Cruise Spotlight
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Carnival Venezia vs Carnival Mardi Gras
The Carnival Venezia was built in 2019. The Venezia is part of Carnival's "Fun Italian Style" Program. This ship is on loan from sister company Costa cruises. It's similar to Carnival's Vista-class ships, but it has a distinct Italian style. It's 2 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 Venezia is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,061 feet long and 122 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Carnival Mardi Gras, the Venezia is 25% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Venezia holds 23% fewer passengers than the Mardi Gras 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 Venezia has less space per person compared to the Mardi Gras.
The Mardi Gras uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Carnival Venezia | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Venice | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 135,500 | 180,800 |
| Length | 1,061 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 122 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,072 | 5,282 |
| Crew | 1,424 | 1,735 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 32 | 35 |
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 Venezia has 20 different dining options like Il Viaggio, Carnival Deli, and Guy's Burger Joint (Italian). Of those options, 13 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 7 options have an additional fee.
The Mardi Gras has 7 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Guy's Burger Joint, Bonsai Sushi, and JavaBlue Cafe. 19 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 8 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice. It has 35% more dining options than the Venezia.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
Restaurants on Carnival Venezia & Mardi Gras
| Carnival Venezia | Carnival Mardi Gras | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Chicken | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Blue Iguana Cantina | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Bonsai Sushi | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Bonsai Teppanyaki | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Carnival Deli | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Cherry on Top | ✓ | ✗ | |
| ChiBang | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Cucina Del Capitano (Excel-ship) | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Emeril's Bistro 1396 | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Fresh Creations | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Guy's Burger Joint | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Guy's Burger Joint (Italian) | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Guys Pig and Anchor Smokehouse (Excel-ship) | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Il Viaggio | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| JavaBlue Cafe | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| La Strada Grill | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Lido Buffet | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Piazza Panini | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Pizzeria del Capitano | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Rudi's Seagrill | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Seafood Shack | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Street Eats | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Swirls | ✓ | ✓ | |
| The Chef's Table | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Tomodoro | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Venezia has 4 fewer bars than the Carnival Mardi Gras.
| Carnival Venezia | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemy Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Amari Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Atrium Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bar Della Rosa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Burano Pool Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Carnevale Bar & Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Center Stage | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fahrenheit 555 Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fortune Teller Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Frizzante | ✓ | ✗ |
| Gondola Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Grand View | ✗ | ✓ |
| Guy's Pig and Anchor Brewhouse | ✗ | ✓ |
| Havana Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Heroes Tribute Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Java Blue Cafe | ✓ | ✓ |
| Limelight Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pergola Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Piano Bar 88 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Punchliner Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| RedFrog Tiki Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rococo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Serenity Pool Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Brass Magnolia | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Watering Hole | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tides Pool Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
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 Venezia 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 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 Venezia has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 2 of the hot tubs are adults only. 2 of the hot tubs 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 Mardi Gras has more pools than the Venezia and more hot tubs.
| Carnival Venezia | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 6 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 2 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 0 |
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 the Venezia, 75% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Mardi Gras, only 61% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Venezia | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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. 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.
| Carnival | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 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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