This was my 23rd cruise, with Carnival being a third of those. I haven't cruised with Carnival in about 5 years and the concept of cruising that Mardi Gras presents is a welcome change (mostly).

Embarkation went fairly smooth in Carnival's newest terminal at Port Canaveral. Usual wait times, about an hour overall from dropping bags to stepping on board. Not bad for these days of Covid. Tip: complete the Verifly app ahead of time and it will make the process more efficient.

The ship has a efficient layout that is fairly easy to navigate. Decks 6,7, and 8 is were most of the entertainment and food are located. There are different "neighborhoods", like Havana, New Orleans, Italy, Grand Central and Summer Landings. They don't have definitive borders, but rather blend into each other. Read more