Carnival Luminosa vs Carnival Mardi Gras

The Carnival Luminosa was built in 2009. It was renovated in 2022. The Carnival Luminosa originally sailed with Carnival's sister cruise line, Costa Cruises. Because of that, it will have some differences compared to other Spirit-class ships and will be missing some Carnival signature items like Guy's Burger Joint. It's 12 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 Luminosa is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 964 feet long and 106 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 12-story building. Compared to the Carnival Mardi Gras, the Luminosa is 49% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Luminosa holds 57% 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 Luminosa 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.

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 Luminosa has fourteen different dining options like JavaBlue Cafe, The Chef's Table, and Pizzeria del Capitano. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other four options have an additional fee.

The Mardi Gras has thirteen more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Bonsai Sushi, Big Chicken, and Emeril's Bistro 1396. nineteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice. It has 93% more dining options than the Luminosa.

Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.

Restaurants on Carnival Luminosa & Mardi Gras

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Luminosa has 7 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 Luminosa 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 Luminosa has a total of 2 pools and 4 hot tubs.

Carnival Mardi Gras has more pools than the Luminosa 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. Both the Luminosa and the Mardi Gras have full-depth adult-only pools in the Serenity area. The Serenity Area on both ships is unenclosed and open to the elements. The Luminosa’s adult-only area is in the back, while the Mardi Gras’s is in the front. Typically, the back of the ship has less wind and better views than the front of the ship.

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. You might up paying more while on board the Luminosa. Only 58% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Mardi Gras, 61% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

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 Luminosa 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.

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