Mardi Gras
Boarding the Carnival Mardi Gras in Port Canaveral was a smooth process as they still had the spaced-out boarding times in June 2022. Although they had gotten past the lower occupancy rates of the COVID days by this cruise, with just over 6100 customers on board, we were officially sold out on this cruise. The Mardi Gras is the first ship in the America’s to be powered by eco-friendly Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and is also the only ship in the world with a real roller coaster on board for guests to enjoy for $15 for 3 laps. This ship is without a doubt the biggest and most beautiful ship in the Carnival fleet. The Mardi Gras offers a lot of fun for the young and young at heart.
The Seaside Theater is a the huge LED theater screen across the front of the pool deck suspended in air, where one can enjoy several drinks at the only 2 story high Red Frog Pub pool bar in the Carnival Fleet can be found here on the New Carnival Mardi Gras. Speaking of drinks, this ship offers plenty of bar options from the now famous Alchemy Bar To Tequila Bars, Rum Bars, Piano and so on. Plenty of options for hosting your groups cocktail parties.
This ship offers a great vibe and has a lot going on with music and dancing. The stateroom we had this week was a Balcony Cabin on the Lido Deck and it was great. All the staterooms have a blue and grey ocean decor which blended well. The room offered comfortable accommodations with plenty of storage and comfortable firm mattresses as well as a roomy balcony. The bathroom offered an enclosed shower with plenty of storage space and lighting.
Carnival’s Fun Officer Shaquille O’Neal debuted his first Big Chicken restaurant on the Mardi Gras, and it offers various types of Breaded Chicken and is complimentary with your cruise fare. The Pig and Anchor smokehouse is a popular place on the Mardi Gras for getting various smoked meats to eat and is also complimentary with your paid cruise fare. There is also of course the Main Lido Deck Buffet which is large with a great variety of options. Famous Chef Emeril Lagasse also put his fingerprint on the Mardi Gras with has Emeril’s Bistro on the Promenade deck which offers an a la carte menu. Chef Guy Fieri’s – Guys Burger Joint with its huge toppings bar has made its appearance on the pool deck of the Mardi Gras and is very popular for grabbing a fresh burger and fries poolside. Room service is available 24 hours a day on the Mardi Gras and while breakfast is complimentary on the room service menu from 6am to 10am there is a small fee for room service after that.
The Main Dining Rooms were all decorated nicely but remember that this entire ship has that Mardi Gras theme in most decorations. I found the main dining rooms having a decent number of new nightly dinner options along with the standard Carnival fare menu. Entertainment is nothing short on the Mardi Gras at night and can be found everywhere! From the main theater with some great shows as well as Mardi Gras Parade’s with floats and characters dressed up marching along the promenade at different times of the week. To the bars along the walkway: The Piano Bar which is a signature on all Carnival ships was always fun and always very busy. Live Music plays throughout the ship in various venues and this ship is fun!! The Casino offered all the fun card games as well as Roulette and Craps and stay open late into the night in typical Carnival fashion. The slots selection was nice and had a lot of the newest and most sought-after slot machines.
My final take on the Mardi Gras? The Carnival Mardi Gras is a BRAND NEW & HUGE ship that offers a lot of space and would be a great option for your groups with plenty to do and ample meeting space. I wouldn’t count this Carnival ship out at all for your incentive groups. It offers endless entertainment and a lot of flare and fun if you don’t mind letting your hair down some.
Written by Kurt Budde on October 19th, 2022.
