When do you think Mardi Gras will sail?

[stellarose]

8 hours ago, rs45thompson said:

I’m thinking September or October. I could be wrong but I don’t think it will sail in August. They are rolling ships out a little at a time and my thought is Mardi Gras won’t sail from Port Canaveral until September or October. Hopefully my October 9 cruise will go.

if you sail in October- TAKE LOTS LOTS LOTS LOTS OF PICTURES. PRETTY PLEASE.  (sorry very excited. )

[mss22859]

I hope that it is no later than October 2, which is our sail date! Our group is in the minority that has not had a cancellation. But, I booked this 1 1/2 years ago! My party has agreed that whatever protocols or regulations are imposed, we will go with. Just let us on that beautiful ship!!!!!

[SNJCruisers]

I am hoping that it sails anytime between 8/21 and 10/30.  This way our 10/30 cruise is a go and at the same time I will earn 1200 in OBC for my hopefully cancelled 8/7 and 8/14 sailings.  

I booked the B2B for August a couple of months ago at a higher rate than I would normally pay, but if cancelled, the price difference will come back as OBC.  I will flip it to another B2B next year at the OV8 rate and get another 200 in OBC per leg.  Between the price difference OBC,   the 1200 in OBC from the hopeful cancellations, the 400 in OBC from the rate and the 200 in OBC from stock, we'll have over 2600 in OBC to spend.  Cheers, gratuities, specialty dining all covered for two with money left to spend.

[xDisconnections]

I heard October is when the fun will be coming back. That’s my guess.

[KmomChicago]

Let's put it this way. I wish we  had booked out of Galveston or Miami rather than Port Canaveral for August. 

 

Even so, there will be a maiden voyage eventually. Perhaps our lovely large vessel will chart a course for the Americas here in the next week or so and have 60 full days to fill it up with crew, get them all vaccinated with our surplus supply, and make something happen!  

 

I won't cancel our August 7 sailing but I am getting my backup plan in order for a Florida vacation instead. The flight is happening one way or another; we have friends and family we can stay with and spend our days with. My teenager has been to WDW several times but has never been to Gatorland, Universal, Busch Gardens or SeaWorld.  I feel the email reminding us we can cancel by May 31 is a pretty clear message from the line hoping to avoid doling out more OBC. Add that to the apparent news that they are targeting October, not that I am taking that as a confirmation, but it isn't looking great for summer.

 

We knew last November when we booked this that it was really a shot in the dark.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

7 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

Let's put it this way. I wish we  had booked out of Galveston or Miami rather than Port Canaveral for August. 

 

Even so, there will be a maiden voyage eventually. Perhaps our lovely large vessel will chart a course for the Americas here in the next week or so and have 60 full days to fill it up with crew, get them all vaccinated with our surplus supply, and make something happen!  

 

I won't cancel our August 7 sailing ...

 

Hope to see you there!!

[stellarose]

just went on carnival.com and the Christmas/New Years cruise is not longer listed.  sold out?

[IntrepidFromDC]

15 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

I won't cancel our August 7 sailing but I am getting my backup plan in order for a Florida vacation instead. ...We knew last November when we booked this that it was really a shot in the dark.

Check out the updated tentative first sailing date under the post I just started a while ago...  Hope you make it!

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

14 hours ago, stellarose said:

just went on carnival.com and the Christmas/New Years cruise is not longer listed.  sold out?

Most all cruises are getting sold out. Remember. They are only filing 50-60% of the ships capacity.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

1 minute ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Most all cruises are getting sold out. Remember. They are only filing 50-60% of the ships capacity.

 

That will be a welcome temporary experience for those who make the cut !

 

Tom

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

Just checked the Mardi Gras for November and December. I see no sold outs for any type of cabin.

 

[TNcruising02]

3 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

That will be a welcome temporary experience for those who make the cut !

 

Tom

Yes, it will!  If my cruise on the MG sails at the end of August, it should be the least crowded cruise we have ever sailed.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

Just now, TNcruising02 said:

Yes, it will!  If my cruise on the MG sails at the end of August, it should be the least crowded cruise we have ever sailed.

Not a major cruise line but the Bahamas Paradise Cruise line that sails a 2 day to Grand Bahamas from Palm Beach. If you go on that in the middle of the week. You feel like you are the only one on the ship other than the crew. At the show, they may have been 60 or 70 people. Went to the show. After the show was bingo. Everyone left but me and my wife and another couple. They said if you want to play the prize will be $50. Sure why not. We won and the other couple said we owe them a drink. That was the our experience with a small amount of people on a cruise.

[TNcruising02]

3 minutes ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Not a major cruise line but the Bahamas Paradise Cruise line that sails a 2 day to Grand Bahamas from Palm Beach. If you go on that in the middle of the week. You feel like you are the only one on the ship other than the crew. At the show, they may have been 60 or 70 people. Went to the show. After the show was bingo. Everyone left but me and my wife and another couple. They said if you want to play the prize will be $50. Sure why not. We won and the other couple said we owe them a drink. That was the our experience with a small amount of people on a cruise.

That sounds like a lot of fun!  If my MG cruise is cancelled, we plan on spending the week in Florida anyway.  We will definitely look into anything that might be sailing at the time.

[firefly333]

17 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

That will be a welcome temporary experience for those who make the cut !

 

Tom

A blogger said that if pax at 50% capacity to break even the cruiselines will have to cut staff to match. Could be less service. Just a blogger not the lines saying it but made sense they wouldnt have as many crew at 50%.

[firefly333]

4 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

That sounds like a lot of fun!  If my MG cruise is cancelled, we plan on spending the week in Florida anyway.  We will definitely look into anything that might be sailing at the time.

Port Canaveral also has a gambling ship going right now. Might be closer to where you are if you still go to the same port. The cocoa beach is very nice. I love it there.

[TNcruising02]

1 minute ago, firefly333 said:

Port Canaveral also has a gambling ship going right now. Might be closer to where you are if you still go to the same port. The cocoa beach is very nice. I love it there.

That's good to know!  I really had no idea any ships were sailing.  These short trips on smaller ships are a great option.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

11 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

A blogger said that if pax at 50% capacity to break even the cruiselines will have to cut staff to match. Could be less service. Just a blogger not the lines saying it but made sense they wouldnt have as many crew at 50%.

 

It rings true - no doubt they'll be very conscious of their nickels and dimes at this point!

Tom

[BrotherCraig]

My guess, only a guess, would be first week of August.  

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

CDC has given the cruise lines the option of the test cruises. Not required any longer.  All cruise lines are getting ready. On the local news the other day. They were showing the crew getting vaccinated. I think the problem might be with getting a crew back together from other countries that are still dangerously effected with the covid19. I am sure many of them cannot wait to get back to work either.

We have had 3 Mardi Gras cancellations. This October 30th cruise was booked when it was listed. So we are anxiously hoping it sails. Yesterday, I purchased the steak house (Free bottle of wine) offered 1st and sometimes 2nd day and the soda package. Do not purchase the drink package. A bit expensive for want I will drink. If I want a rum and coke. I get the soda and pay for a double that is usually on a special. After the July announcement we booked two additional cruises for this year. MSC Divina September 5th, Mardi Gras Oct 30th and Caribbean Princess Dec 12th. Next year we start again in February Carnival Magic and then 3 more. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

10 minutes ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

CDC has given the cruise lines the option of the test cruises. Not required any longer.  All cruise lines are getting ready. On the local news the other day. They were showing the crew getting vaccinated. I think the problem might be with getting a crew back together from other countries that are still dangerously effected with the covid19. I am sure many of them cannot wait to get back to work either.

We have had 3 Mardi Gras cancellations. This October 30th cruise was booked when it was listed. So we are anxiously hoping it sails. Yesterday, I purchased the steak house (Free bottle of wine) offered 1st and sometimes 2nd day and the soda package. Do not purchase the drink package. A bit expensive for want I will drink. If I want a rum and coke. I get the soda and pay for a double that is usually on a special. After the July announcement we booked two additional cruises for this year. MSC Divina September 5th, Mardi Gras Oct 30th and Caribbean Princess Dec 12th. Next year we start again in February Carnival Magic and then 3 more. 

 

Our cabin comes with the soda package. I thought it would not be very handy - but you're right, a double might be the answer!

 

Tom

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

27 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Our cabin comes with the soda package. I thought it would not be very handy - but you're right, a double might be the answer!

 

Tom

Reason for the double. The glass is large. Twice the size of a typical mixed drink. Remember, the soda package includes juices also. Like OJ with vodka or gin. That package is a great deal and you got it included. Nice!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

22 minutes ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Reason for the double. The glass is large. Twice the size of a typical mixed drink. Remember, the soda package includes juices also. Like OJ with vodka or gin. That package is a great deal and you got it included. Nice!

 

I think that they also throw in free room service (I can barely recall what was offered... wings/nuggets?). Now I'll have to go look up a "recent" room service menu!  🙂

 

Tom

[helene109]

I am checking this read too much! Ugh I just want to know! So tempted to book the Horizon as it has availability. I emailed my pvp about my August cruise she said it is sold out!

[chadci]

On 5/16/2021 at 12:19 AM, SNJCruisers said:

I am hoping that it sails anytime between 8/21 and 10/30.  This way our 10/30 cruise is a go and at the same time I will earn 1200 in OBC for my hopefully cancelled 8/7 and 8/14 sailings.  

I booked the B2B for August a couple of months ago at a higher rate than I would normally pay, but if cancelled, the price difference will come back as OBC.  I will flip it to another B2B next year at the OV8 rate and get another 200 in OBC per leg.  Between the price difference OBC,   the 1200 in OBC from the hopeful cancellations, the 400 in OBC from the rate and the 200 in OBC from stock, we'll have over 2600 in OBC to spend.  Cheers, gratuities, specialty dining all covered for two with money left to spend.

We’re booked for 10/30 as well. I’d been pretty optimistic it would go, but just not sure anymore. Have been looking at road trips “just in case”.