Live (Wi-Fi willing) Christmas Mardi Gras Review 12/18- 12/26 Blue Card Perspective

[BennyBrun]

Day 6

 

We were hoping to see BlackBeards Castle but it’s closed.  We did get to have a little peak.

[BennyBrun]

Day 6

 

The second oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere.  You have to pay attention because if you climbed the steep hill then you have missed it and did all that climbing for nothing.

[BennyBrun]

Day 6

 

Back to the ship and hitting street eats.  It seems that there is a broccoli shortage onboard.  At dinner time I ask for broccoli I get one floret.  There was a bowl of cauliflower at the lido buffet’s salad bar with three florets of broccoli for decoration.  How much did the price of broccoli go up while we were away? Lol.

[BennyBrun]

Day 6

 

If you missed it from my previous post, please consider set time dinning at 7:45.  You can still opt out and go to other restaurants and check in at 7:45 PM but it makes dinning such a pleasure.  Quick, friendly, efficient service!  It is night and day compared to our second MDR experience!

[BennyBrun]

Day 6 

 

Center Stage Jazz Night!  Amazeballs!!!

[BennyBrun]

Day 6

 

Center Stage New Orleans Celebration 

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Day 6

 

Mardi Gras King and Queen selected by our fellow cruisers!

[BennyBrun]

Day 6

 

Mardi Gras Parade Center Stage 

[BennyBrun]

Day 6 

 

The guy in the yellow is not Sgt. Pepper.  That’s our cruise director!

[BennyBrun]

Day 6

 

The Center stage show just kept on going tonight.  After the Mardi Gras parade, the house magician made an appearance and he was amazing!  He magically figured out the name of a celebrity that someone from the audience picked out and the name appeared on a chalk board.

[BennyBrun]

Day 6 

 

Following the magician it’s time for Voodoo Night.  The center stage performers works really hard.  On Celebrity, they do one show every other night.  On the Mardi Gras they perform twice every night and never seemed tired.  Very impressive!  The entertainment choices on the Mardi Gras is so jam packed that you really have to decide what you really want to see because you just physically can’t do it all.

[BennyBrun]

Day 6

 

I just didn’t have enough energy for the late late night comedy at the theater tonight!  Will try again tomorrow!

[BennyBrun]

Day 6

 

Java Blue and Cherry on Top function as a concession stand during show time.  There were a lot of kids buying candy tonight and every night.  They are giving their sign and sail account a workout!

[BennyBrun]

Day 7  Christmas Eve

 

The gym was substantially busier this morning than the last few port days but that’s nothing compared to brunch.  We originally were going to skip brunch today but the Flamingo restaurant manager said to come back and give it another try so we did.  We are just waiting for a table now but there are currently 100 people waiting for a table and the line is growing.

[BennyBrun]

[BennyBrun]

Day 7 Christmas Eve

 

Brunch service was quick and efficient.  We sat with the same server we had from Flamingo restaurant and she told me she knows my style.  So when I ordered something that’s not my style she would say no.  I loved it.  Best brunch experience ever!!

Edited December 24, 2021 by BennyBrun

[BennyBrun]

Day 7 Christmas Eve

 

Street Eats for the day.

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Day 7 Christmas Eve

 

Ice sculpture on the lido deck.

[BennyBrun]

Day 7

 

Ice sculpture creation… the correct answer is Mexican Reindeer.  Not just reindeer.  This is according to the fun squad.  Some lady did try to argue with the fun squad that she had the right answer “reindeer”.  Why I don’t know but what I do know is that it is very impressive.

[BennyBrun]

Day 7

 

In the afternoon I went to the Thermal Suite for some quiet time but the spa was packed.  Which was fine it was still a nice experience and mask was not required.  I was told by my fellow cruisers that there are currently 7 positive cases onboard (all guests) quarantined on deck 4.  They went to the medical office on their own and they got tested. That’s the deck to avoid as I was told by the crew.  They didn’t make a big deal about it and we are cruising along enjoying Christmas Eve.

[BennyBrun]

Day 7

 

I finally made it across to the Red Frog Tiki Bar … but no Maria.  Apparently they are pulled to do different things at different time of the day.  A server that serves you dinner is running drinks in the afternoon and handing out mask at lido in the morning.  Many hats they wear!

[BennyBrun]

Day 7

 

Elegant evening and tonight we decided to do a show first at the theater.  Broadway Hits.  Then to the steakhouse.  Not as packed as I thought it was going to be.

[BennyBrun]

Day 7

 

Broadway Hits… not to be missed!

[BennyBrun]

Day 7

Christmas Eve Dinner at SteakHouse.

 

I really had high hopes for this place but it was not great.  The food came out like warm and the service was worse than being at Applebees.  The only thing that was good was the white chocolate raspberry ice cream at the end.  But hey it’s Christmas Eve and we are on a cruise.  We probably won’t do it again any time soon!  BTW what is that green stuff by the butter?

[BennyBrun]

Day 7

 

Because dinner at the steakhouse took forever, we missed center stage show and was only able to catch the last 10 minutes.  We decided to go ahead and cancel Rudi’s seafood because we don’t want to miss the Christmas entertainment and have to suffer through a bad dinner on Christmas Day.  Midnight Mass will start soon at the Mardi Gras Theater so Merry Christmas to all.