After having a negative experience on an older Carnival ship, I decided to go back to try out one of their newer ships to see if my opinion on the cruise line would change.
During my first Carnival cruise aboard Carnival Elation, I was disappointed with the room, the cleanliness of the ship, the food, the entertainment, and more. In comparison, the Mardi Gras ship had much better food, entertainment, and a better overall vibe.
Although there were a lot of aspects that made this trip much better, I'm still not 100% sold on taking another Carnival cruise.
Here's everything I loved and hated about my Carnival Mardi Gras cruise and why, despite my better experience, I'm not eager to board another Fun Ship anytime soon.
Read more: 10 lessons learned after trying Carnival for the first time
The food on Carnival Mardi Gras was better
Both the main dining room options and the fast-casual food on Mardi Gras were great. Over the course of this seven-day cruise, I ate at both the main dining rooms, Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, the Lido Marketplace, and Big Chicken.
Big Chicken was definitely a favorite for me. This wasn't an option on Carnival Elation, so it was exciting to try something new, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
The Main Dining Room food was also a pleasant surprise. On Carnival Elation, I was not a fan of the main dining room at all — so much so that I opted for fast-casual options some nights to avoid going there. One night, I opted for a simple chicken breast and was disappointed by the undercooked and underseasoned meat.
On the Mardi Gras ship, the dining room was significantly better. Most dishes I had were flavorful, perfectly cooked, and satisfying. The chef and waiters were very mindful of my dietary restrictions, which also put me at ease.
My favorite things I ate in the dining room were the Kung Pao Chicken and Teriyaki Salmon.
Read more: I spent 7 nights trying the new Carnival food menus. Here are the 5 best dishes I had
The crew members were not personable
Although the food was much better, I was disappointed with the crew members that we met on the cruise. Our stateroom attendant was very nice, but we rarely got to speak to him. As avid cruisers, my partner and I are very used to cultivating relationships with the employees, but we were disheartened to find they were not as eager on this specific voyage.
Most of the bar staff I encountered were nice and helpful, but there were a few who were curt or just plain rude. The bar on a cruise ship is a crazy place, so I never expected to have a long conversation with the crew. However, after waiting fifteen minutes to place an order while the bartender spoke to others right away, I was disappointed when I was told to back off and wait my turn.
Other interactions I had were not as impolite, but overall, most crew members were not personable either.
I loved the modern (albeit tiny) cabin
The main thing that deterred me from Carnival was the state of our cabin on Carnival Elation. It was tiny, dated, and the shower head was so rusted and grimy that it fell on my head mid-shower!
On the flip side, our interior cabin on the Mardi Gras was sleek, modern, functional, and most importantly, clean. There was a fair amount of space for an interior cruise cabin. We also had room for all of our clothes, toiletries, and our different oddities like books, makeup, electronics, and more.
I was especially happy with the vanity area. It gave ample space for me to read or watch a video while applying makeup or doing my hair. It was also a plus that no heads were hurt by the shower heads!
I wish the adult-only deck had a better layout
The adult-only deck is my favorite place to be on a cruise ship. While my partner normally works on cruises, I can take a much-needed break from teaching 5th graders and relax with no children around.
However, I was not a fan of the adult deck's layout on this particular ship. In the very middle was a pool across from the bar. The pool itself was small and was positioned next to a sunken seating area. There were circular day beds around the pool, along with padded loungers and bigger day beds around the corner.
There was ample space on the other side of the pool for more seating, but there was just a lone table with a few chairs instead. I thought it was a poor use of space around the pool.
Most of the spots on the adult-only deck were dead in the sun. There were minimal options in the shade, which people usually snagged up fast. We were able to get a daybed in the shade one day, and I slept like a baby for a few hours!
The entertainment was really good
The entertainment was the biggest surprise on this ship. I had known the comedy would be great; that is one thing Carnival does very well.
On our sailing, we saw a comedian named Cisco Duran multiple times because he was hilarious. We even went to his PG-13 show that was less raunchy but just as funny. He thrived on crowd work, so every show was different in some way, which made it even better.
We also saw several bigger shows, such as Vegas Nights and VooDoo Moon, at Center Stage. Both shows featured the same three singers with outstanding vocals. The plot of Voodoo Moon was especially interesting. Being a fan of dark fantasy, it was easily my favorite show.
The Piano Bar was another great space for entertainment. We spent a few late nights listening to Jamie Jones on the piano, cracking jokes, and sipping on his G&Ts. He had a fantastic stage presence, a great voice, and a hilarious repertoire with the crowd.
The cruise elevators were tiny, crowded, and slow
Being an elevator mechanic's daughter, I am very hyperaware of the elevator situation on all ships, so I quickly noticed how janky they were aboard the Mardi Gras.
They were very small and were usually cramped with people trying to squeeze in any free space. Although this isn't abnormal for a cruise ship, what made it worse was that there was no air conditioning or any air circulation.
The elevators were also incredibly slow. They would frequently skip floors, and it would sometimes take five minutes to wait for an elevator to show up on Deck 4. Suffice it to say, I definitely got my steps in on this ship!
Read more: I sailed on Carnival's smallest cruise ship. There are zero chances I'd do it again
There were so many fun activities
Carnival Mardi Gras offered a lot of fun activities in its Ultimate Playground zone. My favorite was the BOLT roller coaster. For $15, my partner and I got to zoom on a thrilling ride high above the top deck.
I'm not much of a roller coaster person, but I still had a lot of fun! I don't think it is too scary and would recommend it to anyone who wants a unique vantage point on the ship or try something a little different.
The mini-golf course was also well-kept, which I was surprised by. When I went on Wonder of the Seas, I couldn't find any golf balls to play with because children had completely destroyed the course.
Final thoughts
I didn't hate the Carnival Mardi Gras ship, but I'm still not convinced that the cruise line is for me. However, if I were to take another Carnival cruise, it would definitely be on a newer ship class, rather than an older vessel like Carnival Elation.
Compared to the dated Fantasy Class ship, Mardi Gras was cleaner and more updated. The food proved to be better than my last experience with Carnival as well, and I loved all the amenities, including BOLT, Carnival WaterWorks, and the mini-golf course.
Finally, the entertainment on this ship was top-tier and some of the best original shows I've seen on a cruise ship.
Read more: 10 things I wish I knew before booking the Carnival Mardi Gras cruise ship
Sarah Cinq-Mars
Sarah is a 5th-grade teacher based in North Carolina. When she isn't teaching or being taught the latest slang by her students, she's catching up on the latest true crime podcast, playing with her 12-year-old dog, or checking out the area's newest restaurants.
Since she began cruising in October 2023, she has hit the high seas 10 times. Her favorite ship has been Celebrity Ascent, and her favorite itinerary was a 7-night voyage to Norway.
