Norwegian Star vs Carnival Mardi Gras

The Norwegian Star was built in 2001. It was renovated in 2024. It's 20 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 Star is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 965 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 12-story building. Compared to the Carnival Mardi Gras, the Star is 49% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Norwegian Star holds 56% 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 Star 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.

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 Star has twelve different dining options like Cagney's Steakhouse, Sushi Bar, and O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.

The Mardi Gras has eleven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Big Chicken, Guys Pig and Anchor Smokehouse (Excel-ship), and Street Eats. 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 92% more dining options than the Star.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice then the Star. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Bars and Drinks

The Norwegian Star has 6 fewer bars than the Carnival Mardi Gras. The Star has 10 bars like Atrium Cafe, Casino Bar and Sugarcane Mojito Bar. On Star, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Fortune Teller Bar, Havana Bar and Piano Bar 88.

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Star 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 Star 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 Norwegian Star has a total of 2 pools and 5 hot tubs. 1 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.

Carnival Mardi Gras has more pools than the Star and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Mardi Gras. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.

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 Star, 64% 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.

Cruise Costs

Norwegian 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Norwegian Star will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Mardi Gras.

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.

Norwegian Cruise Line offers a More at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the More at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.

Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Articles Related the These Ships

What Theme Parties Will Be On Your Carnival Cruise?

All You Need To Know About Carnival’s Cheers Package

Norwegian Redeploys Four Ships for 2025-26: Focus Shifts to North America

How Norwegian Cruise Line’s Drink Packages Work

Carnival to Introduce a New Class of Ship With Three on Order

Carnival Adding 5th Excel-Class Ship in 2028

About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.