Signature Service Travel owner Sarah shares what her family enjoyed, what didn’t work for them, and what they would do differently next time.
Hi, I’m Sarah, owner of Signature Service Travel. In January 2026, my husband, our two kids, and I boarded Carnival Mardi Gras for a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral.
Our itinerary included Amber Cove, Grand Turk, Nassau, and Celebration Key. We stayed together in a balcony cabin with two Pullman beds for the kids. We chose Mardi Gras because we wanted to experience one of Carnival’s newer ships and see how it worked for our family.
As both a travel advisor and a mom, I pay attention to more than whether a ship looks impressive. I notice sleeping arrangements, cabin layouts, dining choices for selective eaters, activities for different ages, and all the little details that can make family travel easier or more frustrating.
This review reflects our family’s personal experience. Another family may have a completely different opinion, but that is exactly why firsthand reviews can be helpful.
Overall, we had a good time. To be fair, though, we rarely have a bad time anywhere! Mardi Gras wasn’t perfect, but we would sail on it again. Here is what stood out to us, what we enjoyed, and what we would change next time.
First Impressions of Carnival Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is a large ship with restaurants, bars, activities, entertainment spaces, and outdoor areas spread across multiple decks.
For most of the week, the number of passengers felt manageable. The only time the entire ship felt overwhelmingly crowded was during debarkation, when it seemed like everyone was trying to leave at once.
The layout occasionally created its own congestion. The main theater is located toward the front of the ship, while Center Stage sits in the Grand Central area closer to the middle. When something was happening at Center Stage, the audience could make it difficult to walk through that part of the ship.
The idea seems to be that multiple events can happen at the same time, but the setup did not always work well for us. Trying to reach the theater sometimes meant squeezing through the crowd watching whatever was happening at Center Stage.
Our daughter especially loved the appearance of Mardi Gras. The glass staircases, sparkling details, and overall glitziness made the ship feel exciting to her. She enjoyed simply walking around and taking in all the different spaces.
Sunrise at Sea
Anytime I can catch the sunrise over the ocean, it is a great day for me.
There is something special about waking up before most of the ship and watching the sky change over open water. A ship as large and busy as Mardi Gras still has quiet moments, and the early mornings were some of mine.
It is easy to focus on how many activities, restaurants, and attractions you can fit into a cruise. Sometimes, though, one of the best parts is simply looking out at the ocean.
Our Balcony Cabin for Four
Our balcony cabin worked well for our family. The kids each had a Pullman bed, which gave everyone a separate sleeping surface.
That is important to our family and something I always verify before reserving a cabin. A cabin that “sleeps four” does not automatically mean it provides four separate beds.
The room was comfortable overall, but the walkway between the foot of the main bed and the wall was extremely narrow. Moving through that area was awkward, especially with four people sharing the room.
This is one of those details that may not be obvious in official cabin photographs. A cabin can technically accommodate four people without giving those four people much room to move around.
The balcony gave us additional space and somewhere quieter to sit when we wanted a break from the activity around the ship. We were happy with our room overall, although I might consider connecting cabins next time if the price were reasonable.
Giving Each Child a Place for Personal Items
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One of the most useful things we packed was this mesh hanging organizer, which we attached to the cabin wall using magnetic hooks.
We used the organizer beside the kids’ bunks so each child had a place for personal belongings such as headphones, a book light, and other small items they wanted within reach.
Cruise bunks do not come with much personal storage. Without a designated place, those little items would have ended up scattered around the cabin or buried inside someone’s bag.
The organizer kept everything accessible without using our limited counter or floor space. It stayed up well throughout the cruise and is something I would definitely pack again.
What Our Kids Did on Mardi Gras
One benefit of sailing on a large ship is that family members do not all have to enjoy the same things. Our children found different ways to spend their time.
Mini Golf and the Ropes Course
Our son especially enjoyed mini golf. It was easy to fit into the day without planning our entire schedule around it, and playing with the ocean in the background made it a little different from mini golf at home.
He also tried the ropes course, where he was secured in a harness while making his way across obstacles high above the deck.
Our daughter wanted to ride BOLT, the ship’s roller coaster, but did not get the opportunity during this sailing. That is already on her list for next time.
Creativity at Sea
My daughter and I participated in Creativity at Sea, and it became one of our favorite onboard activities. We made tiny message-in-a-bottle necklaces, giving us something creative to do together and a small souvenir to bring home.
On a ship known for waterslides, a roller coaster, and high-energy entertainment, this quieter activity was a pleasant surprise.
Activities like this can be easy to overlook when there is so much happening. I recommend checking the daily schedule for crafts, games, trivia, and other smaller programs that appeal to your family.
Towel Folding and Trivia
We also participated in a towel-folding activity and played trivia.
Not every memorable cruise activity needs to be elaborate. Sometimes sitting on the floor attempting to create a towel animal can be just as entertaining as one of the ship’s larger attractions.
The Kids’ Clubs
Both children spent some time in Carnival’s kids’ clubs. The clubs offered the familiar mix of scheduled activities, crafts, and quieter periods, and the kids had a good time when they attended.
Our children are now 11 and 13, though, and we can tell that the attraction of cruise kids’ clubs is beginning to wear off as they get older. They are becoming more interested in choosing individual activities around the ship than spending large portions of the day in a supervised club.
For our family, that made options such as mini golf, the ropes course, trivia, crafts, and BOLT especially important. Families traveling with tweens or young teens may want to look beyond the kids’ club and consider what the ship offers throughout the day for children who want more independence.
Our Honest Opinion of the Food
Mardi Gras offered plenty of places to eat, but the food experience was uneven for our family. A few casual options became repeat favorites, while other venues sounded more exciting than they turned out to be.
The Casual Options Won Us Over
The pizza earned several return visits and became an especially useful option for our picky eater. Guy’s Burger Joint was another dependable choice when he wanted something familiar.
Shaq’s Big Chicken was also a standout among the complimentary casual venues. It was one of the places we were happy to revisit rather than simply trying once to check it off the list.
My husband thought the complimentary coffee was noticeably better than what he had experienced on other Carnival ships.
Then there were the ice cream machines. They may not be the most sophisticated dining experience on Mardi Gras, but they were unquestionably one of our family favorites.
The Buffet Made Feeding a Picky Eater Harder
Although Mardi Gras has numerous dining venues, the buffet felt smaller and offered less variety than we expected.
Many of the dishes being served in the dining room also appeared on the buffet, and much of the selection was not particularly friendly to a very selective eater.
Our son ate pizza and Guy’s burgers frequently because those were reliable choices for him. He found things to eat, but we would have appreciated a broader selection of familiar, uncomplicated foods at the buffet.
This did not mean the buffet had no variety. It simply meant that much of its variety was not useful for our particular child.
Menus and offerings can change, so these photographs represent what we saw during our January 2026 sailing rather than a guarantee of what will appear on every cruise.
This is one reason the advisors at Signature Service Travel look beyond the total number of dining venues when helping a family compare ships. Having numerous restaurants does not necessarily mean every traveler will have numerous usable choices.
Chibang Was Not for Us
We tried Chibang, which combines Chinese and Mexican cuisine. I know the restaurant has its fans, but the concept and food did not come together for us.
Nothing I ordered made me eager to return, and the crème brulée arrived burnt. The whole meal landed more in the “well, we tried it” category than the “we need to eat here again” category.
Dining preferences are personal, so another family may have a completely different experience. For us, however, Chibang was not a highlight.
Afternoon Tea and Other Smaller Experiences
We also tried afternoon tea, which offered a quieter change of pace from the buffet and busy pool-deck restaurants. The small sandwiches, desserts, and tea made it feel more like an activity than simply another meal.
Shopping Aboard Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras had luxury stores onboard, but I would have liked to see a better balance of shopping options.
A larger Carnival shop with more ship-branded souvenirs would have been nice, along with more moderately priced items. The luxury stores may appeal to some passengers, but I would have enjoyed having more options for affordable vacation purchases and Mardi Gras merchandise.
Our Favorite Parts of Mardi Gras
If I had to choose three things our family especially enjoyed, they would be:
- The pizza: It became a reliable favorite and saved us more than once when our picky eater rejected the other choices.
- Creativity at Sea: My daughter and I enjoyed having something creative to do together.
- The ice cream machines: Sometimes the simplest vacation pleasures are the ones everyone agrees on.
These may not be the features that receive the largest billing in Mardi Gras advertisements, but they are part of what made the week enjoyable for us.
What Didn’t Work as Well for Us
Our biggest frustrations were:
- Limited buffet choices for our picky eater: There was food available, but not enough variety that worked for him.
- The congestion around Center Stage: It could be difficult to pass through Grand Central when an audience had gathered.
- The narrow space at the foot of the bed: The cabin accommodated four, but that walkway was uncomfortably tight.
- The shopping selection: I would have preferred a larger Carnival shop, more Mardi Gras merchandise, and more moderately priced options alongside the luxury stores.
None of these issues ruined the cruise. They are simply things I would want another family to understand when deciding whether Mardi Gras is the right ship for them.
Is Mardi Gras Right for Your Family?
Mardi Gras may be a good fit for families who enjoy a large, lively ship with plenty of activities and casual dining choices. There is enough happening onboard that family members can spend time together while still choosing activities that match their individual interests.
Families with tweens and young teens may appreciate options such as mini golf, the ropes course, BOLT, trivia, and creative activities. Those choices become more important as children start losing interest in spending much of the day at a kids’ club.
The ship may be less appealing to families who prefer a smaller, easier-to-navigate layout or a traditional buffet with a wider selection of familiar foods. Selective eaters can still find pizza, burgers, chicken, and ice cream, but the overall buffet selection may feel limiting.
Cabin choice also matters. Our balcony cabin gave all four of us separate sleeping surfaces, but the narrow walkway made the space feel tighter than expected. Families who want more room may want to compare the cost of a larger cabin with two connecting rooms.
Mardi Gras will not be the perfect ship for everyone, but it offered enough variety for our family to have a good time. Knowing what worked and what didn’t would help us plan an even better experience if we sailed again.
Would We Sail on Mardi Gras Again?
Yes, we would.
Next time, we might consider connecting cabins, look into a thermal-suite pass, and make sure our daughter gets the opportunity to ride BOLT.
There are things we would change, but there are also plenty of things we would happily repeat. And if I can start another day watching the sunrise over the ocean, that will be a pretty great beginning.
This review reflects our family’s experience aboard Carnival Mardi Gras in January 2026. Menus, schedules, prices, and onboard offerings may change.
Considering a Family Cruise?
Choosing the right ship is only one part of planning a successful family cruise. Your cabin configuration, dining options, itinerary, activities, and budget all need to fit the way your family actually travels.
The advisors at Signature Service Travel can help you compare ships and itineraries, verify sleeping arrangements, and find a cruise that works for your family.
