Mardi Gras Memories..

[dromMOM]

Would you believe.. I found this... from my trip on the Mardi Gras in 1978!!

 

Who else wants to share some memorabilia? The ship was not in great shape back then..Interior Cabin paint was peeling.. furniture was scratched up.. I Guess you would call it SHABBY CHIC today! ;) Of course I was young single and enjoyed the company of the "Fine" Italian officers.. who were available to dance and entertain us.. times have changed from back then.. :rolleyes: So the decor didn't seem to matter much then..

[cherylm]

Hi. I am not sure if my computer downloaded everything. The land/sea price price could probably be matched today, if you got a good airfare. I sailed on the Mardi Gras in 1984. I remember a porthole cabin which was VERY small and only had a curtin separating the bedroom area from the toilet /sink/shower area. But we had a great time; the food was great and the service. Cruises and the ships have changed allot. I still have my Mardi Gras souvenir drink glass which is actually glass, not plastic. I remember that they posted everyone's names and where they were from , in the hallway. Twenty years later....we are still hooked on cruising.

[dromMOM]

Cheryl.. I have a picture somewhere of me in my life jacket leaning up against the wall by my very tiny porthole.. The wall was angled like the ship..LOL I remember the toilet in the shower.. so tiny..

 

I will find my pics soon and download a few..

[Cotton]

OMG, what memories I have of the Mardi Gras! I cruised on her in 1989, and I remember the tiny porthole cabin my best friend and I shared. I have a cruise scrapbook, and looking at it from time to time brings a smile to my face - great memories of the Mardi Gras. And yes, the officers (older and young) danced with the ladies in the lounges in the evening. The captain seemed to be in evidence all over the ship all the time - I always wonderered who was 'steering' the ship.:D

[torybruno]

Elena.....we were on a cruise that stopped at New Orleans during Mardi Gras a few years ago. Danny decided to stay on the ship with Camp Carnival that day because it was cool.....but Alex came, he was probably 12 or 13 at the time. We just walked around probably from around 10-1 in the afternoon.....what an education he got! I can't even imagine what it is like at night. The captain actually stayed longer in port that day so some could experience the night life....I was just so thankful to be back on the ship!

[Cotton]

:D Tory, reference was to the old Carnival ship, the Mardi Gras.:D

 

I'm originally from N.O. Y'all didn't like my city? Just kidding - it probably can be quite a culture shock to first-timers.

[torybruno]

Sorry.....I guess that would be a couple weeks later than Mardi Gras!

[HarleyChick]

I cruised on the Mardi Gras in 1982, it was my honeymoon as well as my first cruise.

 

I don't remember too many details, but I do remember that soft drinks were free and that you got a boxed lunch when you went on one of the ship's excursions.

 

We also had a tiny cabin with a tiny porthole. Who would have even thought at that time of having a balcony cabin!

 

cheryl

I still have my souvenir drink "glass" too. I wonder if it would work for drink of the day refills on my next cruise?

[Cotton]

Sorry.....I guess that would be a couple weeks later than Mardi Gras!

Huh?:) What I was explaining is that the original poster, dromMOM, is talking about the old Carnival ship , the "MARDI GRAS". That was the name of one of Carnival's oldest ships, which is no longer sailing.

 

She wasn't talking about Mardi Gras, the annual event held in N.O. (Just wanted to clear that up for you.):) :)

[ParrotHeadFL]

I was on Mardi Gras in '91 for my high school senior trip:

 

http://community.webshots.com/s/image3/8/61/5/113386105dsyGGL_ph.jpg

 

I've still got the docs from that cruise. Sounds like the ship was about in the same shape it was back in '78! I believe she was retired shortly after that trip.

 

That cruise (3 nights, with a few hours in the Bahamas) was my first and only cruise so far. I have a hunch my 11/07 Miracle cruise will be just a little different!

 

;-)

[herb]

Wow, flashback.

My wife and I sailed on the Mardi Gras in 1980. We were supposed to sail on the Festivale, but the Travel Agent and/or Carnival screwed up the reservation and we ended up on the Mardi Gras. Due to the mixup we were given a suite on the Mardi Gras :)

 

ParrotheadFL - would have loved to see your pictures but when I click on the link it says that I don't have permission to see the pictures :(

Don't know why since I go to webshots often to view pictures.

[Boston6]

[dromMOM]

I have to dig up a few of the old pics to share here.. Especially one of my porthole and rundown cabin and one of some of the hot officers..

 

 

It was still a good time.. Of course we didn't know about Balconies.. then..

[dromMOM]

This pic taken in 1978 shows you the condition of the room.. The chairs paint is all scratched off.. Shabby...

 

But.. those cute Italian officers...hmmm...

[derf5585]

Mardi Gras (1971-93)

she became Carnival's first ship

from

http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/CarnivalPCs.html#anchor3043325

 

The front cover of the Carnival Cruise Lines official postcard album of Mardi Gras

from

http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/EmpressOfCanadaPCs.html

[lmondrop]

WOW! Very very cool!!! I'm only 27 years old so I haven't really seen these older ships...that is so awesome...do you guys have more?!

 

***Not that anyone here is old either =)**

[dromMOM]

WOW! Very very cool!!! I'm only 27 years old so I haven't really seen these older ships...that is so awesome...do you guys have more?!

 

***Not that anyone here is old either =)**

 

I am sure I could dig up a few more pics.. of the Mardi Gras.. That link to the pictures brought back lots of memories..

[beachbum789]

My Wife & I took our first cruise on the Mardi gras in Oct 1982 for our honeymoon. We have very fond memories of that Ship. My wife says it had character.

[lmondrop]

I am sure I could dig up a few more pics.. of the Mardi Gras.. That link to the pictures brought back lots of memories..

That would be great!! I's love to see more pictures....you can email them to me if you'd like as well

 

lmondrop@bellsouth.net

 

Thanks!! :o

[richkat]

Ah, the Mardi Gras -- my first cruise back in '82. I didn't even have a porthole -- just an inside cabin with bunks. I got the top, of course. You practically took a shower and used the toilet at the same time and the sink was outside the bathroom. I have such fond memories, although you had to go to a common room to blow dry your hair. It was so weird seeing all of the ladies in this room with our hair either wet or in curlers, some still in PJs, some were already dressed. I had great aspirations to cruise on the Festivale because I had heard that you could blow dry your hair in your cabin. Didn't get one of those Italian officers -- just a Jamaican bar waiter who kept hitting on me.

 

-- Kat

[gtalum]

Most incredible is how inexpensive cruising has become!

 

$745 in 1978 for an interior in an old ship?!?!? I'm paying about that to go one the Miracle in an extende balcony! :D

[snowy owl]

I cruised on her a bunch of times in the 80s. I thought it was the biggest thing I had ever seen. We would add people to our group each year we went. I have pictures but don't know how to put them in here. Anyways things I remember are the mens nightgown contest.:D I was just a teenager and boy did I get an eye full.:eek: Another thing is not being able to walk without bumping into the walls. Standing on the stairs going down to the dinning room and watching the whole crowd of people swaying and stumbling with the ship. ( and people complain about movement on ships nowadays) The tug boats that took us out to sea. The indoor pool. Never did swim in the thing. The waiter and their helpers. We had one of our waiters on the Holiday years later. As I read this board the memories are coming back. Things sure were different back then. Thanks to the Mardi Gras it got me into cruising.:)