed. That, oddly, is one of the driving factors that will get me back onboard one!!

 

... it's the little things... 🙂

 

Tom

and for me its the Reubin's at the Deli on Carnival

[firefly333]

45 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

The crème de la crème on the Oasis class (and "included") has to be the roast beef sandwich at the Park Cafe. I probably had 6 the last time we sailed. That, oddly, is one of the driving factors that will get me back onboard one!!

 

... it's the little things... 🙂

 

Tom

I would have said it's the little bags of chips lol. I did try the roast beef sandwiches and they were ok. I'm boarding liberty in a few hours and they had the roast beef sandwiches in the Windjammer, but I never tried one but my friends did. 

 

My favorite thing on rcl currently is the poblano soup. Brisket in Mdr got rave reviews from the rest of my table so I'll order it this time. I'm a minute steak fan in WJ for dinner tbh. 

 

I'm waiting for allure, come on. A year late. Just no way when you also include loyalty perks jubilee is a value .. I'm not against it, but it shouldnt be more expensive than allure. By maybe sept I'll also get 50% off the 2nd fare on rcl as a solo. So it will be even harder for carnival prices to be competitive for me.

 

People say how great carnival prices are ... they must get better offers. I laid about $300 more for vista last sept than rcl liberty today or next week. My corner aft on liberty in march at 750 still less than I paid for vista. Carnival either needs to actually have better prices or up their quality of food and shows. Well ... I can see why someone is excited for mardi gras ... but it's not a big challenge if public prices and shows and food are less than the competition. Only good for gamblers.

[kdr69]

21 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

they must get better offers.

I dont know about better offers on Carnival but i have only taken 1 RCL cruise and it was a great cruise but ive never had an offer from them or a sale thats lower than carnival fares. and when i can do two Carnival cruises for the price of 1 RCL cruise it will be awhile before i will be back on RCL.

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, kdr69 said:

I dont know about better offers on Carnival but i have only taken 1 RCL cruise and it was a great cruise but ive never had an offer from them or a sale thats lower than carnival fares. and when i can do two Carnival cruises for the price of 1 RCL cruise it will be awhile before i will be back on RCL.

I'm cruising today for less than $600 including taxes and fees and enough obc for tips with some left over. Same for next week. I have seen some lower close in carnival prices but I booked these a year ago and lifted and shifted and all that stuff. Some on rcl did cheap majesty bookings and lifted and shifted to newer ships suites. I didnt get in on that and missed out on those dirt cheap suites. Majesty sold now. I will say carnival prices are more direct and less complicated than what rcl has done. My dec liberty was also a lift and shift from a cheaper jewel booking price protected. Rcl has had ever changing fcc application rules which I think is wrong, but it is what it is. Rcl does a lot of hoop jumping lately. But I have better perks and prices. Free drinks daily for me is a big one. Bogo pay restaurants. Makes up for higher prices. If carnival was cheaper, I'd jump on jubilee but not at a premium over allure. Not that it's a great prize but I'm supposed to get a crystal door stop thing rcl gives out at 140 pts, and every 70 thereafter this cruise to take home. Says the name of the ship. My first. Well time to contact uber.

[DallasGuy75219]

2 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Shows better on allure, the dive show and the ice show especially. The zip line and surf zone and climbing wall. I love the cafe. I get 5 free drinks a day on rcl, none on carnival. Overall carnival isnt a good value for me right now. If I got casino offers i might feel it's a better value but not for me.

Entertainment options on Oasis and Quantum run circles around Carnival's hairy chest competition and the Playlist shows they've been recycling for years.

Edited January 30, 2022 by DallasGuy75219

[IntrepidFromDC]

On 1/28/2022 at 7:27 AM, tx121 said:

The cruise isn't even over yet and I am already writing a review of my experience on Carnival's Mardi Gras. That's how confident and impressed I am with this ship!  Watch out Royal and NCL, Carnival's out to get your  loyal members with this ship.  

 

The best way to describe the atmosphere was care free. 

Now after a few weeks at home, I got a email discount offer from Carnivals VIFP program. The cruise rate was about $350 per person WITH taxes and fees for this sailing on the Mardi Gras. This was a no brainer and I booked. 

 

The Ship

It is Amazing!! ...

Food

...

I had Teppanyaki last nite and I thought it was decent.

Tonight we are headed to 555 Fareinheit Steakhouse.  Anyone have any recommendations of must try dishes? We really wanted to try Rudis but it was all booked up for the week. 😔

 

Overall Thoughts

I HIGHLY recommend the Mardi Gras. Carnival has done a great job with this ship and I really think this will attract loyal customers from other cruise lines who are hesitant to try Carnival because of the past reputation and style of their older ships. 

 

 

 

We also debarked yesterday and I wish I had seen your thread beforehand - I would have recommended the lamb chops medium-rare (see pic in my review).  But I also loved Teppanyaki, got Filet Mignon medium-rare and it was a TOUCHDOWN for flavor, juiciness, tenderness.  Just avoid the mayonnaisy sauce.  We also got a great deal on our Mardi Gras cruise and I can't wait to get back on board that ship!