Mardi Gras
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Mardi Gras
The Mardi Gras is a Carnival Cruise Line cruise ship offering a modern resort-style onboard experience focused on leisure, entertainment and family-friendly activities at sea. It features the WaterWorks water park with slides, pools and hot tubs, along with the Cloud 9 Spa and an adults-only Serenity area designed for relaxation. The onboard experience also includes a gym, casino, live shows, a theatre and cinema-style entertainment, as well as sports and recreation options such as mini-golf, a ropes course, bowling and multi-sport courts. Family and youth programs include Camp Ocean for children, Circle C for pre-teens and Club O2 for teenagers, complemented by themed bars and dining venues, with Wi-Fi available throughout the ship. This ship is suited to families and groups seeking a large-scale contemporary cruise experience combining entertainment, activities and relaxation in a resort-style environment at sea.
Itineraries of the Mardi Gras
Price and Availability Notice
Prices displayed are provided for informational purposes only. They reflect the rates in effect at the time of their most recent update and are shown in Canadian dollars, per person, based on double occupancy, unless otherwise specified.
Supplier rates, exchange rates, taxes and fees, room or cabin categories, and promotions are subject to change at any time. The applicable price is the one confirmed by a travel advisor at the time of booking, subject to availability. Only the confirmed price shall be considered valid.
It is the traveler's responsibility to confirm the price, inclusions, and applicable terms and conditions before making a reservation. While every effort is made to keep our content up to date, transmission, display, or pricing errors may occur. In such cases, the correct price will be communicated to the traveler before any booking is confirmed. Certain terms, restrictions, and exclusions may apply.
decks plans
Deck - 19
Deck - 18
Deck - 17
Deck - 16
Deck - 15
Deck - 14
Deck - 12
Deck - 11
Deck - 10
Deck - 9
Deck - 8
Deck - 7
Deck - 6
Deck - 5
Deck - 4
Deck - 3
Deck - 2
Deck - 1
Technical specifications
- Classe: Mardi Gras
- Tonnage: 180800
- Speed: 17.0 knots
- Passengers: 5270
- Decks: 18
- Length: 344 m
- Width: 42 m
History
- 2021: Année de construction
- 31 juillet 2021: Année d'inauguration
Frequently Asked Questions
Families with kids aged 6 to 16 and groups of friends in their late twenties to forties who want action from morning to night. Mardi Gras owns its party identity: loud music on the pool deck, nightly stand-up at the Punchliner Comedy Club, and the BOLT roller coaster overhead. If you want quiet evenings and unhurried dinners, a 5,270-guest ship is not your ship.
It is Carnival's first LNG-powered ship and the first of the Excel class. Instead of one long promenade, it is divided into six distinct zones — French Quarter, Grand Central, La Piazza, Summer Landing, Lido and The Ultimate Playground. It is also the first cruise ship in the world to carry a real roller coaster, BOLT. No earlier Carnival ship is laid out this way.
180,800 gross tons, 5,270 guests at double occupancy, roughly 6,500 when upper berths and sofa beds are filled, plus 1,735 crew. In practice: 18 decks, elevators under siege around 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., and lineups at the Lido Marketplace buffet at midday on sea days. The trade-off is that you never run out of evening options.
Travelling as a family, aim for Family Harbor cabins: private lounge access and layouts for four or five. As a couple, Havana cabins open onto an area reserved during the day for their occupants. Excel suites unlock Loft 19, the rooftop sun deck with cabanas. Avoid cabins directly under the pool deck or under the BOLT track — the noise starts early.
Included in the fare: the Palm and Flamingo dining rooms, the Lido Marketplace buffet, Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Big Chicken by Shaq and Pizzeria del Capitano. Extra charge: Emeril's Bistro 1396 in the French Quarter, the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, Rudi's Seagrill, Bonsai Teppanyaki and Seafood Shack. For attractions: BOLT, the WaterWorks aqua park, the SkyCourse ropes course and the Brass Magnolia bar.
Port Canaveral, Florida, year-round. It runs 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings calling at Celebration Key, Half Moon Cay, Nassau, Amber Cove or Cozumel depending on the week. From May 2027 it switches to shorter 4- and 5-night Bahamas cruises. From Montréal, that means a flight to Orlando and about an hour's drive.
It entered service on July 31, 2021, built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. It came out of a full drydock in Marseille in October 2025: expanded casino, about 100 new connecting doors between cabins, refreshed shops, improved accessibility features and a redesigned Carnival Adventures desk. This is a recent ship that has just been refreshed, not one waiting for a refit.
Three complaints come up repeatedly. Crowds: 18 decks do not absorb 6,000 people at peak hours, and the elevators prove it every evening. BOLT: it costs extra, requires a reservation, and shuts down as soon as the wind picks up. Food consistency: many find the main dining room uneven from night to night. The Serenity deck is also frequently called too windy.
Included: your cabin, meals in the Palm and Flamingo dining rooms, the Lido Marketplace buffet, Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, shows at the Mardi Gras Theater, the Punchliner Comedy Club and the kids' clubs. Extra: drinks, Emeril's Bistro 1396 and the other specialty restaurants, BOLT, Wi-Fi, the spa, shore excursions and gratuities. An advisor can confirm the details at 1-866-628-6241.
They are added automatically each day to your onboard account, per person in the cabin, at a higher daily rate for Excel suites. You can prepay them before departure. They do not cover the bar: a service charge is already applied to every drink sold on board. The current rate changed in 2026, so have it confirmed before you book.
The CHEERS! package covers cocktails, beer, wine by the glass, soft drinks and specialty coffees, with a cap of 15 alcoholic drinks per 24-hour period. One rule matters: every guest 21 and over in the same cabin has to buy it. Because Mardi Gras sails from Port Canaveral, the package is active from day one. Bottomless Bubbles covers younger guests.
Yes. The ship runs on Starlink satellite service and the connection holds off Grand Turk and Amber Cove alike. Three plans exist: Social for social media, Value for everyday browsing, Premium for streaming and video calls. On a 7-night sailing with two sea days, Social is enough for most people. The rate is better when purchased before departure.
Yes, it is one of its strengths. Camp Ocean takes ages 2 to 11, Circle "C" ages 12 to 14, Club O2 ages 15 to 17, with late-night care available. Days revolve around the WaterWorks aqua park and SportSquare. Book a Family Harbor cabin or one of the connecting doors added in 2025 early — they go fast for spring break week.
Yes. The VIFP Club gave way to Carnival Rewards in 2026, with four tiers: Red, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. Status is now earned on dollars spent rather than nights sailed, so an Excel suite with Loft 19 access moves you up faster than an interior cabin. Platinum and Diamond bring priority boarding, laundry service and preferred bookings at Fahrenheit 555.
Rarely. At 180,800 gross tons and fitted with stabilizers, Mardi Gras handles Caribbean swell well, and its 7-night itineraries stay in sheltered water most of the time. If you are sensitive, pick a midship cabin on a lower deck rather than forward on a high deck. Worth noting: BOLT closes as soon as the wind strengthens.
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