Mardi Gras Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
Jskitodd
Contributor Level: Purser
Cruises: 1 cruise (first) Review: 1 Helpful Votes: 15
Overall rating:
4.5 out of 5
7 Night Western Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)
Sail date: September 16, 2023
Ship: Mardi Gras
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 9323
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 4 months ago
Review summary
This was our first cruise ever. We went with my husband's 3 siblings and their spouses. We had the early dinning. Ship was beautiful. So much to see and do. So many places to eat at with a great variety of foods. Staff was pleasant and professional. Ship was clean and tidy. We will book the Mardi Gras again to finish seeing, doing, and eating everthing!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Smooth sailing with our passports and FTTF
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Alcoholic drinks were mixed perfectly. Iced tea was - meh. Lemonade was good!99% of MDR meals (food) were good. I had some tough pork one night. Buffet was OK. Nothing to write home about. BlueIgauana - we had breakfast - was OK. Good choices, I was thrilled with the chicken sausage there! MDR for breakfast was good. Loved the yogurt parfait and chicken sausage. The husband had omelet and bacon. Must go to Emerile's for the begniets! YUM!
Piano Bar 88
5 out of 5
Nice comfy seating. Waitstaff was very attentive. Hans, our piano guy was great. Very entertaining and fun. Oh, he sang well too!
Lido Marketplace
3 out of 5
This was a very busy place, but it was easy to find seating. Food was OK. After a hot day in port, I got a salad here. Was disappointed that the salad bar didn't have any protein other than chopped walnuts. All other dishes were hot dishes. Not what I wanted to eat after a long hot day on shore.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
My group of 8 greatly enjoyed the Serenity Deck, pool, bar, and salad bar. I don't think any of us visited another pool! Always found good seating.
Serenity Adult-Only area
5 out of 5
Plenty of comfy seating. Pool was small and sometimes crowded, but I really only needed to get my feet wet. Bar was right there, and staff was making the rounds to the lounge chairs on the deck to take care of everyone. Really nice having the salad bar there for a light lunch.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Piano bar with Hans was AMAZING! Loved the 3 comedy shows we went to in the Punchliner and Limelight Lounge. Shows in the Theatre were fun... Love and Marriage, Family Feud, Summer of Love (summer of '69)...
Punchliner Comedy Club
4 out of 5
Seating was comfy, but there were pillars in the room, so some people couldn't see very well. Sound system was good though and waitstaff was attentive.
Mardi Gras Theater
5 out of 5
Ample amount of seating, and the chairs had cup holders! Also, there were air vents on the backs of the chairs to help with the A/C. Lighting was good. Shows were wonderful!
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Our waitstaff in the MDR were phenomenal! Loved them & hated to leave them!! Knew all 8 of our names right off the bat. We even tried to test them by switching seats over the next few nights. They never faltered. Always accommodating to our requests. Barely saw our room steward. I guess because we were out of our room most of the time!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We stayed on deck 9, which gave us easy access to MDR and shows, etc. We often just walked the stairs since it was only a flight or two. Elevators were often full. Common areas we congregated in were always picked up and clean. Staff does a great job in that respect!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Was pleasantly surprised about the two large closets! Plus a couple drawers. Desk area was nice to do my journaling and getting ready for dinner at night. Bathroom also had ample storage, and a nice sized shower with a door! Shampoo and body wash were provided in the shower. We used them without incident. Bed was comfy, but a little firm for my liking. Hubby liked it just fine. Balcony was small, but just enough for us to sit out on and enjoy some fresh air.
Ship tip
Try as many eateries as you can, and see as many shows etc. as you can! But, don't forget your down time to relax & recharge.
Thumbs up 0
Ports of call
Port Canaveral, Florida
5 out of 5
While we didn't do anything here but get to the ship to board, signage was great, and getting around was easy.
Thumbs Up 0
Cozumel, Mexico
4 out of 5
Was a VERY hot day. I had trouble with the heat and humidity, but my Klan enjoyed the shopping and margheritas! We stayed in port and did not explore the area or do any excursions.
Thumbs Up 0
Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico
4 out of 5
Husband enjoyed the shopping. We bought drinks so we could sit in lounge chairs next to a pool that overlooked the ocean, that overlooked our ship. Was nice. We didn't do any excursions here.
Thumbs Up 0
Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras
4 out of 5
We bought an excursion where you ride the chair lift to the beach. At the beach we got a clamshell, 2 lounge chairs, an end table, and 2 floats. The water was warm so it was nice to float around. Having the clamshell was nice to be in the shade. The waiter only came around twice the whole 4 hours we were there. Husband got a couple beers. Rode the chairlift back to the shopping area in port & found many souvenirs there. Part of our group got the jerk chicken and said it was good.
Thumbs Up 3
Disembarkation
5 out of 5
Breezed right off the ship. We checked our bags the night before. Got up early for breakfast int he MDR, then went to our designated area to wait to debark. Found our luggage easily & our rental shuttle.
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