Mardi Gras - seeking tips for early risers!

[jl528300]

Hello All,

 

New to cruising here - and we wake up early,  usually up and ready to go at 6:45am. Are there any other early risers that have tips and advice for us on the Mardi Gras?

 

I know that not a lot is open at that time, but really thinking of things that may get crowded later in the day that we want to take advantage of when they open.

 

Are pools open that early?

 

Any and all advice is welcome - even the most basic of things 🙂

 

Thank you all in advance.

[May1cruiser]

I too am an early riser. I usually go up top to the walk/run track and complete several laps. If i am fortunate to beat sunrise, I set up phone/go pro to slo-mo record sunrise while sitting outside up top. We were on Mardi gras in August, IIRC most food opens around 7-7:30. Did not try the gym early, so unsure. Usually at 6:45, it is just a few cruisers up top.

 

[nycruise1]

I am up extremely early naturally, even on vacation.  Here is some of what you can do:

 

Gym opens up 6AM usually, though it was 7AM on Horizon.

Slots generally open all night--great way to avoid the smoke and have your pick of any machine.

Pools do not open until 8AM.

Continental breakfast starts at 7AM, sometimes 6:30 if you are arriving in port.

Great time to hit the purser if you need to do something.

You can get the most comfy lounge in Serenity and watch the sky and water flow by.

Sometimes I will go to the sports bar and see what is on or watch the ticker for scores.

 

Often I run into people who have not gone to sleep yet, and it is still my yesterday for them and their tomorrow for me.

 

I have not found anything else besides the obvious (lay on a lounge with a book, hit up the 24 pizza or ice cream, etc).

[crewsweeper]

Gym at 6.   6:45  is  a sleep in for me😄  By the time you're out of your cabin breakfast places will be opening.  Great to sit on deck without the crowds. Or secure your lounger(s) on the Serenity deck.

[balcony bound]

I am an embarrassingly early riser.  Mornings on a ship are my absolute favorite thing about cruising though.  Get my coffee and listen to the ship move through the water on my balcony or open deck.  Such a peaceful experience.  Watch the sun rise. 

 

Wish it lasted longer...but folks get up and things start waking up and then a different experience begins.

[billslowsky]

Not a late sleeper at all.  Haven't been on the Mardi Gras but this fills about 90 minutes for me when others are still asleep.

 

Grab some juice or pastry to get sugar in system.

Hit the gym, usually not crowded and people are closer to all business.

Light breakfast (bring a small towel for the neck).

Laps around the main deck for about a mile.  Quiet, maybe a couple of morning smokers some days, but I enjoy the morning sun and the movement of the ocean as the ship is moving.  After a couple of mornings the people at the lobby bar expect me for a cold soda.

Go back to cabin and roust up whoever is still sleeping.

[evandbob]

I believe there was a meditation group at 9am somewhere on 1 of the aft decks, but I was just waking up about then and never found my way there.

[thewynn]

8 hours ago, balcony bound said:

I am an embarrassingly early riser.  Mornings on a ship are my absolute favorite thing about cruising though.  Get my coffee and listen to the ship move through the water on my balcony or open deck.  Such a peaceful experience.  Watch the sun rise. 

 

Wish it lasted longer...but folks get up and things start waking up and then a different experience begins.

This!!! It’s like I posted it lol. Sometimes my daughter will get up early too and we skip out of the cabin and have shared some really special morning sunrises. It’s so quiet, just get my coffee and walk around. 

[MeganGC1983]

13 hours ago, nycruise1 said:

I am up extremely early naturally, even on vacation.  Here is some of what you can do:

 

Gym opens up 6AM usually, though it was 7AM on Horizon.

Slots generally open all night--great way to avoid the smoke and have your pick of any machine.

Pools do not open until 8AM.

Continental breakfast starts at 7AM, sometimes 6:30 if you are arriving in port.

Great time to hit the purser if you need to do something.

You can get the most comfy lounge in Serenity and watch the sky and water flow by.

Sometimes I will go to the sports bar and see what is on or watch the ticker for scores.

 

Often I run into people who have not gone to sleep yet, and it is still my yesterday for them and their tomorrow for me.

 

I have not found anything else besides the obvious (lay on a lounge with a book, hit up the 24 pizza or ice cream, etc).

Mardi gras gym does not open until 7. Learner that the hard way on port days when I was trying to get in training miles. 

[Roscoe13]

I hear about you "early risers" and I say...hold my beer!!

I typically get up about 1am for work, when on a cruise I struggle to sleep in until 4am or sometimes 5am.

I will wander to the Lido deck for coffee and even if it's posted for continental at a later time, it can be open sooner, seems to be servers preference.

Grab some continental and more coffee and to the balcony for pre breakfast.

By this time DW is starting to stir and then we walk on deck 5 before dodging people and tables becomes necessary.

By now the Java Blue, real coffee, shop is open.

Followed by real breakfast, all before half the ship is awake.

 

Make no mistake, I struggle to stay up past midnight.  So I can't verify if anything happens after midnight.

[PhotoMike]

I usually wake at 4am every day. I absolutely LOVE that time of the morning onboard a ship, I like to go wander around while everything is still deserted. Usually I'll just go watch the waves or watch the night shift crew doing their thing, like cleaning the glass & tidying things up. The food options are pretty scarce until around 6, but if I can find a cup of coffee, I'm good to go until breakfast.  The flip-side of this is that I struggle to keep my eyes open during the after dinner show!

[GB Chicago]

I am always the first one up and about!  Typically I grab my ipad and coffee on Lido and find a comfy place to watch the sunrise.  I discovered SaintGregtravel on these boards doing my Mardi Gras research for our January cruise and he post all the funtimes!  He also has an awesome blog.  For food on sea days it doesn't look like anything opens until 7:30am  or 8 (buffet) but on port days depending how early the ship is in port.  Guy's Pig and Anchor opens first at 6 on early port days followed by Lido buffet at 6:30.  Another hint, Java Blue opens early too.  It is a buy up but included in the Cheers program.  Looks like fitness center opens at 7. 

[SNJCruisers]

645 AM....that is round two or three of my normal bathroom visit overnight.  On the Mardi Gras, don't worry about staking out your lounger at Serenity.  It's far and away the largest in the fleet, probably 3 times the size of the next largest.

[Pellaz]

On one of the later early-mornings of the cruise (last sea-day?  last full day?), you can go to the Lido pool-deck and watch the stewards place towel animals on all of the loungers. 

I've never actually seen them do this (has anyone?), but...there they are.  Somehow.  Like magic.  

It's something that AFAIK, is unique to Carnival, too.