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 Vista has fewer pools than the Mardi Gras and fewer hot tubs. I'm stuck picking between Vista and Mardi Gras for myself, wife, and sons (4 and 6). Picking between Vista family harbor cove balcony or family harbor ocean view deluxe. and then on the mardi gras either family harbor ocean view or a higher up extended balcony. Which ship is better suited for kids? Is one waterworks area larger than the other. Haven’t been on Vista but have been on Panorama, Horizon and Mardi Gras. I agree with most of what’s been said but as a Cloud 9 Spa fan I hated the Thalassa pool on Mardi Gras, much nicer on the Vista class (Dream class still best). Loved the food options on Mardi Gras, Shaq’s Chicken is great, never ate a Guy’s burger on Mardi Gras. I've cruised both ships plus the two newer Carnival LNG ships, Celebration and Jubilee, and several other Carnival ships. Both ships are nice although the Mardi Gras being a good bit larger has more entertainment, more bars, more food options, and larger crowds. 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. Mardi Gras is Carnival's flagship. I would much rather go to Half Moon Cay than Nassau however and I don't think anyone would disagree with that. So it really depends, are you more of a ship cruiser or a destination cruiser. If the ship is your destination, then Mardi Gras. If you're more interested in the ports of call, then Vista. While we wanted to like the Mardi Gras, it just seemed to miss the mark for us. I haven't cruised on Vista, but we have 26 Carnival cruises under our belt on most classes of ships. Royal is our go to now. Particularly Oasis class. We have been disappointed on Royal's cut backs recently and looking to give Carnival another chance. The Venezia is part of Carnival's "Fun Italian Style" Program. This ship is on loan from sister company Costa cruises. It's similar to Carnival's Vista-class ships, but it has a distinct Italian style. It's 2 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. Carnival Vista 1: 8 days in September Ports of Call: Aruba, Curacao, Grand Turk Carnival Vista 2: 8 days in September Ports of Call: Amber Cove, San Juan, St. Maarten, St. Thomas Mardi Gras. 7 days in late October Ports of Call: Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Nassau Do you think Mardi Gras is worth losing a day and an arguably worse intinerary? 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. The Carnival Vista has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 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 Mardi Gras has more pools than the Vista and more hot tubs. Haven’t been on Vista but have been on Panorama, Horizon and Mardi Gras. I agree with most of what’s been said but as a Cloud 9 Spa fan I hated the Thalassa pool on Mardi Gras, much nicer on the Vista class (Dream class still best). Loved the food options on Mardi Gras, Shaq’s Chicken is great, never ate a Guy’s burger on Mardi Gras. 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. How does the Carnival Vista compare to the Carnival Freedom? The Vista was built in 2016. It was renovated in 2024. It is 9 years newer than the Freedom, which was built in 2007 and renovated in 2023. See all the differences in terms of size, facilities, and dining options. 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 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. Mardi Gras vs Carnival. Mardi Gras, which means “Fat Tuesday” in French, is a one-day celebration that takes place on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Carnival is a longer and more elaborate celebration that can last for several days or even weeks, depending on the location and begins on or around the Epiphany. Carnival Vista has a 6 day itinerary to Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, and Amber Cove. Never been to any of these places but I’m interested. Carnival Celebration has a 7 day itinerary of Amber Cove, San Juan, and St Maarten. I’ve been to San Juan but not the other ports. 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. 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
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