Number of Passengers. Carnival Venezia holds 23% fewer passengers than the Mardi Gras based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Venezia has less space per person compared to the Mardi Gras. The Carnival Mardi Gras has a total of 6 pools and 7 hot tubs. 2 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 Venezia has fewer pools than the Mardi Gras and fewer hot tubs. Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Mardi Gras has the best food out of all Carnival ships. She has 22 different dining venues to choose from, including more interesting options such as Emeril’s Bistro, a New-Orleans inspired venue. Food on board is varied, although reviews do criticize portion sizes across the whole Carnival fleet. Carnival Venezia was introduced to the Carnival fleet in May 2023 after being moved from Costa Cruises (a cruise line that is part of the Carnival family). The special quality of this ship is the unique blend of Italian elegance and Carnival’s fun atmosphere. It’s a fairly large ship with a capacity of 4,090 passengers. Explore and compare all of the Carnival cruise ships in our fleet. Find out more about ship details, activities aboard, dining options, and much more! My SIL loves Carnival, so we've only cruised Carnival. That being said, fuck the Venezia boat. Literally every other ship we've been on has been better. The AC is unreliable and oddly patchy, there are some hot areas completely unrelated to proximity to the outdoors. The Lido deck roof has not been opened a single time. The Mardi Gras has a construction date of 2020 and a total size of 180,800 gross tons. The ship measures 1,130 feet (344 meters) in length and falls in line as number 3 among the 27 active ships that make up the fleet. Carnival Mardi Gras is included in Carnival’s XL Class. At full capacity, the Carnival Mardi Gras holds 8,375 passengers. Both the Vista-class and Venezia-class ships were built on the same basic design platform and are roughly the same size with similar layouts. But Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze were originally built for Carnival's Italy-based sister brand, Costa Cruises. As a result, they have a much stronger Italy theme and a few design differences. 18. Carnival Mardi Gras Image courtesy of Carnival Newsroom. Class: Excel Launched: 2020 Capacity: 5,282 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3.5/5) Carnival Mardi Gras is a large, modern cruise ship that offers a variety of exciting experiences for guests. It’s home to a wide range of dining options, entertainment, and family-friendly activities. I have been on both the Celebration and the Mardi Gras. They are basically identical minus some of the theme areas. The Mardi Gras has a New Orleans/Mardi Gras theme while the Celebration is Miami/Art Deco. The biggest difference in venues is two of the bars on deck six. They have different themes and drinks on the two ships. The Carnival Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration are sister ships which means they have very similar deck plans. In this video we discuss the differences in 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. The Carnival Venezia has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs. 2 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 Celebration has more pools than the Venezia and more hot tubs. Looking to get away from the kids onboard? Hi we're QNS Vlogs!In this video we compare Carnival's newest ships, the Carnival Celebration and the Mardi Gras. Join us as we cover the differences of both When it comes to festivals that celebrate the spirit of revelry and indulgence, two names stand out: Carnival and Mardi Gras.While both are synonymous with vibrant parades, colorful costumes, and extravagant celebrations, they have distinct origins, traditions, and cultural significance. It's 10 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 It was renovated in 2024. It's 18 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 Carnival Celebration and Mardi Gras are the newest and biggest ships in Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet. Both Carnival Celebration and Mardi Gras are in the Excel class, with Carnival Jubilee joining them in December 2023.Carnival Celebration and Mardi Gras offer more fun than ever before; after all, that is part of their brand! The Excel class of ships are 40% larger than all the other Overall, I don't know if your experience will be much different on Mardi Gras. The layout is totally different, but it's the same kind of experience overall. It'd be different if you were talking about Carnival's older ships for booze cruises, but the Vista should provide similar levels of service, options, and class as the Mardi Gras. Arthur Hardy, the founder of Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide, knows a thing or two about Carnival and Mardi Gras. It burns him up when people–even people in New Orleans–confuse the two.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |