Mardi Gras...oh what a first cruise story!

[ChristieNJ]

I'm curious - those of you whose first trip on Mardi Gras was in her later years of service, did you find her run down at all? She first set sail in 1961 and was bought by Carnival in 1972; this site says many of her cabins were as they were when originally built. She left Carnival in 1993 and was scrapped in 2003. So there were at least 21 years of Carnival service plus lots more on either end. I'm curious...was she kept in good shape? Obviously she wouldn't be as sophisticated as newer ships, but how did she look?

 

WOW! Yes she was run down in '89. They were doing all sorts of renovations DURING the cruise. I remember stepping over wood piles and wires and all sorts of crap that would NOT fly today!!!!! That's unheard of these days, lol. Except of course since that was my first cruise I thought it was the BOMB! hahaha!! Knowing what I know now, what a DUMP! hahahaha :p

[cruisedirector1]

HI I WAS THE DISC JOCKEY ON THE MARDI GRAS IN 1989 MY NAME IS LARRY CHECK MY WEBSITE TO EMAIL ME http://WWW.LARMAX.BRAVEPAGES.COM I ALSO WORK AS A CRUIDE DIR ON THE HOLIDAY

[CruiserMel]

I am enjoying reading this thread sooooo much! I sailed on the Mardi Gras in 1973/1974. I was 13 years old. Late in 1973, "The Poseidon Adventure" was in theatres and it was my favorite movie - I think I'd seen it 10+ times at that time. (Don't get me started on how many other times I've seen it since.) On Christmas Day, my dad announced that the family would be leaving the next day for a 7-day cruise on the MG which would include New Year's Eve! He hadn't even told my mother prior to his surprise.

 

I remember the dark, cramped hallways, the sink in the room, the bunk beds (my brother & I shared - imagine being a 23 yr old guy having to share with your 13 yr old sister!), the dining room which felt like it was so far down that it just had to be underwater, the baked Alaska, the wooden deck chairs. The memories are almost as fresh as they were then.

 

The best part was the band that played in the showroom - The Mike Harris Quintet from Israel......they had a very handsome sax player named Moshe, who I was completely ga-ga for. He must've been fifteen years older, but he was nice to this teenager. I still look at his picture and think "hubba hubba". I think my brother has their record album. They played music from "Fiddler on the Roof" quite a bit, as I recall.

 

All went swimmingly until NYE when suddenly it hit me that we were doomed to flip over from a tidal wave - a la Poseidon. I think my parents actually gave me a glass of wine to shut me up. Alas, midnight came and went and we all survived.

 

I don't even know how many cruises I've been on since the MG - but it will always remain dear to my heart. I'm thrilled that so many people feel the same way about her and that her memory is still here with us. Thanks for this thread.

[etoile]

If anybody is interested in buying a piece of the Mardi Gras:

http://www.midshipcentury.com/mardigrascasinorings.shtml

[M&A]

Thanks for the memories, and the reminder that the Mardi Gras was originally the Empress of Canada.

My parents sailed on her between Montreal and Liverpool in 1971 and came back on her in Nov 71 and turned out to be her last crossing. It ended an era as the last scheduled tranatlantic liner between Canada and Britain. The ship was designed and built for the North Atlantic.

[M&A]

Thanks for the memories, and the reminder that the Mardi Gras was originally the Empress of Canada.

My parents sailed on her between Montreal and Liverpool in 1971 and came back on her in Nov 71 and turned out to be her last crossing. It ended an era as the last scheduled tranatlantic liner between Canada and Britain. The ship was designed and built for the North Atlantic.

 

Sorry having problems trying to upload a picture as the Empress of Canada

[zackiedawg]

Empress of Canada, per Peter Knego's page linked above:

 

 

And thank you to all so far who have added their stories and memories of this marvelous little boat. This was one of my very first posts to this message board - I expected 3 or 4 comments before it fell off into the archives. Little did I expect that this ship had left such a mark on so many others, for better or worse, and would bring up so many fun memories and stories.

 

She is truly now but a memory, recently stripped and torn to the ground rivet by rivet on the beaches of Alang, India. I hope many more who have sailed her will find their way in here to share their experiences, memories, humor, or farewells.

[IamMrsOz]

So many of us with first cruises on the Mardi Gras. I was 15 and it must have been the summer of 1986. I remember the main casino had an age requirement (not strictly enforced) but that they had a room of slot machines for any age. I won a $50 jackpot in the nickle slots. I remember our Maitre 'd always seemed to be hitting on me which kind of grossed me out (being 5 10" I was generally mistaken for being older). I was pretty shy and didn't mingle much for the first part of the cruise but my 11 year old brother was all over the ship doing contests and what not.

 

This leads to my main story:

So the last night I was feeling like I really needed to step out of my comfort zone and mingle even though I was by myself (meaning no teenage girlfriends to be my partners in crime). So I went to the disco and eventually met some guy there, I think he was 18. We danced a little and then went out for a walk. At this point I really have paid no attention to the passage of time. We are having our romantic "Love Boat" style promenade talk by the rail and he suggests we head to the top deck to "look for the lights of Fort Lauderdale". I'm not sure if I was naive or was interested in being a little wild (for me this was wild) so we went up, looked around a bit, and proceeded to make out in a deck chair for some amount of time and must have eventually fallen aslee because the next thing I know I'm being awoken by my little brother with a crew member who radios off to somewhere that they have found me.

 

I guess when my mom awoke at 3:45 and I wasn't in the cabin she freaked out and there had been a search going on for me for some time. My mom was hysterical, for good reason, thinking I was being raped in a cabin or thrown overboard or any number of things that could legitimately have been happening. So, by the time I was dragged back to her she slammed me up against the wall asked what was on my neck (my first hickies....perfect timing) and where the hell had I been.

 

Now that I have daughters of my own (even if they are preschoolers) I know that I would do much worse to them if they tried to pull a stunt like that. I don't think they would even have the freedom to attempt it!!

 

This story is dragged out of the vault whenever it seems appropriate to embarrass me. It was recited again this past week as we were discussing this first cruise upon returning from the Carnival Glory. My parents watched our little ones so there was opportunity to reminisce about the Mardi Gras. I do remember the desert productions. Flaming Cherries Jubilee and the Baked Alaska, etc.

 

I also have some pics I'll scan in. I agree that the ship seemed huge. The Glory is more than 4 x the tonnage!! I went alot of years without cruising. My parents did more after that first one but they went without us! My next cruise was the Greek Islands on Orient Lines for my honeymoon in 99. Since then we have done 3 more Carnival cruises. The last two with another couple we really enjoy travelling with. It's a great time no matter what but I felt the Glory was too big. I liked the Pride much better. I'll have to tell my dad about the Mardi Gras being scrapped. He had said he thought she was too old to still be out there.

 

So, that's my story...I'll scan the pics soon.

Cynthia

[zackiedawg]

Great story, Cynthia...and so typical not only of cruising 20 years ago, but of the Mardi Gras which often seemed to be a ship for firsts...first cruises, first drinking, first hanky, etc.!

 

Hopefully you'll get the chance to dig up a few pics...the old Mardi Gras had many fans...and especially now that she has been sent to scrapyard heaven...the memories are all that much fonder because it's all we have left of the old girl!

[trfccruiser]

There are some really good photos and pictures of postcards at this site:

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

You go to cruise ship galleries and search by name or cruise line and it also has links to ships that have changed names so you can view photos of the ship as Empress of Canada,Apollon etc.It also has some internal photos including one of the now infamous disco or the Point After Club Disco as it is called!Should bring back some memories.

[BallFour4]

Turn back the calendar to 1976 and I sailed the Carnival Mardi Gras out of Miami with my parents and a total of ten in our family.

 

My cousin and I had just graduated from high school, so there we were at embarkation with tables for 8 in the dining room. If my memory serves me right you signed up for dining tables when you boarded, so we went to a table for ten with all the other names being women.

 

Showed up for dinner, both of us lean, tan and with hormones raging and found 6 women in their late 40's to 50's all traveling together. Annnndddd... two hotties in their early 20's.

 

In my plan to charm them all the 20 somethings invited the older women to the disco for us all to dance. One by one we danced with the older women until the young ones times came up. Worth the wait...

 

For the duration of the 7 night cruise we had to pay the "fiddler to dance" so to speak.

 

Ahh... now, 4 minivans later, 24 years (and 25 pounds) later I have great memories of learning some new dance (and other) moves and what a great cruise!

 

Took my wife on the Mardi Gras again in 87 and we met a Texas Highway Patrolman and his wife on the plane from Houston who were on the ship. Both of the gals were teachers, and we had a blast together with them in ports and goofing off for a great vacation.

[elleusion]

Have been enjoying and remembering the times on the Mardi Gras. It was our 1st cruise<have a bet going now on exact date> lol I really want that massage I hope I am right LOL...We loved this cruise so much we wished we could go back and did so a few years later when she was reburbished. As many have said on a first cruise how could you EVER complain but even as we had been on many inbetween cruising her again there was NEVER a complaint.... I personally would LOVE to see a smaller ship cruise line come back into play.........It always seemed so quaint. At some point I will bring in pics as I have MANY from the Mardi Gras......Until then........Here we come Big Liners!!!!:p

p.s. Her wood and decks were the most impressive we have ever seen....true beauty not all lights and art work does it for All

[GranysT]

Ahh,the Mardi Gras. I also remember her fondly,as she was also DH and my first cruise. I had never dreamed of being able to actually take a cruise. But, in 1988 our then son-in-law, surprised my husband and myself with a cruise on the Mardi Gras. Turned out later that cruise was really a bribe for a very special favor our son-in-law wanted from us. Nonetheless,I enjoyed every moment of that special cruise,and forever fell in love with cruising and life aboard ship. DH and myself,SIL and daughter all shared a cabin,but we had 1 of the best avaliable at that time. Which meant,we actually had 2 small rooms,with an accordian style curtain between them. In one half were actually 2 actual twin beds,and they were quite comfortable. The other half had a wall bunk that folded up during the day,and at night the steward brought in a roll away bed. We girls took the 2 beds,and were supposed to give them to the guys after the first 2 nights. But,they were so comfortable that we refused to give them up,so the guys had to use the bunk and roll away for all 4 nights. Our half of the cabin,had the bathroom. We were lucky,it was also divided into 2 halves. One half held the commode and sink,the other half was a small shower stall. It worked well,as someone could use the commode on one half,while someone else could take a shower. The bunk half of the room had a large square window,not just a porthole. For all this luxury,my SIL paid around $1500 pp.and for just 4 nights to the Bahamas. Much cheaper today,thank goodness,and you get so much more.LOL I loved that ship tho,and before I knew it,they were dragging me off of her. I remember someone on the Carnival boards announcing when they were scrapping her. I read the account with much regret and a few tears.

Besides our cabin,one of the things I still remember so well,was each night at dinner had a different theme,and the waiters all dressed in that theme and danced or sang,or both,during dinner each night. What fun everyone had. Our waiter fashioned a rose out of a paper napkin,and presented one to each lady at our table. I still have mine.

We were told that "originally" the Mardi Gras was a freighter that was then converted to a passenger cruise ship. That was why she was so hard to get around on. You couldn't go from deck to deck easily. You had to go up and down,and sometimes even out and then back in,to reach some of the areas. Ahh,but she was great fun. I just wish they could have preserved her for posterity. :D:

[cruisergal 1]

Reading about the Mardi Gras, brings back fond memories for me. It was the first cruise my ex-husband and I went on in 1980, we were fairly newlyweds, before kids, and save up $$$ for along time to go on this cruise. We met a couple from Houston on this cruise as we were getting on board, and ended up spending the whole week cruising and venturing around the islands with them. Lots has happened over the years, but my Houston girl friend and I are still friends, after 27 years, and have visited back & forth over the years. We're hoping to do a reunion cruise, with our second husbands, and I know we'll have a blast!

[Debi Girl]

My first cruise was the Mardi Gras too!! In the summer of 1977 - them were the days!!! Believe it or not - but I came back with more money than I went with!!! I used to be a tall, thin, girl with long brown hair....(Now I'm a short, fat, woman with short gray hair!!!) Yes - them were the days!!!

Back to the story - I didn't have buy any of my drinks and I played bingo once - just for the fun of it - and won $500!!!!!

Ahhhhhh...the Mardi Gras!

[dromMOM]

My first cruise was the Mardi Gras too!! In the summer of 1977 - them were the days!!! Believe it or not - but I came back with more money than I went with!!! I used to be a tall, thin, girl with long brown hair....(Now I'm a short, fat, woman with short gray hair!!!) Yes - them were the days!!!

Back to the story - I didn't have buy any of my drinks and I played bingo once - just for the fun of it - and won $500!!!!!

Ahhhhhh...the Mardi Gras!

 

We're twins.. sounds like me..lol

[skigrams]

Stephen is correct. MARDI GRAS was originally built in 1962 as Canadian Pacific's EMPRESS OF CANADA (name aside, she was a BRITISH ship) for the liner run between Liverpool and Montreal. She was the last CP liner to be built and while quite modern behind the scenes (for her day), aesthetically she was one of the last classic British liners, with interiors that could almost pass for (very) late Art Deco (or the mutated version thereof that appeared on British ships like QUEEN MARY).

 

CP sold her to Ted Arison in 1972, closing out CP's passenger service. He renamed her MARDI GRAS and she became the very first Carnival ship.

 

Carnival kept her all the way through 1993 when she was sold to Greece's Epirotiki Cruises. They initially renamed her OLYMPIC, but then chartered her to a company out of Galveston which renamed her STAR OF TEXAS and used her for short gambling cruises from Galveston. She was later renamed LUCKY STAR and operated from Miami, but was returned to Epirotiki in 1994 and renamed APOLLON. She was laid-up in Greece, during which time Epirotiki merged with Sun Line to form Royal Olympic Cruises, until 1999 when she was refurbished and entered service on a charter to the UK tour operator Direct Cruises, who used her on cruises from UK ports. Sadly, in a move to limit competition, the then-dominant UK tour operator Airtours took over Direct (paying rather more than market value I might add - a "deal they couldn't refuse if you will). Airtours did not continue Direct's cruises from UK ports, and returned APOLLON to ROC. She was laid-up once again, except for a brief stint in service in 2001.

 

In 2003, with ROC in dire financial trouble, they sold three laid-up classic liners, including APOLLON (the others were STELLA SOLARIS and STELLA OCEANIS) for scrap in India. APOLLON was beached at Alang on 9 December 2003. ROC are presently operating under bankruptcy protection from the Greek government, having lost much of their remaining fleet earlier this year.

 

The scrapping of APOLLON is particularly sad because I believe that of all the remaining former British liners out there, she was probably the best candidate for preservation. She was in excellent condition and after all these years, she amazingly retained almost entirely original interiors. What's more, she was a particularly historic vessel, having both closed out the liner services of Canadian Pacific, the greatest transportation system on earth in the 1960s, and started out the massive Carnival empire in the 1970s, serving with them for over two decades and helping to catapult them to success. Sadly no concerted effort was made to preserve the ship, and as she would not be economical for further trading, she was sold for scrap. A sad end to a very fine vessel.

What memories!! I too sailed on the Mardi Gras in perhaps '74 or '75. I also sailed on whatever the second Carnival ship was named (I don't remember back that far.) But, I will bet that no one has ever sailed on the SS Florida. It was almost a tug boat. Sailed on that one in 1960. Didn't know that the Stella Oceanis was scrapped. Did a Mediterranean cruise on that ship back in 1979. Personally, I like what has happened to the cruise industry. I am planning to try the Oceania line which should be small and intimate compared to the large ships I have been sailing on. Planning a Baltic cruise in September on the Star Princess. Thanks for the memories. Bobi

[Avril]

I think the picture came out great, especially considering how you "digitized" it! I never would have come up with that solution. Thanks so much for providing an up-to-date link...it's a superb ship picture, with nothing else around - I look forward to seeing more if you ever get them online!

 

I think so too. I never had the honour of sailing of her or seeing her in person but just hearing stories about her from family and friend who hve been on her and reading about her, got me to want to take a cruise myself. Now, 7 almost 8 cruises later, I really have to say: Thanks Mardi Gras!!!! :D

 

May she rest in peace

[ChristieNJ]

The Mardi Gras sure does seem to have impacted those of us whose first cruise she was! Although she DEFINITELY needed a face lift and a looooot of make-up, it was an experience like no other!

[CruiseReg]

... towards the end of her time with Carnival, 8/92, a 3 day out of Port Canaveral I think. I don't remember a lot of the cruise because I was kinda bummed out that I had purchased a ring and asked my then girlfriend to marry me on her birthday which was I think the 1st or 2nd night of the cruise. She said no. In hindsight, I'm thrilled she said no because we would have made a terrible couple and I wouldn't have met my DW who I've been married to for nearly 13 years.

 

I do remember the casino, spent a considerable amount of time in there to help me forget the rejection. I also remember the wood, lots and lots of wood. The ship didn't seem run down to me, just a bit old. In the dining room, I remember the tables having a lip so dishes wouldn't fall off in rough seas. And our cabin had two lower berths - Cabin E8 with a port hole. Interestingly, Carnival has this listed in my cruise history as the "Celebration" and 7 nights, everything else appears correct.

 

So nearly 15 years later, my family and I are booked on the Legend 4/15/07, my 18th cruise, DW's 17th and DD's (she's 4) 5th. All cruises have been on Carnival except on the Celebrity Zenith. Even with a not-so-great experience personally, I was hooked!

[zackiedawg]

Carnival reps should read these posts, and see the value in some of their history! A new Mardi Gras 2 would be a great idea - no matter how small, how old, how run down or spruced up the ship was when people cruised her, it left a big and positive impact on virtually everyone! I think that the fact the ship was smaller, and didn't have so many forms of entertainment and distraction that today's mega-ships have, that people were forced to talk to eachother, become friendly, fill in the ship's entertainment with their own, moreso than today.

 

And cruising on the Mardi Gras was still cruising in the truest sense - you KNEW you were on a ship, and that's part of what you were there for. The giant leviathans of today (which I love too, don't get me wrong) are so vast that they feel more like a giant mall or condo at sea - the clues that you are on a ship are few - you barely feel any motion at all, and the spaces are so wide and open now. On the Mardi Gras, ceilings were only 7 feet or so on every deck, some doorways still had raised bulkheads with steel doors propped open, the hull was still decidedly banana-shaped, with the front and rear curved up for ocean crossings, so you felt yourself going noticeably uphill as you went towards the bow, you felt ALL of the motion - it was routine to sway all over the hallway, bump into eachother on the tiny dance floor, and hold onto your drinks at the bar!

 

It all served to make cruising feel more courageuous, more daring, more fun. It made getting to exotic ports feel like a well-deserved break on dry land. It made you feel a little bit like an adventurer when you got home, like you had just achieved something. You had inside knowledge - like being in on a secret - that few people back then knew about...cruising was still a rare thing, and could only accomodate a few thousand people a year...cruisers were almost like a club.

 

I love cruising - then and now. It is a different thing today - a vacation option enjoyed by millions, and a city away from home to take you to popular tourist sites and shopping places. And a break from daily routine. And maybe as I've grown older, my adventure days are behind me - I like a safer, more secure, more relaxing vacation. But I'm sure glad the Mardi Gras, and the wild, crazy, daring cruising, existed when I was young enough to enjoy it!

[Scooter-n-GB]

Is their anything that would prevent Carnival from naming one of their newbuilds "Mardi Gras", or would they have to add "II" to it?

[dougnewmanatsea]

Is their anything that would prevent Carnival from naming one of their newbuilds "Mardi Gras", or would they have to add "II" to it?

No reason they would have to add a "II". For example the current ROTTERDAM is the sixth one but she has no number. Same goes for PACIFIC PRINCESS (the second) and many, many other ships.

 

But Carnival has never re-used a name before and the name MARDI GRAS does not fit their current "format" which is CARNIVAL (something), e.g. CARNIVAL PRIDE, CARNIVAL TRIUMPH etc.

[CruiseReg]

No reason they would have to add a "II". For example the current ROTTERDAM is the sixth one but she has no number. Same goes for PACIFIC PRINCESS (the second) and many, many other ships.

 

But Carnival has never re-used a name before and the name MARDI GRAS does not fit their current "format" which is CARNIVAL (something), e.g. CARNIVAL PRIDE, CARNIVAL TRIUMPH etc.

Ok, then it'll be the Carnival Mardi Gras II! Works for me, especially if it was a redesign interior of something closer to the Fantasy class. Could be a very interesting project!

[Scooter-n-GB]

Yeah, maybe a cross between a Trans-Atlantic and a modern leisure cruiser, say right around 80,000 tons, which would land the class in between Fantasy and Spirit. Long and lean like the France, only on a slightly larger scale.

 

Name the new class "Revival" and position the first newbuild of the class in the the European market, with trans crossings twice yearly, or more frequently. :rolleyes: Remember, It's all about fitting the ship to the market, and if there is enough interest in bring back the past with gusto, then maybe it is closer to reality than we think.

 

Then again, maybe I'm just dreaming. :)