LIVE! Mardi Gras on the Mardi Gras 2/26 - 3/5. Let’s Cruise!

[TravelBluebird]

Hello everyone! Welcome to my LIVE blog of my trip on the Carnival Mardi Gras (during Mardi Gras!) 2/26 to 3/5, traveling the Eastern Caribbean route.  My last LIVE was on the Celebrity Equinox in September.

 

I know that there have been plenty of Mardi Gras LIVEs since she is such a new ship, but just as I’ve enjoyed everyone’s very different experiences in the LIVES, I hope you enjoy my take on Carnival’s latest!

 

First, a little about me, my cruising perspective, and how this cruise came to be.

 

I’m Dee, and although I usually travel with my dear husband, this time I’m traveling with a daughter.  Was supposed to be a girl’s cruise with my sister and her best friend also, but my sister’s husband got COVID and has lingering neurological issues, so my sister cancelled, and her friend decided she still wasn’t COVID-comfortable, so she also cancelled. So its still a girl’s cruise, just with fewer girls! Husband was invited along but he has never traveled on such a huge ship, and decided I should check it out first.

 

I love cruising! Starting cruising back in the 1990s, I’ve cruised on lines including Carnival, Norwegian, HAL, Regent Seven Seas, Celebrity, The Caledonian Sky, and Viking Ocean. 

 

The only cruise line I’ve ever cruised more than twice on is Carnival! So yeah, I love Carnival. My very first “main line” cruise was on the Carnival Splendor many years ago, and like a baby bird imprinting to her mother, I fell in love and its still my favorite large ship line. I have a very good time on Carnival! Plus, you can’t beat their wonderful casino offers.

 

After some COVID cancellations (including a Carnival cruise), my after-COVID return to cruising was on the Celebrity Equinox, which I loved. 

 

This cruise will be very interesting for me (and I hope for you!) The Equinox cruise was 1/3 full. Before COVID, I did a Viking Ocean cruise to Europe that wasn’t full. The largest ship I’ve ever been on was the Carnival Breeze out of Galveston! So...we shall see how I do and what I think of the Mardi Gras, which is not only HUGE but also, from reports, going to be at or near full capacity for this trip.

 

As for my blogging/review style? I’ll tell it like it is, but that said, I’ve never been on a bad cruise! I’m generally upbeat and I don’t let a few things that are not perfect ruin my good time. I also take lots of photos (with an actual camera; I know, so old school!).

 

Thanks in advance for reading along and joining in! I like to do LIVES here because Cruise Critic helped me get through the COVID cruising drought, and to thank everyone who has posted info and live blogs before me; this is such a helpful and giving community.

 

OK, preliminaries are out of the way!  Next post will be about the start of the trip!

[Joe817]

Looking forward to your review! 👍

[SNJCruisers]

Looking forward to hearing your take.  I recently just got off a B2B and will be doing a review either later today or tomorrow.

[famof4togo]

YEAH I love a LIVE!!!  Can't wait to follow along...have a WONDERFUL TIME!

[CruisinMama2003]

Thank you for taking us along! Enjoy!

[TravelBluebird]

13 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Looking forward to hearing your take.  I recently just got off a B2B and will be doing a review either later today or tomorrow.

 

Excellent! I look forward to your review!

[TravelBluebird]

For me, these days the trip starts when I get my NEGATIVE COVID test, because that ends my anxiety and allows my brain to go into cruising mode!  My test a couple hours ago was NEGATIVE, as was my daughter’s! Gosh, waiting for the COVID test results is so stressful. 

 

I use CVS for my pre-cruise COVID tests; you can book an appointment 2 weeks in advance. My CVS has an outdoor little “Minute Clinic” structure; you park outside till they call your cell phone, then inside for the test; very quick and easy. Within 1 hour for the ANTIGEN test, you get your results texted and emailed to you (and also in the CVS My Chart app if you have it). I DO believe they now charge for travel, but since I was going to see my elderly mother today at her assisted living and earlier this week I performed in a bell choir at my crowded church, I didn’t have to pay for the test.

 

Tomorrow I leave my house around 11am. Two flights, through Atlanta, with an arrival in Orlando around 6:45pm. Daughter from California is supposed to arrive within 15 minutes of me, and we are both on Delta.  From there we plan to UBER together to our hotel at Cocoa Beach.  I realize much can go wrong with this plan but I choose to be optimistic. Last LIVE, we had decided to drive to Nashville 2 hours to get a direct flight to Florida for an easier, stress-free flying day, and oh my gosh, did THAT go wrong when a massive fatal multi-car crash closed both lanes of I-40 and we were stuck for many hours, making the plane with minutes to spare.

 

On the ship, we got an upgrade from a balcony to an Ocean Suite. When I grabbed the upgrade (there were like 2 suites left) I ended up on 9, with a giant white awning on 8 obstructing our view, and a little too close-for-comfort to the outside smoking area. I was able to move the room, but unfortunately I believe the new room ALSO has an ugly white awning, plus possible noise from the Havana Club which we are right over. As we are night owls, we decided chance of noise better than chance of smoke, but I’m not going to lie, I’m a little nervous about the room.

 

We were also disappointed with the switch from San Juan to Nassau last week, but we are making the best of it and excited for a non-Carnival walking food tour; I’ll be sure to report back!

 

OK, off to do last minute packing. I realized this trip how much of the heavy stuff my husband usually carries in HIS suitcase. My suitcase feels like a brick, but its 44 pounds so OK to fly (and how much will I personally have to wheel it around?)

[TNcruising02]

I will definitely be reading along during the cruise, when I have some free time.  We are on the same cruise, so it will be interesting to read about your perspective and experiences.  We arrived today and took an Uber from the Orlando airport to the Homewood Suites at Port Canaveral.  It went smoothly. 

Have a great cruise!

[TravelBluebird]

7 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

I will definitely be reading along during the cruise, when I have some free time.  We are on the same cruise, so it will be interesting to read about your perspective and experiences.  We arrived today and took an Uber from the Orlando airport to the Homewood Suites at Port Canaveral.  It went smoothly. 

Have a great cruise!

 

Good to hear your travel day went smoothly! You have a great cruise too, and I’ll see you onboard!

[z_cruisers]

Wow, I cant wait to see what you and your daughter think of cruising in the suite! So nice you are able to do this together! Thank you for sharing!

[TravelBluebird]

24 minutes ago, z_cruisers said:

Wow, I cant wait to see what you and your daughter think of cruising in the suite! So nice you are able to do this together! Thank you for sharing!

 

You are welcome, and I’ll definitely let you know how we like the Ocean Suite! I love photography and writing and she’s an artist and I think we’ll really like having a separate area to sit in and be creative when we want.

Edited February 25, 2022 by TravelBluebird

[lazydayz]

We tested negative too and are so excited for Saturday and the Mardi Gras. Going to be interesting being on a nearly full ship.  

[TravelBluebird]

37 minutes ago, lazydayz said:

We tested negative too and are so excited for Saturday and the Mardi Gras. Going to be interesting being on a nearly full ship.  

 Congrats, and indeed!  It will be nice to see a nearly full ship; makes me feel like cruising is truly BACK and maybe (just maybe) the worse of the pandemic is behind us. That said, I know lots of us have been spoiled by no crowds on ships since last Summer!

[DGNewton]

Screw all the carp - let's cruise this weekend!  Both of us negative - be at the port at check in time 10am!

 

If your sick stay home, if not, join the crowd!

 

I hope everyone is mostly respectful on board.

[KmomChicago]

Thanks for bringing us along!! I miss that ship!

[JaniceB]

Can't wait to follow along as I board next Saturday.  

[TravelBluebird]

All my bags are packed and I’m ready to go!  🎼

 

Yes, I broke out in song this morning to my husband; with emphasis on the “Already I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.”. I did musical theater for years so this is not as weird as it sounds, and my hubby has really been moping the last couple days that he’s not on the trip!

 

I packed a 45 pound 4-wheel check-in bag, my under-the-seat-in-front-of-me-black-bag (also with wheels) and my cross-body purse. May seem like a lot but I have to haul camera equipment and electronics for blogging etc.  Plus, maybe I like to play dress up on the ship a little!

 

Everything looks on time so far; daughter in California is already in the air!

[d-train]

Thanks for sharing your vacation with us!

So looking forward to seeing MG in June!

[lazydayz]

OP, Safe travels to you and your daughter.  

[TravelBluebird]

At the airport!  I love TYS Knoxville’s small airport!  Curb to gate, with check-in luggage,  in 7 minutes and that was with having to have special security pat-down for my replaced knee!  Still—I get to the airport 2 hours prior to flight… just in case. Hubby thinks I’m crazy to arrive so early, but it keeps my anxiety down.  
 

Quick stop in gift shop for a bottle of water, then to Starbucks for my Low Carb Brunch of Champions—Bacon Egg Bites and a dry no sweetener cappuccino!  Have a whole gate to myself, eating, blogging  and no mask—very nice!

 

Next Stop Atlanta!

[mkcurran]

Have fun!!

[TravelBluebird]

Oh board!  Full, full flight. Gate personnel announcements through the masks were kinda useless (mumble mumble...).  

 

I am currently adjusting to flying with Delta after about 700,000 miles on United. When I lived in California, United was the best choice with the most flights. Now, living in the South, if I want to fly to Florida on United, I need to fly backwards to DC or Houston first. Not going to happen; in case of connection problems I want to be closer to the port not further away.  Delta goes through, of course, Atlanta.

 

I, of course, miss the United Frequent Flyer program and priority everything, but so far Delta has been great. 

[peteandpris]

Thank you for your review looking forward to your cruise. Have fun.

 

[jbhcw]

Following!  Thanks for taking us along!

[Kanyon71]

25 minutes ago, TravelBluebird said:

Oh board!  Full, full flight. Gate personnel announcements through the masks were kinda useless (mumble mumble...).  

 

I am currently adjusting to flying with Delta after about 700,000 miles on United. When I lived in California, United was the best choice with the most flights. Now, living in the South, if I want to fly to Florida on United, I need to fly backwards to DC or Houston first. Not going to happen; in case of connection problems I want to be closer to the port not further away.  Delta goes through, of course, Atlanta.

 

I, of course, miss the United Frequent Flyer program and priority everything, but so far Delta has been great. 

Delta is a pretty good airline. I switched to them after American cut out some routes I used to fly for work all the time.