Mardi Gras Cruise Review - October 26, 2024
Just The Facts:
Ship: Mardi Gras, first of Carnivals Excel class @182,000 gross tons. 5282+ capacity.
Captain: Allesandro Iemmi - Hotel Director: Hugo Hidalgo
Ports: Port Canaveral, FL - Grand Turk, BWI - Amber Cove, DR - Nassau, Bahamas
This is my 9th cruise on the Mardi Gras, my 114th Carnival cruise, and my 216th cruise overall. I am sailing as a solo guest.
Day One -- Saturday -- October 26th, 2024 -- Port Canaveral Embarkation
I left the Florida Villa at 8:45 a.m. to drive to Port Canaveral. I arrived at Park-N-Cruise just after 11:00 am. A very efficient parking company I have used for years and soon I was on my way to the port terminal. I arrived at the pier at about 11:30 and went through port security and checked in fairly quickly. They had priority lines for VIFP guests. I was able to drop my roll-on bag in the cabin by noon. I have a balcony cabin on deck 15 aft of the aft elevator/stairwell. It is very comfortable, especially for a solo. I went up one deck to the Lido and had lunch from Big Chicken. I had a good MDE (regular chicken sandwich with Pickles & Shaq sauce) and some Chicken Tenders with two Dipping sauces. It was a very good lunch. I was able to watch my Sooners playing in Oxford MS and they gave highly rated Ole Miss a scare. After finishing my meal and during half-time I went to my Muster Station 7F to check in and then to my cabin to watch the rest of the football game. The cabin has a queen bed, a large Sofa (bed), double Wardrobes, a Large screen Television, a Counter & Mirror with a heavy Ottoman Seat, a Small refrigerator, Shelving and drawers, and a small but adequate bathroom with a glass door shower. I ordered the premium WiFi package and the reception was very good. I was unpacked and fully set up by the time the game finished. Great weather today so I left the balcony open and it was exciting as the Carnival Freedom sailed past us on her way out of port at about 4:00 pm. I wanted to eat early so I could watch the World Series game two tonight so at about 6:30 I went to Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse. I ordered the Pulled Pork, Brisket, and the premium St. Louis Ribs ($10+ for half rack). I ordered two sides but they brought all four: Macaroni & Cheese, Onion Straws, French Fries, and Baked Beans. More than I could eat and the Banana Pie for dessert was also very good as well. I then retired to my cabin to watch the Yankees vs. Dodgers on my laptop. One advantage of being an experienced cruiser is that you don’t have to do any ship activities if that’s your choice. I soon fell asleep to the rocking of the ship.
Day Two -- Sunday -- October 27th, 2024 -- Fun Day at Sea
Day Three -- Monday — October 28th, 2024 — Grand Turk, British Overseas Territories
Smooth seas overnight and I slept well. It’s a damp morning so guests are slow to debark for the beaches. At about 8:30 am I went up to Lido deck and my favorite breakfast on a Carnival ship: The Blue Iguana. I had one Tortilla with two fried eggs, I added Cheese, Pico de gallo, and Salsa. I also had an Arepa and Watermelon on the side. It was fantastic. I did a walkabout on Lido before returning to the cabin. As the weather improved I had Balcony Time. I did a little walkabout before going to Guy’s Burgers (photo) on deck 17 at about 12:30 pm. My first Hamburger since Poland, I just don’t eat as many in Florida as when in Texas. The Guy’s burgers were good and it was busy. I think guests came back on board to eat or are eating before they debark…I don’t blame them, I find the pricing here dear. The sun is out and we can see the beautiful blue water around the island. I watched some cabin TV, but very limited choices on Carnival. I’m glad I did the streaming WiFi to watch football & the World Series as I can also watch the News. I had dinner at the Lido Buffet as it’s World Series baseball. I have to watch the ESPN Spanish broadcast, but it’s just fine. The Dodgers won again in a close game over the Yankees that lasted until almost midnight. A good day on the Mardi Gras.
Day Four -- Tuesday -- October 29, 2023 — Amber Cove - Dominican Republic
Smooth seas overnight
and I slept well. We were docked by our early 7:30 am arrival time and it's another damp morning.I had another very good Blue Iguana breakfast at about 9:00 as guests left the ship. I had them put my Arepa on the grill, I like it that way and will do so in the future. I did a small walkabout on the ship and decided to stay onboard. I did have some balcony time with a good view of the port from the starboard side (photo). I had a very nice lunch on the aft Lido deck at Big Chicken. Always good but not as rushed as on embark day and fewer guests. The food tasted much better too. I had some TV time in the afternoon, I’ve been doing a Perry Mason marathon for the past two months and could stream several shows…I’m at the end of Season 4 now. I enjoy seeing the old cars and the various actors from the early 1960s. I had dinner again at the Lido Buffet, the food was adequate but nothing special. I did a walkabout and got a soft serve of ice cream from the Summer Landing area. I then retired to the cabin to watch Game 6 of the World Series. Agood day on the Mardi Gras.
Day Five -- Wednesday -- October 30th, 2024 -- Fun Day at Sea
Smooth seas overnight but rocking in the morning hours. I slept very well…fell asleep during the World Series and slept until 8:30 am. Perhaps the best weather of the cruise is this morning so the guests can enjoy the outer decks. I’m feeling better this morning too, like the weather I felt poorly for a couple of days. I made it to the Blue Iguana for breakfast, still the best choice IMHO on the ship. I worked on updating this blog this morning and read the news from home. I did a walkabout to the casino to cash my remaining chips ($150) and to apply a Carnival gift card to my account at guest services. I then had lunch at Cucina del Capitano, I ordered two Pasta Bowls: Linguine and Penne with different sauces & add-in ingredients. They were good and the desert Limoncello Mascarpone Torta was fantastic. This afternoon I stopped at the Alchemy Bar to have a cocktail with my old friend Maria, it was nice, and while I was there Aleksandra, now a Bar Manager, walked past… nice catching up with her, she’s a long-time favorite. Some cabin time with Perry Mason before dinner at ChiBang this evening. I ordered: Egg Drop Soup, Chicken Spring Rolls, Beef & Broccoli entree, Kung Pao Chicken (spicy) entree, and Hakka Noodles. It was a very good meal. I watched the exciting final game of the World Series too, Congratulations to the LA Dodgers. It was a great sea day on the Mardi Gras.
Day Six -- Thursday -- October 31st, 2024 — Halloween — Nassau, Bahamas
Rocky seas overnight and I slept well. It started as a clear and bright day in Nassau as I ate outdoors again at the Blue Iguana. My plan for the day was to eat at Fish Fry, an area of fresh seafood restaurants for lunch so I had a relaxing morning on board. The MSC Meriviglia one of my favorite ships docked alongside of us. At about 11:15 debarked into the NEW Nassau. For many years the area had deteriorated so much that most experienced guests never bothered to get off the ship. A reconstruction of the docks and port area is finally complete and the results are amazing. A museum and stalls reminiscent of the original Nassau with bright colors await you in the new dock area. A new boardwalk goes along the shore to a new music venue and the previously restored new Grass Market. A very large clean and secure area for ship guests. As it was now overcast and cool I decided to walk the long mile. You walk along Shoreline dive past the British Colonial Hotel, The Margaritaville Resort, old Junkanoo Beach, and the newer West Junkanoo Beach, then cross the commercial Port road into Fish Fry with dozens of Restaurants and Food Shacks. I usually eat at Goldies one of the originals, but stopped at Two Brothers the other very popular full-service restaurant. It’s very clean and well-dressed waiters with a nice menu. I ordered the Fresh Catch of the Day meal, a whole fried or broiled fish with sides. It was good but next time I’ll try the basic Fish & Chips…easier to eat, I would say that Goldies has better fish and Two Bothers has better service, I planned to taxi back, but I walked it again stopping at the Beach and for an Ice Creme near the resorts. I checked and it was over 13,000 steps so good for me. Recovery time on the balcony and cabin until dinner (photo). I ate at Cucina del Capitano at about 7:00 pm, I expected a long wait, but it was not busy at all due to lobster in the MDR. I ordered: Arancini (3), Nona’s Meatball (1), and the Spaghetti Carbonara entree. And the Lemon Tart for dessert. It was good. After dinner, I did a long walkabout to all the various bars to see guests in their Halloween Costumes…I would say about a third were costumed and some were very elaborate. Many cabin doors were decorated as well. Itw as a great day in port and Halloween on the Mardi Gras.
Day Seven -- Sunday — November 1st, 2024 -- Fun Day at SeaSmooth seas overnight and I slept well and late as planned. I skipped breakfast, also as planned, and did some online business until about 11:30 when I went to Deck 8 for my noon lunch reservation at Bonsai Teppanyaki. I prefer this to the other premium restaurants on the ship as you get a meal and some theater. I had a nice table and Ryan was the Chef. I had all the appetizers: Teppanyaki White Shrimp, Pork Belly Yakitori, Spicy Tuna, and Miso Soup. My entree was a Lobster & Filet Mignon combination, and the assorted Tray of Desserts including Green Tea Ice Creme. It was a great meal. I did a walkabout the ship and enjoyed some cabin time in the afternoon. I skipped the Diamond/Platinum party but used my drink voucher later in the evening. Before Big Chicken closed @ 5:00 pm I had my usual MDE and Chicken Strips as my dinner this evening. Always good. I then had some Balcony time and enjoyed my Pilsner Urquell beers that I had left over from my bucket of beers on Sunday…great weather and very enjoyable. At about 7:00 pm. I went to the Fortune Teller Bar to see Dajana Blagojevic who I saw earlier in the day on my walkabout. She prepared for me some excellent cocktails. Nice experience. I did a final walkabout before retiring to the cabin to do preliminary packing and update this blog. It was a great final sea day on the Mardi Gras.
Debarkation -- Saturday -- November 2nd, 2024 -- Port Canaveral, Florida
Smooth seas overnight and woke much too early. I was up by 4:45 a.m. and I finished my packing process. At about 6:40 am I went down to deck 6 and the Diamond meet area and they were already moving off the ship so I just joined the line and was off and through Facial Recognition by 7:00 am. The Park-N-Cruise Shuttle bus had me at my auto by 7:15 am. Amazing. I was home at 10:00 am. including stops for Fuel, Groceries, and Car Wash. Easy debark.
HIGHLIGHTS
Diamond Luncheon
Bonsai Teppanyaki
New port of Nassau
Good Fast Food: Big Chicken, Guy’s Burgers
Pig & Anchor BBQ
Day Seven -- Sunday — November 1st, 2024 -- Fun Day at Sea
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