Tiki Parties, Magic Shows & Midnight Snacks
There’s something so exciting when we wake up on a cruise ship and realize that we have all day to play and do whatever we want! Or whatever we don’t want for that matter. On a “Fun Day at Sea” there is no schedule you have to follow.
Do you want to sleep in and only get out of bed for food? That’s cool. No judgement here!
Unless you’re like us that is. When we get the schedule, we do our best to jam-pack as much into one day as we possibly can! And that’s the best part: there are so many options and we get to choose how fast or how slow our day is going to go. No guilt trips needed if we don’t do it all!
Starting Our Day Bright And Early!
Since we want to experience it all, we try to start our morning early. On our first day at sea, we kicked off our morning with coffee (for me, not Eva) and a couple of shows in the Mardi Gras Theater. First we watched, “The Wave Morning Show Live,” and then the “Fun Ashore Fun Aboard” with our cruise director, Jacky Tang. Both of these shows are very informational, especially if you’re new to cruising and want some fun tips to make the most of your trip! You can even win a gift at the Fun Ashore, Fun Aboard show (Eva won some candy on our Alaska cruise!)
Eva the “Shark” 🦈
One of the biggest highlights of this cruise was Eva’s experience at Camp Ocean.
This was the first time she really chose to spend a lot of time there—and she absolutely loved it. She was in the “Shark” age group and she had so much to share about the games and activities she got to do. I caught a lot of it on film and shared it in our video.
This was such a big shift from our previous trips, and it was really fun to see her grow in that way—feeling more confident and independent, but still knowing we were just a phone call away.
Side note: Eva had so much fun and definitely recommends that other kids try out Camp Ocean. If they’re feeling unsure, ask the Carnival team if you can check out one of the onboard phones.
Midday Fun: Tiki Fest on the Lido Deck 🌺
One of our favorite things to do on a Carnival Cruise: dress-up and join in the parties on the ship! Each ship has different parties, so we always plan ahead by looking them up in advance.
On our first full day at sea we joined the Tiki Fest! It’s one of those moments where you can either stand back and watch… or jump in and just have fun with it! We did the limbo, earned ourselves a blue flower lei, and even learned a hula dance from the Fun Squad. It was lighthearted, a little silly, and one of those moments that ends up being way more memorable than you expect.
One thing we’ve noticed: The more you participate in these kinds of activities, the more fun the cruise becomes. It’s easy to sit back—but jumping in is where the memories are made.
Lunch with a View: So Many Options
While Eva was back at Camp Ocean, my mom and I headed back to the Lido Marketplace for lunch, which always has so many options to choose from. This time, I decided to pay a small upcharge to try their chicken wings—and they were so worth it. Zero regrets, I would absolutely get them again.
But I love that you don’t have to spend extra money in order to get good food!
On the Lido Deck you can find a full buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that’s all included. Plus the Mardi Gras has multiple sit-down restaurants that that you can go to with no up-charge. We were able to try something different every single day!
Dinner… and a Very Tired Kid 😴
That night, we decided to have dinner in the main dining room we were assigned: The Palm Restaurant. And by the time dinner rolled around… Eva was exhausted.
After a full day of playing, exploring, and having the time of her life, she ended up falling asleep right at the table! Honestly, we couldn’t even blame her. She got a little nap in, to help prepare her for the evening activities that were still to come!
An Evening of Shows ✨
One thing Carnival does incredibly well is entertainment, and this night was no exception!
We went to see “Celestial Strings” on Center Stage, and it was absolutely gorgeous! Everything about it felt elegant—white costumes, live music, aerial performances—it all came together in a way that’s hard to fully capture unless you see it in person. (Though you can see a few clips from the show in our video.) The stage itself spans multiple decks, which makes the whole experience feel even more immersive!
Next we headed to the Mardi Gras Theater for the “M-Theory Magic Show” by their resident Magician, Brandon Bagget. He was not only impressive, but genuinely entertaining and easy to connect with as a performer.
Side note: If you have kids, getting to shows a little early for better seats can make a big difference. We always try to sit as close to the front as possible so that Eva isn’t stuck behind someone tall, where she can’t see.
White Hot Party… and Late Night Snacks 🎉
We wrapped up our night at the “White Hot Dollar Party.” Tons of loud music, dancing, everyone dressed in white–with a fun money-themed twist. They gave us green bandanas and light-up wands to add to the fun!
It was definitely high-energy (and a little loud for us), but still fun to experience.
After that, we made our way to Guy’s Pig & Anchor for late night snacks—because apparently, even after a full day of eating, there’s always room for one more bite on a cruise. (Yes!)
We grabbed some ice cream Swirls next to the Heroes Tribute Lounge, played a game of foosball, and hung out to wind down. It’s one of those little moments that doesn’t seem like a big deal—but ends up being part of what makes the day feel complete.
A Day We Didn’t Want to End
By the time we finally made it back to our room, we were completely exhausted—but in the best kind of way. Fun days at sea have a way of giving each of us exactly what we need. Whether it’s time to explore, time to chill, or time to try something new. There’s always something happening—and somehow, it all works out in the end!
Want to watch our video series from that trip?
Check-out the video from Carnival Mardi Gras – Fun Day at Sea! 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!