Symphony of the Seas or Mardi Gras

[upuser]

Hello, looking to go on my first cruise in January of 2023 with my wife. We are both in our late twenties. I'm currently deciding between 7 days on Carnival's Mardi Gras vs Symphony of the Seas. They are both about the same price currently. We will most likely end up getting the alcohol package and if we go on royal probably the dining package for the specialty restaurants. We're both definitely night people so late-night food and drink options are definitely a plus, but also enjoy spending the day in/by the pool. Curious if anyone has been on either of these and if they prefer one or the other. Thank you!

 

There are two different itinerary options for Mardi Gras depending on the date one is (San Juan/Amber Cove/Grand Turk) and the other is (Cozumel/Costa Maya/Mahogany Bay)

 

With Symphony of the Seas the itinerary is (St Thomas/St Marteen/Cococay)

[cruizergal70]

This forum is anti-Carnival. So, don't expected unbiased opinions.  

 

I suggest you make your decision based on itinerary.  

Edited June 2, 2022 by cruizergal70

[jsn55]

36 minutes ago, upuser said:

Hello, looking to go on my first cruise in January of 2023 with my wife. We are both in our late twenties. I'm currently deciding between 7 days on Carnival's Mardi Gras vs Symphony of the Seas. They are both about the same price currently. We will most likely end up getting the alcohol package and if we go on royal probably the dining package for the specialty restaurants. We're both definitely night people so late-night food and drink options are definitely a plus, but also enjoy spending the day in/by the pool. Curious if anyone has been on either of these and if they prefer one or the other. Thank you!

 

There are two different itinerary options for Mardi Gras depending on the date one is (San Juan/Amber Cove/Grand Turk) and the other is (Cozumel/Costa Maya/Mahogany Bay)

 

With Symphony of the Seas the itinerary is (St Thomas/St Marteen/Cococay)

Well ... I wouldn't embark on a Carnival ship if they paid me.  So that settles that!  RCCL is a fine, mid-level cruise line that I've always enjoyed.  I'm equally at home on Cunard as well; they handle formality really well.  As long as the cabin is comfortable with enough room to turn around in, and the crew is friendly and professional, I'm happy.  The Symphony's itinerary sounds just right for first-time cruisers.  It's all very user-friendly and you'll be comfortable anywhere.  You can buy a piece of jewelry in St Thomas that you'll treasure for the rest of your life like I did. 

 

But I was just reading about Virgin Voyages ... not what I want at all, but for your age and late-night active lifestyle you might love it.  How I envy you ... such fond memories of dancing 'all night' when the ship was rolling and experiencing the realistic luxury of a good cruise.  All those crew members who seem to live to please the pax ... heaven!

[ldubs]

If itineraries are equally appealing, then Symphony, IMO.  I would expect RCI to have an edge on entertainment (on the big stage and lounges),  dining experience, and general organization.

 

Whichever you decide, I'm sure you will enjoy!     

[Joebucks]

You're probably best off trying one now and one later and deciding what YOU like instead of dozens of comments from strangers who may not even be honest in what they like. Each have their pros and cons. I might give Carnival the slight edge to nightlife and drinking. If you're expecting full food offerings at midnight, you might not be satisfied with either.

[Essiesmom]

I have sailed a lot on Carnival, never on Royal.  Not that I have anything against them, but they were never convenient, or in my budget.  I don’t like the larger/largest ships, so don’t think I will sail Mardi Gras, and that pretty much rules out the Oasis class.  My question is, why have you chosen a cruise?  Are you going for the ports, or for the floating resort?  I don’t think a first cruise should ever be on the biggest and newest.  There a lots of ships with plenty of amenities that are a bit smaller, and newer.  
Also consider the ease/cost of travel to the departure port.  And the cost of the hotel the night before, because you should always fly in a day early, especially in winter.  EM

[HxFx]

I think a lot of the anti-Carnival folks have not been on Mardi Gras. It is definitely a new type of ship for Carnival. One of the things I like best about it (was on it last September) is all of the different outdoor/pool options. They have 4 included, distinct pool areas (to include one adults only area). The extra pay area (Havana - 5th pool area) is small so does not occupy a lot of the ship for just a few people.

 

They have a lot of good specialty restaurants (several were complimentary when we sailed due to the inauguration season and I don't know what may be pay now). Carnival is known for their comedy shows which go later into the night. They also have all night pizza. Their production shows probably aren't as good as Symphony but they have a lot of small musical groups throughout the ship that are often quite good (and many folks love the Celestial Strings trio).

[leaveitallbehind]

13 hours ago, cruizergal70 said:

This forum is anti-Carnival. So, don't expected unbiased opinions.  

 

I suggest you make your decision based on itinerary.  

I'm not sure why the "Ask a Cruise Question" forum would be anti-Carnival? (RCCL, Celebrity, NCL, etc. - sure, as expected).  But this is a rather general format forum.

 

But as I've not sailed on Carnival I would not be objective in my response.  So I will not offer an opinion other than to sugges, as with @cruizergal70, that if they are both similar with your budget, research the different ports of call and base your decision on the itinerary that would be most appealing.

 

Then on your next cruise, try the other and decide for yourself which you would prefer.

 

You could also go to the Carnival and RCCL forums and read what other people are saying to get those - albeit biased - views on the cruise lines and ships.  But to get the most balanced views you would have to look for those who have experience with both. 

 

But keep in mind all of our opinions are just that and are subjective to our views.  Just look for the apples to apples as much as possible to try to determine the differences.

 

 

Edited June 2, 2022 by leaveitallbehind

[Joebucks]

2 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

I'm not sure why the "Ask a Cruise Question" forum would be anti-Carnival? (RCCL, Celebrity, NCL, etc. - sure, as expected).  But this is a rather general format forum.

 

The internet loves to hate on the biggest brands. Those with the most customers have the most experiences, and usually, the most negative experiences. It's fun and informative to always hate the big guy.

 

Some people think they are living the billionaire lifestyle when they choose Royal. (I do think Royal is a fantastic brand)

[leaveitallbehind]

13 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

The internet loves to hate on the biggest brands. Those with the most customers have the most experiences, and usually, the most negative experiences. It's fun and informative to always hate the big guy.

 

Some people think they are living the billionaire lifestyle when they choose Royal. (I do think Royal is a fantastic brand)

OK but I don't see the connection to that with this specific CC forum, which is generic in nature and not specific to any one cruise line. Besides to your point on biggest brands, RCI is second in size to Carnival, so I would expect the bias to be the other way from that indicated by @cruizergal70 if what you say is the case.....😉

Edited June 2, 2022 by leaveitallbehind

[Aquahound]

If there is an overall biased against Carnival on a general board; that's an indictment on Carnival, not the people posting.  

[rkacruiser]

I think Symphony of the Seas itinerary is better than  the ones the OP posted for Mardi Gras.  

 

I am not anti-Carnival  Please look at my signature and compare my experiences on Carnival and Royal Caribbean.  

[leaveitallbehind]

12 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

I think Symphony of the Seas itinerary is better than  the ones the OP posted for Mardi Gras.  

 

I am not anti-Carnival  Please look at my signature and compare my experiences on Carnival and Royal Caribbean.  

You don't have to explain yourself to anyone.  IMO you provided an objective reason to your recommendation.  This board is not inherently anti-Carnival.  IMO that was a misstatement.

[jsn55]

I read an anecdote the other day about a first-time cruiser who emailed his TA to report that his Carnival cruise was "full of WalMart people".  Nothing against WalMart, but the comparison portrays the lowest-priced everything and the quality to match.  I think that an extensive reading of CC reviews on each of the ships will give you all the info you need to make the choice. 

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, jsn55 said:

I read an anecdote the other day about a first-time cruiser who emailed his TA to report that his Carnival cruise was "full of WalMart people".  Nothing against WalMart, but the comparison portrays the lowest-priced everything and the quality to match.  I think that an extensive reading of CC reviews on each of the ships will give you all the info you need to make the choice. 

 

That quote ranks in the category of one of the most insulting comments I have ever read online.  

[SRQbeachgirl]

I've cruise Carnival and RCI (mostly Carnival) and will be boarding the Mardi Gras in three weeks. The two lines are more alike than different, but there are some key things that set each line apart.

 

For nightlife, I think the edge goes to Carnival. RCI has the the big Broadway-style production shows, but Carnival has multiple nightly adult comedy shows. Carnival seems to also have more late night entertainment options. The Mardi Gras has (IMO) better bar options as well. 

 

RCI's main dining room probably has a smidge better quality over Carnival, but the Mardi Gras competes toe-to-toe (and may have the advantage) with the upgraded restaurants including Emeril's, Rudi's Sea Grill, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Teppanyaki, Bonsai Sushi, and several others. And when it comes to casual eating throughout the day at no additional cost, Carnival definitely tops RCI for options - Guy's Burger Joint, Shaq's Big Chicken, Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ, Blue Tequila, and more. 

 

Carnival seems to have seriously stepped up it's game with the Mardi Gras and her soon-to-be sister ships, Celebration and Jubilee.

  

Edited June 5, 2022 by SRQbeachgirl