Just returned from the Carnival Mardi Gras

[tidefan]

So... we just returned from a week on the Carnival Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral. I thought I'd add on to some of the great discussion that @ray3127 got going with comparisons to Royal Caribbean. Basically, I think that we, also, have decided that we are pretty much done with the 3 major mass market cruise lines (with a catch...)

Before I get into the specifics, I should note a very big disclaimer that this was a Spring Break week sailing, and due to that, there are always larger parties of school aged kids, regardless of the cruise line.

So, how did we like the Mardi Gras??? In short, we had a pretty good time. The room was very nice (with a huge balcony), the included food was good to very good and everyone in our group had fun. However, we all kind of had the same opinion, which was, we will probably steer clear of the mainline mass-market lines (CCL, RCCL, and NCL).

Now, before you go on defending this, let me just state that this is just our opinion and is very much based on where we are in life right now. If we had school aged kids, we'd be more than happy to cruise some of these lines (probably on Carnival again, actually).

However, we are in a different point in our lives than we were 10 years ago. Our DD will graduate college next year, so we no longer have small kids. That being the case, we are finding over the last few years that what we look for in a cruise is very different now than it was a few years ago and our preferences have changed. That said, let's talk specifically about Mardi Gras before we get into our personal opinions...

The Good

Size and layout of the Ship

There is certainly a lot to like about the new Carnival ships. First, these are really big ships. At 180.000+ GT, they are not much off of the Oasis class ships from RCCL. Because of this, there is a ton of area to spread people out (you could say the same about the Oasis class ships). On embarkation day, we thought it was going to be a nightmare, however, once people got settled into their rooms, nothing on the ship really felt crowded, which surprised us a bit. Also, there is room on the ship for two main theater areas, the Mardi Gras theater as well as Grand Central, where there were shows all week. One show, Voodoo Moon, we thought was very good. We also enjoyed the Family Feud game shows. I liked the layout of the ship as decks 6/7/8 all serve as sort of central corridors to get from one side of the ship to the other (although much of Deck 7 is the casino, which I will get to in a moment). Other than a weird placement of Guest Services, the ship flowed very well once you got used to it.

Included Food

This is the area where I think Carnival shines, especially in comparison to Royal Caribbean. IMHO, the included food is so much better on Mardi Gras than it was on say Oasis OTS or Independence OTS. Probably the worst part is the buffet, which does sort of suffer in comparison, but there are so many other included options that you hardly noticed it. First off, Guy's Burger's was exceptional on this sailing. I very much appreciate that Carnival includes it in your fare whereas Royal wants to charge you $16 pp for the inferior Johnny Rockets. My favorite ended up being the Double Ringer with fries. Another great area was Blue Iguana Cantina, which is more or less a better version of Loco Fresh on RCCL (though I will say that I think Donald's Cantina on the Wish is better). There was Shaq's Big Chicken which was great as well. Other included eats were the "Street Eats" area on the pool deck (great philly tots, btw), the salad bar setup in the adult area, the sandwich/deli place on Deck 8, the Pizza place (better than Sorrento's or Pinocchio's, but a notch below Princess) next to it, or the food down at Java Blue Cafe. For dinner, in addition to the MDR (which is what it is), there is also Guy's Pig and Anchor (which was delicious - better than the lunch - and you could eat there every night), Cucina del Capitano (which was slightly above average) and Chibang (which we all really liked) which these two are complimentary for one visit. For our one splurge, we ordered food at Emeril's, which is pretty reasonable, IMHO. A bowl of Red Beans and Rice was $3 and my Shrimp Scampi was $6. Both very good.

In short, you do not have to spend an extra dime on Carnival to eat very well. This is where Carnival shines, especially in comparison to Royal, who seems to want to upcharge you for anything except the MDR, Pizza, or buffet.

The ship's theming

So, I'm not really one to get into theming too much on a ship, but Mardi Gras really has some beautiful areas, especially the "French Quarter" area that includes the Brass Magnolia and Fortune Teller bars. It was a really beautiful area.

The bad

So, the issue with mass market ships, especially during spring break, is that you get all sorts on the ship. I think that especially with lines like Carnival and Royal, you also get a lot of first time cruisers. So, you get the kids that hit all the elevator buttons, etc. That kind of thing. One thing I will give big props to Carnival on is they had tons of visible security out and sent letters to every cabin outlining expected behavior, so I think that they are taking their "reputation" seriously and trying to deal with it.

The itinerary for the ship was meh. We went to Nassau (meh), Amber Cove (Great tour with a local company, but don't need to visit again), and Grand Turk (that, we did enjoy). I think that this is a bit endemic of these larger ships. There are only so many places where they can dock.

As much as I appreciated the food above, the MDR was, with the exception of Lobster night, not the greatest. We did the "Sea Day Brunch" and the food came out cold. Some of the things, like some beef medallions that I ordered were quite honestly inedible. As stated before, Lobster night was pretty good, I have to admit. But, to sum up, you don't really need to go to the MDR on Mardi Gras because there are so many options, so I'd just stay out of there except for Lobster...

Lastly, let me touch on the Casino. This was by far the largest cruise ship casino that I've ever seen. It took up half of deck 7 on a very large ship. Also, the place was ALWAYS packed. I mean, Carnival cruisers I think really must love gambling. I've never seen a casino so continually full. It was crazy. One nice thing was that they had separate smoking/non-smoking areas, but man, I couldn't believe how many people were always there. It was crazy!

The takeaway

We did enjoy our week on Mardi Gras. That said, we are probably done for awhile. We realized on this trip, as mentioned before, that as we age, the roller coasters/waterparks/ropes courses/etc, just don't add anything to our vacation. We just want a solid experience with good food. I think that we are probably Virgin Voyages/DCL people that when we want to try a mainstream line will be better off on something like Princess, that delivers a solid experience, though calmer. However, if we did do another mainline ship, we'd probably do Carnival again...

 

[karen4546]

So... we just returned from a week on the Carnival Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral. I thought I'd add on to some of the great discussion that @ray3127 got going with comparisons to Royal Caribbean. Basically, I think that we, also, have decided that we are pretty much done with the 3 major mass market cruise lines (with a catch...)

Before I get into the specifics, I should note a very big disclaimer that this was a Spring Break week sailing, and due to that, there are always larger parties of school aged kids, regardless of the cruise line.

So, how did we like the Mardi Gras??? In short, we had a pretty good time. The room was very nice (with a huge balcony), the included food was good to very good and everyone in our group had fun. However, we all kind of had the same opinion, which was, we will probably steer clear of the mainline mass-market lines (CCL, RCCL, and NCL).

Now, before you go on defending this, let me just state that this is just our opinion and is very much based on where we are in life right now. If we had school aged kids, we'd be more than happy to cruise some of these lines (probably on Carnival again, actually).

However, we are in a different point in our lives than we were 10 years ago. Our DD will graduate college next year, so we no longer have small kids. That being the case, we are finding over the last few years that what we look for in a cruise is very different now than it was a few years ago and our preferences have changed. That said, let's talk specifically about Mardi Gras before we get into our personal opinions...

The Good

Size and layout of the Ship

There is certainly a lot to like about the new Carnival ships. First, these are really big ships. At 180.000+ GT, they are not much off of the Oasis class ships from RCCL. Because of this, there is a ton of area to spread people out (you could say the same about the Oasis class ships). On embarkation day, we thought it was going to be a nightmare, however, once people got settled into their rooms, nothing on the ship really felt crowded, which surprised us a bit. Also, there is room on the ship for two main theater areas, the Mardi Gras theater as well as Grand Central, where there were shows all week. One show, Voodoo Moon, we thought was very good. We also enjoyed the Family Feud game shows. I liked the layout of the ship as decks 6/7/8 all serve as sort of central corridors to get from one side of the ship to the other (although much of Deck 7 is the casino, which I will get to in a moment). Other than a weird placement of Guest Services, the ship flowed very well once you got used to it.

Included Food

This is the area where I think Carnival shines, especially in comparison to Royal Caribbean. IMHO, the included food is so much better on Mardi Gras than it was on say Oasis OTS or Independence OTS. Probably the worst part is the buffet, which does sort of suffer in comparison, but there are so many other included options that you hardly noticed it. First off, Guy's Burger's was exceptional on this sailing. I very much appreciate that Carnival includes it in your fare whereas Royal wants to charge you $16 pp for the inferior Johnny Rockets. My favorite ended up being the Double Ringer with fries. Another great area was Blue Iguana Cantina, which is more or less a better version of Loco Fresh on RCCL (though I will say that I think Donald's Cantina on the Wish is better). There was Shaq's Big Chicken which was great as well. Other included eats were the "Street Eats" area on the pool deck (great philly tots, btw), the salad bar setup in the adult area, the sandwich/deli place on Deck 8, the Pizza place (better than Sorrento's or Pinocchio's, but a notch below Princess) next to it, or the food down at Java Blue Cafe. For dinner, in addition to the MDR (which is what it is), there is also Guy's Pig and Anchor (which was delicious - better than the lunch - and you could eat there every night), Cucina del Capitano (which was slightly above average) and Chibang (which we all really liked) which these two are complimentary for one visit. For our one splurge, we ordered food at Emeril's, which is pretty reasonable, IMHO. A bowl of Red Beans and Rice was $3 and my Shrimp Scampi was $6. Both very good.

In short, you do not have to spend an extra dime on Carnival to eat very well. This is where Carnival shines, especially in comparison to Royal, who seems to want to upcharge you for anything except the MDR, Pizza, or buffet.

The ship's theming

So, I'm not really one to get into theming too much on a ship, but Mardi Gras really has some beautiful areas, especially the "French Quarter" area that includes the Brass Magnolia and Fortune Teller bars. It was a really beautiful area.

The bad

So, the issue with mass market ships, especially during spring break, is that you get all sorts on the ship. I think that especially with lines like Carnival and Royal, you also get a lot of first time cruisers. So, you get the kids that hit all the elevator buttons, etc. That kind of thing. One thing I will give big props to Carnival on is they had tons of visible security out and sent letters to every cabin outlining expected behavior, so I think that they are taking their "reputation" seriously and trying to deal with it.

The itinerary for the ship was meh. We went to Nassau (meh), Amber Cove (Great tour with a local company, but don't need to visit again), and Grand Turk (that, we did enjoy). I think that this is a bit endemic of these larger ships. There are only so many places where they can dock.

As much as I appreciated the food above, the MDR was, with the exception of Lobster night, not the greatest. We did the "Sea Day Brunch" and the food came out cold. Some of the things, like some beef medallions that I ordered were quite honestly inedible. As stated before, Lobster night was pretty good, I have to admit. But, to sum up, you don't really need to go to the MDR on Mardi Gras because there are so many options, so I'd just stay out of there except for Lobster...

Lastly, let me touch on the Casino. This was by far the largest cruise ship casino that I've ever seen. It took up half of deck 7 on a very large ship. Also, the place was ALWAYS packed. I mean, Carnival cruisers I think really must love gambling. I've never seen a casino so continually full. It was crazy. One nice thing was that they had separate smoking/non-smoking areas, but man, I couldn't believe how many people were always there. It was crazy!

The takeaway

We did enjoy our week on Mardi Gras. That said, we are probably done for awhile. We realized on this trip, as mentioned before, that as we age, the roller coasters/waterparks/ropes courses/etc, just don't add anything to our vacation. We just want a solid experience with good food. I think that we are probably Virgin Voyages/DCL people that when we want to try a mainstream line will be better off on something like Princess, that delivers a solid experience, though calmer. However, if we did do another mainline ship, we'd probably do Carnival again.

This in the Disney cruise line forum. But thanks for your opinion on a non DCL ship

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

Thanks for the review; interesting commentary for comparison to DCL. We've cruised Celebrity also (one and done for us), and really have no intention of trying CCL, though the Mardi Gras had overall favorable reviews. This review slots nicely into the data fields for future considerations. Thanks!

 

[ajs123]

I am sorry to hear that you were on Carnival. Any good fights?

 

[Debonna]

Thank you for sharing. My last cruise was on my honeymoon 21 years ago on Princess. (Previous were NCL and Premier.) We're getting ready to take our teens on DCL in 2 weeks, so I'm excited to experience "modern cruising" and see how my teens like it.

 

[Dug720]

One nice thing was that they had separate smoking/non-smoking areas,

Separate as in the smokers were confined to a closed room? Or separate in that there was an area designated "smoking" and one designated "non-smoking" with no way to confine the smoke? IMHO just having "sections" with no enclosure does no good as the smoke goes where it's going to go.

 

[JM_97]

Carnival has really upped their game with their newer ships. They wanted to get rid of the reputation they got of being a drunk booze cruise. And while you can still get that on Carnival's older ships, the newer ships are a direct response to Royal, Norwegian, and Disney.

It's also nice to get a non-Disney review on here. We clearly all prefer DCL, but for many of us it can be hard to sail Disney every single time given the price of even the shorter sailings. I am always open to trying other lines too and definitely want to try out the Mardi Gras.

 

[tidefan]

This in the Disney cruise line forum. But thanks for your opinion on a non DCL ship

Well, I promised a review when I got back in the other thread, so here it is. You can always ignore it

Thanks for the review; interesting commentary for comparison to DCL. We've cruised Celebrity also (one and done for us), and really have no intention of trying CCL, though the Mardi Gras had overall favorable reviews. This review slots nicely into the data fields for future considerations. Thanks!

All of these cruises have still convinced me that DCL and Virgin are in a class by themselves (though, very, very different).

For us, we'd put Princess right below that, and I think that Celebrity would be right there as well.

For the mass-market lines, they are what they are, and as long as you know what you are getting into (hence, my review), they can be very enjoyable as well!

But, like @ray3127 , I think I'd still rather be on DCL (or Virgin) if I could swing it...

I am sorry to hear that you were on Carnival. Any good fights?

Funny you should mention that. I could not believe all of the security presence that was on this ship. We didn't see any of that when we sailed Carnival 2 years ago. Also, there was an e-mail sent out to everyone explaining proper cruise "decorum" and what you "shouldn't do". I actually very much appreciated that.

Thank you for sharing. My last cruise was on my honeymoon 21 years ago on Princess. (Previous were NCL and Premier.) We're getting ready to take our teens on DCL in 2 weeks, so I'm excited to experience "modern cruising" and see how my teens like it.

Our DD absolutely loved her time in Vibe (and in the Princess Teen Club as well, actually). That time goes quick, so definitely let them experience those great clubs and have a blast!

Separate as in the smokers were confined to a closed room? Or separate in that there was an area designated "smoking" and one designated "non-smoking" with no way to confine the smoke? IMHO just having "sections" with no enclosure does no good as the smoke goes where it's going to go.

Yes, they were separate rooms. That was really nice, especially since to get to the theater, you had to go through the non-smoking section at times. And... all sections of the casino had glass walls/doors so they were enclosed. I never noticed smoke actually on any part of the ship.

Carnival has really upped their game with their newer ships. They wanted to get rid of the reputation they got of being a drunk booze cruise. And while you can still get that on Carnival's older ships, the newer ships are a direct response to Royal, Norwegian, and Disney.

It's also nice to get a non-Disney review on here. We clearly all prefer DCL, but for many of us it can be hard to sail Disney every single time given the price of even the shorter sailings. I am always open to trying other lines too and definitely want to try out the Mardi Gras.

I agree. Mardi Gras is a whole different level than their other ships. I would definitely cruise it, the Celebration, or the Jubilee in a heartbeat. I think between these ships and Royal it comes down to if you want a flowrider, ice rink, and water show, or do you want better included food, the roller coaster, and a ropes course. I would rate the waterparks and mini-golf between them a push...

 

[tidefan]

Here is the e-mail everyone got from Carnival:

Dear Carnival Guest,

We are looking forward to welcoming you on board!

You will be sailing with us during Spring Break, which is traditionally a period of high occupancy. As part of our commitment to create the best environment to provide a fun and memorable vacation for all, we would like to remind you of our Have Fun. Be Safe. guidelines.

RESPECTFUL AND CONSIDERATE GENERAL CONDUCT

We want you to have a fun vacation but please remember a cruise ship is a shared space. Our Carnival Values underscore that all guests should feel welcome and included, and that everyone demonstrates care and respect towards each other. Our experience has taught us that everyone has a better time when children are supervised, noise in the hallways is kept to a minimum, guests follow queues, and that a spirit of community and neighborliness is shown by all.

All guests must acknowledge our Code of Conduct during the check-in process. Please become familiar with these guidelines, and if you are sailing as a group or family, please make sure you have a conversation so that everyone understands how they can support the shipboard leaders in creating a fun and safe environment.

All speakers/radios (including Bluetooth, portable and wireless) are prohibited and will be confiscated and returned at the end of the cruise. For safety reasons, public announcements must be heard by all guests and crew. Consequently, guests must use earphones when listening to music or watching shows/movies on personal devices (such as mobile phone, tablets, and laptops) in public spaces.

We know people love to enjoy the sun, but please be aware that reserving sun loungers or seats in any of our venues is not permitted. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Our team will pick up towels and other belongings if it is clear that guests are not actively using the pool or surrounding area.

ALCOHOL AND BEVERAGE GUIDELINES

No hard liquor or beer may be brought on board. Guests 21 years of age and older may bring one bottle (750 ml) of wine or champagne, per person, in their carry-on luggage when embarking for their cruise.

Guests are prohibited from bringing water, sodas, and other non-alcoholic beverages, that are packaged in bottles. On embarkation day, a small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., sparkling water, sodas, energy drinks, juice, and milk), packaged in cans or cartons, may be brought on board and must be in the guest's carry-on luggage. A small quantity is considered a maximum of 12 sealed, unopened cans/cartons of 12-ounces/354-ml each or less, per person.

All hard liquor, beer, other forms of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages outside of our approved exceptions are strictly prohibited in both carry-on and checked luggage. Such items will be confiscated and discarded, and no compensation will be provided.

Review our complete beverage policy here.

TOBACCO AND MARIJUANA SMOKING

Smoking in undesignated areas, including staterooms and balconies, and discharging any item overboard is prohibited and will result in a $500 charge per violation. This applies to all forms of smoking, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, vaporizers, and electronic cigarettes. Marijuana smoking is illegal and is strictly prohibited on board.

Carnival recognizes that some states in the U.S. and destinations have legalized the use of recreational and/or medicinal marijuana, including its derivatives in products like chewables. However, cruise lines are required to follow U.S. federal law, which strictly prohibits possession and use of marijuana, including cannabis and its derivatives, and other illegal substances. Consequently, these items are not allowed on board. We also strongly encourage guests not to attempt to purchase or use these items ashore.

Please review our complete Tobacco and Marijuana Smoking Policy.

PERSONAL SAFETY

Although everyone's safety is our concern, all guests should take responsibility for their personal safety. You're on a moving ship, so please hold on to handrails when possible and never climb on or lean over rails. When out on deck, be mindful of wet surfaces (especially by the pool area), always wear appropriate deck shoes and dry-off before enjoying any of our outdoor sports equipment or going inside from the pool areas.

The ship's leaders are dedicated to your safety and making sure everyone on board feels welcome under our "Have Fun. Be Safe." motto. Please direct any concerns to our Guest Services team so that those matters can be addressed promptly.

Have Fun. Be Safe.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Carnival has really upped their game with their newer ships. They wanted to get rid of the reputation they got of being a drunk booze cruise. And while you can still get that on Carnival's older ships, the newer ships are a direct response to Royal, Norwegian, and Disney.

It's also nice to get a non-Disney review on here. We clearly all prefer DCL, but for many of us it can be hard to sail Disney every single time given the price of even the shorter sailings. I am always open to trying other lines too and definitely want to try out the Mardi Gras.

Carnival hasn’t upped its game, its game was always solid. The “problem” is that it is the value leader. Value leaders draw certain types of crowds. Wynn Resorts discounted its rooms in the early days of the pandemic, then quickly stopped after saying it was brining the wrong types of people into its properties. And I recall trying to get home around the same time, flying on a $25 (!) airfare from ORD-LAX on an AA 789 with a crowd that largely resembled that you’d typically see on Spirit.

There’s far more demand for the Excel-class ships, so Carnival is able to charge a premium that keeps away “that crowd.” That said, I’ve been on more Carnival cruises that I’ll admit, many on the infamous 3-day LA weekend “booze cruises” and I’ve seen far more fights on DCL amongst parents trying to get their kids to meet characters.

While I appreciate the review, it’s another example of trying to justify their Disney fix. “There are too many kids on Carnival, we’ll stick to Disney.” Yeah, um, because Disney is know for its adults only cruises right?

Disney draws a lot of first time cruisers as well. Many have spent more than they normally would and feel entitled and it shows especially during the character meet and greets (and other headline events).

 

[tidefan]

Carnival hasn’t upped its game, its game was always solid. The “problem” is that it is the value leader. Value leaders draw certain types of crowds. Wynn Resorts discounted its rooms in the early days of the pandemic, then quickly stopped after saying it was brining the wrong types of people into its properties. And I recall trying to get home around the same time, flying on a $25 (!) airfare from ORD-LAX on an AA 789 with a crowd that largely resembled that you’d typically see on Spirit.

There’s far more demand for the Excel-class ships, so Carnival is able to charge a premium that keeps away “that crowd.” That said, I’ve been on more Carnival cruises that I’ll admit, many on the infamous 3-day LA weekend “booze cruises” and I’ve seen far more fights on DCL amongst parents trying to get their kids to meet characters.

While I appreciate the review, it’s another example of trying to justify their Disney fix. “There are too many kids on Carnival, we’ll stick to Disney.” Yeah, um, because Disney is know for its adults only cruises right?

While I don't necessarily disagree with most of your post, your last part throws me a bit.

Kids are just part of it. If I didn't want kids on a cruise, I'd only do Virgin Voyages. It's more the "bells and whistles" stuff that I don't need. The experiences are just different, and, as long as you know that, it's OK.

I plan to do Disney, Virgin, Princess, and Carnival (and who knows what else) in the future...

 

[LAS2AMS]

While I don't necessarily disagree with most of your post, your last part throws me a bit.

Kids are just part of it. If I didn't want kids on a cruise, I'd only do Virgin Voyages. It's more the "bells and whistles" stuff that I don't need. The experiences are just different, and, as long as you know that, it's OK.

I plan to do Disney, Virgin, Princess, and Carnival (and who knows what else) in the future...

I don’t have a problem with kids, I was fascinated by the OP’s claim that they’d stick to DCL because there were too many families on Carnival. In my experience, DCL has the most families and many if not most are not regular cruisers - what the OP claimed they were trying to avoid Carnival for.

I’ve seen plenty of families, for example, stake out tables at Cabana’s for use all afternoon, just like they normally do with loungers. That’s something you rarely see outside of DCL and has a lot to do with inexperienced cruises who paid a lot of money and feel entitled / overindulged.

 

[tidefan]

I don’t have a problem with kids, I was fascinated by the OP’s claim that they’d stick to DCL because there were too many families on Carnival. In my experience, DCL has the most families and many if not most are not regular cruises - what the OP claimed they were trying to avoid Carnival for.

I am the OP. Sorry if my point wasn't clear. Never said I was trying to avoid Carnival (or kids, for that matter, other than the ones who must hit every button in the elevator...). I said that we no longer had younger kids, so your perspective changes (maybe that's a better way to put it.).

I actually rather like the new Carnival ships. I thought that came across in the review. Do I prefer Disney? Sure, but that probably has more to do with me being a big Disney fan... I'd go on any of the 3 new Carnival ships again in a heartbeat and actually prefer them to the Royal ships...

 

[LAS2AMS]

I am the OP. Sorry if my point wasn't clear. Never said I was trying to avoid Carnival (or kids, for that matter, other than the ones who must hit every button in the elevator...). I said that we no longer had younger kids, so your perspective changes (maybe that's a better way to put it.).

I actually rather like the new Carnival ships. I thought that came across in the review. Do I prefer Disney? Sure, but that probably has more to do with me being a big Disney fan... I'd go on any of the 3 new Carnival ships again in a heartbeat and actually prefer them to the Royal ships...

Thanks for clarifying! I’m use to the infinite number of reviews posted on this fourm, where people focus on the most trivial of trivial matters on other cruise lines, to justify their Disney fix.

 

[mcd2745]

We've sailed Carnival twice (Horizon & Panorama) and enjoyed it very much both times. We've also been on NCL twice and RCCL three times. While we easily prefer DCL over all of them, I have to say, if I were building what was - to me, at least - the ultimate cruise experience...I would be incorporating elements from each line. Many people here are far too quick to disparage all non-DCL lines. They all have some flaws (and so does DCL) yes, but are still good products.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Listen.. even people who love Disney do not always love everything about Disney Cruise Line. Half the table at brunch today said they might want to skip the Treasure because they were not fans of the Wish. Of course, my sentiment was 'BITE YOUR TONGUE' but... they have their reasons.

There is no perfect cruise ship or cruise line. Luckily, we do have options and are fortunate to be able to try different ones.

 

[John VN]

Informative review that can be helpful for a cruiser wishing to explore options.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Here is the e-mail everyone got from Carnival:

Dear Carnival Guest,

We are looking forward to welcoming you on board!

You will be sailing with us during Spring Break, which is traditionally a period of high occupancy. As part of our commitment to create the best environment to provide a fun and memorable vacation for all, we would like to remind you of our Have Fun. Be Safe. guidelines.

RESPECTFUL AND CONSIDERATE GENERAL CONDUCT

We want you to have a fun vacation but please remember a cruise ship is a shared space. Our Carnival Values underscore that all guests should feel welcome and included, and that everyone demonstrates care and respect towards each other. Our experience has taught us that everyone has a better time when children are supervised, noise in the hallways is kept to a minimum, guests follow queues, and that a spirit of community and neighborliness is shown by all.

All guests must acknowledge our Code of Conduct during the check-in process. Please become familiar with these guidelines, and if you are sailing as a group or family, please make sure you have a conversation so that everyone understands how they can support the shipboard leaders in creating a fun and safe environment.

All speakers/radios (including Bluetooth, portable and wireless) are prohibited and will be confiscated and returned at the end of the cruise. For safety reasons, public announcements must be heard by all guests and crew. Consequently, guests must use earphones when listening to music or watching shows/movies on personal devices (such as mobile phone, tablets, and laptops) in public spaces.

We know people love to enjoy the sun, but please be aware that reserving sun loungers or seats in any of our venues is not permitted. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Our team will pick up towels and other belongings if it is clear that guests are not actively using the pool or surrounding area.

ALCOHOL AND BEVERAGE GUIDELINES

No hard liquor or beer may be brought on board. Guests 21 years of age and older may bring one bottle (750 ml) of wine or champagne, per person, in their carry-on luggage when embarking for their cruise.

Guests are prohibited from bringing water, sodas, and other non-alcoholic beverages, that are packaged in bottles. On embarkation day, a small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., sparkling water, sodas, energy drinks, juice, and milk), packaged in cans or cartons, may be brought on board and must be in the guest's carry-on luggage. A small quantity is considered a maximum of 12 sealed, unopened cans/cartons of 12-ounces/354-ml each or less, per person.

All hard liquor, beer, other forms of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages outside of our approved exceptions are strictly prohibited in both carry-on and checked luggage. Such items will be confiscated and discarded, and no compensation will be provided.

Review our complete beverage policy here.

TOBACCO AND MARIJUANA SMOKING

Smoking in undesignated areas, including staterooms and balconies, and discharging any item overboard is prohibited and will result in a $500 charge per violation. This applies to all forms of smoking, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, vaporizers, and electronic cigarettes. Marijuana smoking is illegal and is strictly prohibited on board.

Carnival recognizes that some states in the U.S. and destinations have legalized the use of recreational and/or medicinal marijuana, including its derivatives in products like chewables. However, cruise lines are required to follow U.S. federal law, which strictly prohibits possession and use of marijuana, including cannabis and its derivatives, and other illegal substances. Consequently, these items are not allowed on board. We also strongly encourage guests not to attempt to purchase or use these items ashore.

Please review our complete Tobacco and Marijuana Smoking Policy.

PERSONAL SAFETY

Although everyone's safety is our concern, all guests should take responsibility for their personal safety. You're on a moving ship, so please hold on to handrails when possible and never climb on or lean over rails. When out on deck, be mindful of wet surfaces (especially by the pool area), always wear appropriate deck shoes and dry-off before enjoying any of our outdoor sports equipment or going inside from the pool areas.

The ship's leaders are dedicated to your safety and making sure everyone on board feels welcome under our "Have Fun. Be Safe." motto. Please direct any concerns to our Guest Services team so that those matters can be addressed promptly.

Have Fun. Be Safe.

Wow. This is new, but glad to see it. I especially love the part about Bluetooth devices or watching stuff on phones. So annoying.

Thanks for your review!

 

[auntlynne]

Thanks for another review that presented an option for cruising. As seen through the eyes of someone who knows and cruises Disney. (And includes the answer of would it get you to leave DCL or at least include it in your vacation rotation).

 

[tidefan]

Thanks for another review that presented an option for cruising. As seen through the eyes of someone who knows and cruises Disney. (And includes the answer of would it get you to leave DCL or at least include it in your vacation rotation).

You are welcome! And don’t worry, we’ll be back on the Disney Magic later this summer to check out Lighthouse Point!