Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Mardi Gras vs Carnival Glory
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 18 years newer than the Glory, which was built in 2003 and renovated in 2026.
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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 Mardi Gras is considered a large 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. Compared to the Carnival Glory, the Mardi Gras is 64% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Mardi Gras holds 77% more passengers than the Glory based on double occupancy (two people per room). At full capacity, Carnival Mardi Gras holds 77% more passengers than the Glory.
When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Mardi Gras has less space per person compared to the Glory.
The Mardi Gras uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Carnival Mardi Gras | Carnival Glory | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Excel | Conquest |
| Gross Tonnage | 180,800 | 110,000 |
| Length | 1,130 | 952 |
| Beam/Width | 137 | 116 |
| Passenger Decks | 17 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,282 | 2,980 |
| Passengers (maximum occupancy) | 6,631 | 3,756 |
| Crew | 1,735 | 1,150 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.8 | 3.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 27 | 29 |
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 twenty-six different dining options like Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue, Emeril's Bistro 1396, and Pizzeria del Capitano. Of those options, nineteen are complimentary, or included with your cruise fare. The other twelve options have an additional fee.
The Glory has twelve fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Chef's Table, Seafood Shack, and Blue Iguana Cantina. Fourteen of these restaurants are complimentary and the other five have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice. It has 86% more dining options than the Glory.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Glory might be a better choice than the Mardi Gras. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Carnival Mardi Gras & Glory
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Mardi Gras has 4 more bars than the Carnival Glory.
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-Cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barq's Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out the recent bar menus for the Mardi Gras and the Glory below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Carnival
Mardi Gras
6
pools
7
hot tubs
Carnival
Glory
2
pools
4
hot tubs
| Mardi Gras | Glory | |
|---|---|---|
| General-access pools | 3 | 1 |
| Adults-only pools | 1 | 1 |
| Exclusive pools | 2 | 0 |
| General-access hot tubs | 5 | 2 |
| Adults-only hot tubs | 2 | 2 |
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Carnival Mardi Gras has a total of 6 pools and 7 hot tubs. 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.
Carnival Glory has fewer pools than the Mardi Gras and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Glory. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
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.
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, featuring places like 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 end up paying more while on board the Mardi Gras. Only 61% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Glory, 75% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Carnival Mardi Gras | Carnival Glory | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Mardi Gras will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Glory.
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 may 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) | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.25 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 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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Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
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