Cruise Spotlight
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Celebrity Ascent vs Carnival Mardi Gras
The Celebrity Ascent is a fairly new ship, being built in 2023. The Celebrity Ascent features many of the new additions seen on the Celebrity Beyond including more outdoor space, a more grand central atrium, and an improved Rooftop Garden. It's 2 years newer 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 Ascent is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,073 feet long and 128 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 17-story building. Compared to the Carnival Mardi Gras, the Ascent is 22% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Celebrity Ascent holds 38% fewer passengers than the Mardi Gras based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Ascent has more space per person compared to the Mardi Gras. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
The Mardi Gras uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Celebrity Ascent | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Edge | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 140,600 | 180,800 |
| Length | 1,073 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 128 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 17 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,260 | 5,282 |
| Crew | 1,416 | 1,735 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 43 | 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 Ascent has nineteen different dining options like Tuscan Restaurant, Le Grand Bistro, and Le Petit Chef and Family. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eleven options have an additional fee.
The Mardi Gras has nine more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Pizzeria del Capitano, Rudi's Seagrill, and Seafood Shack. nineteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice. It has 47% more dining options than the Ascent.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice then the Ascent. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Celebrity Ascent | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 19 | 28 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 8 | 19 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 11 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 42% | 68% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Ascent serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. The Mardi Gras serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for 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 Celebrity Ascent has a total of 5 pools and 6 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 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 Ascent and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Mardi Gras. 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 Ascent.| Celebrity Ascent | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 6 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 2 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 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 Ascent, 67% 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.
| Celebrity Ascent | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bingo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cooking Class | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Eden Entertainment Space | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Roller Coaster | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rooftop Garden | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Celebrity 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.
Carnival, on the other hand, 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.
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.
| Celebrity Ascent | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $4.00 | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 | $8.75 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $65 - $95 | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $18.70 to $23.80 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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