Mardi Gras Not for Us

[matymil]

On 10/10/2021 at 10:28 AM, kwokpot said:

It's unfortunate that you didn't have the best vacation. The things you listed seem more to do with the guests and less about the ship itself.  I think it would be helpful for others if you can elaborate what about the Mardi Gras itself you didn't like versus other Carnival ships it would help people understand why you feel ambivalent about the ship.  

Totally agree. We went on the 1st USA cruise of the Vista out of NYC and the guests made it the worst cruise i have ever been on to this day. I thought i didnt like the Vista but when i went back 2 years later i realized just how much bad guests can impact a cruise. Not sure how long ago the OP went on the Mardi Gras but i also think that being a new ship increases the "Karen factor",  the amount of people complaining was unbearable on our Vista cruise.

[gtalum]

I think we all need to remember too that the crews are getting back into the groove.  They hadn't worked for 18 months-ish.

[jimbo5544]

Interesting thread, I have sailed on the Mardi Gras and thought it was the best thing from Carnival in a long long time.  Innovative and fresh with many food concepts that are new and yet have the Carnival feel.  The cabins are shaped a little different, but we felt them functional.  There are new things like shower doors and sliders to balconies.  Whether she will feel crowded (or worse) when at capacity will come soon enough.  Not every ship is everything to everybody.  While the MG did not ring the bell for the Op, she sure did for us.  We cannot wait to sail her again in January.   

[jimbo5544]

1 minute ago, gtalum said:

I think we all need to remember too that the crews are getting back into the groove.  They hadn't worked for 18 months-ish.

Fair comment, We have sailed on 3 Carnival cruises since they restarted, two on the Horizon and one on the MG,  While every crew member we talked to was extremely happy to be back and happy to have cruisers on ships, as you mentioned, it really does take a while to get back in the groove.

[momof3cruisers]

20 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Interesting thread, I have sailed on the Mardi Gras and thought it was the best thing from Carnival in a long long time.  Innovative and fresh with many food concepts that are new and yet have the Carnival feel.  The cabins are shaped a little different, but we felt them functional.  There are new things like shower doors and sliders to balconies.  Whether she will feel crowded (or worse) when at capacity will come soon enough.  Not every ship is everything to everybody.  While the MG did not ring the bell for the Op, she sure did for us.  We cannot wait to sail her again in January.   

Hey there. You and I have the same opinion about Allure so I am curious with MG being such a big ship, what differences made you like it so much more than Allure? I love many of the features of MG but am wary of that “big ship” feel.

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, momof3cruisers said:

Hey there. You and I have the same opinion about Allure so I am curious with MG being such a big ship, what differences made you like it so much more than Allure? I love many of the features of MG but am wary of that “big ship” feel.

There is no doubt that the MG is a big ship.  There is a def loss of feel that you get with the big ships that we noticed on the MG.  Such as when we left the pier, we did not notice till I happened to look at the horizon.  The last night of our cruise we went thru one of the outward bands of a hurricane/tropical storm.  There was some significant thunderstorms and pretty good sized seas and some decent winds.  She cut thru them like glass.  We do prefer to feel the ship and the ocean.  

 

All that said, Carnival has been ripped for years of producing cookie cutter new ships and classes.  The MG is def not that.  They did this while still maintaining what we thought of the Carnival FUN feel.  It would have been pretty easy to leave that all behind and it is my thought that they did a pretty good job of doing just that.  We are on her again in January in an Aft Excel suite, we will see if the increase in passenger load makes us feel differently.  

[IntrepidFromDC]

On 10/13/2021 at 1:11 PM, kwokpot said:

I will also say I enjoyed the storage space and liked the new storage organization tools such as the wire racks and shoe drawer.

Looks like that belt has seen the snake charmer.

[Pellaz]

On 10/15/2021 at 10:14 PM, jimbo5544 said:

 We are on her again in January in an Aft Excel suite, we will see if the increase in passenger load makes us feel differently.  

 

Oh, you'll be able to escape the crowds and the hurly-burly on your balcony and in your jacuzzi, if necessary.  

Our friends had an Aft Excel suite on our 10/9 sailing and we spent a lot of time up there at their invitation.  Why not?  The balcony seats ELEVEN people comfortably.  🙂   

[happy cruzer]

NCL Breakaway has the same staggered, cutout balcony cabins but with the closet not across from the bath; we liked those cabins.  Think that the footage is about the same as Mardi Gras.  Anyone done both?  How do they compare?

[jimbo5544]

6 hours ago, Pellaz said:

 

Oh, you'll be able to escape the crowds and the hurly-burly on your balcony and in your jacuzzi, if necessary.  

Our friends had an Aft Excel suite on our 10/9 sailing and we spent a lot of time up there at their invitation.  Why not?  The balcony seats ELEVEN people comfortably.  🙂   

We toured the room when we were on the ship for a TA event before her first sailing.   We were very please with our choice.  We had it booked 4 times on previous sailings that were cancelled.  This particular one was from-a cancellation of a 1/23/21.  

 

I think I meant the rest of the ship tho….not our cabin.😉

Edited October 18, 2021 by jimbo5544

[evandbob]

On 10/15/2021 at 8:02 PM, jimbo5544 said:

Interesting thread, I have sailed on the Mardi Gras and thought it was the best thing from Carnival in a long long time.  Innovative and fresh with many food concepts that are new and yet have the Carnival feel.  The cabins are shaped a little different, but we felt them functional.  There are new things like shower doors and sliders to balconies.  Whether she will feel crowded (or worse) when at capacity will come soon enough.  Not every ship is everything to everybody.  While the MG did not ring the bell for the Op, she sure did for us.  We cannot wait to sail her again in January.   

I absolutely agree with Jimbo and have posted the same thoughts myself here on CC. I have MG booked for Nov 2022 and will probably book the Celebration, (sister ship, same class) as soon as they offer me a good fare.

 

I can understand and appreciate the OP's POV, but that is why a cruise line has different class ships.  It allows for a wide diversity of tastes and styles.  To thine own self be true!.

Edited October 18, 2021 by evandbob

[ManyMore]

On 10/10/2021 at 10:29 AM, jsglow said:

Interesting take.  So they've decreased the square footage in the typical cabin?  Can you elaborate on that a little?

 

Also, is common space going to be a problem when the ship is sailing at a higher pax count?  We noticed that potential issue on Horizon last month, even with a 2135 passenger count.  Heard from crew about the lines.  I could see the potential.  Do you think Mardi Gras might be even more challenging?

 

Our cabin was like that as well. I think perhaps the SF is the same but it is stretched out and very narrow. The sink was smaller than my laptop.

[bassmk]

One thing I forgot to mention...

 

We were in 14475, midship balcony. The noise from Bolt was pretty bad. It even shook the cabin. I guess we got *somewhat* used to it, but those midday naps were harder to come by, for sure.

[newhamplady]

Where was bed in cabin 14475 and was the balcony larger. It looked like it on deck plan.

[SNJCruisers]

4 hours ago, newhamplady said:

Where was bed in cabin 14475 and was the balcony larger. It looked like it on deck plan.

Cabin Sq footage went from 185 to 205 and balcony from 35 to 44.

[bassmk]

23 hours ago, newhamplady said:

Where was bed in cabin 14475 and was the balcony larger. It looked like it on deck plan.

The bed was up front with the couch in front of the balcony window/door. The balcony didn't seem any bigger.

[Computer Nerd]

On 10/11/2021 at 4:14 PM, firefly333 said:

BRAVO!!  Finally someone who can see my pt that other lines are catering to solos but carnival less and less. Now getting rid of 1As on mardi gras class that used to be a solo cabin with no supplement. Then 50% and now usually double. 

 

Carnival has always claimed to be a "family cruise line" which would obvious preclude solos.

[SNJCruisers]

5 hours ago, Computer Nerd said:

Carnival has always claimed to be a "family cruise line" which would obvious preclude solos.

But their main mass market competitors, RCI and NCL both have solo cabins available on their recent builds.  Carnival eliminated the 1A's as well as the 4J's on the Mardi Gras, both of which are value cabins.  Carnival could still be a "family cruise line" while still providing a small percentage of value cabins as well as solo cabins for the first time.  This obviously can't be changed on the Celebration, but could be changed on Excel 3, which will start up in late 2023 and be positioned in Galveston.  It would be like the elimination of the IMAX theater on the Panorama after having it on the Vista and Horizon.

[Computer Nerd]

2 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

But their main mass market competitors, RCI and NCL both have solo cabins available on their recent builds.  Carnival eliminated the 1A's as well as the 4J's on the Mardi Gras, both of which are value cabins.  Carnival could still be a "family cruise line" while still providing a small percentage of value cabins as well as solo cabins for the first time.  This obviously can't be changed on the Celebration, but could be changed on Excel 3, which will start up in late 2023 and be positioned in Galveston.  It would be like the elimination of the IMAX theater on the Panorama after having it on the Vista and Horizon.

You are correct, they "could". But it seems they have chosen not to. Like it or not, if solos want a solo cabin they'll have to search elsewhere (Royal or NCL or whoever else has them) or hope that Carnival changes their mind on future builds.

Edited October 23, 2021 by Computer Nerd