It was finally the day we had been waiting for: Embarkation Day!
Do you know that feeling you get when you are waiting for the big day? When you are getting really close; so close that you can literally visualize the moment, but it’s still not here yet! That’s what it was like in the few days leading up when we boarded the Carnival Mardi Gras. We had done the hardest parts: Made the decision to go and bought the tickets. Let’s not forget overcoming the fear of flying across the country! We made it to Florida and had just a few more days to wait.
I’ll never forget day 2 in Florida when Eva said, “I feel so fancy! We have a fancy car, a fancy place to stay in, and we’re going on a fancy cruise!” We were living every moment, making sure not to miss any opportunity to enjoy the fun along the way. While we really loved our time in Florida, we were ready to get on board.
It was finally time for the payoff: Boarding the Carnival Mardi Gras
As we sat in our room at Vacation Village, getting ready to make the two-hour drive to Port Canaveral, I asked Eva if the flight had been worth it. Without hesitation, she said yes. After everything she had overcome she had zero regrets! My dad laughed and told her that, as this was her third cruise, she was officially a “Master Cruising Machine” now!
Although let’s be honest, my parents are the true cruise veterans in our family — with over 30 cruises under their belts!
Now that we’ve been on four different ships, I can tell you that the Carnival Mardi Gras is my favorite! One of its best features is the giant Center Stage, which starts on deck 6 next to the biggest Java Blue coffee shop I’ve seen on a Carnival ship. It spans across three decks, up to deck 8, which makes the shows there even more exciting to watch!
One of the reasons I love this ship is because of all the different dining options.
There are so many restaurants to choose from — and many of them are included at no extra cost the first time you dine there. We chose “anytime dining” so that we could be flexible and try as many places as possible. On our first night we went to Guy’s Pig & Anchor, which is always free, and includes live music. Of course there are items you can buy at an extra cost, including the beer sampler that I tried that night – which I definitely recommend if you enjoy beer (and are over 21 of course).
Carnival has many thoughtful accommodations for kids.
If you have a child with a sensitivity to loud sounds, you can check out one of their sensory bags. These include noise-reducing headphones, fidget toys, and a few other helpful items, all stored in a bag that’s easy to carry around the ship. It’s such a simple thing, but it can make a huge difference — especially for kids who are sensitive to noise, crowds, or new environments.
Something else we appreciate for parents is the option to check-out a cell phone that only works on the ship. This is a really helpful tool especially for kids who aren’t so sure about hanging out at Camp Ocean. We discovered them on our first cruise in 2016 and they were a life saver. The cell phone allows the kids’ area to contact you if your child wants to be picked up or if they need you for any reason. It gives both parents and kids peace of mind, and it has helped Eva feel more comfortable knowing she could reach us so easily. Once your child is old enough, you can choose to allow them to check-out on their own. Just make sure they know where to go if they leave and how to find you!
They also have accommodations for dining with food allergies.
With multiple members of our family having a gluten/wheat allergy, dining can sometimes be stressful while traveling. Over the years Carnival has gotten really great at making dining with food allergies more and more simple! Every time that we’ve told our server about our food allergy, they have gone above and beyond to help us. We had a server on one ship who would make sure my daughter got the gluten free lava cake every night, even when it wasn’t on the menu! They even have handmade gluten-free pizza available at Pizzeria del Capitano, which is included for free. We definitely took advantage of that on night one!
The first day onboard a Carnival Cruise is always a whirlwind, in the best ways possible.
Why? Because we are always doing our best to get as much out of each day on the ship as we can! Eating all the food, attending all the shows, doing all the things. Who needs sleep?! One of our absolute favorite parts of every Carnival Cruise is the Playlist Productions shows. We never miss one of their shows! You can see a few clips from the “Rock Revolution” show from night one in our video.
You can also catch a glimpse of the “Activate the Fun” kickoff event with our cruise director, Jacky Tang. Cruise directors really do set the tone for the entire trip. Jacky is really great at bringing great energy and excitement to the ship! Though I have to say, our favorite cruise director will probably always be Tyler Meehan from our Alaska cruise on Carnival Luminosa. But it still stands: every cruise director has been so great at adding their unique extra touch of pizazz to each cruise!
This trip was definitely worth it, I’m so thankful that Eva and I got to experience it together. I am so incredibly proud of her for having the courage to overcome her fears for this trip!
Have you ever thought about going on a cruise — especially with your kids?
Are you wondering if it’s worth it? If so, I hope this blog and video series can provide you with a glimpse into what it’s really like. I’ll be sharing many more moments from this trip. I can’t wait to keep reliving these memories with you!
Some of the best adventures start when you decide to stop waiting for “one day” and start living today!
Want to watch our video series from that trip?
Check-out the video from Boarding the Carnival Mardi Gras by clicking here. You can find the whole series from that trip (what I’ve posted so far) by clicking here. I have more videos on the way! So make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, “Living One Day Today” and click the notification bell. That way you’ll get notified when I post new videos to my channel! Thanks, I appreciate your support!