7 Nights Eastern Caribbean from Port Canaveral Cruise

Mardi Gras Jan '25 Cozumel, Costa Maya, Honduras

Jan 4th 2025 Mardi Gras mini review As I keep a cruise diary on all my trips this is just a quick recap of some of the points or activities I enjoyed. Cruising with me is my son we are from NC. It was fantastic to get away from the central NC winter and bask in the warmth of the Caribbean for a week. No issues with the ship or service, both were wonderful. My son entered a few Lido deck activities and really enjoyed them. There was no shortage of activities or things to do on the ship. Ducks were abundant. Actually ended up with a few of them. I was talking to a lady who brought a few hundred to put out on the ship over the course of the 7 day cruise. Took in Fahrenheit 555 steak house-delicious, a few of the play list production shows and the casino. Really, there is no shortage of events or activities at any time day or night- the fun times (or the Carnival Hub App) puts it all at your finger tips. Overall a fantastic experience. We met some fantastic fellow cruisers and enjoyed the vacation in its entirety. Fantastic memories made. I will have no problem booking another trip.

Carnival Mardi Gras, the good and the bad.

I loved how large the ship was, with many drink and eatery choices. Bolt was fun and also the water slides. I missed comedy club which is always my favorite, but on this ship it was packed. Heroes Lounge was my fav place to catch up on sports. My SPA Balcony room was amazing. I missed formal note unfortunately but the food was good at the market but it closed at 9:30 which was very disappointing, plus the lack of fresh fruit! Canin Steward Daniel was awesome. I love my towel animals and Daniel never failed to give me one when I begged - lol ! He was the best cabin steward out of the 15 carnival cruises I’ve been on. Embarkation was not good. We are platinum, and our check in time was 10 am but had to wait with loud people and crying children until almost noon. First time I’ve ever had to wait until 5:30 pm for my luggage so we were not happy about that.

A wonderful anniversary cruise.

This was my 3rd time sailing on Carnival and my husband's first cruise. First day on the ship we ate the buffet brunch, and I had the Carnival cruise ship rum punch and purchase the cup. I must say the rum was in the punch. I did the rollercoaster at 62 years and it was so much fun. I watch a lot of reviews prior to sailing and was afraid of overcrowding. The only time I felt that the ship was overcrowded was when wanting to see the comedians. They open the comedian show to a large room one night and I was able to see the show then. The other shows were fabulous to see and attend. Food The food was great, and we ate at Rudi's Seagrill, Bonsai Teppanyaki, Chibang, Guy Fieri's Pig and Anchor Smokehouse, Seafood Shack, and Big Chicken and Street Food. We ate at Emeril's and this was our least favorite. The place is gorgeous, however the food was not good and you do have to pay for your food choices. We loved getting Big Chicken with the delicious fries and having pizza late at night. Bacon is served every other day and be prepared to stand in line for an omelet or eggs cooked over easy. (The wait was not to bad and some days really quick) Let me also add that Guy Pig and Anchor was good also and you can ask for additional portions. We did not eat in the Main dining room nor JavaBlue. Bars We did not purchase the drink package but my husband purchase several bucket of beer and I had several specialty drinks from different bars. Our favorite bars were the Red Frog, Alchemy, Guys's Pig and Anchor Bar and my husband enjoyed the Grand View Bar. The Fortune Teller Bar was the bar I read a lot of reviews about and I tried 2 drinks (Crystal Ball, Abracadabra) of the most talked about drinks. The drinks were good, however other bartenders at other bars were nicer and friendlier. We also added extra tips on our drinks and I just felt like The Fortune Teller was okay this trip. Cabin We were on the 12th floor in a balcony room, and it was lovely. The walk space between the bed and the walk is smaller than other cabins from previous cruises. The cabin attendant kept our beer bucket with ice daily, even though we had a refrigerator. Ports Grand Turk we did the Beach and Rum tasting. It was fantastic. The water was beautiful. Amber Cove: We just walked around there it rained. Bring a disposable rain coat. San Juan: My favorite restaurant Raices. The Can Can is a porkchop meal which is delicious and huge. Order just one and share it. The Sangria is also amazing. We also did a bus tour of the old and new parts of San Juan which was lovely. I have been on the tour before, however the tour guide on the tour was fabulous pointing out additional features of Puerto Rico. St. Thomas: We shopped and enjoyed the second bar off the port which played great music, and the owner and bartender was fabulous. He will pull out a microphone if you are singing to the music so be prepare his name was Orville and his place is called Dockside Bar. Entertainment Roller coaster was amazing The Serenity area was delightful The shows were terrific The casino was nice The comedian was very funny The Love and Marriage show was entertaining The King and Queen Mardi Gras was a show I wished I participated Disembarkation It was quick and easy