Cruise Spotlight
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Enchanted Princess vs Mardi Gras
The Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess was built in 2021. 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 Enchanted Princess is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,083 feet long and 126 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 19-story building. Compared to the Carnival Mardi Gras, the Enchanted Princess is 20% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess holds 31% 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 Enchanted Princess 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.
| Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Royal | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 145,000 | 180,800 |
| Length | 1,083 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 126 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 19 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,660 | 5,282 |
| Crew | 1,346 | 1,735 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 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 Enchanted Princess has fourteen different dining options like Crown Grill, The Catch by Rudi, and Sabatini's. Of those options, eleven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Mardi Gras has nine more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Pizzeria del Capitano, and JavaBlue Cafe. 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 64% more dining options than the Enchanted Princess.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice then the Enchanted Princess. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 23 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 11 | 19 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 43% | 61% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Enchanted Princess 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 Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess has a total of 4 pools and 10 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 1 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 Enchanted Princess and fewer hot tubs.
| Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 6 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 2 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 9 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 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 Enchanted Princess, 73% 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.
| Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✗ |
| 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 | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sports Court | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Princess Cruises 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.
| Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $2.50 | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.25 | $8.75 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 -$100 | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $24.99 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. | ||
Princess Cruises offers two packages to bundle onboard expenses. The Princess Plus package includes daily gratuities, the basic beverage package, 2 fitness classes, 2 casual dining meals, and internet for $60 per day per guest. The Princess Premier package upgrades to the premiere beverage package, wifi for up to 4 devices per guest, two specialty dining meals, unlimited casual dining meals, unlimited fitness classes, and a photo package for $80 per guest per day.
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