IntrepidFromDC

I was on the Mardi Gras in January 2022 and I have a B2B scheduled for February 2023. First of all, there are a LOT of food options, and I've grouped them below based on my January cruise (which was awesome just because of the ship) but I'm sure I'm leaving some out here... Can't Wait to Return: Rudi's, Steakhouse, Cucina del Capitano, Shawarma, Shaq's Big Chicken Really good, will visit again: Gourmet Hot Dog Stand, dumpling place, Bonsai Teppanyaki, Lucky Bowl, Blue Iguana Cantina, Jiji, Street Eats, Pizza Pirate (super yummy at 2am), Mongolian Wok (tell them not to spray your wok with that nasty spray), Masala Tiger, Chibang! OK: MDR, Same old Lido options, Seafood Shack, Bonsai Sushi, Carnival Deli Disappointed, but will give another try: Emeril's, Guy's Pig & Anchor (if you can find the photos from my January 2022 live review, I think you'll agree the food looked bad... it tasted worse), Guy's Burger Joint Never again: none, thankfully Did not visit: Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast

Yes that's it, the liquor is now on liquation, just like the bacon.

Oh sure. It starts with improving the sausage gravy and then pretty soon you'll be asking them to improve all the substandard food everywhere on Lido, in MDR...

Agreed - this was one of several easy ways around the 15-drinks-per-day limit that Carnival loosely enforced. My guess is they ran analytics on cabin numbers with violence-related complaints, referenced that data with in-cabin liquor purchase data and found a high correlation.

Time to buy stock in the companies that make rum runners.

According to several casino servers and confirmed by a casino supervisor, sail and sign tips go directly to the casino servers who served you. This is why when you tip $2/drink instead of $1/drink, the servers gravitate around you like planets around the sun. Or flies around... well, you know.

$2 per drink

On the bright side, if there's ANY Carnival ship that packs enough to satisfy a cruiser without getting off at ports, it's Mardi Gras!

I just got the itinerary change email from Colleen Olivero... for multiple Mardi Gras cruises San Juan is being replaced with NASSAU WEEEEEEE!!!!

Balcony Cabin 9391 on Carnival Horizon, category 8E (*****) If I'm reading the cabin description on ***** correctly, it doesn't say anything about a mini-fridge, but this cabin has a "balcony bathroom with shower". I have never thought about placing the bathroom on the balcony before, adds a lot more excitement potential to the locals when we visit port.

Seriously, I tried the laundry twice and I don't understand how so many people are pleased with the service because everything cotton came back shrunk and everything white came back whitish-grey, two times out of two. Not worth free.

Leave us degenerates be, Blerk! We're trying to fly under the radar with these free cruises as long as possible! The rest of you down in steerage, keep pedaling!

The theme seems to be an Italian slant on "fun ships" and to me that smells like "slightly more refined". I just hope they go all in on the food and have really excellent Italian ristorantes, in which case I'll choose these ships over the typical Carnival Caribbean cruises about half the time.

Not sure if you can hear me from down here in steerage, but I hope you're right before we hit an iceberg!

We sailed on the Elation in 2014 and Sensation in 2016. When I look at my cruise history I see they were both 5 day cruises. I honestly don't remember anything about either ship or the itinerary. Must have been good cruises.

Ship: Mardi Gras for it's amazing dual-purpose atrium and new "wow" factor Food: Mardi Gras for the many fantastic new offerings like Shaq's chicken (sure to be a fave with the kids), shawarma, gourmet hot dog stand and much more... Ports: Magic HANDS DOWN Good luck deciding!

I have a casino offer where the family harbor cabin (deck 4) is a better deal than a regular cabin (deck 8). Ignoring "which ship?", I want to know - does the bacon never go on bacation at family harbor? TIA. I'm thinking of playing robin hood and taking the whole tray of bacon up to lido on bacation day. 😁 🏴‍☠️

I didn't see anything in the post about sugar, and it seems very unlikely a Carnival bartender (and especially a supervisor) would make a mojito without simple syrup, don't you think? I think it's more likely the poster mistakenly thought simple syrup went in mojitos, or maybe they make them that way where he frequents.

Did anyone notice the Banksy original on the wall in Venice? The tour guide said it was done with permission and under agreed secrecy from midnight to 4am one day earlier this year.

As a shareholder, I give them credit for taking additional painful steps to try to avoid bankruptcy. As a cruiser, I love Carnival and just hope the old Warren Buffet mantra "buy what you know" works out. I bought a bunch in the $8's during covid but I sure bought a bunch in the $20's and $30's at previous dips.

Just goes to show beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some folks like simple syrup in their mojitos, I LOVE the Mardi Gras. In fact it's the ONLY ship I sail just for the ship. Playing Heads-up Hold'em while gazing out the huge floor to ceiling windows at the ocean, enjoying upgraded free food at dinner (anytime dining only), and so many great places to eat, most free (Shaq's chicken, Shawarma, gourmet hot dog stand, etc.) and pay (Rudi's!)...

"highroller" 😃😄😆😅😂🤣 I bet with red chips and put my pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us, Emperor "black chip" Mondello. 😁 🏴‍☠️

I'm thinking of the best mojitos I've ever had and they were the opposite of syrupy. They were subtly fizzy, which compliments the mint beautifully. If you cruise to San Juan, stop by "Mojitos" and have an excellent mojito (they also have fresh fish simply grilled which is great).

I didn't think mojitos were made with simple syrup either. A Google search turned up the original mojitos, from Cuba, were made with five ingredients and simple syrup is not among them. The Real Mojito Recipe (with Video) (allrecipes.com)