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Carnival Liberty vs Carnival Mardi Gras
The Carnival Liberty was built in 2005. It was renovated in 2025. It's 16 years older than the Mardi Gras, which was built in 2021. The Mardi Gras pays homage to Carnival's first ship, also named the Mardi Gras. It has two unique zones not found on its sister ships: The French Quarter, a New Orleans-themed area, and La Piazza, which is dedicated to the Italian heritage of Carnival cabins.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Liberty is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 952 feet long and 116 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.6 football fields, as wide as 2.2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Carnival Mardi Gras, the Liberty is 39% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Liberty holds 44% fewer passengers than the Mardi Gras based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Liberty has more space per person compared to the Mardi Gras. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
The Mardi Gras uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Carnival Liberty | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Conquest | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 110,000 | 180,800 |
| Length | 952 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 116 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,974 | 5,282 |
| Crew | 1,160 | 1,735 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 37 | 35 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Liberty has twelve different dining options like Mongolian Wok, The Chef's Table, and Blue Iguana Cantina. Of those options, thirteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other four options have an additional fee.
The Mardi Gras has eleven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Guys Pig and Anchor Smokehouse (Excel-ship), Pizzeria del Capitano, and Bonsai Sushi. nineteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice. It has 92% more dining options than the Liberty.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
Restaurants on Carnival Liberty & Mardi Gras
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Liberty has 3 fewer bars than the Carnival Mardi Gras.
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Liberty and the Mardi Gras below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Carnival Liberty has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs.
Carnival Mardi Gras has more pools than the Liberty and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Mardi Gras. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Try relaxing in the Serenity Adult-only area, for guests 21 and older only. Only the Mardi Gras has an adult-only pool in its Serenity Area (it’s a full-depth pool). The Serenity Area on both ships is unenclosed and open to the elements. They’re both located in the front of the ship.
| Carnival Liberty | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 6 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 2 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books. These are the Carnival editions with featuring places Pizza Pirate and mini-golf.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Carnival Edition
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Carnival Edition
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Liberty, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Mardi Gras, only 61% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Liberty | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cooking Class | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Roller Coaster | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Carnival is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Carnival Liberty will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Mardi Gras.
The cost will also vary depending on the type of cabin you book. You can see the differences between the Carnival cabins and how to choose the best one here:
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Carnival ship.
| Carnival | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
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