Carnival Mardi Gras in one read
Mardi Gras is the ship that started the biggest class Carnival has ever built. She introduced the six-zone layout, the first roller coaster at sea, and — as North America's first LNG-powered cruise ship — a cleaner way of running one. COVID pushed her debut back nearly a year, so her first paying guests didn't sail until July 2021, but the delay didn't change what she is: the template every later Excel ship was built from.
What separates her from her two newer sisters isn't hardware — they share the same hull. It's the French Quarter, a full New Orleans-themed zone with Emeril's Bistro 1396, live jazz and Bourbon Street bars that neither Celebration nor Jubilee has. She's also about to become Carnival's most accessible way onto the class. She sails full weeks from Port Canaveral now, but from May 2027 she switches to short 4- and 5-day Bahamas runs — one of the fleet's biggest ships, on a getaway-length cruise.
Fit scores, not review scores — a lower relaxation number means she suits a quiet trip less well, not that she's a lesser ship.
Families and first-timers near Orlando who want the biggest ship on a short, affordable week — and anyone who wants the class's most characterful zone, the French Quarter.
You want the newest hull (that's Jubilee), a Miami departure (Celebration), or a calm, uncrowded ship.
Is Mardi Gras your ship?
Four quick questions and we'll give you an honest read on whether she fits — not a sales pitch.
Where she sails
Read this as the durable pattern, not a fixed schedule — verify your exact sailing.
Port Canaveral, and going shorter in 2027. Mardi Gras has sailed from Port Canaveral since launch. Right now that means week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises. From May 22, 2027, Carnival moves her to short Bahamas runs: 5-day trips to Celebration Key, RelaxAway at Half Moon Cay and Nassau, and 4-day trips to Celebration Key and RelaxAway. The new Carnival Festivale takes over the longer trips from Port Canaveral that same month.
The strategic read matters for booking. Carnival is positioning the fleet's biggest ship as a try-it-without-committing-a-week option, which is genuinely useful if you're within driving range of Orlando and want to sample the Excel class on a long weekend. The trade-off: shorter Carnival sailings tend to draw a livelier, more party-leaning crowd, so if you want calm, book one of her full weeks before May 2027.
Onboard: her zones & standouts
Same core venues as her sisters, but two zones are hers alone. Tap through them.
Emeril's aboard Mardi Gras is Bistro 1396 — the number is her shipyard hull number, not an address or a menu code. Her sisters carry Bistro 1397 (Celebration) and 717 (Jubilee): same concept, different hull.
Cabins & suites
The neighborhoods
- Family Harbor — larger family cabins with a private 24-hour lounge.
- Havana — Cuban-themed cabins with an exclusive aft pool and bar.
- Cloud 9 Spa — cabins with Thermal Suite access.
- Cove Balcony — low, close-to-the-water balconies.
Suites & Loft 19
- Carnival Excel suites — the premium tier, with unlimited access to the private Loft 19 sun deck.
- Excel Presidential Suite — among the largest rooms in the fleet, with a private hot tub.
- As the first Excel ship, Mardi Gras is where this whole suite program debuted.
Her sisters
Same hull, same class — here's how the other two Excel ships differ from Mardi Gras.
The honest read
We'll give it to you straight. As the oldest Excel hull, Mardi Gras has the most sea time of the three, and a few of her spaces show it — reviewers have singled out her adults-only Serenity deck as windy and a little poorly sited. She also carries the same crowds as her sisters: at full occupancy that's more than 6,000 people, with lines at the free venues at peak dinner times and a Lido deck that fills fast.
And BOLT, her headline first, is a $15 ride that's over in under two minutes and closes when it's windy — fun once, but not the reason to book. None of this makes her a lesser ship; it makes her a big, busy one with an older hull. If your idea of a vacation is quiet, a smaller Carnival class will serve you better. If it's the biggest ship on a short, characterful week, she's hard to beat.
Our verdict
Mardi Gras is the pick when you want the class's most distinctive personality and a short, affordable way onto the biggest ships Carnival builds. The French Quarter is genuinely unique, the Port Canaveral base is easy for anyone near Orlando, and from May 2027 her shorter itineraries make her a low-commitment first taste of the Excel class.
Book her for the character and the flexibility — not for being the newest, because she isn't. If a newer hull or a longer week matters more, her sisters are one tap away above. Her godmother, Kimberly Jiménez (Miss Dominican Republic 2020), christened her at Port Canaveral in October 2021 — the first U.S. ship naming after the industry's pandemic restart, which is a fitting note for the ship that restarted the whole class.
Ask Seabound about Mardi Gras
Tell us about your trip.
Homeport, group size, kids' ages, budget and length — and we'll tell you honestly whether Mardi Gras is your ship or another Carnival fits better.
Instant answers from our guides · always verified against current Carnival information before you book.
Quick answers
Is Mardi Gras the oldest Excel-class ship?
Yes. She entered service in 2021 as the first ship in the Excel (XL) class, ahead of Carnival Celebration (2022) and Carnival Jubilee (2023). She was also North America's first LNG-powered cruise ship.
Does Carnival Mardi Gras have the BOLT roller coaster?
Yes — BOLT sits in her Ultimate Playground zone and costs about $15 per ride. It's a short, two-lap ride that closes in high winds, so treat it as a fun extra rather than the main reason to book.
What makes Mardi Gras different from Celebration and Jubilee?
They share the same hull and most venues. Mardi Gras's difference is her two signature zones — the New Orleans-themed French Quarter and the Italian La Piazza — plus her Port Canaveral homeport and, from May 2027, short 4- and 5-day Bahamas cruises.
Where does Carnival Mardi Gras sail from?
Port Canaveral, Florida, year-round — week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises now, then short 4- and 5-day Bahamas cruises from May 2027. Deployments shift, so confirm your specific sailing.
Is Mardi Gras good for first-time cruisers?
Very — she's one of the three biggest ships in the fleet, with the most to do, and from May 2027, her 4- and 5-day trips make her a low-commitment first cruise if you can drive to Port Canaveral. Just plan around the crowds by booking dining early.