Mardi Gras Questions

[EL Pitman]

To date, we have only cruised Conquest Class.  I'm quite excited about going on the Mardi Gras while  my autistic hubby is in panic mode.  He has many questions, some I'm hoping someone can help me out with.  I could have sworn I saw somewhere that there is a deli, that was open late, allowing for late night snacking.  I cannot seem to find it again.  Is there a sandwich deli?  Is there a Pizza Pirate along with the Pizza Del Capitano?  

 

When on the Conquest Class, this board gave me the ultimate embarkation tip, the "hidden" BBQ place that is usually empty when you get on the ship.  Is there any such place on the Mardi Gras?  Also, are there any other tips & tricks you know about?

 

Thank you in advance!

[Knights on the Beach]

The deli is called Piazza Panini and it's located on deck 8 next to Pizza Del Capitano which is the only pizza place onboard. The deli is open until 10:00 pm but pizza is open until 4:00 am. There's a late night buffet in Guy's Pig & Anchor (which is where lunch and dinner are served daily). The lunch buffet is inside P&A on Mardi Gras, not on an outside deck like on some other ships. Dinner is table service.

[ninjacat123]

I found the Havana Bar area to be quiet but this was back in October 2021.  Food-wise don't miss Big Chicken, Emeril's (upcharge but soooo yummy) Street Eatz (selections change daily) and the gelato near the shawarma station on Lido.  Carnival also has sensitivity kits that could help your DH. Have a wonderful cruise!!

[dbrucern]

1 hour ago, EL Pitman said:

To date, we have only cruised Conquest Class.  I'm quite excited about going on the Mardi Gras while  my autistic hubby is in panic mode.  He has many questions, some I'm hoping someone can help me out with.  I could have sworn I saw somewhere that there is a deli, that was open late, allowing for late night snacking.  I cannot seem to find it again.  Is there a sandwich deli?  Is there a Pizza Pirate along with the Pizza Del Capitano?  

 

When on the Conquest Class, this board gave me the ultimate embarkation tip, the "hidden" BBQ place that is usually empty when you get on the ship.  Is there any such place on the Mardi Gras?  Also, are there any other tips & tricks you know about?

 

Thank you in advance!

The Deli and Pizza are located on deck 8 at the back of the ship right before Guest Services, Summer Landing and the back elevators. Don't forget that inside Summer Landing one side is the Pig and Anchor and if you go to the right and out the side doors they have a BBQ available (free) on embarkation day, They also have a light breakfast there every morning

Edited March 9 by dbrucern

[KaiBlue]

When we get on an excel class ship, we head straight to Big Chicken since we really enjoy those and they aren't available on many ships.  Java Blue Cafe has a grab and go section to the left of the counter where they will have a limited selection of items throughout the day (no upcharge).  I stopped there quite often to get a bowl of granola (love Carnival's granola) and fruit for breakfast or to save later for a snack.  A few non-food tips - seems to us that on these larger ships the mid-ship elevators can have a pretty big wait time.  We would just walk to the forward or aft elevators and then had no problem.  If you are into comedy, the line will start to form before the show and you might be thinking you won't get in but the space actually holds a lot of people.  And the shows in the Grand Central atrium section do fill up well before the show and you will want to make sure you get a decent seat (the sight lines are very limited on some of the seats).  

[Hoosierpop]

The pig and anchor on deck 8 is usually not busy on embarkation day. We head there right after muster drill.

[Frank12]

Keep in mind that when you first board it will seem very crowded. This is mostly because everybody is looking for food or a drink and not all of the venues are open when you first board.

Tell your hubby not to panic like I did!  After a few hours everything calms down.  There are so many options for food and drink the ship never really felt crowded for the rest of the cruise....until time to debark of course!😜😡

[Frank12]

7 minutes ago, Hoosierpop said:

The pig and anchor on deck 8 is usually not busy on embarkation day. We head there right after muster drill.

Our favorite place to hang out on the MG!

[EL Pitman]

Thank you all so much for all of your help and suggestions!  We set sail in September, so I may be back with more questions!

[BrentD]

On 3/9/2024 at 8:40 AM, ninjacat123 said:

Carnival also has sensitivity kits that could help your DH. Have a wonderful cruise!!

Had no idea about this! We have twin boys and are taking them on their first cruise aboard the Mardi Gras next month. One has some sensory issues, and while he is crushing it on coping with them lately, it’s always an uncertainty for us when it comes to something so new and overwhelming. So I’m glad I stumbled upon your comment! 

[EL Pitman]

10 minutes ago, BrentD said:

One has some sensory issues, and while he is crushing it on coping with them lately, it’s always an uncertainty for us when it comes to something so new and overwhelming.

Dont you just love it when they overcome something?  My daughter is also autistic and she has become quite independent, exceeding everything "they" said she'd be able to do.  Our family mascot is the flying pig.  People will say something will happen when pigs fly?  Well pigs regularly fly around out house!!!

[BrentD]

12 minutes ago, EL Pitman said:

Dont you just love it when they overcome something?  My daughter is also autistic and she has become quite independent, exceeding everything "they" said she'd be able to do.  Our family mascot is the flying pig.  People will say something will happen when pigs fly?  Well pigs regularly fly around out house!!!

Yes! Our boys are 5 and start kindergarten in the fall (but let’s not talk about that for now… 😥). Occupational therapy has worked wonders and has him trying new things each week. And brother is sweet and helpful with him when he needs, too (but they are both very clearly brother-like in their fighting…lol).  Both of them are super excited about our trip and have been constantly requesting more YouTube videos about “our ship”. They are going to flip when they see how big the things are in person. We are a little under a month out now and they request a countdown update from the app on a daily basis now. 🐖🪽

Edited March 11 by BrentD

[CruizinSusan70]

There are three elevator banks on board.  The aft set has 6 elevators, while the middle and forward banks each have 8.  The middle set can be very busy at times and the aft set is usually the best, even though it has two less elevators.  Know this from sailing on the Excel Class ships for 61 days between the MG and the Celebration.