First time considering Carnival - Mardi Gras or Celebration

[Danny61231]

Good morning,

   My wife and I are just starting to plan a cruise for the winter of 2024 and are considering giving Carnival a try. Our only other Cruise was on the MSC Seaside a few years ago and from what I've heard, the experience between the two companies will be pretty different.

 

For this cruise we will be bringing our children who will be 7 and 10 at the time of sailing and they've never been on a cruise before. We will most likely be booking an interior room for 4 people so any suggestion on certain rooms that may be better, bigger, etc... are welcome.

 

The two Carnival ships we're considering are the Celebration and the Mardi Gras so lets start out by asking if their are any pros or cons to consider when deciding which ship we should pick? They appear to be pretty similar from the research I've done but I'm sure they have plenty of differences as well. 

 

If you have sailed on MSC (specifically the Seashore or Seascape) as well as the Carnival Mardi Gras or Celebration, I would love to hear how you'd compare the two.

 

One of the main reasons we're considering Carnival is the amount of included food / restaurants that these two ships seem to offer. Compared to our experience on MSC, Carnival seems to offer a lot more variety without having to pay extra which is a plus. What are some of your favorite restaurants on these ships and what are some of the best dishes to try? Do they have much in the way of late night eating options? When we were on MSC, we were disappointed with the lack of food available after say 9-10PM. What options are available past those times?

 

Does carnival ever offer free beverage packages when booking your cruise? We're not huge drinkers but do enjoy a few while on vacation and the drink packages seem VERY expensive. We have also been considering sailing with MSC again this time due to the included beverage package (and slightly lower cruise fare) compared to the price of Carnival that doesn't include any beverages.

 

If we were too book the soda package, would we also need to purchase it for our 2 children since they'll be in the same cabin with us?

 

When it comes to the children's areas, I see they are broken down by ages. Being that our children will be 7 and 10, does that mean they won't be allowed to stay together in the kids areas if the wife and I wanted some alone time? 

 

Do they allow smoking in the Casino areas? No smoking would be a HUGE plus for us!

 

I'm sure that I will come up with MANY more questions and I'm sure I'm forgetting some right now but this should be a good start. Any help is appreciated!

 

Thanks, Dan

[BoozinCroozin]

I would look at itineraries before looking at ships. Magic was a gorgeous ship to sail on and had no complaints about it at all (other than our cruise ended). That far out you can add Jubilee to the mix as well if Excel class is what you are after. 

[mondello]

@Danny61231 I was on Celebration for an 8 day Christmas cruise. Yes, the multiple food venues are awesome. Guests with YTD can request a table at the inclusive dining; those with MDR Early/Late seating must wait until 8:00 to enjoy Cucina or ChiBang. Your kids are young enough you should be fine in an interior with upper bunks; you can use the gym showers  if that would help get ready for dinner. I never buy the drink or soda package but, you should bring 2 bottles of wine or champagne and 2 cases of soda. Yeah, it is a pain to bring it but the money saved is worth it to me. I prefer Celebration, just seems easier to cruise from Miami rather than Port Canaveral.

[crewsweeper]

Itinerary.  Price.  Cabin location.   Only things you need to consider.  Both ships are very similar.

Be sure to choose a cabin with cabins above and below you.  

[Colorado Beach Bum]

Both ships are very similar so decide which ports interest you more and if port Canaveral or Miami is better for you. 
 

the casino is huge in both and both have smoking and non-smoking sections that are like two separate rooms/areas unlike other ships where there isn’t separate rooms. 

[csm5986142]

If your trip were sooner, I would definitely recommend Mardi Gras, but hopefully by the time you go, the Celebration crew will be able to get their act together. 

We were on Mardi Gras in Aug. of 2021 and April of 2022 and absolutely loved it both times.

We were just on Celebration earlier this month, and we definitely felt like the crew just was not in sync yet - there was lots of confusion, service was slow, the crew just seemed stressed out and tired.

The ships themselves are the same for the most part.  Your kids will love it - there is so much for them to do. 

The dining options are one of the main reasons we prefer the Excel class.  Although we have no complaints about the MDR, we thought Cucina, Chibang, and Pig & Anchor restaurants were nice change of pace for no additional fee.  On a 7-day cruise we felt like we barely had a chance to try all the dining options we wanted to.

[SunshineGal2022]

I would suggest looking at the Family Harbor Interior rooms.  I know Celebration has them, I am not sure about MG.  I think Jubilee will have it too.

 

The interior room is about the same size, but you get access to the Family Harbor Lounge.  It has cabinets full of board games, children’s movies playing, video games, couches and tables to sit at, and (the best part for most kids), a private snack bar.  There is a beverage station (coffee and soda) and kid friendly food (chicken fingers, brownies, breakfast items, etc) which changes every few hours.  It’s just down the hall from the room, so your children could run down and grab and snack without you going in there.

 

check out the videos on YouTube 🙂

 

I have heard the kids clubs are strict on the age guidelines, but you can always ask when you are there about having them together.  
 

But if you had a family harbor room, the family lounge would give you one more place to hang out as a family and they could be together there.

[Joebucks]

13 hours ago, mondello said:

I prefer Celebration, just seems easier to cruise from Miami rather than Port Canaveral.

 

While I would put itinerary before this, I do agree with you. Canaveral is not convenient.

[mz-s]

If I'm flying to a cruise, I'm flying to Miami. Why not give myself the best choice of itineraries and the most competition (and therefore lowest prices) the industry has to offer?

[cmichael1221]

You'll have Jubilee as an option out of Galveston too in 2024, which in theory, will be Carnival's newest ship at that point - same class as Mardi Gras and Celebration and could have some new restaurants or features on board...

 

Something else to think about with Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral, if your kids are Disney or Universal fans, its easy to tack or couple days onto the trip and stop there as well!

[Guest BasicSailor]

Flip a coin 😆

[BTromboneFrack]

We were on the Mardi Gras last January for eight days.   We were on the Celebration this past December for 16 days.   We are booked for the Mardi Gras for three weeks this coming September.  Both ships are marvelous.   The entertainment on both was the best I've ever seen on Carnival.  In fact, Sophie, the lead female singer on the Celebration's Center Stage Band was maybe the best singer I've EVER heard - anywhere, and I'm a retired music teacher.   The stage production of "Voodoo Moon" on the Mardi Gras is truly spectacular.   Both ships are so much alike you really can't go wrong.   Many people have been worried about how crowded they would be, but we were at maximum capacity on the Celebration at Christmas and I didn't find myself feeling any more crowded than most any other Carnival ship.   The layout is designed very well.  You are right -- there are a LOT of restaurants that are complimentary, mostly because they are trying to spread the crowds around at mealtimes.   However, make sure you try Rudi's Seagrill and/or the Steakhouse --Simply fabulous meals.  The rooms on both seem a bit smaller and the bathrooms in the standard room is small, but again, well designed, so it is very usable.  (We are large people).  The Casino is large and it is split into smoking/non smoking.   Carnival has really hit a home run with these ships.   We still have not seen or done everything on these ships.   

 

[Lidolounger]

As to the Bubbles package, you do not have to purchase for everyone. The Cheers package (alcohol), you do.

Agree with other posters, if you're flying, Port Canaveral is a bit further from the airport and is an added expense.

 

 

 

[cruisinqt]

They are sister ships so they’re identical with a few exceptions like the shows. The main show on the Mardi Gras that everyone talks about is an illusionist and he’s extremely talented and puts on a fascinating show. The big show in the Celebration is the Big Top Circus with huge tents and acrobats.
 

I would highly recommend eating at Emeril’s. It’s every bit as good as his restaurant in New Orleans at a fraction of the price. The beignets are fantastic, big enough for 2 people and only $4. I would also recommend the Bonsai Teppanyaki place where they cook right in front of you. Cucina Del Capitano was voted best Italian cuisine on a cruise ship and the reputation is well deserved, I’d try them too. The lobster and steak were top notch. Rudi Sodamin’s seafood place is awesome too. And any of Guy Fieri’s restaurants are an absolute must try (and they’re free.) There’s free freshly made pizza (cooked in a brick oven) available till 4 am. Bonsai Sushi is usually open pretty late I remember eating there after 11 pm. 
 

The kids would be in 2 different groups, 6-8 and 9-11. But they will allow the older child go to a lower age group. They don’t usually let kids move up to a higher age group but it does occasionally happen.