Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Mardi Gras vs Celebrity Millennium
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 21 years newer than the Millennium, which was built in 2000 and renovated in 2019.
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 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. Compared to the Celebrity Millennium, the Mardi Gras is 99% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
The Carnival Mardi Gras holds more than double the amount of people as the Millennium based on double occupancy (two people per room). 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 Millennium.
The Mardi Gras uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Carnival Mardi Gras | Celebrity Millennium | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Excel | Millennium |
| Gross Tonnage | 180,800 | 90,940 |
| Length | 1,130 | 964 |
| Beam/Width | 137 | 105 |
| Passenger Decks | 17 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,282 | 2,218 |
| Crew | 1,735 | 1,024 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 35 | 41 |
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 Bonsai Teppanyaki, Cucina Del Capitano (Excel-ship), and Big Chicken. Of those options, 19 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 8 options have an additional fee.
The Millennium has 14 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Main Dining Room, Le Petit Chef at Qsine, and Sushi on Five. 8 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 5 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice. It has more than double the amount of dining options than the Millennium.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice then the Millennium. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Mardi Gras | Celebrity Millennium | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 27 | 13 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 19 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 5 |
| % of Included Options | 70% | 62% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Mardi Gras serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew, although the selection can vary by ship. The Millennium serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Mardi Gras and the Millennium 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.
Celebrity Millennium has fewer pools than the Mardi Gras and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Millennium. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
| Carnival Mardi Gras | Celebrity Millennium | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 6 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 |
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 Mardi Gras, 61% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Millennium, only 50% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Mardi Gras | Celebrity Millennium | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bingo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cooking Class | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outdoor gym | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Roller Coaster | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Carnival is considered 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.
Celebrity, on the other hand, is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 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 the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
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 compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Carnival Mardi Gras | Celebrity Millennium | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | $65 - $95 |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
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