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MSC Virtuosa vs Carnival Mardi Gras
The MSC Virtuosa was built in 2021. It was renovated in 2025. 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 Virtuosa is considered a large ship. Coming in at 1,086 feet long and 141 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.7 tractor-trailers, and the same height as a 15-story building. It's about the same size as the Carnival Mardi Gras.
Number of Passengers
MSC Virtuosa holds about the same number of passengers as the Mardi Gras based on double occupancy (two people per room). At full capacity, MSC Virtuosa holds about the same number of passengers as the Mardi Gras.
When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Virtuosa 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.
| MSC Virtuosa | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Meraviglia Plus-class | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 181,541 | 180,800 |
| Length | 1,086 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 141 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,842 | 5,282 |
| Passengers (maximum occupancy) | 6,334 | 6,631 |
| Crew | 1,704 | 1,735 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.7 | 3.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 29 | 27 |
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 Virtuosa has fourteen different dining options like HOLA! Tacos & Cantina, Kaito Teppanyaki, and Marketplace Buffet. Of those options, nine are complimentary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eleven options have an additional fee.
The Mardi Gras has twelve more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Bonsai Sushi, and Blue Iguana Cantina. Nineteen of these restaurants are complimentary and the other twelve have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice. It has 86% more dining options than the Virtuosa.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice than the Virtuosa. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| MSC Virtuosa | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 26 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 19 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 11 | 12 |
| % of Included Options | 21% | 54% |
| 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 Barq's Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out the recent bar menus for the Mardi Gras below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
MSC
Virtuosa
5
pools
9
hot tubs
Carnival
Mardi Gras
6
pools
7
hot tubs
| Virtuosa | Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| General-access pools | 3 | 3 |
| Adults-only pools | 1 | 1 |
| Exclusive pools | 1 | 2 |
| General-access hot tubs | 6 | 5 |
| Adults-only hot tubs | 2 | |
| Exclusive hot tubs | 3 | 0 |
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The MSC Virtuosa has a total of 5 pools and 9 hot tubs. 1 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 Virtuosa 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 Virtuosa.
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 end up paying more while on board the Virtuosa. Only 50% 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 Virtuosa | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bowling Alley | ✓ | ✗ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel Acrobatic Production Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cooking Class | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Indoor Sportsplex | ✓ | ✗ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Robotic Bartender | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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 may 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 Virtuosa | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $17.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.25 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $9.00 | $8.25 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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