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Carnival Mardi Gras vs MSC Poesia
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 13 years newer than the Poesia, which was built in 2008 and renovated in 2025. The Poesia will receive a major dry dock refurbishment before its North America debut in May 2026 that will add new venues and Yacht Club cabins with associated areas.
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 MSC Poesia, the Mardi Gras is 95% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
The Carnival Mardi Gras holds more than double the amount of people as the Poesia 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 Poesia.
The Mardi Gras uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Carnival Mardi Gras | MSC Poesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Excel | Musica |
| Gross Tonnage | 180,800 | 92,627 |
| Length | 1,130 | 964 |
| Beam/Width | 137 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 17 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,282 | 2,550 |
| Crew | 1,735 | 1,027 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 35 | 36 |
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-three different dining options like JavaBlue Cafe, The Chef's Table, and Seafood Shack. Of those options, nineteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Poesia has sixteen fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Butcher's Cut, Kaito Sushi Bar, Seven of these restaurants are complementary 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 more than double the amount of dining options than the Poesia.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice then the Poesia. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Mardi Gras | MSC Poesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 23 | 7 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 19 | 7 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 5 |
| % of Included Options | 61% | 29% |
| See the options | See the options |
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 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 Poesia 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 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.
MSC Poesia has fewer pools than the Mardi Gras and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Poesia. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Mardi Gras.| Carnival Mardi Gras | MSC Poesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 6 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 5 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| 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 Poesia, only 43% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Mardi Gras | MSC Poesia | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Carnival and MSC are both considered "Mainstream" cruise lines. 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 MSC Poesia.
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 | MSC Poesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.25 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $9.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | $46 - $85 |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day | $17 - $27 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
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