NWACruiser

Maya Key was the excursion.  The boat ride was about 20 minutes.  In the photo with the airport, Maya Key was in the background

 

We did a 2 week Hawaii cruise on the Miracle.  The shows were quite good.  

Hang in there.  It is just a small break in a long journey (pun intended).  I hope all goes well, and before you head back to the US, you get a chance to see Cartagena.

Last Day of the Cruise

We woke up in the morning and had to figure out a way to get my damp mai-tai scented dress pants packed without getting the rest of the stuff smelling the same.  It was going to be a busy day getting packed, and taking in all the adventures of the day.

 

This guy was waiting for us after breakfast.

 

 

 

For lunch, we had to go back to Chibang! and say goodbye for now to our new friend Ni Komang.  She was so tickled that her cousin's friends from the states stopped by.  

 

Tonight was the Platinum and Diamond show in the Mardi Gras Theater

 

 

 

 

Chris led the ceremonies.

 

 

Youngest and oldest Diamonds.

 

We were just outside Miami at this point in the day.

 

Baked Alaska was the dessert of the night

 

Had to say goodbye to old and new friends.

 

 

 

 

Broadway Beats Show

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was the end of the cruise and we had to make one last visit to a few of the hangouts before heading home.

 

The Mardi Gras is a great ship, and will have a few unique features that will not be present on any of the other new ships of this class.  The New Orleans theme appears to be just on this ship including Emeril's The Celebration will have in its place a Miami based theme.  As of this time, Cucina, Chibang and P&A will continue to be free of charge permanently.  As these new ships evolve, it will be interesting what new features they add.  

 

One feature on the ship that needs to go fleet wide is Big Chicken.  That was definitely better than Guy's Burgers and should be easy to work in during dry docks.  

 

A few suggestions that could help the new ships:

1. In the main theater, install cup holders like you have at the theater.  
2. Switch the Kleenex and toilet paper dispensers.  They are placed incorrectly to say the least.
3. Guy's P&A needs a combination of hickory and mesquite wood in their smoking.  KC style beans would be a big plus.
4. Open Chibang, P&A and Cucina to all guests at 5:30 giving priority to anytime diners, or use the upper level of the MDR for anytime dining.  I think the issues were around the capacity of the Flamingo was small in comparison to the number of anytime diners.
5. Restock Grab n Go by the Java Blue Café because the morning rush clears it quickly.  

 

I hope you enjoyed my review.  There are two more in the works.  The Vista and the Miracle to Hawaii.

 

 

Sea Day #2 Improv night at Sam's Piano Bar

 

Today was the first of two days heading back to Port Canaveral.  It was a formal night and little did we know the events that would happen this evening. 

 

The day was a typical day in the Caribbean.  The seas were relatively calm, the sun was shining and it looked like it would be a great day to unwind.

 

We had breakfast in the MDR and came back to see this critter in the cabin.

 

It was bingo day and today had a great prize.  If you were the lucky one.

The winner of the third game gets a chance to pop a balloon for cash.  

 

Numbers going down and finally BINGO was called...

 

Twice.  The two people shared the prize.

 

After Bingo, we got ready for dinner and had some time to listen to New Age Violin Trio play in the Brass Magnolia Bar.

 

 

The MDR show was great as usual.  

 

Lots of dancing in the aisles tonight.

 

Our head waiter.

 

After dinner, we wandered through the ship and wound up in the casino for a bit before I headed to the piano bar.  The bar was sold out tonight, but someone held a table for me and I was able to slip in.

 

It was improv-night for sure.  The PBE was not feeling too well, and all the other entertainers joined in to keep the bar going. 

 

Chris serenaded us again on the cruise.  Owen filled in as a guest musician.  

 

It was sort of open-mic night as Alex joined in for a few songs.  

 

You did not know what was going to happen...  The comedians Jason Blanchard and Billy Washington were also there. Billy played a few songs on the piano, and sang.  He could really lay down the blues.  It really turned into one of the most interesting nights in a piano bar that I can remember.  All the entertainers joined together to help out.  

 

The table that I was able to slip into, was right by the door.  It was not the best seat, but was the only one available.  Our pizza guy brought a bunch of pizzas to help absorb some of the liquid refreshments.  Jennifer brought my usual mai-tai and I set it down on the table.  Owen had just finished up and was heading out.  He saw me and stopped to chat for awhile.  Then he was recalled to the stage.  He opened his guitar case and set it between the table and door.  Now think a bit... the case was between the door and where people walked.  The bar staff was running like crazy to keep up with the crows.  I just had a few sips of my mai-tai when someone leaving struck the guitar case with his foot.  Owen did not zip the case closed, and all his stuff wound up falling onto the floor while the case knocked my mai-tai over.  The mai-tai did not end up on the floor.  I was wearing it. The pizza was on the floor though.

 

Jennifer came over to help clean up the area and I made sure all of Owen's stuff went back into his case, and it was zipped closed and it was out of the way.  (Remember it was formal night, too)  I was glad I dropped my jacket off at the cabin before we headed to the casino.  Anyhow my wife was not happy thinking I had drank too much and just smelled like mai-tais.  Then she realized that I was just wearing it.  

 

Anyhow, thanks to all the entertainers on the cruise, we had a great night in the piano bar.

 

Jennifer and Aleksandra were great barkeepers in the piano bar.  

 

Next:  Last day on the ship before heading home.

Interesting comments were made.  It appears the moral of the story is simple:  When you are on a ship, it really does not matter which ship you are on.  it is up to you to make the best of it.  

 

While the different lines have different entertainment, the crew members across the line work their butts off to make your vacation pleasurable. 

 

What I find interesting is the response you get when you ask a crew member about their homelife.  It just seems to make their day.  Many said crew members are now friends, and have actually met up with some of them on different cruises.  

 

Keep this thread going.  

A friend of mine posted on a comment about cruising that it really does not matter what ship you are on but that you are on a ship.  He commented that it does, because <his favorite line> treats their passengers better.  I have cruised on <my favorite cruise line> and <another cruise line> and I have found that every cruise I have been on has been fantastic.  I have not met any real problem crew members on any cruise that I can remember.  Given I have not been on his favorite line, but the treatment I have gotten from the two lines I have been on, I cannot imagine how well they must treat their guests on the line I have not been on.

 

My question for people who have been on multiple lines, and be honest, is there a big difference between how passengers are treated on certain lines over others?

Isla Roatan, Maya Key and Restocking Coconut Rum

 

There was a big reason to use this destination as a part of the decision to book the cruise.  The last time we were in Isla Roatan, we stopped in the pier's shops and sampled some local rum.  Granted I am not as much of a rum connoisseur (other than mixing), I was astonished by the smoothness of this rum I sampled.  I compared it to Malibu, and Malibu became my mixer.  Roatan Distillery Rum became my sipping rum. It is distilled on the Island and we found out, it is only sold on the island.  Our two bottles had to be stretched out, as we were not able to get it other than cruising to this island.

 

https://roatan.online/roatan-rum-company

 

The day started out a little cloudy and it seemed like rain was a possibility.  Our plans were to stop at the store where we bought the rum the last time and get more before heading to Maya Key.  Unfortunately, we were a little behind the times, and would have to browse, but not buy.  

 

Old Picture

 

We headed off the ship and started the long climb up the mountain.  We made it to the main shop as you start going uphill.  We were in a hurry , but I did a quick scan for the rum.  Crapola,  I did not see any RRC rum sold in the store.  We had to get to the excursion meeting point and it was a long way uphill.  Off we went and met up with the excursion leaders.

 

We scuttled into a small boat along with 100 of our closest friends.  Not sure if there were that many, but we were shoulder to shoulder in this boat that will take us to Maya Key.

 

But we made it to the island.  I did not know much about the island, but I wished I had known a little more.  They have a lot of orphaned animals  there that you can see.  There is also a nice reef right off the beach.  It is not big by any means and one can traverse it easily.  

 

They are sure to keep guests informed as to when your ship is heading out.  

 

The Independence of the Seas was also in port

 

Shallow swim area by the beach... 

 

But at the end of the pier is the reef, and it drops quickly.

 

Plenty of private lounges to relax in.

 

 

 

Had to get into the water.  

 

Met a couple who was on the other ship.  They said it was practically empty.

 

Low flying aircraft.  The airport is next to the island.

 

 

Mangroves.

 

The Mardi Gras from the mangroves.

 

Bird sanctuary

 

 

 

 

Cats

 

 

 

 

It was time for lunch.

The food was excellent.  The sea bass was fresh and delicious.  

 

A dip in the pool before heading back was refreshing.

 

A quick cooling drink before leaving. 

 

Waiting for guests to come back to be taken to the Royal Caribbean ship.

 

At the end of the excursion, we headed back to the pier to get the rum.  Since I bought the first bottles at the one at the bottom of the hill, I went down the mountain to see if they really had it.  They did not.  But at the top of the hill, and at the far end of the shops is a market that may have it.  Back up the hill I went, and headed to the market.  Yes they had it.  No they did not take anything but CASH.  Back down the hill I went and headed to the cabin, got some cash, back out and up the mountain I went and we got two bottles of coconut rum...  We were replenished!

 

Back to the ship to drop off the two bottles, a shower, and a bit of time to relax.  

 

He was waiting for us to get back to the cabin

 

It is a short pier, but it does not reflect the climb up the hill to the top.

 

Carnival's beach area is free to Carnival guests and crew to use.

 

The chair lift is not free, and is available for a nominal day-pass.

 

We were in the flight path of the airport.

 

Dinner tonight wound up being at Emeril's. 

 

The food was excellent and the upcharge was little compared to what you got.  

 

 

After dinner, we stopped at the Brass Magnolia bar for a drink and listen to some great jazz music.

 

 

Lulu was great.  She was funny and gave us great recommendations for what to try.

 

Sometimes an additional musician sat in (as from the Backyard Boys)

 

New Wave Trio was playing at the Fortune Teller Bar.

 

It was just a completely relaxing day and was a lot of fun (except the exercise I got going up and down the mountain multiple times).

 

We closed the ship and since everyone was asleep when we were done, I had to captain the ship.  No, but by the time we crashed for the night, there were few people up.  After all tomorrow is a sea day.

 

Next:  Great lunch, and the wildest night ever in a piano bar..

Enjoy it.  I know a person who does tours independently of Carnival.  She does a great job.  

You will be blown away by the cruise through the canal.  I did it coming from the west to the east.  

 

Also, do you have plans for Cartagena?

I apologize if my videos are shaky, I did not have a tripod with me.

 

 

Chris William's Show

 Let's see if it posts.

 

 

Entertainment Deluxe Night

I tried to post this once, and it failed to post.  So I will try to recreate it as best as I can.  I had a few videos included, and maybe that is why the post failed to load.  I will leave them out in this version.

 

After dinner, we headed to the Grand Atrium for the evening's entertainment.  It was Deal or No Deal night and we were anxious to see how it is done.  we picked up our cards and found seats toward the back of the atrium.  

 

First up was New Age Violin Trio.

 

Ely

 

Virginia

 

Dani -  The leader of the pack.

 

They were excellent to say the least.  I had a video of them playing, but I will not try to upload it here.

 

Now it was time for:

DEAL or NO DEAL

The game cards have  20 pull-tabs representing one each of 20 suitcases. The audience gets to pull the tab and check to see if they match the suitcase's value of the contestant. If you have the same value in the tab as the contestant's chosen suitcase, then you have a match.  If you match more than once in a game you get a prize.  The same card is used for both games of the evening.

 

There is a bar below the tabs, that has a number in it.  If your number is drawn, then you are the contestant for the game.  

 

Jessica C was up first.  

 

Howie (boy does he look a lot different) has to deal with that mean, nasty, banker who wants nothing but to ruin the contestant's night.

 

The contestant has to choose to take the deal or continue.

 

Jessica needs to make a choice,  the banker's pitiful deal, or no deal.

 

She is trying to calm the banker down.

 

Jessica had fun playing, but the banker won in the end.

 

The next contestant was put in the same predicament.

 

She has to choose the banker's low-ball deal or no deal.

 

Howie pleads with the banker, but for little help.

 

Will she take the deal?  The family tells her what to do.

 

She eventually gets a raw deal by the banker.  The banker was two-for-two tonight.

 

We met a member of the fun squad Maddie.  She was a blast, and full of life.

 

Maybe she was given an appropriate name?  (More on Maddie later)

 

Georgia introduces the evenings highlight:

 

Chris "The Flying Scotsman" Williams' Favorite Hits Show

 

We got to know a lot about the Cruise Director, Chris, but tonight we were blown away by his voice.  I had a video of several songs, but it failed to upload.   Taker my word, he is awesome as a singer.

 

 

He did everything from AC/DC, Elvis, to Scottish ballads.

 

Awesome guy.  We were not disappointed with him as a cruise director.

 

Chris made the evening a total blast and it was the highlight of the cruise, almost.

 

We had great bar service in the atrium.

 

Next up:  Isla Roatan and how we restocked our rum supply.

Costa Maya

We have never been to Costa Maya, and really had no clue as to where to go or what to see.  It became a wing it day.  We were in port early, and were docked by the time we were up and around.  

It is a long walk from the ship to the port.

 

 

 

There are shuttles available, though

 

 

There is a little security present in the port.

 

 

Entry into the port is neat, though.

 

 

 

We wandered around the port to get an idea what there is to do in the port, versus taking an excursion somewhere.  

 

They have a great pool available for passengers.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flamingoes abound in the port area.

 

It is a long walk down the pier to the port, and back.

 

We decided to stop for a bite for lunch.

 

It seemed like the service was slow, to say the least.

 

I finally went to the bar and grabbed a couple cokes to quench our thirst.

 

We never were served, and we decided once we finished our cokes, we were going to head back to the ship for lunch.

 

We took our time heading back.

 

 

When we got back to the cabin, we had a visitor.

 

It was time to give Shaq's Big Chicken a try.  Sorry I have no food porn to show.  The sandwiches did not have time to pose.  They were consumed quickly.  

 

Next: A big show this evening

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karmen Cartagena is great.  She is a friend of mine and will take you all over the city.  Do a search for her on Google.  https://karmencartagena.negocio.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral for a link.  Also check her FB page for details.  I also have a review of our day with Karmen below.

 

 

 

Will be on the Valor in September.  Can you show pictures of the ship?

 

Cozumel, Mexico

Let's see, we have been to Cozumel once on the Ecstasy and three times on the Dream, so we are just a little familiar with the island.  This will be the fifth time we will be in Cozumel.  We decided to do something different this time.  More on this shortly

 

It was one of those days when the rain could come any minute.  Since we had plenty of time before we arrived in Cozumel, we went to the Palm Restaurant for breakfast.   After breakfast, we went to the cabin to watch the ship enter Cozumel and dock. 

 

 

We had a fair amount of timer before our excursion, so we wandered off the ship and did the usual walk through the port shops and browsed a bit.  We had time to chat with locals about how everything has been with the pandemic and what it has been like.  It was a definite struggle for anyone dependent on tourism.  

 

 

Then it was time to do our excursion

 

We did Tabasco's Chef Maestro, Cooking & Tasting as a change of pace.

 

Considering it poured on us while waiting to go on the bus to the excursion, it was nice to be indoors today.

 

We were not warned the food would have a little spice to it.  Maybe the face-shield was a hint.

 

 

Our Chef

 

We prepared a full three course meal for ourselves, and then had time to eat it.

 

Make sure you spice it up like you like.  

 

 

Preparation is one thing, but...

 

... presentation is the key.

 

 

Ceviche.  Interesting way to get it to stand like that.  

 

Of course it is Cozumel.  We had several drinks while preparing the food.  I am not sure how a chef can drink like Julia Child and make a great meal.  But I managed to do so.

 

Before we could eat, we had to do a Mexican traditional toast with margaritas.

 

OK the margaritas might be a little strong!

 

We all sat down for lunch and ate what we had prepared.  It came out very good.  I recorded the process on video and need to watch it to get the recipes.

 

Remember it is Cozumel.  We were up a long narrow flight of stairs, which going up was easy.   Heading down the stairs was real easy.  One step and down you fell!  Actually no one tripped while falling. It may have looked very comedic if the last one down fell, knocking down everyone on the way like bowling pins.  Since I was the last one down it did not happen.  

 

For those that have never been to Cozumel, there is a long pier that is perfectly straight and still as you get off the ship.

 

 

For some reason, that I am not too sure of, that same pier constantly moves left and right when you are heading back to the ship.  It must be something in the water.  Fortunately, we were able to catch a bike shuttle from the pier back to the ship.  

 

Cozumel is notorious for pier runners also.  I am not sure why people tend to forget...  forget...  hmmmm...  oh crap, the ships about to leave!  I have never been to Cozumel where there is not a bunch of people who sat in the bars in the port drinking, and then lose track of time.  Then they are hurrying back to the ship before it leaves without them.  

 

Today was no exception.

 

The evening ended with the Mega Deck Party

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful, clear night for sailing.

 

 

The night ended in the Piano bar.

 

Next: Costa Maya

We applied for TSA Pre-Check.  It was only a few days after we interviewed before we received the TSA Known Traveler ID.  Best money spent.  So much less of a headache.  It really is great at airports with special lines for TSA-Pre.  

What We Did for Entertainment

 

Ok so I have basically described the ship Mardi Gras.   For the most part, it really is a great ship.  But there are quirks, and some people may let those quirks ruin a great vacation.  I am not one of those.

 

Carnival has a lot of options for entertainment, and it seems to have some commonality between ships.  There is the standard Bingo, trivia games, grooves on the Lido deck during the day, karaoke, deck parties, etc.  We have logged over 100 days on Carnival ships, and yeah, some of the stuff is the same old...

 

I will say that a cruise director may not ruin a cruise, but I have had a few that made a cruise.  Chris Williams definitely made the cruise.  More about Chris as we go.

 

Sea Day 1

 

Morning Show with Chris

 

For our first day at sea, we di the usual Bingo.  Bingo sales were outside the Grand Atrium, by Java Blue.

 

Jackpot Jake led Bingo sales.

 

As usual, we never had a bingo.

 

 

After dinner, we went to the Grand Atrium for music with the Center Stage Band.

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, they put the equipment away behind the stage and had the Captain's Greeting

 

 

 

OK so Dr. Alexandra looks a little different than Dr. Bricker on 'The Love Boat".

 

 

 

After that, we went to P&A to watch the band play, and meet up with an old friend.

 

Ron is the guy in the picture behind the guitar player.  He is on the drum kit.  I met Ron on a previous cruise and have kept in touch ever since.  We ere chatting and he commented he was getting a gig on the Mardi Gras, I let him know we were on the 4th sailing.  

 

Chris, Ron, Pedro, and Gustavo. The Backyard Band.

 

While listening, our P&A gang got us some Mississippi Mud Pie for a snack.  Then we went to the main theater for the first show of the cruise.

 

Rock Revolution Show

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the show was over, I headed to the Piano Bar for some late night entertainment

 

Alex and Jennifer were great barkeepers.

 

Patrick Duffy was a blast.

 

Some times there were additional performers joining in.

 

Pizza guy would go get about 10 pizzas every night.

 

Next:  Cozumel

Celebrating New Orleans Traditions

OK the ship is named for the reason behind the traditional celebration of Carnivale!  Mardi Gras is the day before lent and its the day to let it all out.  when it comes to Mardi Gras celebrations, New Orleans is the king in the US...   The ship better have a good tribute of Mardi Gras and New Orleans.

 

Deck 6 for all intensive purposes celebrates the great city of New Orleans.  (Sounds like an Arlo Guthrie song).  Sorry readers, we are not to deck 6 yet.

 

Deck 7 is unique to any ship I have been on.  Forward is the Mardi Gras Theater's main entry.  The theater spans from Deck 7 down to deck 6 from this entry.  The rear of the theater starts at deck 7, and is sloped down as you approach the front of the theater and stage.  At this point you are now on  deck 6.  Deck 6's entry is mainly for handicap access.  Each row from the back to the front is higher than the row in front.  This really helps with viewing the shows without having to look around someone's head (or camera).

 

I never got a chance to get photos of the theater when it is empty. 

 

The entry point is near the forward elevators.  As you head aft from the theater, you immediately enter the casino. 

 

The casino is divided into smoking and non-smoking  sections.  I think they made a mistake when dividing the two sections.  The forward section is smoking, and the aft section is non-smoking.  

As you can see there is a natural divide between the starboard side and the port side Non-smokers could enter starboard side forward and aft without going into the smoking side.  Instead, the area around the atrium is  the non-smoking side.  There is no way to enter that area from the forward elevators without passing a lot of smokers.  Once you leave the casino on the aft side, you are in the second level of the Grand Central Atrium area.  

 

From that point, aft, there is the Limelight Lounge for the late night dance crowd (port side) , the fun shops (starboard), and come into the mid-ship elevator area. 

 

 

The alchemy bar is the next venue. 

 

The lighting in the bar constantly changes.

 

Aft of the Alchemy Bar is Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse on the port side followed by the upper level of the Palm Restaurant.

 

Of the three main interior decks of the ship, this one (relatively speaking, mind you) is the least interesting of the three.

 

The Pride of the Mardi Gras: 

The French Quarter

Embarkation onto the Mardi Gras is on Deck 6 mid-ship.  This is the dividing point of two completely different decks, both on the same level.  I will start mid-ship for this deck.  It was the view we saw as we entered the ship and it totally blew us away.   

The Grand Atrium as seen from Deck 8 looking starboard.

 

View from Deck 7

 

View from Deck 6. 

 

Yes all three pictures are of the Atrium.  This thing is awesome.  They can change the appearance of this area and do it very quickly.  It was the design of some great architects to come up with this design, and great engineers to put it together.  The sequence starting here will show the transformation between a soundstage to a presentation stage. It took five minutes from the time the Center Stage Band finished playing...

Moving the soundstage off the set.

 

Closing the stage doors

 

Chris "The Flying Scotsman" Williams prepares the Captain's greeting.

 

... to transform into this.

 

Yes that was the same night and only 15 minutes passed from the time the band played until the Captain's greeting began.

 

On the port side, you will see Cherry on Top and the Java Blue Café.  JBC has a Grab 'n' Go area where you can get free snacks and refreshments, as long as you get there early.  By early I mean I never saw a thing in it, even on disembarkation day.  I guess I was not the early enough bird.  

 

Working forward is the Piano Bar (port) and the Punchliner Comedy Club (starboard.)  In between is where the Mardi Gras display and ship's coin that was shown on an earlier.  

 

The spa has the next area forward (port side) up to the theater.  There is no main entry into the theater here.  A small entry for those that need to have a level platform to get into the theater.  

 

The spa is on two levels with part of Deck 5 forward.

 

The forward layout of the Mardi Gras's main entertainment decks.

 

Now we get to the French Quarter.  Going aft, starting at the JBC, we get the the Magnolia Bar.

The drinks were great, and the music was simply awesome.  

 

 

Just aft of Magnolia is the Flamingo Restaurant.  It is used for dine-at-your-time guests.  As you work aft, the layout works to the starboard side where the Fortune Teller Bar is located.  

 

A quiet spot between Magnolia and Fortune Teller bars.  

 

There is a small area for live music

 

Fortune Teller Bar

 

Emeril's Bistro is next as you traverse aft.

 

 

 

OK my eyes were a little out of focus 😛 

 

Emeril's has a small upcharge.  It was worth the price, because the food was outstanding.  

Between shrimp scampi, gumbo and red beans and rice (with shrimp and andouille sausage) we were stuffed.  

 

Finally we reach the Palm Restaurant's main level.

 

Decks 6, 7, and 8 aft.

 

Family Harbor is located on Deck 4 midship.  I never made it down there to check it out.

 

As far as the rest of the decks:

• Deck 4 is the Family Harbor and Camp Ocean area.  
• Deck 5 are where cove balconies exist.  Part of the spa is forward on the deck.
• Decks 9, 10 , 11, 12, 14, and 15 have staterooms.  
• I never found deck 13 😛

Next:  The cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

Mardi Gras' Fine Dining Establishments

As a comparison between the Carnivale (and I assume TSS Mardi Gras) there was exactly one place to have a meal.  It was the dining room.  

 

 Almost every ship has the following places to eat:

• Main Dining Room 1 (Palm Restaurant) for set dining time,
• Main Dining Room 2 (Flamingo restaurant) for dine-at-your-time guests,
• Lido Buffet,
• Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse,
• Cucina del Capitano,
• Bonsai Sushi,
• Guy's Burgers,
• Blue Iguana Cantina,
• 24 Hour Pizza.

Many of the newer ships have:

• Seafood Shack,
• JiJI's Asian Kitchen,
• Java Blue,
• Seafood Shack,
• Some form of BBQ,
• Some form of Carnival Kitchen (small setting where the food is prepared in front of you),
• Sea Day Brunch (in the MDR),
• Light fare available in Serenity.

The Mardi Gras has thrown in these options:

• Chi-Bang (a combination of JiJi's and Mexican),
• Emeril's Bistro,
• Big Chicken,
• Guy's Pig and Anchor (Beer, BBQ, and entertainment),
• Rudi's Seafood Grille,
• Bonsai Teppanyaki,
• Street Eats,
• Piazza Panini.

Needless to say we did not make it to all venues, otherwise I would not have been able to fit into my clothes!  We did try some of the newer establishments for sure.  Since I started on the Lido deck, I will cover the establishments there first

 

We loved Seafood Shack.  The food is good and hot.  They fix it at the time of the order.  There is an upcharge for it, but do it at least once.  You will not regret it.

 

We failed to take advantage of of Street Eats.  The menu changes frequently and there many different choices to have.  I believe an upcharge exists, but I don't recall for sure.  My biggest regret was missing the Mediterranean Food day.  I also heard the chili fries were beyond belief.  Definitely I am looking forward to hitting Street Eats on my next trip on the MG.

 

I love Guy's Burgers, but...  I found Big Chicken.

 

Chickens consider me to be their #1 predator...  I am a chicken connoisseur.  Fried, baked, smoked, blackened, etc.  I can eat chicken almost every day.  We had to get a Big Chicken

 

 

I had no time to food-porn the sandwich.  It disappeared too quickly.  Big Chicken ruined Guy's for me.  I never had a Guy's burger because of Big Chicken.  If I was going for a sandwich of some kind, I was here!  Shaq's chicken is as good or better than most fast food chicken places and definitely compares with higher-end chicken places.  BC is located deck 17 on the port-side aft.  It is right behind the Lido Buffet, near the aft pools.

 

If you needed a drink to cool off the spices in the chicken (as is my preference) stop by Tides Bar for a drink.  It is located on the starboard side aft adjacent to BC.  

Forward of the Lido Buffet is where Seafood Shack, Guy's,  Street Eats, and the various bars are located. 

 

Guy's is located on the port side along the side of the ship, instead of by the pool.  This allows a longer queue line to work.

 

Red Frog Bar has two levels on the Mardi Gras.  

 

The Lido area (Decks 16-19) as I call it because this is the sun bathing area of the ship has a lot of amenities relocated there form previous designs.  Circle C, Club O2, and the Warehouse (arcade) are on deck 17.  Serenity is on deck 18 (forward). Above Serenity is the Loft 19 (upcharge required) pampering area.  

 

Suites and Exclusive cabins are on Decks 176 and 17.  The exclusive cabins are exclusive only because the forward elevators are the only ones that get to deck 17.  

 

The problem with a ship like the Mardi Gras and a week long cruise is a week is just too short to really take advantage of everything on the ship.

 

Ok dropping a few floors and heading to deck 8 we have many unique areas to visit.  Starting forward and working aft, we have the Havana staterooms and Havana Bar.  The Havana bar is the only part of the area that is open to everyone.  The staterooms have a few amenities that are available for Havana guests only.  I never ventured back to see what was back there.  

 

Coming off the forward elevators we get to Chi-bang.  It is a cross between Asian and Mexican food.  For lunch, most everything are bowls.  Dinner is (at this time) free of any upcharges.  This was initially done for a short period, but as far as I know, there are no short term plans to have an upcharge for dinner.

 

We decided to try Chi-bang for dinner one night, and found a little quirk in the dinner reservation process.  We were early dining, and wanted to go there at 6:00 for dinner.  I could not make a reservation, so we ventured up to see if we can get in.  It turns out that set-dining time (early and late) could not get a seat until 8:00 PM.  Before then, it was open for anytime dining only.  Cucina del Capitano was also available for anytime diners only until 8:00.  A little frustrated we were, and having already missed our early dining, we wound up going to the Palm restaurant that night and we were seated without any issues.  

 

There was another little story about Chi-bang.  We know a crew member from a previous cruise and keep in touch regularly.  When I mentioned to her we were going on the Mardi Gras, she told us her cousin was on the ship working in Chi-bang.  We were going to surprise her cousin that night by asking for her table, but could not.  The next day for lunch was Chi-bang.  We got there, and the hostess was looking for a spot for us when I mentioned we want Ni Komang's area.  We sat down, and this young lady came over to us.  She asked why we asked for her.  I mentioned her cousin's name and before I could mention her cousin's name completely, Ni smiled big and said that she has been looking for us to come in for three weeks.  

 

 

It was like meeting an old friend again.  Apparently, her cousin had talked about us a lot.  It is a small world to say the least.  We ate there again the next day and had a great time.  

 

OK, so how was the food, you ask?  Some people like it and others do not.  We loved it.  Given the company we had made it better, the food was quite good.  I just wished we could have had dinner there.  Lunches are made up with everything in a bowl.  If you ever ate at JiJI's for lunch that was exactly what to expect.  The Mexican food was also very good.  It was the first time I ate Mexican served in a bowl, but they did a great job preparing it.  

 

Moving aft from Chi-bang, you pass by Bonsai Sushi and Teppanyaki.  The Sushi area is much larger than Teppanyaki.  We thought about doing the Teppanyaki, bud never found time to do is.  As for sushi, I prefer mine well done.  

 

On the other side of Bonsai is the upper level of the Grand Atrium.  That leads into Pixels Gallery and transforms from Asia into Italy.  

 

 

Cucina del Capitano is next.  It is also free for dinner and serves pasta lunches.  We have eaten at enough of them that we wanted to try other areas first.  Across from CdC is Bar Della Rosa.  

They fix up some great drinks there.  

 

The Pizzeria del Capitano and Piazza Panini are next.  More on the pizzas later.

 

Rudi's Seafood Grille is next.  It is an upcharge, and, originally we were going to eat there, bud decided not to.  

 

Pass by Carnival Adventures and Guest Services and you enter into the Summer's Landing area.  

The P&A

 

 

They were a great band. 

 

The P&A crew.  The Heroes' Tribute Lounge is in the background

 

For Lunch, the P&A is a semi-buffet located port side just outside the wall by the corner where the band plays.  For dinner, it is a sit-down meal with servers.  

 

Next:  New Orleans and the rest of the mid-ship levels.

 

 

 

 

How Cruising Has Changed since 1986

 

We took a cruise in 1986 on the TSS Carnivale.  It was the second ship in what has been a long line of ships.  

TSS Carnivale -- Miami Cruise Port 

 

As we approached Miami, we saw this large ship in port.  We thought it was cool and we were so ready to get on our first cruise.  We had no idea what to expect.  We were young and ready to sail the briny.

 

We boarded the ship and were happy as a lark to see the ship.  We were in for a surprise or two about the ship.  We made it to the cabin (M-22 - port side) and discovered a few things.  

 

We had a great view of the outside world!

 

You could take care of the three S's a man does every morning in one shot.

 

Our floor was not level and the foot of the bed was a good (pardon the pun) at least a foot higher than the head of the bed.  

 

There were a lot of things different back then.

• Breakfast, lunch and dinner were always in the dining room.  Everyone was either early or late seating.  The Lido Buffet was nowhere in sight.  
• Things were much more formal.  Collared shirts and long pants were the minimum at dinner.  Tablecloths were used on every meal.  
• Cash was the key to everything on the ship.  
• Drinks were a lot cheaper.  Most were under $1.35 each.  The wait staff remembered those that said "Keep the change!"  I never had a problem waiting for a drink on the Lido deck.
• We could visit the bridge on a tour and take cameras.  
• Muster drill was definitely different.  We had to bring our pumpkins and put them on as part of the drill.

 

Traversing the ship was easy.  To get to the DR from the cabin, we had to go up a flight and then down a flight.  The hallways were not straight.  The layout was rather funky.  But we really did not care.  We had a blast all four days we were on the ship.  

 

We took a hiatus from cruising until 2001.  We took a 7 day cruise on the Carnival Destiny.  There was no comparison on how different the ships were in 15 years.  

 

We cruised again on the Ecstasy in 2014 and were hooked again on cruising.  Now that we were on the Mardi Gras, we again were blown out by the changes to the ships.

 

Mardi Gras in a Nutshell

I thought this was a good comparison of the two ships

 

I will review the ship top down.  Starting with the Lido Deck, you have the standard Lido pool and bars.   

 

The Carnivale had one small pool.  The Mardi Gras has many pools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another type of pool.

 

Loft 19

 

By the way, for those in the Loft 19 pool, everyone in the serenity area can see you.

 

Slides

 

Splash Zone

 

 

 

 

 

Miniature Golf

 

Ropes Course

 

Zip Lines

 

An of course the Newest Feature

BOLT

 

 

 

 

 

Next:  The three entertainment decks.

Carnivale-BridgeTour03.tif

We were ready for Mardi Gras!

 

 

Flights were just a minor inconvenience for what will be a great vacation.  There were a few other minor snags, but they were minimal at most.

 

We left the hotel and returned to MCO to begin a fun cruise.  The last time we sailed out of Port Orlando and flew in, Carnival had a spot by the busses to meet up and get on the shuttles.  Another couple was with us were on the shuttle, and neither could find the Carnival hosts.  They got word the place was upstairs, and went up to get to the hosts.  We spotted them.  They had a counter now.  We got our pass, and was heading to the ship.  

 

Once we got to the port, we were amazed at how big the ship was.  The process from here until embarking the Mardi Gras was less than desired.  We were told we need to identify our luggage, meet with the porter and they would take us to where we need to go.  We found the porter.  Well we did not need to do that, since they were going to unload all luggage, except carry-on and send to the ship.  We just had to head to the embarkation zone.

 

Embarkation was slow to say the least.  (It was the 4th sailing, so that was not unexpected.)  Once we got through security, check-in, etc. (almost an hour's wait) we went to the waiting area.  15 minutes later we were walking onto the Mardi Gras.  

 

 

We met with the greeters, who looked at the boarding pass, and immediately directed us to our muster station.  We went through the drill, and YES WE WERE READY TO SAIL.

 

I will make a point here.  This new mustering process is the best thing since sliced bread.  Don't be a jerk and not go straight to the muster station.  It is so much better to get the process done immediately, than everyone meeting at 3:30 in a tight area in the hot weather (on most ships).  If people don't do the right thing and take care of the muster drill as soon as you board, they WILL go back to the old miserable muster drill.  End of point.  I am getting off the soap-box now.

 

Back to fun...We headed to the cabin (Platinum perk) to drop off our carry-ons.  WOW what a cabin.

 

We had a cove balcony.  

 

A SHOWER DOOR!

 

OK The toilet paper and Kleenex dispenser need to be reversed.

 

 

Plenty of hookups for devices.

Coves are a little less open than a standard balcony.  (Yes this was taken while we were at sea.)

 

Our key cards were ready for us.

We met our cabin steward, Marvin.  (Pic was at a later date.)

 

Since we could only drop off our stuff, we headed to the Pig and Anchor for a bite.

Simone took care of our table.  

 

I will say a few things about P&A BBQ.  We are KC based and lived there most of our lives.  P&A is a different style of BBQ.  I m not going to have a debate on how it compares to other BBQ, but to us it was a little weak on the smoke flavor.  We also like KC style beans (beans, sauce, onions, mustard, and meat pieces smoked for many hours with hickory.)  Their beans were more Texas style.  BBQ is a well debated subject and everyone has their own taste and preferences.  Saying that, I thought it was good.  I did some late night walking around the ship and came across the crew preparing the next day's batch.  I asked about what type of wood do they use and they handed me a piece of the wood.   It seems like they use oak or similar wood. 

 

P&A brew is another story.  It is top notch brewing.  They have the craft down to a fine process.  Each beer in the flight had its own distinct taste.  I had to say I have not tasted any like their brew, and connoisseurs of craft beer expect exactly that.  I wished I had a photo of the different flights.   

 

We spent a few other nights in the P&A.  More on that in a later post.

 

After the P&A lunch, we headed back to the cabin to see if our luggage was there.  No it was not.  Fueling had been completed so we went onto the cove balcony to check it out. Since we were in port, there was not much to look at except the tanker moving away.  

 

We headed to the Lido deck to see what the ship was like.

 

 

 

We raided the Seafood Shack for a snack.  The shrimp and clams are great.  Very filling.  

OK the pina colada helped a little.

 

We were looking forward to having Mike Pack as the cruise director, but, he was a brand new father, and was on paternity leave!  Congratulations to Mike and Emma!

 

So who is this "Flying Scotsman" guy?  Yeah he is the one in the kilt.

 

I did not know much about Chris Williams.  He did not disappoint one bit.  He was one of the best we ever had as cruise director. 

 

 

Finally we were heading into the Atlantic Ocean!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

The Mardi Gras has set sail and we were finally cruising again!

 

We always prefer early dining for a couple reasons.  1) we like to have the same dining crew every time.  That way we get to know them and vice-versa.  2) We prefer to eat early so we can have the entire evening to hit the ship's shows, and events.  

 

We got to meet our table mates for the cruise.  

 

 

 

We had a great week with these two couples.  

 

After the meal was over, we raided the ship.  Since the next day was a sea day, we had to do except  except close the ship.  And we did.  But that is another story.. and what happens on the ship...

 

 

This was a game changing ship design for Carnival. 

There, I said it.  If you have not sailed her, make plans to do so.  

Yes there are some quirks to the design, and there were some start-up issues (it was only sailing #4 after the Covid-19 fiasco.)  

She is a beautiful ship for sure.  

 

 

OK  So much for the ship.  Lets talk a bit about getting cruising back into full swing.  The Beards at Carnival kept their heads together and did not let a year and almost a half of ships sitting idle and little income being generated make the company fail.  Kudos to them.

 

Our story was simple:

• We were supposed to sail the Miracle to Hawaii in April 2020.  As Covid-19 came around, the entire planet changed their way of working.  What was expected to be a few weeks of working from home has turned into a two year and counting lifestyle.  We cancelled the cruise a couple weeks before Carnival cancelled all sailings.  That was a little bit of a rushed decision, and it cost us a bit of cash.  Oh well, you learn via the school of hard knocks.   We were not going to sail on any ship for a long time.
• We booked the Mardi Gras in 2020 hoping the industry would be up and running by summer 2021.  As the virus continued to be a PITA, we were wondering if we were going to be cancelled again.  We talked to Carnival, and decided we would go ahead, if cruising opened up.  (See previous bullet).  We went ahead and booked flights, hotels, etc. in preparation for what may not be a cruise.   Well, it did not turn out that way.  Cruising came back to life and we were going on the Mardi Gras.
• Covid-19 Life -- We had to get a negative test three days before sailing (or the day before we fly out).  We found a place that would do it with a 3 hour turnaround.  We went with the more thorough PCR test.  We had our positive results within 2 hours, and we were POSITIVELY sailing on the Mardi Gras.  (Our test was negative).
• Flights went well, and we arrived in Orlando earlier than expected.  We just could not get off the plane because of thunderstorms that arrived as we set down on the runway. It was a pain to be forced to wear a mask from the time we arrived at our home's airport, until we walked out into the fresh Orlando air.  
• We stayed at the LaQuinta Airport hotel.  They have a shuttle to and from the airport.  That works well because we use the shuttle back to MCO and grab the Carnival shuttle to the ship.  
• On the 21st, we boarded the Mardi Gras, and was blown away as we walked into the Grand Central Atrium.  We knew we made the right choice.

Next topic will be about getting to the ship and embarkation day with a lot more photos.