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Icon of the Seas vs Mardi Gras
The Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas is a fairly new ship, being built in 2024. Icon of the Seas is the first in a whole new class of ships by Royal Caribbean that's designed to provide the "ultimate family vacation." It is currently the largest cruise ship in the world. It's 3 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 Icon of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,198 feet long and 216 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4.1 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 18-story building. Compared to the Carnival Mardi Gras, the Icon of the Seas is 39% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas holds about the same number of passengers as 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 Icon of the Seas 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 Icon of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded. The Mardi Gras employs a similar concept but they're called zones.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Icon | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 250,800 | 180,800 |
| Length | 1,198 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 216 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 18 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,610 | 5,282 |
| Crew | 2,350 | 1,735 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.4 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 45 | 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 Icon of the Seas has 29 different dining options like Pearl Cafe, Chops Grille, and El Loco Fresh. Of those options, 14 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 15 options have an additional fee.
The Mardi Gras has 2 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue, JavaBlue Cafe, and Street Eats. 19 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 8 have an additional fee.
The Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas has about the same number of dining options as the Carnival Mardi Gras.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Mardi Gras might be a better choice then the Icon of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 29 | 27 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 14 | 19 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 15 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 48% | 70% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas has 10 more bars than the Carnival Mardi Gras. The Icon of the Seas has 26 bars like Bubbles, English Pub and The Lime & Coconut: Frozen. On Icon of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Alchemy Bar, Center Stage and Piano Bar 88.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | Carnival Mardi Gras |
|---|---|
| •1400 Lobby Bar • Basecamp Bar • Boleros • Bubbles • Cantina Fresca • Casino Bar • Desserted Milkshake Bar • Dueling Pianos • English Pub • Giovanni's Wine Bar • Lou's Jazz 'N Blues • Music Hall • Playmakers • Rye & Bean • Schooner Bar • Spotlight Karaoke • Swim & Tonic • The Attic • The Grove Bar • The Hideaway Bar • The Lemon Post • The Lime & Coconut • The Lime & Coconut: Frozen • The Overlook • Trellis Bar • Windjammer 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 Icon of the Seas serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations. 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 Icon of the Seas 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 problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
The Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas has a total of 7 pools and 9 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are adults only. 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 fewer pools than the Icon of the Seas and fewer hot tubs.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 7 | 6 |
| Pools - General Access | 5 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 2 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 9 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 7 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5
(Carnival Edition) (Royal Caribbean Edition)
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8
(Carnival Edition) (Royal Caribbean Edition)
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 Icon of the Seas, 80% 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.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cooking Class | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Roller Coaster | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Waterpark | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean 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 Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas will likely be more expensive 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.
| Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas | Carnival Mardi Gras | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $8.75 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $70 - $125 Learn more | $59.95 - $69.95 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17 to $30 per device per day | $15.30 to $21.25 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
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