My Long Mardi Gras Story (with pictures and Funtimes) 01/29 to 02/05

[mlshum]

Mardi Gras – January 29 – Feb 5, 2022

 

Dear Cruise Critic Friends, what follows is more of the “story” of our trip than an actual “review”.   I’ll try to give you as much information as possible but the whole story will be shaded by what we like to do, what we like to eat, where we like to go…..you get the picture.  We enjoy jumping off waterfalls and riding Bolt but don’t have much interest in the casino.  Everyone has different preferences.   If you have any questions, I’ll do my best to answer them but no promises that I will actually know the answer!  So….here it is (and I know this subject has been covered by many others)….MY Mardi Gras Story.  (As always, I start before the cruise with the story of what happened leading up to departure.  If you prefer to skip that part, then it’s probably best to start reading at the second post or at least way down the page. 😊)

 

I came with a warning label.

 

 

When I was a little girl, my favorite book was called “Open Up My Suitcase”.  I still have my copy of that book.  It is well worn and you can tell his has been read many, many times.  Whether or not Ron knew this when we got married in 1985 is a question I never asked but, nearly 37 years later, he doesn’t seem to be complaining so I’ll take that as a win and as agreement that we continue.

 

If you haven’t read any of my other reviews, let me take a minute to introduce you to myself and my husband.  We are Ron and Michelle and we live in the beautiful mountain state of West Virginia, just a few miles from the southernmost West Virginia/Virginia border.  I am a real estate appraiser and own my own business.  Ron, who is also an appraiser, is the Appraisal Services Manager for a regional bank chain of about 51 branches.  It is sometimes difficult for me to find time to take a vacation during typical vacation months.  Since I am self-employed, I tend to “make hay while the sun shines”……literally while the sun shines, since spring and summer tend to be my busiest times.   In light of that, we often take our vacation in January or February.  It has the added bonus of a week away from winter. At least, most of the time.

 

Like many of you, this cruise was cancelled and rebooked several times.  Originally, we were scheduled to sail on the Magic around the same time but after reading reviews and posts about Mardi Gras and watching YouTube videos about the ship we decided to make a switch.  How often do we get to sail on a ship that is less than a year old?!?!  This is our 10th cruise, nine of which were with Carnival.  Our itinerary included San Juan, Grand Turk and Amber Cove.  We had been to each of these places once, so we were anxious to go back and explore some more.  We were expecting San Juan to be cancelled and, due to stricter testing requirements, that was exactly what happened about a week or so before we were supposed to leave.  San Juan was out and Nassau was the replacement.  Phooey!   I really wanted to go back to San Juan since we’d been to Nassau several times, mostly recently in October.  Still….Nassau is definitely better than NOT AT ALL, so to Nassau we go!

 

One week before the cruise and work seemed to be dragging.  Would I ever get this mountain of reports finished?  Have the hands on the clock even moved?  I had a serious case of “vacationitis”!  Finally, it was really time to “Open Up My Suitcase”!

 

First up on the “to do” list was to take the COVID test.  We opted for the “at home” eMed test.  We had done the same thing for our October cruise and it worked just fine.  Thursday morning rolled around and bright and early.  We took our proctored tests.  Both negative!  Yay!  Now we could truly pack and go on vacation.

 

I wrapped up my work week in the office, set my answering machine and bounce messages and turned my attention to things that were more fun, like packing.  I am guilty of taking too much.  I KNOW I probably won’t need some of the extra things or I could get them on board, but I just can’t seem to help myself.  I’ve been doing a little better about paring it down over the years so I’m probably at a point where I will just live with it and accept this about myself.

 

January 28, 2022 - Travel day!  At long last!

 

We hit the ground running, as usual.  Although our flight didn’t leave until 1:35, the airport was about 3 hours away and since we were held up with roadwork on our way to our October cruise, we wound up cutting it closer than we liked.  We were determined that would not happen again.  Also, the Charlotte airport is STILL undergoing a major construction project so we didn’t know if there would be any related problems.   We decided to just go ahead and leave as soon as possible.  We could wait at the airport as easily as waiting anywhere else.

 

Of course, there was no traffic.  There was no delay due to construction at the airport.  Everything went very smoothly, and we sailed right through security.  We settled in to wait a couple of hours.  The airport was empty.  I have never seen it that quiet!  The Charlotte airport has multiple rocking chairs positioned in front of windows.  That seemed like a good place to wait, so we grabbed a couple of rockers and got settled.

 

Found rocking chairs at the Charlotte airport....

 

.....and settled in to wait.

 

Construction underway at CLT.

 

 

It was cloudy all day and as we waited, we learned that snow was expected that afternoon in Charlotte.  We crossed our fingers that our flight would leave before the weather worsened.   I grabbed a bagel and Ron had a burger for a quick, early lunch. By the time we boarded, it was still just cloudy, so we got our wish. 

 

Time to board!

 

Ready to fly!  

 

Waiting in line....looks like a traffic jam!

 

We're on our way!  Woo hoo!!

 

 

We landed in Orlando a couple of hours later.  It was around 60 degrees.  That’s a little bit chilly for afternoon in Orlando.  It’s typically summer when I land in Florida!  Still. It’s better than what we had left behind.  We collected our checked bags and ordered an Uber.

 

The Orlando airport (MCO) is about 40 minutes or so from Cocoa Beach and Port Canaveral.  The Uber arrived very quickly and was driven by a very nice lady named Miladys.  The total price for both of us was $58.  We did not go all the way into Cocoa Beach.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Cocoa, FL.  In the past when we have sailed from Port Canaveral, we have stayed at the Raddison.  It’s very nice and has a great pool.  This time, the Raddison was $300 and it was going to be too cold to swim.  I simply couldn’t justify spending $300 for about 18 hours of usage.  (That’s $16.66 dollars an hour!)  I searched around and found this Holiday Inn Express for around $170.  It was clean and satisfied our needs.  It was located right off I-95 but wasn’t near much else.  The only nearby restaurant within walking distance was a McDonalds.  We debated calling another Uber and heading out for a better dinner but we were both tired after traveling all day and decided to just walk over to the McDonalds.  Not exactly fine dining but at least we wouldn’t be hungry.  The service was terrible and the ice cream machine wasn’t working (of course!) but the food was OK (as far as McDonald’s goes) and did the job. 

 

After a quick bite, we headed back to the hotel to iron and just rest for the evening.  Tomorrow was CRUISE DAY!

 

 

January 29, 2022 – Cruise Day!!!  Finally!!

 

As I mentioned earlier, it was only about 60 degrees when we landed in Florida.  The evening in the hotel we caught the local news and learned that Cocoa Beach and Orland were expecting their first frost in about four years.  When we awakened that morning, the temperature was in the high 30’s.  It was very windy and in the low 40’s by the time our shuttle arrived.  What’s up with that?!?!?  Long sleeves, sweaters, jeans and jackets were the order of the day.  Sadly, no shorts on this Sail Away!  I think this was the first time we have been bundled up on Cruise Day.

 

 

 

 

I had made arrangements with Bill at J. B. Shuttle Services to pick us up and deliver us to the port for our 11:00am check-in.   Jeannie, our driver, called and picked us up around 10:30.  After loading our luggage, we set off for the port.  So exciting!  We were getting ready to board Mardi Gras!!

 

Our first view of Mardi Gras

 

It took about 20 minutes to get to the port.  By the time we collected our luggage and dropped it off to the porters, we were pretty much exactly on time for the 11:00 am slot.  We walked right through security.  We had both downloaded and set up the Verifly app, which made things very quick and easy.  There was very little waiting from the time we got in line to the time we were completely checked-in and waiting to board.  Boarding had not yet started at all when we arrived.  Just as we were being seated, they started calling the guests with suites and the first zone numbers.  We only waited about 15 minutes and it was time for us to board.

 

Inside the waiting area at the terminal

 

Waiting....somewhat patiently....

 

My first step on Mardi Gras

 

 

As soon as we stepped on board, we were encouraged to take care of our muster drill.  Our muster station was in the casino.  We checked in, watched the demonstration and he scanned our cards.  Just a couple of minutes and we were finished.  Very easy!  I love the new muster process.  It is SO much better than the old method.

 

It was a little bit early for lunch so we set off to tour the ship a bit.  This ship has a different flow from other Carnival ships.  It is broken into “neighborhoods” for want of a better word.  The venues that are consistent with that “neighborhood” are generally grouped together.  A good example is the French Quarter.  In that area, you will find Emeril’s, the Fortune Teller Bar and the Brass Magnolia.  Jazz music is played in the Brass Magnolia every evening.  Emeril’s serves a lot of Cajun food.  La Piazza has an Italian feel, Italian decor and there you will find the pizza place, the deli and Cucina del Capitano.  All of the décor was reminiscent of the various neighborhoods.   We really enjoyed the whole concept.

 

French Quarter

 

I love the decor in this ship!

 

Fortune Teller Bar

 

Seating area for Fortune Teller Bar

 

The Brass Magnolia

 

The Brass Magnolia

 

Exploring Mardi Gras

 

Tides Bar eating area

 

Crystal and mirrored lights and staircase

 

Again....i LOVE the decor on Mardi Gras

 

 

Another thing that I thought was interesting on this ship that I had not seen before was the two comedy clubs.  The Limelight Lounge was the location for all of the PG shows and the Punchliner was the location for all of the adult shows.  There were multiple comedians and multiple comedy shows on this ship.  We managed to attend a couple during the cruise.  The Limelight Lounge was also the location for a lot of the trivia sessions….mainly the morning sessions.  Afternoon sessions were held at Guy’s Pig and Anchor on Summer Landing.

 

After wandering around for a while we decided we were ready to head up to Lido for some lunch.  This Lido is massive and spans two decks.  The Red Frog tiki bar is also massive and spans two decks.  The buffet, Street Eats, Blue Iguana and Big Chicken were all on Deck 16.  Guy’s Burger was on Deck 17 .

 

There are so many choices on this ship!  I enjoyed Street Eats.  It’s a line of three small restaurants….Time Fries (French fries with various toppings), Steam Dreams (various steamed sandwiches) and Mad Sizzle (various kabobs).  It sort of reminded me of a food truck without the truck.  Each small restaurant only served one thing and the menu changed daily.  There was never much of a wait at any place for the entire week.  We were not sailing at full capacity so I’m sure it would be more crowded and there would be more waiting with more people.   While we enjoyed Street Eats, there was one specific place we really wanted to check out on embarkation day……Big Chicken.

 

Big Chicken on Embarkation Day was the longest line we encountered the whole week.

 

 

I’m sure everyone already knows about Big Chicken.  It has been discussed many times.  Let me add my opinion and say that it is definitely very good. The sandwiches were great, and I very much enjoyed the thin and crispy seasoned fries.  We both chose the Big Aristotle sandwich  There were only a couple of people in line ahead of us so there wasn’t much wait at all.

 

After finishing up our lunch and calling Big Chicken a success, we went to the gelato station.  There is a gelato station on Horizon when we sailed in 2020 but it seemed to always be out or churning gelato.  That wasn’t the case on Mardi Gras.  Again, this could be the difference between full capacity and a smaller number of people.  Each day there were two gelato choices and about six cake choices at the same station.  On this first day, Ron opted for raspberry gelato and I chose a slice of salted caramel cheesecake.  Both were very good.  We stopped by that area pretty much every day for something sweet after lunch. 

 

After finishing lunch, we headed down to the restaurant to request our table for two.  Boris was the maître-de and he was very nice.  The whole process was quick and painless.  We had selected assigned early dining and were in the Palms restaurant.  I would later understand that assigned dining was probably a mistake on Mardi Gras.  (More on that later)

 

By this time, it was 1:30 and we wanted to check out our cabin.  We had booked an interior on Deck 11 midship.  (11380).  The room was certainly sufficient but was narrower than other interior rooms we’ve had in the past.  It was still just as usable, and we didn’t mind it at all.  The bathrooms on Mardi Gras are a huge improvement, in my opinion.  They are still small, but the showers have a door instead of a shower curtain and are relatively spacious.  I definitely give the shower two thumbs up!  Our luggage arrived while we were checking out the room so we went ahead and unpacked while we were there.  Our room steward, Ni, stopped by around that time.  She was excellent!  Not only was she very thorough and efficient, she was also very friendly.  I’m always impressed that the crew can remember names like they do.  It changes for them every week.  I don’t think my memory would be good enough to pull that off on a regular basis!

 

Interior - Deck 11

 

Relatively standard issue bathroom but....

 

Check out that shower!  

 

I love this!  Don't know why, I just do!

 

 

Like most of you, we had a good deal of onboard credit from cancellations.  Although we usually book our excursions week in advance, we had opted to wait until we got on board to book so we could use our OBC.  This was a mistake!  We had chosen a snorkeling excursion in Nassau, a waterfall excursion in Amber Cove and we had hoped to do a whale watching excursion in Grand Turk.  I was really disappointed to learn that the whale watching excursion was already sold out.  We asked to be placed on a waiting list and, instead, booked a Hummer driving tour of the island.  This was only our second trip to Grand Turk and the first time we visited we went to the wall to snorkel.  We had never really taken time to see the rest of the island but I still REALLY wanted to see the humpback whales.  The moral of the story is if there is a shore excursion that you really want to do, go ahead and book beforehand! 

 

Speaking of booking beforehand, we DID book a Carnival Kitchen class several months before we actually sailed.  We booked the pasta making class because we really wanted to be sure that we didn’t miss it.  I had our paperwork with me showing my purchase.  This would prove to be a good thing.  We checked the HUB app to see if all of our excursions were listed and Ron noticed that the pasta making class was missing.  We went Guest Services to see if we could find out why.  The wait at Guest Services was about 15 minutes….not too bad at all for Embarkation Day.  When it was our turn, Ron explained that the class simply wasn’t showing on the app.  At first, the gentleman at Guest Services thought we didn’t know how to use the app but quickly discovered that the class was, indeed, missing.  We pulled out the paper showing where we had paid for the class.  He checked and, as it turned out, the list had not yet been added into the app.  Problem solved!   They fixed the problem and apologized.  Good enough for me!  (More on the pasta class later.)

 

We hurried up on deck because it was time for Sail Away.  This is the first Sail Away party where I was wearing jeans, a long sleeved shirt, a sweater AND a jacket.  The wind was fierce and the temps were in the mid to upper 50’s.  Still, it was a fun part and we danced, which is something we don’t often do.  Chris Williams, The Flying Scotsman, was our cruise director and he was amazing!  I think he is my favorite cruise director so far.  He was super energetic and rocked a kilt the entire week.  He was up on the pool edge dancing for all he was worth.  It really set the mood for a great start to our cruise in spite of the temperature.  One of the staff members was up on one of the platforms on the ropes course doing all of the dances, too.  It was great!

 

Port Canaveral from Lido

 

Cold Sail Away...check out these coats!

 

 

Pushing away from the pier

 

A crew member was dancing along up on the ropes course platform

 

Everyone was dancing even if it WAS cold

 

Sail Away Party

 

Yes, we're wearing coats and yes, we're thrilled to be here!

 

 

The Sail Away party was finished, Jetty Park and Cocoa Beach were behind us and it was time to make our first visit to the Palms Restaurant.  We headed down the room to clean up a bit before going to the dining room.

Nearing the end of the channel

 

Jetty Park

 

Florida in the distance

 

The sun begins to set

 

We entered the restaurant and were shown to our table.  I really enjoyed the location in the dining room.  We were not right at the window (one row in), but you could certainly see out of the windows very easily.  I liked being able to see the water.  Our server team came to introduce themselves.  I think this is the first time that has ever happened!  The head server was Severo and the assistants were Rizsky (pronounced “Risky”) and Haryana.  They were all super nice and took excellent care of us all week.  That cruise was Ritzsky’s first day after being promoted from kitchen staff to wait staff.  He was very excited.  We though he did a great job! 

 

Ron ordered tomato soup, quesadilla, steak and chocolate melting cake.  I also had the quesadilla, the brisket and the melting cake.  It was all very good and we were quite happy with our dinner.

 

Dinner and a show

 

The waitstaff on this ship enjoyed singing and dancing, too

 

 

After dinner we stopped in a couple of the shops as we made our way to Center Stage for the Welcome Aboard Show.  The shops were pretty much what you will find on all the Carnival ships.  They feel slightly larger with a few more items but overall they were very similar.  One thing that they did have that was different was “Mardi Gras Inaugural Season” merchandise.  Since this was my first time sailing during an Inaugural Season, I had to get one of the shirts that said  “Inaugural Season”.

 

 

When we arrived at Center Stage, we quickly realized that it pays to get there early!  The seating at the front of the state is mainly a smattering of small tables with four chairs.  There is then a couple of rows of bench type seating and behind that, under the overhand for Deck 7, were more tables and chairs with a few booths.  We were under that overhang.  Overall, it was fine but you couldn’t see all of the changeable screens and sometimes it was difficult to see parts of the show.  Still, it wasn’t bad and you could certainly hear well enough.   There is a row of additional chairs along the balcony on Deck 7 and then bleacher type seating extends up from Deck 7 up into Deck 8.   All of the shows we watched at Center Stage we sat on Deck 6 so I can’t give an opinion on the noise level for the upper decks.

Grand Central before the crowds with screens retracted

Grand Central seating

 

 

The first show of the night was called “Trop Rock”.  (“Trop” was for “Tropical”)  There is a Center Stage band that does singing and dancing shows in addition to the regular Playlist cast.  “Trop Rock” was a lot of fun.  The band wore Hawaiian flowered shirts and such and the whole show was pretty much a sing-a-long, which I always enjoy.  After “Trop Rock” was over, our Cruise Director, Chris, the Flying Scotsman, came on stage.  He sang a danced a little.  He did an entire show the next night but this first night was mainly about introducing the performers from around the ship….and there are a bunch!  There were performances by the band from Summer Landing/Guy’s Pig and Anchor, Fortune Teller, Brass Magnolia, Playlist, the Piano Bar…and more that I can’t remember at the moment.  Each one did a song or two and it flowed very well.  I really enjoyed the whole show.

 

Trop Rock - Welcome Aboard Show

 

Trop Rock - Welcome Aboard Show

 

Performers from all around the ship did a number in the show

 

Chris "The Flying Scotsman" Williams - best cruise director ever!

 

After the Welcome Aboard we headed to the Mardi Gras Theatre to see Rock Revolution ‘69.  It was good but was a pretty standard Playlist type show.  After the show we realized that absolutely no one in the Playlist cast had been born yet in 1969.  LOL

 

One thing that struck me on this cruise was that it seemed they have the best of all their various crews assembled for the flagship.  The performers, waiters, food, housekeeping, Fun Squad….especially the cruise director…were probably about the best we have ever seen.  They were all pretty amazing!  I can’t say enough about how awesome a Cruise Director Chris was.  I’ll tell you much more about him later.  You never missed him because he was always the only one on board wearing a kilt.

 

After the Rock Revolution show, we decided to call it a night and go back to our room to relax a bit.  I would have liked to go watch a movie on the big screen but it was just too cold and windy.  We both love to read and often don’t have much time in or daily lives, so it’s a treat to be able to simply read a while.  The ship was rocking a little more than I expected but it wasn’t too bad.

 

Mardi Gras Theatre - Rock Revolution - Summer of '69

 

Mardi Gras Theatre

 

Our first towel animal.  I'm not entirely sure what it is????

 

And here are links to today's Fun Times  (I hope these links work!)

 

funtimes emb 1.pdf

 

 

funtimes emb 2.pdf

 

 

 

Much more to come!!!

 

 

 

 

[Joe817]

Great story! I'm loving it! Keep up the good work, and THANKS! 👍

[Jamman54]

Great start to your "story ". Looking forward to the rest since we'll be doing a B2B on the Mardi Gras in two months. 😎

[Guest BasicSailor]

Reading quite a few MG reviews here lately. The talent behind this author is mesmerizing this one👍

[TNcruising02]

I am really enjoying your trip report (story)!  I love all of the details and pictures.  I remember going on a cruise out of Balitmore one time when we were freezing and had to wear jackets.  I know that cold weather went through Florida.  We were there in January.  

The ship sounds amazing!

[mlshum]

1 hour ago, Jamman54 said:

Great start to your "story ". Looking forward to the rest since we'll be doing a B2B on the Mardi Gras in two months. 😎

Oh good!  I’ll be looking forward to YOUR review!

[mlshum]

1 hour ago, Joe817 said:

Great story! I'm loving it! Keep up the good work, and THANKS! 👍

Thanks so much!

[mlshum]

59 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

Reading quite a few MG reviews here lately. The talent behind this author is mesmerizing this one👍

Oh goodness!  😊. Thank you so much!

[mlshum]

56 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

I am really enjoying your trip report (story)!  I love all of the details and pictures.  I remember going on a cruise out of Balitmore one time when we were freezing and had to wear jackets.  I know that cold weather went through Florida.  We were there in January.  

The ship sounds amazing!

So glad you’re along with us!  I sailed out of Baltimore once, too, in the fall but it was definitely warmer than FL was this time.  The ship IS amazing!  If this is Carnival’s new direction, I am over the moon.

[BETSY DOLL]

1 hour ago, Jamman54 said:

Great start to your "story ". Looking forward to the rest since we'll be doing a B2B on the Mardi Gras in two months. 😎

Hey Jamman54, long time since we talked. We were supposed to be on Mardi Gras inaugural in 2019, October 16.so my first cruise back from Covid is April. I am Platinum and probably lost all of my perks and OBC! Hope to see Mardi Gras next year!!! Have a great time!

 

 

 

[Theo1429]

Keep it coming MG April 23 great review/story will be following long

[lolalow]

Where is the gelato located?

[mlshum]

January 30, 2022 – Sea Day

 

We slept in a bit (at least for us!) and didn’t make it to breakfast until a little after eight.  We’re usually fairly early risers, especially Ron.  It isn’t uncommon for him to be up at 5:30!  On this day, we were keeping to a very leisurely pace.  We showered and headed to the Lido deck buffet for breakfast.  The breakfast offerings were pretty much exactly the same offerings from all of the other ships.  All of it was good.  This was a bacon day.

 

At 9:00 we headed to trivia in the Limelight Lounge.  We always enjoy playing the trivia games and we’ve captured a “ship on a stick” during every cruise, with the exception of the Sunrise.  The topic was general knowledge.  We tied for first place but lost it on the tie-breaker.  It was a lot of fun.  We only played the one game because we had an appointment to learn to make pasta in the Carnival Kitchen at 10am.

 

The quest for a Solid Gold Plastic Ship on a Stick begins!

 

Limelight Lounge

 

 

Our pasta making class had openings for up to twelve people.  I was surprised to learn that there were only nine people in our class.  We all gathered at a long table while the chef briefed us on how the class would progress.  We were then shown to our stations and class began.  People who were traveling together were given side by side stations.

 

The Carnival Kitchen venue has a full glass front.  Most people who were walking by outside stopped and watched for a bit.  That glass front makes a lot of sense!  It seemed like the classes increased in size as the week progressed.  I’m sure people were interested from watching the classes as they walked by and decided to attend one.  Good advertising without having to advertise!  There were lots of different classes offered…..pasta, sushi, bar-b-que, ice cream, cupcakes, etc.  We had chosen the pasta class and were pretty excited to get started.

 

Outside Carnival Kitchen

 

All of the items we would need to complete the dish were laid out on the cooking stations.  In addition to the ingredients, there were pots and pans, cooking utensils, apron, towel, etc.  One chef guided us through the process and demonstrated every step of the preparation of the dish while two other chefs circulated to see if anyone needed any help in general.  It was so much fun!  The entire class lasted about an hour.  After we finished making our pasta and our sauce, we dished it up and sat back down at the table to eat.  It was a little early, but that pasta became lunch.  It was really good!  The chef emailed the recipe for both the pasta and the sauce to everyone in the class.  In my opinion, this was $60 ($30 per person) well spent!

 

These chefs were circulating among us helping us find and do what we needed.

 

This check was teaching the class.

 

Various people at their stations

 

The recipe was also on the ipad 

 

Ingredients and equipment

 

Sampling the dish

 

The finished product

 

We had so much fun we bought the picture!

 

 

 

After we finished class, I decided to make a quick stop by the store to exchange the shirt I had purchased the night before.  I’m in that strange middle area where sometimes I wear a large and sometimes I wear a medium.  My shirt was sized a little on large so I exchanged it for a smaller size.  We then wandered up to the Lido deck to see what was happening.

 

I really like the St. Jude Sculpture

 

 

 

It was somewhat warmer, thankfully.  I was still wearing long sleeves but I had left my sweater back in the room.  We checked out the upper decks and played a round of putt-putt golf.  He won….of course.  We decided to go try out Street Eats.

 

Putt-putt course with the Bolt track overhead

 

 

No matter how many times we played....I lost.   LOL

 

 

Time Fries was serving Philly cheesesteak fries.  These were SO good.  I really enjoyed them.  Ron decided to also try the Bahn Mi sandwich from Steam Dreams.  He said it was very good, too.  Afterwards, we headed for the gelato station.  They also had a salted caramel cheesecake that day so we split a hazelnut gelato and a very small piece of salted caramel cheesecake .  It was pretty good.  There are other flavors of gelato that I would have liked better, but this was still good.  I put out my "duck of the day".   I decorated my own ducks this time and made Mardi Gras ducks.  I was very happy with how they turned out.

Philly Cheesesteak fries

 

My "duck of the day" Mardi Gras edition

 

After eating, we decided to go check out the ropes course.  We have done these before and always enjoy them.  Ron usually takes his Go Pro and we’re able to get some good pictures but this time, unfortunately, the staff would not allow it.  He had it on a wrist strap, which he has used before on various ropes courses including Horizon and Sunrise, but the staff said definitely not.  For that reason, we don’t have any pictures of us actually doing the ropes course, but I have included a few from the ground so you can see what it looks like.

 

You must be attached to a harness and a safety rope in order to do the course.  You are not allowed to take ANYTHING.  There are small lockers for glasses, room keys, phones, cameras, etc.  You also MUST be wearing closed toe shoes.  They will not allow you on the course in flip flops or open shoes.

 

This ropes course was very similar to the ones on Horizon and Sunrise.  Many of the crossings are identical.  One major difference is the zipline portion.  This section of the course is on the outside and appears to arch out over the water just a bit.  It’s pretty unnerving the first time you do it!  There is a platform on either end of the zipline portion.  A guide is at one end.  You have to run down the ramp and jump off.  You sail out over the water and the lower decks and in just a few seconds you land on the other platform.  If you prefer NOT to do the zipline, there are other obstacles that you can cross instead that are very similar to the rest of the course.  On the other side of the course from the zipline there is a “walk the plank” section where you can walk out on a narrow projection.   We went around the course about three times and did all of the obstacles.  The staff was willing to let us go around as many times as we wanted but we had made an appointment to ride Bolt and thought we’d grab a drink before that.  We collected our belongings and headed to the Red Frog Tiki Bar for a Diet Pepsi.  We found an empty clamshell and settled in with our drinks while we waited for our turn to ride Bolt.

Ropes course, "walk the plank" and clamshells underneath

 

 

Ropes Course

Entrance to Ropes Course

Ropes course

There's a lot going on in this picture.....Bolt, ropes course, funnel and chillin' on deck

 

 

You must make an appointment on the HUB app to ride Bolt.   There is a $15 fee for each person.  $15 buys you two laps around the track.  If you are traveling with someone and both have paid, you can ride together.  It did not appear that they were making strangers ride together.  There is a “boost” button that you can use twice during the ride.  It just gives you a little extra burst of speed.  Again, no cameras, key cards, glasses, etc. are allowed on the roller coaster and they do have a small cubby where you can put your belongings while you ride.  There is a large scale on the upper platform.  Before you ride you must step on this scale.  The scale doesn’t give a weight reading but there is a light above it.  I assume the light would come on if you were outside the weight range.

 

Photo op for Bolt

Photo op for Bolt

 

Bolt track going by funnel

 

It isn't a loop but there's definitely a grade to it!

 

Getting ready to board!

 

It was our turn to ride Bolt.  We climbed up on the platform, emptied out pockets, stepped on the scale and mounted the rollercoaster.  Ron chose to ride in front, which was fine with me.  We were strapped in and checked and finally the “all clear” was given.  We were in the second car.  The first car glided up to the starting point.  On the left was a light configured like a traffic light but there were three red lights and a green light.  The three red lights were lit and went off one by one as it counted down.  After the last red light, the green light turned on and you were propelled forward.  The car in front of us took off and we slid into place.  Last chance to change my mind!  Let’s be honest, there was NO WAY I was going to change my mind!  Three…two…one…green and off we go!  The ride is pretty smooth and some of the hills are banked at rather sharp angles.  We soared over the ropes course, the mini golf course and around the funnel.  You keep going straight through the starting point on the first lap without even really slowing down.  On the second lap, the second car slows down dramatically on the hill just before you are back to the starting point.  It felt like we had almost stopped on that hill and were sort of hanging sideways.  In just a few seconds, we moved upright and onto the platform.  The ride was over.  Ron had used both of our boosts early in the ride.  It was a lot of fun!  It was something completely different.  Was it worth $15??  It must have been because we booked another ride later in the week!  LOL

 

Yep!  We HAD to buy the picture!

 

After our deck activities and our ride was over, it was time to go back to the room to shower and change.  That night would be elegant night.  We always enjoy elegant night and we always dress up for the main dining room.  On one of our first cruises I heard three older ladies make the comment that “every night was elegant night”.  That stuck with me.  I enjoy dressing up a little since I don’t have many opportunities to do so and we try to clean up every evening on our cruise.  It makes dinner a special event for us.  I usually wear a dress of some sort.  I have some that are dressier and some that are more casual and I love them all.  They basically come out of the closet once a year and I don’t regret bringing the extra clothes.  I know this is a topic on which a lot of people disagree.  I’m very much a “you do you and I’ll do me” kind of person.  If you want to wear jeans, shorts, t-shirts, ball cap, evening gowns, tuxedos….whatever……to the dining room, I’m completely good with that.   I sincerely hope everyone on board enjoys their cruise as much as I enjoy mine and simply does what makes them happy.

 

We got all gussied up and went down to the main dining room.  Severo, Rizsky and Haryana were there and seemed pleased to see us.  They always made us feel special and appreciated!   Since tonight was elegant night, prime rib was on the menu.  I don’t remember what we had for an appetizer but, looking at the photos, it appears I had a salad of some sort.  LOL  Since I don’t like the Ceasar salad, it was probably the baby spinach with walnuts.  I know I had melting cake for dessert.  My favorite! One of the waitstaff, I can’t remember her name, sang that night and did a great job!  Every night there was a song from the waitstaff.    I thought it was a nice touch.

Getting cleaned up

 

We love watching Parodeejay so Ron did his own "sock of the day"!  Our friend, Liz (from our Sunrise cruise) got him these scuba socks for Christmas.

 

Waiting for dinner in the Fortune Teller Bar seating area.

 

Main dining room

 

Main dining room

 

 

The evening was before us!  The comedy shows were generally 30 minutes each and we had some time before The Flying Scotsman show so we headed to Punchliner to see Joe Marloti.  He was very funny and the time passed very quickly.  We stopped outside Punchliner to snap a picture of the plaque of the two Mardi Gras ships and the ships coin.  The difference in sizes between the two ships is impressive.  Things have certainly changed over the past 50 years!  I was only four when the original Mardi Gras started sailing. I met one person during the week who had sailed the original Mardi Gras and saw another couple wearing shirts that said they’d been on the original.  (My first cruise was on Sensation.)

This plaque gives a comparison of the size of the original Mardi Gras and the present Mardi Gras.  The ships coin is on the bottom right.

 

 

We headed to Center Stage to get seats for The Flying Scotsman show.  A nice older couple graciously shared their table with us because it was already fairly crowded even 45 minutes before the show.  The Center Stage Band did a quick show with a selection of songs from “The Greatest Showman” and “Pippin”.  They’re certainly a talented group!

 

Center Stage Band

 

Finally, it was time for The Flying Scotsman show.  When I had learned a few weeks earlier that Chris would be our cruise director, I was so excited.  I had never sailed with him before, but I had seen clips from his show and heard others talk about him.  Let me say, he does NOT disappoint!  I have never seen another cruise director like him!

 

He bounded out on stage wearing his kilt, of course, and started off with a little AC/DC.  He interspersed stories of his life and family throughout the show.  He did a wide range of music.  One of our favorite stories was when he talked about how he spoke with his grandmother every day by phone and how they were very close.  That resonated with me because I, too, was very close to my grandmother.  (I wrote a little about her in my Oct. 2021 Sunrise story.)  I lost her in 2020 and it still stings.  He finished his concert with his grandmother’s favorite song.  The words were shown up on the screens and we all sang along about “the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomand”.  That was the finale of the show.  All I can say is, he is amazing.  If you ever have an opportunity to sail with him, take it!  To be honest, I really don’t remember many of the cruise directors we’ve had over the years.  I remember a couple of names and faces but I couldn’t tell you much about any of them.  Chris is different.  I will forever remember him.  I hope to sail on one of his cruises again at some time in the future.

 

We all sang Chris's grandmother's favorite song, Loch Lomond.

 

 

After the show, we were both tired.  He had booked a snorkeling excursion for Nassau the next day and we were supposed to meet our group at 9am.  We decided to call it a day and turn in.

 

 

 

 

 

[JohnSpo]

Great review MLSHUM.  The photos are great.  Looks like you had an awesome cruise.

[mlshum]

20 hours ago, Theo1429 said:

Keep it coming MG April 23 great review/story will be following long

Thank you!  You will love Mardi Gras!

[mlshum]

20 hours ago, lolalow said:

Where is the gelato located?

It is in the aft section of the Lido Marketplace.  There are some central corridors ( for want of a better description) and the gelato and cakes are beside the shawarma station.  The shawarma was also excellent.

[mlshum]

24 minutes ago, JohnSpo said:

Great review MLSHUM.  The photos are great.  Looks like you had an awesome cruise.

Thank you so much!  It WAS awesome but ended too soon.

[TNcruising02]

That pasta class looks like a lot of fun.  So does the bolt ride.  I love the little duck!  So cute!  So sorry about you losing your grandmother in 2020.  That was a tough year. 

The show looked fun.  It sounds like we need to show up very early for it since it was getting crowded 45 minutes before it started.  What a fun cruise for you guys! 

[mlshum]

5 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

That pasta class looks like a lot of fun.  So does the bolt ride.  I love the little duck!  So cute!  So sorry about you losing your grandmother in 2020.  That was a tough year. 

The show looked fun.  It sounds like we need to show up very early for it since it was getting crowded 45 minutes before it started.  What a fun cruise for you guys! 

Thanks for reading along!  Yes, we had a ball.  So many neat things to do on this ship!  The shows in Grand Central are very popular and there really isn’t as much seating as it initially appears.  Definitely get there early!   The Flying Scotsman show was really well attended.

[mlshum]

I forgot to upload the Fun Times and label a picture last night.  Oops!  Sorry!

 

This is the landing point for the zip line portion of the ropes course.  There is an identical platform where you jump off.

 

 

And here are the Fun Times for the first Sea Day....

 

1 sea day 1.pdf

1 sea day 2.pdf

 

I'll be back this evening with Nassau!

 

 

[archer_310]

I'll be on the Mardi Gras in 3 weeks.  Where do you sign up for the cooking classes?  I don't see anything on the website.  Is it just done once you get onboard?

[#55worktoplay]

Great review.  I have not been in Carnival since 2010 but this ship is definitely on my list

[Posesmom]

I'm really enjoying your review! We are on Mardi Gras in November and I can't wait.  Also, we are in WV 10 miles from the VA border so we are neighbors! Thanks for sharing! 

[mlshum]

January 31, 2022 – Nassau

 

We got up bright and early, ready to snorkel and enjoy some summer weather.  We quickly showered, put on bathing suits and headed to Lido for a quick breakfast before we left the ship.  We walked onto the Lido deck and….WAIT….it’s still only 59 degrees out here!  That’s not summer!  I smiled nervously at Ron, who hadn’t had a reaction at all as far as I could tell.  I decided I would toughen up and DO this thing!

 

We got our food and sat down to eat.  Both of us were quieter than normal.  As we ate, I decided to make the suggestion anyway.  We never fight so I knew he wouldn’t be angry but still, I didn’t want to disappoint him.  I asked him how he would feel about changing or canceling our snorkeling excursion.  He suddenly lit up and became animated!  He didn’t want to go either because it was so cold but didn’t want to disappoint ME!  What a relief!  We both were very relieved.  We hurried through breakfast and ran down to the shore excursion desk to see what could be done, if anything.

 

Carnival Adventures was indeed open so we went in and explained our predicament.  They were very nice, of course, but reluctant to cancel the excursion for us.  Apparently, there is a minimum number of people for each excursion in order for it to operate and the snorkeling excursion was very close to that number.  The gentleman looked through his computer for a minute and suggested that there was a walking tour that was leaving in 20 minutes that was barely at the minimum number and would we consider that?  Yes we would!!  We thanked him profusely and dashed back upstairs to change out of our bathing suits into normal clothes, walking shoes and jackets.  We initially had 45 minutes to get to the snorkel meeting point but this one was leaving in only 20 minutes so we were now rushing.  We made our changes, said “Good morning” to Ni and ran down to the gangway.

Waiting for our tour to start.  Did I mention it was only 50 degrees?!?

 

 

Just off the ship there was a young lady, Alissa, holding a sign with our excursion name and another couple waiting with her.  We spoke to her and told her we were the late additions to her group.  Apparently, we were waiting on one more couple and then we would leave.  We weren’t so late after all!  In just a couple of minutes, two gentlemen arrived and we took off.  We walked down the dock, past the construction and into the city a few blocks.  A couple of times Alissa would stop and give some information about something.  Unless you were very close to her, it was nearly impossible to hear her.  We turned a corner, headed down a side street and stopped by a locked gate that covered a stair which lead to the upstairs portion of a building.  Alissa unlocked the gate and grabbed a bag.  She locked the gate back, opened the bag and inside was a microphone for her and earpieces for all of us.  Much better!  She explained the operation of the ear-pieces and handed them out.  Finally, we could hear what was being said!

 

Side street where Alissa picked up microphone

 

Interesting buildings along the way

 

 

We took off again with Alissa explaining a little of the history of the island, the flag, the color codes of the buildings, etc.  After walking for about fifteen more minutes, we came to Queen’s Staircase.  I had been here before!  It was just as pretty as I remembered.  Alissa pointed out the covered opening to what had apparently been an underground tunnel down to the dock area.  I peeked inside a hole next to the cover.  It was completely dark, of course, and the thought of the tunnel wasn’t appealing.   We took a few pictures and then climbed the staircase.  At the top of the staircase we continued walking and made our way to Fort Fincastle.  (At least, I believe I remember that was the name).   The fort was apparently closed but we walked by, and Alissa told use about the history of the fort.  I had been able to visit the fort several years ago when we actually were able to go inside so I was fine with just seeing it from outside.  We descended another staircase, walked a few more blocks and arrived in front of their Government House.

 

The approach to Queen's Staircase

 

A little closer for a better view

 

Ready to climb

 

The tunnel is sealed

 

Waterfall beside the staircase

 

Fort Fincastle

 

Queen's Staircase

 

 

 

It was interesting to learn that the Bahamas gained independence and became a country as recently as 1973.   Alissa explained the significance of the colors of the Bahamian flag.  The back represented the strength and will of the residents, the blue (which she said wasn’t blue but aquamarine!) represented the beautiful water and the yellow (which isn’t yellow at all but is gold) represents the beautiful sandy beaches. 

 

View from the fort

Atlantis in the distance

 

At the Government House, Alissa said it was the end of our tour and thanked us all for coming.  The total tour was about 1.5 hours and I think we covered a couple of miles.  We had really enjoyed the tour SO much more than we could have enjoyed the cold water!    We thanked Alissa, took one last picture, and set out to explore a little more since it was still early in the day.  We stopped in a couple of shops and made our way to the Straw Market.

 

Government House

 

Parting ways with Alissa

 

 

 

The last time I had toured Nassau in 2012 (although we did go to Blue Lagoon last October) the Straw Market was under construction.  We decided to check out the new, much larger, Straw Market.  We entered the building and began wandering.  About a third of the stalls, maybe as much as half, were totally empty.  The building had an empty and somewhat depressed feel to it instead of the bustling straw market I remembered from 2012.  I think the loss of tourism during COVID was a huge blow to their economy.  It was sad.  I hope it bounces back quickly.

 

Our cruise was supposed to visit San Juan but due to newer, stricter testing requirements in Puerto Rico, Nassau was substituted at the last minute.  We were disappointed with that change.  We had scheduled a scuba diving class in San Juan and planned to visit Fortaleza St after diving to see the umbrellas, which we missed on our last trip to Puerto Rico.  What I DIDN’T know until after I got back from our Mardi Gras cruise is that Nassau ALSO has an umbrella street and we were only a couple of blocks away!  The name of Nassau’s umbrella street is West Hill St., which is also the location of the Graycliff Hotel.  You can bet we’ll be visiting the umbrella street the next time we are in Nassau!

 

We headed back to the ship and felt a little hungry, so we dropped by the pizzeria.  We got a slice of pizza and a drink and headed out for afternoon trivia.

 

The walk back to the ship

 

Celebrity Edge was also in port 

 

All the ducks ready to go!

 

One "hidden".......

 

.....and one found!

 

 

We played a couple of trivia games, had fun, but didn’t win the elusive “ship on a stick”.  We tried a couple of deck chairs to read but even after covering up with the big blue towels, we were still cold and it was still windy.  We gave up, came inside and went to the deli for a late lunch.  I also dropped off a cruising duck on the Vespa while I was in the area.

 

Since we were in the area, we dropped by Pixels to see if our Bolt pictures were available.  No dice.  Apparently, they only take Bolt pictures part of the time and since we had ridden late in the afternoon on elegant night, there was no available photographer.  (We wound up riding again later in the week so more on that later.)

 

By this time, it was late afternoon and I was tired.  We headed to our room where I promptly laid down and took a nap.  Not very exciting, I know, but true nonetheless!  I felt much better and ready to do some more activities after I awakened.  It had been a good morning and a good excursion.  We both grabbed a shower and changed for dinner.

 

This is when I learned the importance of Your Time Dining on Mardi Gras.  We don’t enjoy eating too late in the evening.  It tends to sit a little heavy when we eat later.  We usually like to eat dinner around 6pm.  Since it was still considered the “Inaugural Season” some of the specialty restaurants were included at no additional charge.  Those restaurants are ChiBang, Cucina del Capitano, and Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse.  You are supposed to sign in on the HUB app for a reservation time.  What we learned very quickly is that if you have assigned time dining, you cannot request a dining time until AFTER 7:45!  If you have Your Time Dining, you can request a seating at any time.  Ugh.  I wish I had understood that earlier!  The one exception to this rule was Guys Pig and Anchor Smokehouse.  The app basically said to show up whenever you wanted….so we did!

 

Guy’s Pig and Anchor is located at the back of the ship in Summer Landing.  It’s a huge space.  There is a small stage and the “Backyard Band” plays there nightly.  They are really good!  They hadn’t started their set while we were eating but we had heard them on the first night and we dropped by later in the week to listen.  They do some southern rock music and it isn’t uncommon at all for people to be up and dancing.  Across from Pig and Anchor is the Hero’s Tribute Lounge.  Ron and I took different views of this area.  I thought it was basically the replacement of the sports bar because of the multiple screens and comfy seating available.  Ron thinks it is specifically for those who are currently or have served in the military.  I honestly don’t know.  Either is fine and I certainly think our service men and women deserve their own space.  We walked by this area many times but we never actually went over and sat down for this reason.  We just didn’t know.  There IS an ice cream machine at the back wall of the Hero’s Tribute Lounge and we stopped by there several times during the week.

 

Ron waiting for dinner

 

Guy's Pig and Anchor

 

When there's only two of you I guess you take pictures of each other!

 

 

The food at Guy’s Pig and Anchor was very good.  They bring you a paper with various selections and you check off the things you want.  I believe you chose three meats, a couple of sides and one dessert.  I don’t remember everything that we ordered but I do remember that I very much liked the brisket and pulled pork.   Guy’s Pig and Anchor is available on several different ships but this was the first time we have eaten there.  It won’t be the last!

 

After dinner, we wanted to go watch Family Feud.  I generally enjoy games and game shows.  I would have loved to have played but there were only two of us and you had to sign up for try-outs in groups of five.  (I think!)  If we ever manage to get our group cruise off the ground, we will definitely be signing up!    The game was being held in the Mardi Gras Theatre, so we started to meander that direction.  We still had plenty of time and the theatre has lots of seating, so we weren’t in a hurry. 

 

As we were headed to the theatre, I decided to run into the restroom.  Why do I include the restroom in the story you may ask?  It is to provide this public service announcement.  The restroom doors are unpredictable in the public restrooms!  Mardi Gras had multiple “hands free” options and each of the restrooms is equipped with a large lit button that will open the door.  The problem is, it takes a LONG time for the door to close on its own after you have opened it and you simply can’t force it.  The door can also be opened manually so, depending on the number of people, time frame, personal preference, etc. you do have options.  Inside the public restrooms there are a few regular sized stalls and one larger handicapped accessible stall.  The regular stalls are all equipped with the manual door handle, but I don’t recall seeing that on the handicapped stalls.  I only remember seeing the hands- free button.  (I didn’t actually attempt to use any of the handicapped accessible stalls, so I didn’t experience this personally.)  On this night, I went into the restroom.  There were several ladies waiting inside.  The handicapped stall was unoccupied and open.  No one was going inside.  I started chatting with the lady in front of me and she was telling me the story about how she had tried to use one of the handicapped stalls and opened it with the hands-free button.  The door took forever to shut, and she thought it wasn’t going to work.  Finally, it shut.  The button turned red, and it supposedly had locked itself.  She went ahead and was seated when suddenly, of its own accord, the door simply opened on its own again.  She gave up, came back out and waited on one of the regular stalls.  There are no manual locks in those handicapped stalls.  So…..if you do choose to use one of the public restrooms, please keep in mind that the doors seemed to be possessed and have a mind all their own.  I’m sure there is a proper way to use them and people that are smarter than me figured this all out but for someone like me who doesn’t want to spend a long time trying to figure out a bathroom door system, you now know.

 

Anyway, back to the story!  We headed to the Mardi Gras Theatre for Family Feud.  The theatre is all the way forward on a couple of decks.  One of the most convenient ways to get there is through the casino.  I have never understood why many of the ships will route traffic patterns through the casino UNLESS it is to encourage you to come back and play.  The “path” through is wide and this casino is huge, so it isn’t a problem at all.

 

The theatre seating is stadium style seating.  This is a much better design, in my opinion, than the old Fantasy class theatres with tables and bench style seating.  The seats were comfortable and situated so most seats had a very good view of the stage.  Two thumbs up for the theatre!

 

Family Feud would be played twice on this sailing.  This was the first round with two families and the second game would be played later that night.  The set was great!  It looked just like the TV show.  There were buzzers, family names, the backdrop, answer board….it was just as it should be for an immersive game.  Chris came out as host and was WEARING PANTS!  Go figure!  Apparently, this is the only event on the ship where he isn’t wearing his kilt.  The game progressed exactly like it did on TV and we enjoyed the show enough that we decided we wanted to come back for the later show.

 

In the Mardi Gras Theatre

 

Family Feud is starting!

 

 

After the first game was finished, we had a couple of hours to kill before the second show.  We decided to catch another comedy show from the same comedian we had seen before in the Limelight Lounge.  Again, he was pretty funny and it was a good way to pass 30 minutes.  As we headed back to the theatre, we saw that Celestial Strings was being held on Center Stage.  We had seen this show a couple of times and, while it is a great show, we opted to continue to Family Feud.

 

The second round featured two new families, one of which was a group of five ladies who sat at a neighboring table in the dining room.  We had some familiar faces for which to cheer!  They won the right to play for the $500 prize but did not win “Big Money”.  

 

Our neighbor from dinner

 

 

After the game, we decided to stop by the Hero’s Tribute Lounge for some ice cream and walk out on deck to check the weather.  Did I mention earlier that there had been multiple times throughout the cruise thus far that we could feel the boat rocking?  This night was no exception.  We stepped out on deck and walked over to the railing.  There is a very nice pool on Deck 8 just outside Guy’s Pig and Anchor.  We were standing beside this pool.  What we DIDN’T notice was that the pool water was certainly far from calm!  As we were watching the ocean suddenly the water sloshed out of the pool all over Ron.  His lower leg and shoes were soaked.  It was pretty late by that time and we had done all of the things we wanted to do that day AND had started pretty early that morning so we took that as a sign that it was time to go upstairs and call it a night.

 

Sunset on the deck outside Guy's Pig and Anchor

 

Beautiful sunset at Summer Landing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mlshum]

I nearly forgot to include the Fun Times again!

 

nas fun times 1.pdf

nas fun times 2.pdf