Carnival’s “Mardi Gras” is the largest cruise ship we’ve been on with more than 6600 passengers! At a school zone speed of 20 knots it will have taken us ten days to cross the Atlantic from Cape Canaveral to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, including a shamelessly commercial stop at Carnival’s own Celebration Key in the Bahamas.
The weather has been hot and sunny and the ocean incredibly calm—sometimes reflecting the clouds like a pool of mercury. As strange as it seems, we haven’t seen a single bird on the crossing—not a petrel or albatross or even a shearwater. We hope it’s just the time of year and not something more sinister.
Our small, interior cabin on Deck 9 works fine for our style of travel—CHEAP! So far, we’re a little disappointed in the Carnival experience. Jacky is no more (or less) obnoxious than other cruise directors but the general staff—stateroom attendants, dining room staff and others—hardly interact with the passengers. Few smiles, fewer conversations and a general lack of concern. Food on the Lido restaurant on Deck 16 is so-so but the layout of the restaurant makes for poor traffic flow. Burgers and such are on Deck 17 while sandwiches and pizza are on Deck 8. Go figure. We haven’t tried the formal dining room.
Lest you think we’re complaining, we’re getting two weeks of room and board, daily entertainment plus transportation from Florida to Spain with four ports of call for just over $100 a day.
