Carnival Cruise Line has released new details on the upcoming Mardi Gras, including new suite and accommodation types, as well as a new Family Feud Live experience.
The line’s newest cruise ship will have more than 180 suites in 11 categories, including the new, premium Carnival Excel suites, which will offer select amenities and access to a new resort-style, open-air enclave called Loft 19. The Excel suites will be further divided into four categories – Carnival Excel Presidential Suites, Carnival Excel Aft Suites, Carnival Excel Corner Suites and Carnival Excel Suites – all of which will have separate sleeping and living/lounging areas, as well as balconies with loungers and a dining area. The ship’s two Presidential Suites will be the largest suites in Carnival’s fleet and they will have the fleet’s biggest balconies, plus a private outdoor hot tub and shower and access to the spa’s thermal suite and the Havana pool area. The 12 Aft Suites, which will overlook Summer Landing, and the 12 Corner Suites, which will be situated on the port and starboard sides of the ship, will have a wraparound balcony and, in the case of the Aft Suites, a private outdoor hot tub.
In addition to the Excel suites, the Mardi Gras will also have Ocean Suites; Havana Suites with a tropical design, a private patio with a swing chair and direct access to The Lanai; Family Harbor Suites; and Cloud 9 Spa Suites with special privileges at the spa.
All of the suites onboard the new Mardi Gras will have an upgraded amenities package that includes priority boarding and debarkation, priority main dining room seating, plush bathrobes and bottled water upon arrival. In the Excel suites, guests will also receive unlimited access to Loft 19, a dedicated concierge phone line, guaranteed specialty dining times (except in Bonsai Teppanyaki and the Chef’s Table), complimentary Bottomless Bubbles soda package, room service and laundry, sparkling wine and a fresh fruit basket upon arrival, and upgraded bathroom amenities.
The Loft 19 space will be a brand-new concept for the cruise line. It will be located on the ship’s highest deck and it will offer full bar service and a private pool with loungers and cabanas, which will be available for rental and which will be stocked with beverages, robes, chilled towels, fresh fruit, lunch delivery and dedicated concierge service. Carnival Excel suite guests will receive priority when reserving Loft 19 cabanas.
Family Feud Live
Also new on the ship will be the Family Feud Live experience, which will bring the classic game show to the sea via an exclusive partnership with Fremantle. The experience will have the same format and set as the TV show, and it will see two five-person teams battle it out in rounds including Face Off and Fast Money by naming the most popular answers to survey questions for a chance to win a host of prizes.
The show will be hosted by the ship’s cruise director, and it will play out in several variations, both family-friendly and adult-oriented. Other all-ages entertainment offerings are planned for the ship’s Grand Central zone and other new venues, Carnival said.
The first in Carnival’s new XL class of ships, the Mardi Gras is scheduled to enter service in Europe August 31, 2020, before repositioning to New York for a series of itineraries. After that, the new ship will shift to Port Canaveral for year-round, seven-day Caribbean cruises beginning in October 2020.
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