04/01/2024
⛴️ thoughts on a mega ship ⛴️
Good morning!!
I would have loved to go live more frequently last week on the Carnival Mardi Gras, but to be honest with you, it was just too crowded!! 😆
So here are some thoughts....
SIZE - If you're not bothered by lots of people, then the Carnival excel class ships are amazing! There are SO MANY things you can find on this class of ship that aren't offered anywhere else!! They do their best to accommodate for this many passengers (like offering 3 pools!) and tons of eating options. But .... You still have to pack your patience lol
DINING - Amazing dining options and plenty of them!! We got to try all sorts of new spots. We actually didn't eat dinner in the Main Dining Room (MDR) once! Many of the options are free! There's a one time free dining in the Italian and Mexican/Chinese fusion restaurants (and only $8pp after that) and both were incredible! The specialty restaurants were amazing (highly recommend Rudy's Sea Grill) and it was fun to eat at Shaq's big chicken!
ENTERTAINMENT - We couldn't get into a single show just because dining ran late every night and by the time we finished the spaces for shows were full. The theater is tiny tiny and the other show area in the main atrium is also pretty small for the number of people. We mostly entertained ourselves in the casino, which was HUGE and the nicest casino I've ever seen on a ship!
Our daughter loved Camp Ocean, there were tons of kids, and spent a lot of time in the arcade. She also rode the Bolt rollercoaster and played on the water slides (3!)
* If you're sailing an Excel class ship with kids I highly recommend booking a Family Harbor room! It comes with a private lounge/kitchen just for those stateroom members. This was one of the best parts of the trip on a ship this size. Very convenient and easy to grab a snack or a drink
Overall we liked the ship, but with a 15+ hour drive from Philadelphia to Port Canaveral, probably won't sail her again lol. Still, it was a great experience and we're so happy we did it!
🥰 Happy to answer any questions you have!
