Carnival Cruise Line · Contemporary · Excel-class
At 4.7 of 10, Mardi Gras lands mid-table — #88 of 176 on our curve. Space is the pinch — 34 tons per guest, where the median ship gives 41. Crew cover 2.6 guests each, about the fleet norm.
Passengers rate it strongest on entertainment and weakest on the food — reported separately, and not part of the grade, which measures the ship itself.
Graded against every other ship we track, on one curve. The method.
On today’s fares, yes — the best sailing we can currently price scores 7.9 out of 10 for value, a genuinely good deal for a ship of its class.
That is a 7-night Caribbean sailing departing 23 January 2027, from $413 per person in an interior cabin — about $59 a night. A Value Score of 5.0 means a sailing costs what genuinely comparable cruises cost: same class of ship, same region, similar length. Above 5.0 the fare beats that going rate; below it, it does not. Mardi Gras grades 4.7 of 10 on vessel class, and 3.5 of 5 from 251 traveler reviews. How the score is built.
Sister ships share a hull, so they differ only in condition. A newer sister is the same vessel, less worn.
Every fare is the line’s own price. Zero markup: the line pays us if you book through CruiseIndex, you never pay more.