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The “carnival cruise line news” is a blog post about the price of cruises. The author of the blog has a negative opinion about the cost and believes it is not worth it.
The Excel Suites were one of many new cabin types offered by Carnival Cruise Line when it launched Mardi Gras.
The aft corner suites with wraparound balconies are among the most breathtakingly beautiful. They’re not inexpensive… The real issue is whether they’re worth the exorbitant price.
We’re here to tell you what we liked, what we didn’t like, and whether we’d book one again after spending a week in one.
The Balcony Is Everything
Let’s get one thing out of the way straight away: While the room itself is great — more on that later — the balcony is what you’re truly paying top cash for here. The room, which wraps around the side of the ship and includes a hot tub, multiple sitting spots, a circular daybed, and a table for four people, is enormous.
On the balcony, the circular daybed is ideal for watching the sunset.
There are no words to adequately convey the “wow factor” provided by this balcony. The outside area is so large that it has two different entrances, one in the suite’s living room and the other in the bedroom. With numerous tiny sofas positioned on the area of the balcony that wraps around the side of the ship, there is a borderline insane quantity of seating.
You’ll find a space to sit whether you wish to see out the rear of the ship or to the side. Actually, there are many.
A hot tub is located just beyond this seating area. During my time in the suite, I’ll confess that this offshoot, if you will, off the main balcony didn’t receive much usage. I’m not a big fan of hot tubs, so having one on the balcony seemed strange to me. Many people I’ve talked to, on the other hand, adored getting into the warm water and sipping champagne while watching the world go by.
It’s simple to imagine how peaceful a nighttime soak in the hot tub would be.
The balcony was very spectacular, and, as I previously said, it could easily justify the expensive price of the aft-facing superior suite. What about the inside space, though? How does it fare in comparison?
The Excel Suite for Aft-Facing
It’s definitely a good thing you saw the suite’s inside before going out onto the balcony, since that outside area is certainly a tough act to follow. The internal area is gorgeous and well-appointed, but it’s not exactly anything to brag about.
You’ll be met by a short corridor leading to the living room, which has an L-shaped sofa (that can be transformed into a bed), a sitting area, a flat-screen TV (one of two in the suite), and one of the balcony doors.
There are a few things to keep in mind right away, the first of which is storage space. If you’re prone to overpacking, have no fear: this chamber will swallow all of your possessions entirely. There are cabinets, closets, and shelves aplenty… We’re only talking about the living room here.
Also, and this is going to sound strange, but the living room light is at the ideal spot. I’d keep the lamp on whenever I left the room for dinner, and the illumination it cast felt warm and welcome in a manner I can’t explain and didn’t anticipate. (It’s also worth mentioning that the lamp’s base has UBS ports built in, which is a lovely touch.)
Is there another great feature? A pair of binoculars may be found on one of the shelves. I can’t say I used them a lot, but there were a few occasions when I brought them out to look at ships in the distance or examine the terrain as we approached one of our ports of stop.
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One-Man Show
I can’t speak to the comfort of the living room sofa as a bed since I haven’t tried it (or even what it looks like unfolded). Despite the fact that I had intended to split the suite with a friend who would use the living room while I occupied the master bedroom, they had to cancel at the last minute.
“It’s… only you?” my room steward said, evidently surprised. And I’ll confess that I felt a sliver of remorse before remembering myself that I’d booked the apartment as a “welcome back to sailing” present for myself after two years away from my happy place.
In any event, the master bedroom is right off the living room, and I’m delighted to report that it’s separated from the rest of the house by a real door. That wasn’t a major concern for me since I was traveling alone, but if you’re traveling with people — even family members — it’s wonderful to have the seclusion that a door provides.
The bedroom’s color choice is serene and calming, with whites, blues, and greys. The nightstand included reading lamps as well as normal outlets and USB connections, which were ideal for charging your phone or Kindle while having them near at hand, as is becoming more popular on cruise ships in general and Carnival cruise ships in particular.
Let’s take a moment to speak about lighting. I’m not sure when it occurred, but I got somewhat fascinated with the sorts of lighting utilized in cruise line cabins at some point.
I can’t speak for the rest of Mardi Gras, but this suite’s lighting selections were spectacular. A gently shining light was built into the top of the bedboard, and the bedroom’s desk area included a really interesting spherical glowing light that… well, why tell you when I can show you?
Look at all those plugs at the bottom of the mirror. Not only is the lighting on this workplace amazing, but so are the outlets along the bottom of the mirror.
This was a terrific spot to work (although I usually grabbed my computer and walked out onto the balcony to sprawl on the daybed and pretend that I was going to do some serious writing when I knew I’d be dozing in minutes).
The bedroom, like the living area, has lots of shelves and drawers for storage, but the large walk-in closet is the true show-stopper.
Shower Paradise
By cruise ship standards, the bathroom is enormous. The fact that the toilet facilities are accessible from both the living area and the bedroom is extremely convenient.
This implies that if people are sleeping in the living room, they won’t have to go into the bedroom to use the restroom, which is a big bonus.
Surprisingly, the shower was a great highlight of the room. It’s a big, glassed-in area with a rainfall showerhead, four adjustable jets, and a “wand.”
Although I’d never had a shower like this before, it’s been characterized as a “carwash” shower, which is a very accurate description. I’m guessing the water cleans areas in my body that I wasn’t even aware of.
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Let’s Talk Benefits (Or Lack Thereof)
If there’s one area where this large apartment falls short, it’s in terms of bonuses and facilities. My room steward was friendly enough, but he had a serious lack of attention to detail.
Wet towels were left on the floor on two occasions rather than being replenished. My one request, that the ice bucket be replenished every day, was mostly disregarded, as was the trash can in the bathroom, which was not emptied once a week.
None of these are major issues, but they all indicate a level of service that falls short of what one would anticipate when paying for one of the ship’s most costly accommodations.
The cabanas at Loft 19 are wonderful… They aren’t, however, included in the cost of your Excel suite.
Excel Suite guests also get free access to Loft 19, a private top-deck location with comfortable loungers, an infinite whirlpool, and cabanas that may be leased for a fee.
Although the space is spacious and well-appointed, the Serenity Retreat adults-only section, located one level below, has significantly superior facilities. Loft 19 does not have a bar or a pool, and although there are supposed to be staff who would bring you beverages (as there are by the main pool), I never had one come by my lounger. I went down to Serenity when I needed a drink (which also offers a sea day salad bar).
Again, one would imagine that the section reserved exclusively for high-end customers would provide at least the same degree of service as the general public space.
For the sake of comparison
This is, without a doubt, Carnival Cruise Line’s first step into the world of high-end suites. While the room itself is lovely, there isn’t a lot of “there” for the money. Several Norwegian Cruise Line ships, for example, had suites available in their high-end hideaway, The Haven, during the same week as my cruise. These staterooms have a private bar, restaurant, and pool, as well as butler and concierge services.
Surprisingly, passengers on the Mardi Gras’ significantly less priced Havana cabins enjoy exclusive access to the Havana hideaway, which includes a private bar and a modest pool.
If Carnival genuinely wants to compete in the high-end market — and it seems that’s what they’re going for — they’ll have to lift their game in terms of what suite guests can expect.
Even the concierge service, which was just a phone number rather than a dedicated desk like The Haven, was disappointing, as they were unable to obtain either of two dinner bookings I requested and couldn’t even change my dining time from late to anytime.
I can’t stress enough that none of these factors had a significant negative influence on my sailing. I’m merely presenting these observations and complaints to ensure that folks who spend a lot of money on one of these suites understand precisely what they’re getting — and what they’re not.
The Mardi Gras is a fantastic ship, and I’m looking forward to sailing her again. But it’ll most likely be in my customary balcony stateroom when I do. Although I won’t have access to Loft 19, I’ll be very content at the Serenity Retreat.
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