Who sailed the Carnival Mardi Gras?

[crusinpsychRN]

I did. Beautiful wood everywhere.

[patrickiii]

wife was on the Mardi gra in 1990 . we are getting ready to go on our 9th and 10th in 12 days

[Rotnkid49]

My DH & I sailed on the Mardi Gras in April, 1986, 3 months before we got married. Guess you can say with honeymooned before we married, lol. I must agree with what the OP (Granna22) said. Oceanview room, fabulous midnight buffets & authentic flaming baked alaska. I still have the photo of me shaking hands with the Captain at the Gala Captain's Dinner. Although the ships today are magnificent I have to admit I miss the elegance of the cruises back then.

[samsgram1026]

Daughter and I sailed on her from Boston to Bermuda in ?1982. First cruise for each of us and we're still going strong with Carnival.

[additivecruiser]

The memories I have of the Mardi Gras.....springbreak 1988.....18 years old....alcohol was easy to get......all girl catholic schoolgirl group.....and the rest !!!!!! well use your imagination......lol...but seriously, the food was awesome back then and the service was unbelievable......definately miss that....along with my looks ,hair, and other things....

[GranysT]

We sailed on the Mardi Gras in July 1989. My daughter and her 1st husband took us on the cruise. Later we found out it was a bribe for something he wanted from us. LOL It was only a 4 nighter, but was long enough for us to completely fall in love with ships, and cruising. It took us until 2000, to take our 2nd cruise, but this April we will be on our 25th one. Yep, we're totally hooked.

[larkz]

I was on the holiday cruise in 1977 as a teenager with my family. I still have a record album from one of the ship's entertainers, Marjorie Payne, autographed by all the entertainers that we saw that week.

 

The ocean was smooth as ice for the first three days, so I didn't bother with Dramamine. But on the third night we were rocking like crazy. I woke up the next morning feeling a little sick, and took one tablet. I took a second table a little while later when it hadn't helped, and then a third a little while later. The drowsiness side effect kicked in with a vengeance, and I ended up falling asleep at lunch in the main dining room.

 

Nowadays, I thoroughly enjoy rocky seas.

 

It's funny that in my memory, that ship is gigantic, but it would certainly seem puny beside most of Carnival's ships today.

[Native Floridian 26]

I just found pictures from when I went on the Mardi Gras in 1973. I have pictures of me and my family (I was 11.) on the ship. I also have a pictures showing its whale tail. Can I send them to Carnival and have them add this sailing to my history?

 

I know I can just call them and ask this question, but I was wondering if anyone here had any history doing this.

[berwyn]

I just found pictures from when I went on the Mardi Gras in 1973. I have pictures of me and my family (I was 11.) on the ship. I also have a pictures showing its whale tail. Can I send them to Carnival and have them add this sailing to my history?

 

I know I can just call them and ask this question, but I was wondering if anyone here had any history doing this.

I sent Carnival our boarding pic and they gave me a cruise credit.

[ponza17]

Have sailed on Caranivale,Mardi Gras and Festivale in the 80's. Have some old pics but have not sent them in yet.Remember when Carnival owned Crystal Palace Hotel and Casino?They had some good shows back then!

[hellomillie]

I did...in 80...senior trip cruise...had a blast!

[NeuroQueen]

OMG what a great thread! Not the Mardi Gras, but close, the Carnivale in 1984 with my mom. She loved the Love Boat series and wanted to cruise more than anything. I told her I had to have a window. Well....when we got on we traveled to the lowest deck and wound our way forward. As we kept going the hallway got more and more narrow. The room had two portholes and you had to stand on the bed to see out. The bathroom was hysterical. You could shave your legs, brush your teeth and do your business at the same time. I can still see that room in my head, yet I can't remember our room on the Oasis last year.

 

We were pretty short of money back then and were down to $20 each the last nite and still had to drive across the state for home (no ATM'S). Needless to say she won $250 in the casino the last night at 2AM. You would have thought we had won millions. We had six hours of sleep on that three night cruise and thus, began our love of cruising.

 

It is so true that you never forget your first cruise. I know I sure haven't. My moms last cruise was on the Grand Princess in 1998 and four of us splurged on an aft suite, quite different from our humble beginnings with a porthole. I'll never forget her face when the butler showed up and proceeded to spoil her for the next week. It was priceless. Cruising has given me such great memories and continues to do so. Great, great thread. Thanks for starting!

[PSRCPA]

I sailed Mardi Gras & Carnival with 2 girlfriends, left husbands and kids and a way we went 2 years in a row. I still have my paper sign & sail! Every morning our cabin steward brought us bloody marys @ 6am...even when we didn't go to bed until 3 :) Those were the days...you could also potty and shower @ the same time...:eek:

[CruiserKid]

It was my first cruise. I went on the guaranteed single share program (no longer avaiable). Bought it without knowing what to expect. I walked into a travel agency and said I need a nice relaxing vacation. I got hooked. I've taken at least one cruise every year since then. I've taken 43 cruises. Instantly became Platnium when Platnium was introduced.

 

I remember that the waiter and bus boy seemed much more relaxed and attentive then they are now. Perhaps they had less tables to tend to than today. Also, the tables were set with so many pieces of silverware. They danced to "Hot, Hot Hot" back then and waiters on my Fascination cruised still dance to the same song. They used a special tool to pick up bread crumbs. My cabin was very close to the Flamingo Dinning Room on the Riviera Deck.

 

I miss all the real wood and brass. I still have a souvenir glass (real glass) from my first cruise. Cash only in the casino and shops. The indoor pool with sauna were terrific. The inside pool was usually empty, so it was like my private pool.

 

I loved the elevators that had floor names instead of numbers. We actually had to learn a little more nautical terms. I was amazed a the size of that huge ship (back then). I now miss that cozzy ship where I seem to know more people than in today's megaships.

 

Funny thing is that people thought I worked on the ship back then and people still think I work on the ship when I cruise today. I loved the deck chairs and wooden deck floors.

 

Ahhh! Memories. I was only 20 when I started cruising. I still love cruising and Carnival is still my favorite after trying a couple of other cruise lines.

[gusandgidgetsmom]

Not too long a go I sent in pixs from the dining room--in the bottom it shows the name Mardi Gras and pixs of my ex-husband (traveling with him at the time) in the lingerie contest and they accepted them easily and gave me credit for the cruise in the 80's. Good luck.

I just found pictures from when I went on the Mardi Gras in 1973. I have pictures of me and my family (I was 11.) on the ship. I also have a pictures showing its whale tail. Can I send them to Carnival and have them add this sailing to my history?

 

I know I can just call them and ask this question, but I was wondering if anyone here had any history doing this.

[billys5764]

My first cruise was on the Mardi Gras in 1988. I went with a girl that was my future wife's roommate. The future wife and I went on the Holiday the next year. The roommate ended up being in our wedding!

[croozinsuz]

Our first cruise was aboard the Mardi Gras in September 1975. Sailed to Bermuda for 7 nights-from Norfolk, VA.

The cabin was a closet. We had to take out the TP before our showers, so it wouldn't get wet-you could take a shower sitting on the toilet.

Our second cruise was also aboard the Mardi Gras in April 1987. 3 night Bahamas cruise.

[SUSIEK]

I worked for Carnival doing embarkation for The Mardi Gras while going to college. The process was so simple. Check off the passenger name from a paper list...hand them a paper boarding pass and Bon Voyage! Not even a metal detector. We had a lot of fun!!

[ManicHispanic]

November 1988 on our Honeymoon. :)

[Ciardasully]

My parents sailed on the Mardi Gras in 1989. It was the only cruise they have been on. I didn't get to go. I stayed with my grandparents. :(

[nonna5]

I worked for Carnival doing embarkation for The Mardi Gras while going to college. The process was so simple. Check off the passenger name from a paper list...hand them a paper boarding pass and Bon Voyage! Not even a metal detector. We had a lot of fun!!

 

Paper boarding passes - I have been trying to get some old cruises added to my profile and Carnival wanted me to send them a copy of the boarding passes. I told them they were carbon copies and they barely made it thru a 9 day cruise much less 30 years.

 

Really did love the Mardi Gras - it addicted me to cruising.:D

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Would love to see pics of the inside of the ship.

[MsSWhite]

Do you think I can still get credit with the new VIFP loyalty? I traveled with my Grandparents way back in 1980. There is a picture of me holding a life preserver that says Carnival Mardi Gras.

 

Does anyone remember the "mirrored" rooms where we had to go to blow dry our hair or use our curling irons?

[imnocleaver]

Do you think I can still get credit with the new VIFP loyalty? I traveled with my Grandparents way back in 1980. There is a picture of me holding a life preserver that says Carnival Mardi Gras.

 

Does anyone remember the "mirrored" rooms where we had to go to blow dry our hair or use our curling irons?

 

You can still get credit! I did a few years ago by emailing scanned images of my boarding pic from the Mardi Gras + a current driver's license. I am not entirely sure how these two items "prove" it was me in the picture, so I feel they must allow this simply to have a good laugh every time someone sends them evidence of their '80s hair. :eek::p

[gusandgidgetsmom]

I got credit by sending in a picture of me in the dining room that had Mardi Gras on the bottom but did not have to send a recent photo. I was credited very easily.

You can still get credit! I did a few years ago by emailing scanned images of my boarding pic from the Mardi Gras + a current driver's license. I am not entirely sure how these two items "prove" it was me in the picture, so I feel they must allow this simply to have a good laugh every time someone sends them evidence of their '80s hair. :eek::p