Mardi Gras quick review 10/2-10/9

[scendro]

We just disembarked from the Mardi Gras so i figured i’d give a quick review.

 

Our group consisted of my husband and I (late 40’s early 50’s) and my in-laws (in their early 80’s).

 

i’ll try and break this review up into chunks

 

Room

We stayed in Balcony Rooms 10339 & 10341.

I love the decor of the rooms and was very happy with the glass shower set up with the foot rest for shaving.  We sailed the Horizon in late July (comparable room) and i believe the bathroom on the MG was larger .

 

Beds- hard as a rock!  i’m thinking they might need broken in but they were much more firm than on other ships.

 

I noticed the Sofa in our room already appeared worn/stained which i found odd considering this ship just started sailing.

 

The rooms do appear more narrow especially the entry.  Bonus was the empty fridge so you can store water/pop.  

Way more outlets and phone charging spots than on the Horizon!

 

Ladies- your curling irons may not heat up.  mine did not (it turned on) and it worked the night before at the hotel and heats up just fine now at home.  i’m thinking there is a voltage limit.

 

Room steward was great!  brought me extra towels every day. we didn’t see him very much but our room was clean.

 

now my in-laws had a different room steward than us.  they found shoes and food in their fridge on day one & their mirror was never cleaned so….

 

 

[scendro]

next topic:  Food

 

overall a great experience.  we did try out most of the spots:

 

street eats, Chi-Bang, Marketplace, Main Dining Room, Rudy’s Sea Grill, Blue Iguana, Guys Burgers, Shak’s Big  Chicken,  Pig & Anchor,  Cucina el Capitan, and Fareinheit 555 Steakhouse

 

Street Eats-  these are fun and it’s a great way to get a snack or meal after a port day.  loaded fries were great and the korean beef was amazing.  pot stickers were good. 

 

Chi-Bang- (this was included for free on our cruise as a promotional thing). i hate to say it but it was just average.  i did the Mexican and my husband did the Asian and we shared.  we tried multiple entrees and appetizers.  

 

Cucina Capitan - (this also was included for free on our cruise).  we ate here for dinner twice and lunch once.  Lunch was amazing!  loved the pick your own pasta creations and mozzarella sticks were yummy.  We ate dinner here twice.  first time carbonara was amazing! loved everything about this meal.  second time everything was very watery and had little flavor.  must’ve had different chefs that night. 

 

Steak House-  we’ve tried the steakhouse on the other ships and this one was just as good. only downside was it was cramped even though it wasn’t full.

 

Markeplace Buffet-  eh, not a fan.  i should say we never ate breakfast here so only lunch and a walk through at dinner.  very slim selections and food was average.  Desserts (however) at lunch were amazing!   we also tried the shawarma station and the hotdog station and those were good.

 

Shaks Big Chicken-  very yummy!  loved this one.  only thing missing was mayo at the condiment station.  i’m a mayo/fry girl

 

Guys Burgers-  awesome as always.  the one on this ship is quite large so that’s a huge plus.

 

Pizza Place- yummy!  but very busy after 9:30 because nothing else is open

 

Panini Place-  i had a caprese and it was amazing!

 

Blue Iguana- just as good as i’ve had on other ships

 

Pig & Anchor-  eh, this one needs some work.  we tried it twice and it was just average.

 

Rudy’s Sea Grill-  i loved this place!  food was very very good and entrees were larger than expected.  

 

Main Dining Room-  we did the sea day brunch and a few dinners here.  overall very good!

 

overall we had a great food experience.  servers were all great.  food was always hot and never had any issues getting anything we wanted customized 

 

i’ve included a few photos 

 

 

 

 

[ColeThornton]

24 minutes ago, scendro said:

now my in-laws had a different room steward than us.  they found shoes and food in their fridge on day one & their mirror was never cleaned so….

 

The previous occupants must have been partying hard if they put their shoes in the fridge.  😉

[scendro]

next topic:  Overall Ship & Entertainment

 

I personally loved the different themed areas of the ship (french quarter, grand central etc).  this would be a great ship to do a two week cruise on because there’s is just so much to see and do.

 

we did not get to ride the Bolt.  we made reservations twice and both times it was cancelled due to winds.  i recommend doing the Bolt on a port day and not on a sea day so maybe you can actually ride it.   also- you have to make reservations!

 

Pools and Hot tubs!  so many choices and we sailed at 70% capacity and it never seemed too crowded on the decks.  we never had a problem finding a chair on any deck.  i didn’t see anyone reserving chairs either.  sure the pools were crowded during prime time (or at the sail away party- see pic below) but there were plenty of times you could use them without a crowd.

 

Serenity Deck-  this area was huge and had plenty of shade and sun spots!  we loved this!  so the crowd on our cruise was a little rowdy and many cheers package people hung out at the serenity during the day (bar service must’ve been great up there) so the pool area at the serenity was NOT serene.  but we just went to another area and found some quiet space.

 

Live Entertainment-  we enjoyed the play list production shows (we went to 2- the Broadway one and the Rock one).  the M Magician was ok.  the live bands were great.  there was a solo act (a guy) that wasn’t so great and we always thought people were doing karaoke that’s how bad it was.

 

We absolutely LOVED Family Fued Live-  take the time to see this one!

 

Casino- wow it was so nice to have a non smoking area that was truly non smoking for once.  A+++
 

Bar Service-  everyone was great.  drinks were either very strong OR i thought they were virgin.  never had any difficulty getting a drink

 

Overall Decor-  loved it!

 

[scendro]

8 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

 

The previous occupants must have been partying hard if they put their shoes in the fridge.  😉

it was Definitely ODD!!  

[scendro]

10 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

 

The previous occupants must have been partying hard if they put their shoes in the fridge.  😉

it was Definitely ODD!!  

[kwokpot]

41 minutes ago, scendro said:

I noticed the Sofa in our room already appeared worn/stained which i found odd considering this ship just started sailing.

I think it's the material they used. It has an odd weave/texture and at times I thought there were dirty spots and/or worn areas.  

[mondello]

19 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

 

The previous occupants must have been partying hard if they put their shoes in the fridge.  😉

She kept stepping out on him and he just wanted her to cool it!

[scendro]

Next Topic- a few dislikes 

 

I’m that person that LOVED the elevators on the Horizon (basically select your floor before you enter the elevator and then it tells you which elevator to go to for a direct journey)

 

the Mardi Gras did not have those elevators.  the elevators were often cramped and you had to wait to get one sometimes for quite a while.  and if your cruise was like ours (full of scooters) you’ll be able waiting for a while.  also the buttons on the elevators was not on the wall in front of you but on the sides.  so if you enter an elevator that has people in it you have to ask them to press a button for you 

 

BIGGEST Dislike!  after 9:30 the only “food” option that was free was pizza . and the line was looong.  it would be nice to have “late night snacks” at the buffet to offer some variety.  

 

other than that, i loved it and am looking forward to sailing on her again November 2022

Edited October 10, 2021 by scendro

[scendro]

almost forgot - WIFI  &  Embarkation/Disembarkation 

 

best wifi i’ve been had on any ship.  not as fast as cellular or wifi back home but definitely much better than what we had on the Horizon in July 21 and other ships in the past .

 

Embarkation-  this would’ve went much smoother but for a snafu my mother in law caused.  when doing the online health screening 48 hours prior to sailing, she inadvertent indicated she had shortness of breath (again she’s 80). Well, this locked us out of the joint reservation and did not permit any of us in our two rooms to finish the online health screening.  we called Carnival and were told to show up at the pier and we would all be screened there.  we arrived on time and sure enough, she was flagged and they (the port workers) had to do something behind the seems (not sure what) & we were sent to guest services.  to be safe my MIL had her doctor write her a fitness to sail letter with explanation that she has shortness of breath due to chronic asthma which is currently welled controlled by her medication and she also does not have covid .  Carnival never asked for the letter.  they just sent us to Guest Services and scanned her passport and let her on board.  so bizzare!  she was never actually asked any health questions at the pier.

 

Debarkation-

 

you will be thrown out of your room by 8:30 and off the ship by 9:30.  be prepared to get your butts up, dressed and off the ship 😂

 

we had a late flight so planned to leisurely get off the ship by 10 & that didn’t happen.  

[mondello]

@scendro They do have the late night, upcharge Room Service menu. Also, they will deliver the pizza to you. I couldn't find what time the Piazza Panini venue closed. Others were getting a sammy before they closed to enjoy in their cabin late night. Bummer they don't have anything on Lido. I've had my share of midnight dogs and burgers in between shifts in the casino.

Edited October 10, 2021 by mondello
correction

[drafterdw]

Are any of the free food  venues opened for breakfast besides main dining room and buffet on Lido? 

[scendro]

yes

7 minutes ago, drafterdw said:

Are any of the free food  venues opened for breakfast besides main dining room and buffet on Lido? 

yes!  i believe Cucina Capitan (the italian place) , Blue Iguana and Shaks Big Chicken all served breakfast complimentary!  

[Colorado Beach Bum]

4 minutes ago, scendro said:

yes

yes!  i believe Cucina Capitan (the italian place) , Blue Iguana and Shaks Big Chicken all served breakfast complimentary!  

Also Pig and Anchor had breakfast buffet,  and Java Blue had complimentary items. 

[scendro]

5 minutes ago, Colorado Beach Bum said:

Also Pig and Anchor had breakfast buffet,  and Java Blue had complimentary items. 

yes that’s correct!  

[mirglip69]

On 10/10/2021 at 1:39 PM, scendro said:

We just disembarked from the Mardi Gras so i figured i’d give a quick review.

 

Our group consisted of my husband and I (late 40’s early 50’s) and my in-laws (in their early 80’s).

 

i’ll try and break this review up into chunks

 

Room

We stayed in Balcony Rooms 10339 & 10341.

I love the decor of the rooms and was very happy with the glass shower set up with the foot rest for shaving.  We sailed the Horizon in late July (comparable room) and i believe the bathroom on the MG was larger .

 

Beds- hard as a rock!  i’m thinking they might need broken in but they were much more firm than on other ships.

 

I noticed the Sofa in our room already appeared worn/stained which i found odd considering this ship just started sailing.

 

The rooms do appear more narrow especially the entry.  Bonus was the empty fridge so you can store water/pop.  

Way more outlets and phone charging spots than on the Horizon!

 

Ladies- your curling irons may not heat up.  mine did not (it turned on) and it worked the night before at the hotel and heats up just fine now at home.  i’m thinking there is a voltage limit.

 

Room steward was great!  brought me extra towels every day. we didn’t see him very much but our room was clean.

 

now my in-laws had a different room steward than us.  they found shoes and food in their fridge on day one & their mirror was never cleaned so….

 

 

Thanks for the great review. I am booked in room 10339 in March. Can you tell me if the layout of this room has the bed near the balcony or near the bathroom?

[Cherries Jubilee]

Everything looks amazing! Your photos and review really paint a great picture of the ship. I can’t wait to sail her 🤩

[Guest BasicSailor]

I'm concerned about the hard bed comment, lord my back needs a good night's sleep.

[IntrepidFromDC]

6 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

I'm concerned about the hard bed comment, lord my back needs a good night's sleep.

If we're on the same sailing my kid will be happy to jump on your bed for a half hour, no charge.

[Guest BasicSailor]

14 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

If we're on the same sailing my kid will be happy to jump on your bed for a half hour, no charge.

Sorry , gonna pass on that freebee . Lollypops and snacks on the mattress, ahh no ! .

[IntrepidFromDC]

Thanks for the informative review and all the great pics.

[SNJCruisers]

Guy's also has a breakfast burger

[scendro]

9 hours ago, mirglip69 said:

Thanks for the great review. I am booked in room 10339 in March. Can you tell me if the layout of this room has the bed near the balcony or near the bathroom?

near the balcony.  right near the balcony (less than a few inches away from the curtain that closes the balcony window).  

[scendro]

8 hours ago, BasicSailor said:

I'm concerned about the hard bed comment, lord my back needs a good night's sleep.

oddly we slept very well in fact we (my party of 4) all said we slept great despite the bed being so hard.  

[JaniceB]

Great pictures and information.  Thanks for writing a review.