Need help selecting Mardi Gras Balcony Cabin

[soulsistah007]

All depends on what kind of balcony you want. I was initially looking at the cove balconies and found a good one on deck 5, midship, just under Java Blue but above cabins on deck 4. My husband decided he didnt want a cove and so we got a Havana (it's our anniversary so might as well and since we're going without our kids, no telling when we'd be able to do a Havana again). I wasn't super keen on people walking around but purposely chose a cabin on the port side with only 2 or 3 rooms to our left, so I'm hoping that drastically changes the amount of people walking by. 

[SNJCruisers]

3 hours ago, soulsistah007 said:

All depends on what kind of balcony you want. I was initially looking at the cove balconies and found a good one on deck 5, midship, just under Java Blue but above cabins on deck 4. My husband decided he didnt want a cove and so we got a Havana (it's our anniversary so might as well and since we're going without our kids, no telling when we'd be able to do a Havana again). I wasn't super keen on people walking around but purposely chose a cabin on the port side with only 2 or 3 rooms to our left, so I'm hoping that drastically changes the amount of people walking by. 

The only people walking by would be people that are in adjacent cabins to you, it's not like it'll be a parade.  But at the same time, you could save the money spent on that cabin and get an inside Havana and Cheers.  The Havana area could actually be like the lanai that you currently have booked.

[bamaone]

10 hours ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

We are booked on the Mardi Gras for a B2B in April 2022 and are in cabin 14356. We wanted an extended balcony, so we are on the "hump." It's not a connecting cabin and has cabins above and below us, so noise shouldn't be an issue. It is also about halfway between two banks of elevators with easy access to various areas on the ship.

We booked the same room September 2022. I’m excited to see how much bigger the hump makes the balcony. We used the same priorities as you when selecting this room. 

Edited June 23, 2021 by bamaone

[3smithboys]

Thanks so much everyone! After watching the video that was posted here, we decided to book cabin 14333. It was the best one that was still available for what we were looking for. It’s not connecting, not near the elevators, mid-ship, cabins are above and below us. I’m hoping our view will be ok being close to the hump. It seems like it will be, and according to the video it’s a green cabin and considered in a prime location. 
 

We are just super excited to be on a new ship, and we are  looking forward to going on vacation after not being able to for so long! 

[hebbynan]

19 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

You got caught assuming that it would be the same on the Mardi Gras and the Celebration, but it's not.  The new Excel Suites that are available on the Excellence Class ships should be your cup of tea.  They come with access to the Loft 19 area, which is like the Havana area on steroids.

We have an excel suite booked on this same cruise as the original poster.  We went with this one for the size.  It’s me, DH and both sons - 22 and 18.  The boys are rather tall so we went with a room with a lot more “room”. Plus the extra large balcony and separate sitting area was a huge bonus. 

[3smithboys]

4 minutes ago, hebbynan said:

We have an excel suite booked on this same cruise as the original poster.  We went with this one for the size.  It’s me, DH and both sons - 22 and 18.  The boys are rather tall so we went with a room with a lot more “room”. Plus the extra large balcony and separate sitting area was a huge bonus. 

Those suites did look nice! We are leaving the kids behind for the first time ever, and the mom guilt is killing me! They are 22, 18, and 18 right now and all 3 said GO for your 30th anniversary without us! My guys are tall too and would definitely need the extra space. 

[TravelBluebird]

SO...I booked the rooms for my group on the Mardi Gras online, and one wants to change now from interior to balcony.

Can i do this online or do I have to call someone at Carnival? 

 

Who do I call?

 

I always just book online.

 

Also, my balcony cabin is on the 10th floor in the “grey”  in that helpful video (due to being close to a public deck, but not RIGHT on it like the 9th floor) but I’m not sure I can change to something better, since most of the better floors seemed to be already sold on my sailing, so I may let it ride.  Would prefer straight to ocean, but might be amusing to people watch?

[SRQbeachgirl]

2 hours ago, TravelBluebird said:

SO...I booked the rooms for my group on the Mardi Gras online, and one wants to change now from interior to balcony.

Can i do this online or do I have to call someone at Carnival? 

 

Who do I call?

 

I always just book online.

 

Also, my balcony cabin is on the 10th floor in the “grey”  in that helpful video (due to being close to a public deck, but not RIGHT on it like the 9th floor) but I’m not sure I can change to something better, since most of the better floors seemed to be already sold on my sailing, so I may let it ride.  Would prefer straight to ocean, but might be amusing to people watch?

 

You'll need to call Carnival to change. You will probably get hit with a change fee (usually &150).

[TravelBluebird]

1 minute ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

 

You'll need to call Carnival to change. You will probably get hit with a change fee (usually &150).

 

 

Thanks! Wow, seems counter-productive to do a change fee when you want to spend more money not less! 

[SRQbeachgirl]

2 minutes ago, TravelBluebird said:

 

 

Thanks! Wow, seems counter-productive to do a change fee when you want to spend more money not less! 

 

Trust me, I know! I changed from a balcony to a suite once and they were like, we're going to charge you an extra $150 administrative fee AND you get to pay us another $1,000. 😆

[Knights on the Beach]

16 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

The only people walking by would be people that are in adjacent cabins to you, it's not like it'll be a parade.  But at the same time, you could save the money spent on that cabin and get an inside Havana and Cheers.  The Havana area could actually be like the lanai that you currently have booked.

 

We're booked in a balcony cabin on deck 12.  I looked at a Havana balcony but decided it wasn't for us.  I prefer to walk out on my balcony and have nothing but the rail between us and the ocean views.  When I looked at floorplan for Havana, the balcony seems like a big playpen.  lol  Maybe we'll try Havana on another ship but not on Mardi Gras.

[Moviela]

There are some tasty balcony rooms above the bridge on deck 17. They are forward facing and have an extended balcony. They give a commanding view and have a well designed transparent railing to block a lot of the wind. The deck map shows the cabins in the center having a huge balcony. That is a bit misleading because there is some ship hardware on the center forward area above the Bridge. The railing follows a curve to minimize eddy currents from sucking the umbrella out of a tropical drink. I took a screen shot from a You tube drone video of the ship in Port Canaveral that shows the actual railing location. These are also spa rooms, having a different decor and  bathroom supplies. The spa is on deck 5 forward, these rooms are on deck 17. There is an elevator a few steps from the cabins that takes you directly into the spa. What could be nicer? I am going to enjoy it. The only thing I don't know is how to select the layout. They use a system of bump outs for the beds, so some cabins have the bed near the balcony, and some have it further away. I can't see from the deck map which version is where.

What ever balcony you select, enjoy a great cruise.

[wemjam]

On 6/23/2021 at 1:06 PM, TravelBluebird said:

 

 

Thanks! Wow, seems counter-productive to do a change fee when you want to spend more money not less! 

One reason - as people always ask why do I need a PVP - to have a GREAT one like I do.  Anytime I want to change my room as long as I am staying with the same "class" 8E to 8E etc. he makes sure I don't pay the fee, and if I want to upgrade he gets it waived as well (since like you said, if I want to spend more money they shouldn't charge me to do it).  

 

I cruised for years doing it myself and then found this PVP, OMG he has handled so many issues and gotten things "fixed" for me so many times.. he is worth his weight in gold

[dan4182]

On 6/22/2021 at 8:14 AM, 3smithboys said:

We are planning on sailing June 2022 for our 30th anniversary and decided last night on the Mardi Gras! We saw 2 cabins- deck 11 ( cabin 11300) and deck 14 (cabin 14333.)  The deck 11 cabin is closer to the elevators and is a connecting cabin. I am kind of concerned about noise from both. It is also a bit more forward of mid ship. The cabin on Deck 14 is more mid ship and not as close to the elevators. Will that be less convenient? Will there be more “sway” higher up?  
 

I was hoping to get some thoughts/advice from you all here. Thanks! 

I’d suggest a cabin sandwiched between cabins above and below you. Try to avoid connecting cabins and those too near the elevators and stairwells.

[3smithboys]

1 hour ago, dan4182 said:

I’d suggest a cabin sandwiched between cabins above and below you. Try to avoid connecting cabins and those too near the elevators and stairwells.

Thanks so much for your reply! I think we found a cabin that fits all of those requirements! It will be so good to be back on a ship, with a balcony, and the Mardi Gras will be the newest ship we’ve sailed on (last ship was the Breeze and we loved it!) 

 

I think this will be a very long year of waiting! 😂

[hebbynan]

On 6/23/2021 at 10:04 AM, 3smithboys said:

Those suites did look nice! We are leaving the kids behind for the first time ever, and the mom guilt is killing me! They are 22, 18, and 18 right now and all 3 said GO for your 30th anniversary without us! My guys are tall too and would definitely need the extra space. 

Put that Mom guilt away and enjoy that cruise!! You deserve it! Trust me.... your boys will have their own “mini vacation” at home while mom is away 😉. Seriously though.... enjoy and have an awesome 30th anniversary! 

[3smithboys]

2 hours ago, hebbynan said:

Put that Mom guilt away and enjoy that cruise!! You deserve it! Trust me.... your boys will have their own “mini vacation” at home while mom is away 😉. Seriously though.... enjoy and have an awesome 30th anniversary! 

Thanks so much! They pretty much said the same thing... 😂😳  I’m excited and really looking forward to getting back on board!

Edited June 27, 2021 by 3smithboys

[AtSeaWithChris]

On 6/22/2021 at 9:07 AM, 3smithboys said:

Thanks! We have only ever had a balcony one other time... never a cove balcony before either. Also never been on the Lido deck. When I suggested it to my husband, he didn’t think it was a good idea... but that is probably just our lack of experience! What is nice about staying there? I’m assuming the proximity to everything?

We love Lido deck cabins. We get the ones closest to the Lido pool. There are cabins above and below and at the end of a hall with a door right at the pool entrance. Hardly anyone uses that door so it's quiet. So convenient to have a room close to drop off and pick up.

[jetsfan58]

Hey Cruise Nuts before I watch the extended video does it include inside cabins?  That's the only economical method to cruise. Plus my insides provide me with additional dollars to cruise later. Don't we all leave and arrive at the same time? 

 

Frugal Cruise Nut Jets Fan signing out!     

[hebbynan]

On 6/27/2021 at 2:40 PM, jetsfan58 said:

Hey Cruise Nuts before I watch the extended video does it include inside cabins?  That's the only economical method to cruise. Plus my insides provide me with additional dollars to cruise later. Don't we all leave and arrive at the same time? 

 

Frugal Cruise Nut Jets Fan signing out!     

The video includes ALL rooms. Balcony, expensive, inside you name it. I watched the video and found it very informative. 

Edited June 29, 2021 by hebbynan