Carnival Mardi Gras vs Carnival Celebration

The Carnival Mardi Gras 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. It's 1 year older than the Celebration, which was built in 2022. The Celebration is named after the original Celebration that sailed with Carnival from 1987 - 2008. It has two unique zones not found on its sister ships: The Gateway, an area dedicated to travel and Carnival's history, and 820 Biscayne which has a retro-Miami vibe.

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
• See Our Detailed Cruise Blog

Ship Size

The Mardi Gras is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,130 feet long and 137 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 2.6 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 17-story building. The Mardi Gras and the Celebration are in the same class, which means they're sister ships. For the most part, they're similar in terms of size and layout; although they may have different features and attractions on board.

Number of Passengers

Carnival Mardi Gras holds about the same number of passengers as the Celebration based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Mardi Gras has the same amount of space per person as the Celebration.

Both the Mardi Gras and Celebration use 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 Mardi Gras has 27 different dining options like Seafood Shack, JavaBlue Cafe, and ChiBang. Of those options, 19 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 8 options have an additional fee.

The Celebration has the same number of dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Blue Iguana Cantina, Big Chicken, and Street Eats. 19 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 8 have an additional fee.

The Carnival Mardi Gras has about the same number of dining options as the Carnival Celebration.

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

Restaurants on Carnival Mardi Gras & Celebration

Bars and Drinks

The Carnival Mardi Gras has 1 fewer bar than the Carnival Celebration.

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 Mardi Gras and the Celebration 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.

The Carnival Mardi Gras has a total of 6 pools and 7 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are adults only. 2 of the pools are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.

The Carnival Celebration has the same number of pools as the Mardi Gras and the same number of hot tubs.

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 both ships, 61% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare.

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. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit Carnival's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.

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.

We sailed aboard the Carnival Celebration

Follow along on our sailing on the Carnival Celebration. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.

Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Miami

Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day

Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Cozumel

Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Costa Maya

Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Roatan

Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Sea Day

Carnival Celebration - Cruise Blog - Day 7 - Sea Day

5 Hits and Misses on Carnival Celebration

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