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MSC Seashore vs Carnival Mardi Gras
The MSC Seashore was built in 2021. The MSC Seashore has a New York City-inspired aesthetic complete with a 10-foot-fall replica of the Statue of Liberty at the heart of the casino and shopping area called Times Square. 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.
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 Seashore is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,060 feet long and 135 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Carnival Mardi Gras, the Seashore is 6% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
MSC Seashore holds about the same number of passengers as 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 Seashore 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.
| MSC Seashore | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Seaside EVO | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 169,400 | 180,800 |
| Length | 1,060 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 135 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,632 | 5,282 |
| Crew | 1,648 | 1,735 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.4 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 30 | 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 Seashore has eleven different dining options like Ocean Cay Restaurant, Kaito Teppanyaki, and Marketplace Buffet. Of those options, seven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Mardi Gras has twelve more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Emeril's Bistro 1396, Piazza Panini, 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 109% more dining options than the Seashore.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice then the Seashore. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| MSC Seashore | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 11 | 23 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 7 | 19 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 18% | 61% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The MSC Seashore has 3 more bars than the Carnival Mardi Gras. The Seashore has 19 bars like Le Cabaret Rouge, Long Island Bar and Seashore Bar. On Seashore, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Alchemy Bar, Center Stage and Tides Pool Bar.
| MSC Seashore | Carnival Mardi Gras |
|---|---|
| •Aurea Bar • Brooklyn Cafe • Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • Chef's Court Cocktail Bar • Horizon Bar • Infinity Bar • Jungle Pool Beach Bar • Le Cabaret Rouge • Long Island Bar • MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar • Seashore Bar • Shine Bar • Sky Bar • Sports Bar • The Uptown Lounge • The Wine Cellar • Top Sail Lounge • Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar | •Alchemy Bar • Bar Della Rosa • Center Stage • Fahrenheit 555 Bar • Fortune Teller Bar • Grand View • Guy's Pig and Anchor Brewhouse • Havana Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Piano Bar 88 • Punchliner Comedy Club • RedFrog Tiki Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • The Brass Magnolia • The Watering Hole • Tides Pool Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Seashore 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.
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 MSC Seashore has a total of 5 pools and 15 hot tubs. 2 of the pools and 3 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 Seashore and fewer 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 are adults only on Seashore.| MSC Seashore | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 6 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | 2 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 15 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 12 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 3 | 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. You might up paying more while on board the Seashore. Only 54% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Mardi Gras, 61% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| MSC Seashore | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cooking Class | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Glass Bridge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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
MSC and Carnival 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.
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.
| MSC Seashore | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | |
| Drink Package Price | $46 - $85 | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17 - $27 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. | ||
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