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

[sid_9169]

I'll give you twenty bucks to mail me a Shaq's Big Chicken sandwich...

[Hogladyrider]

Following....the party has started!

[Jamman54]

Looking forward to this review. We'll be on her for a B2B in April. 

[SNJCruisers]

I miss Delta.  In a previous life long long ago (1988-1994) I accumulated 1.7 million miles with them.  Sat up front all the time after achieving status.  Use American nowadays.

Enjoy the Mardi Gras.  Remember to go to Chibang for a noodle broth bowl on one of the 3 at sea days between 12 and 2.  Also, Emeril's has beignets for 5.00.  Not open for lunch on port days.

[ninjacat123]

1 hour ago, sid_9169 said:

I'll give you twenty bucks to mail me a Shaq's Big Chicken sandwich...

I'm staying in Las Vegas mid April and I am extra happy because there is a Big Chicken there!!

[TravelBluebird]

1 hour ago, sid_9169 said:

I'll give you twenty bucks to mail me a Shaq's Big Chicken sandwich...

 

Well, it might arrive a bit cold, but that would cover priority postage! 😂

 

Definitely looking forward to trying Shaq’s!

[TravelBluebird]

I’m in Atlanta! Long layover (on purpose so I arrive when daughter does in Orlando). 

 

When I arrive, I’m at the C gates. I’m like, holy heck, when did the Atlanta airport get this nice! Gleaming, pretty, big gates, sushi, wow! Last time I was at Atlanta airport was 20 years ago and wasn’t supposed to be here...Delta had “no record” of my family’s tickets leaving Italy...then missed connection in NY, then ended up in Atlanta...at end of that trip I swore never again Delta, but I’m letting bygones be bygones now that I live in the South!

 

I take the subway train to the A gates (wow this is a big airport...there were A,B,C,D,E,F and T gates!) and realize my mistake immediately upon entering the A gate area.  This is a non-renovated gate area; very crowded, the small places to eat mostly don’t have a place to sit; not a lot of plugs.  I should have hung out at the C gates. Decide to make the best of it, the roomiest place to sit and eat and not have my mask on for 3 hours is the Atlanta Bread & Bar.  Decide to eat again (even though I swore I wouldn’t) and get the chicken wings with side sauce and celery and carrots (very expensive $16.00 I am not used to inflationary prices at all). And a Diet Coke (I’ll miss these on the ship; not a Pepsi fan). Very good; still on my low-carb diet!  

 

Next you hear from me I’ll be in Orlando or Cocoa Beach! Thanks everyone for following my LIVE!

 

 

 

 

[TNcruising02]

You're almost there (here).  Thankfully, the weather is good today so you don't have to worry about that impacting your connecting flight.

[TravelBluebird]

17 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

You're almost there (here).  Thankfully, the weather is good today so you don't have to worry about that impacting your connecting flight.

 

Yes; that is a good thing!  And partially cloudy and calm in Atlanta.

 

Courtyard Marriott at Cocoa Beach just called me to offer me a free upgrade to an OceanView King if we didn’t need Queen beds. Sadly, we need to two Queen beds because sleep for us is more important than view/nicer room, and I’ll be tossing and turning tonight I’m sure! 

[TNcruising02]

Just now, TravelBluebird said:

 

Yes; that is a good thing!  And partially cloudy and calm in Atlanta.

 

Courtyard Marriott at Cocoa Beach just called me to offer me a free upgrade to an OceanView King if we didn’t need Queen beds. Sadly, we need to two Queen beds because sleep for us is more important than view/nicer room, and I’ll be tossing and turning tonight I’m sure! 

It's nice to at least have an offer!  We are at Homewood Suites and very excited about boarding the ship tomorrow.

[ninjacat123]

49 minutes ago, TravelBluebird said:

 

That's my low carb go to!

[TravelBluebird]

Seat at gate has plug! This is great because I’ll need my phone charged to call the Uber at MCO!

 

This is the first time I’ve been at an airport since the start of pandemic whete many people not wearing masks at gates.  At my gate now about 50%!  
 

Not crowded at my gate at the moment and I’m seated alone in corner so it’s OK—I just don’t want to bring airport-acquired COVID on the ship!

[ninjacat123]

If you are in Port Canaveral the day before embarkation and have time, check out Rikki Tiki Tavern at the end of Cocoa Beach Pier. I should be getting a commission🤣.  Yummy food, great drinks while watching surfers.  When I had dinner there I stayed on low carb with the seared ahi tuna👍

[TravelBluebird]

2 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

I miss Delta.  In a previous life long long ago (1988-1994) I accumulated 1.7 million miles with them.  Sat up front all the time after achieving status.  Use American nowadays.

Enjoy the Mardi Gras.  Remember to go to Chibang for a noodle broth bowl on one of the 3 at sea days between 12 and 2.  Also, Emeril's has beignets for 5.00.  Not open for lunch on port days.

 Wow that’s a lot of flying!!!I definitely want to try Chibang for lunch and also the Emeril’s beignets! There are a few things I am going to cheat on my low-carb diet for, and those are two of them. Plus chocolate melting cake with vanilla ice cream on the first night to celebrate my just-passed birthday!

[TravelBluebird]

47 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

If you are in Port Canaveral the day before embarkation and have time, check out Rikki Tiki Tavern at the end of Cocoa Beach Pier. I should be getting a commission🤣.  Yummy food, great drinks while watching surfers.  When I had dinner there I stayed on low carb with the seared ahi tuna👍

That looks AMAZING—proper way to start the vacation!! NO set plans; we’ll figure it out in the Uber on the way to the hotel!

 

On board plane #2!   No more will-we-get there anxiety!  

[SNJCruisers]

20 minutes ago, TravelBluebird said:

 Plus chocolate melting cake with vanilla ice cream on the first night to celebrate my just-passed birthday!

My DW had her melting cake on the second elegant night with peanut butter on the side.  She said it took it up a notch.  We only went to the MDR for dinner on the four elegant nights and the first elegant night of each week had creme brulee.

[TravelBluebird]

29 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

My DW had her melting cake on the second elegant night with peanut butter on the side.  She said it took it up a notch.  We only went to the MDR for dinner on the four elegant nights and the first elegant night of each week had creme brulee.

 Wait, you can add MORE yummy calories to the chocolate melting cake?   I must consider it. Birthday dessert calories don’t count!!  We are only planning MDR 3 nights tops—first night so DD can get the lay of the land (her first cruise) and the 2 Elegant nights, especially with Chibang and Cucina free, plus we have Rudi’s reservations!

[lazydayz]

In Cocoa yet?  I am finally done with work and starting to pack! 

[vettprincess]

I hope you all sailing this coming week have a wonderful time and great weather.

We are sailing on the 50th anniv cruise. Discussion with a family member about how dressy this anniv. cruise will be. We do like to dress up but not sure and wondering if this cruise would be more formal with more festivities or the usual shorts and t-shirts in the MDR and restaurants. Any guesses out there?

Thanks

[Cscomedygrl]

Have a great cruise. Can't wait to read along! 

[tree.critter]

We’re boarding with you tomorrow for a BTB on Mardi Gras also. Will follow along with you here too. 

 

 

[TravelBluebird]

3 hours ago, vettprincess said:

I hope you all sailing this coming week have a wonderful time and great weather.

We are sailing on the 50th anniv cruise. Discussion with a family member about how dressy this anniv. cruise will be. We do like to dress up but not sure and wondering if this cruise would be more formal with more festivities or the usual shorts and t-shirts in the MDR and restaurants. Any guesses out there?

Thanks

I think that you will have lots of veteran Carnival cruisers along for the big Sailabration! So, my guess is that the formal dinners at least will be dressier, as will evenings a little more than usual. I mean, it IS a special occassion!

[TravelBluebird]

28 minutes ago, tree.critter said:

We’re boarding with you tomorrow for a BTB on Mardi Gras also. Will follow along with you here too. 

 

 

 

See you aboard!

[TravelBluebird]

So our dinner wasn’t what we planned (we HAD planned to find a fun restaurant to start off our vacation with a bang!

 

But daughter woke up at 3am California time to travel to her first airport. Our meet up at the airport was flawless; we met in the giant MCO lobby right before the shuttle to baggage claim, and our planes landed within 10 minutes of each other!  Took quite awhile to get my bag (good thing Delta messages you when your bag is loaded onto the plane, because I was beginning to think mine didn’t make it.  Bags in hand, we called our Uber and went right outside to the Uber pick-up spot.  Got a driver right away...said 10 minutes. BUT the traffic evidently was crawling and it took her closer to 25-30 minutes to pick us up. And then the long drive to Cocoa Beach.

 

We didn’t get to the hotel (Courtyard Marriott Cocoa Beach) till nearly 9pm! Tired, cranky and very hungry (the very definition of hangry!) we asked the lady at the desk if there was a good place to get take out. There was ,and we ended up with yummy eggplant parmesan, which came with garlic, spaghetti, and we upgraded to the mini greek and chopped salads. I skipped the bread and spaghetti, and the hangry-s were banished.

 

Hotel seems fine; nice lobby, food available (order from a counter; was closing at 9), mini sundries store; the usual for a Courtyard. Big rooms, nice soft Marriott beds, and a great balcony overlooking a nicely landscaped pool area! I’ll grab some pics in the morning before we leave.

 

Daughter is well-traveled but has never cruised. Over dinner I was like “ask me anything” about cruising. Best part was when her eyes got big and she said WAIT, the food is INCLUDED? 😂 She also definitely wants to try Bingo (who knew Gen Z liked that?)

 

Daughter is already sleeping; I’m going to call it a night soon too! So excited; tomorrow we BOARD!

[vettprincess]

54 minutes ago, TravelBluebird said:

I think that you will have lots of veteran Carnival cruisers along for the big Sailabration! So, my guess is that the formal dinners at least will be dressier, as will evenings a little more than usual. I mean, it IS a special occassion!

Thank you very much for your response. That is what I thought so now reporting back to the family! We hope you have a wonderful cruise and your daughter gets hooked on cruising.

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by vettprincess
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