We had previously won a cruise during a bingo session aboard the Navigator (a beautiful ship with a fantastic crew) and since we had planned to attend Mardi Gras we decided to take the Mardi Gras Cruise aboard Rhapsody of the Seas from Feb 22-29. We arrived a day early to enjoy an evening of Galveston's Mardi Gras celebration before departing on what RCCL staff described as a Mardi Gras party cruise. The Galveston Mardi Gras is something not to be missed - it is a great time!

Embarkation at Galveston is a breeze. Within 10 minutes of hitting the front door of the terminal we were through check-in and on our way onboard!

Unfortunately, what was promoted as a festive "Mardi Gras" cruise ended up being anything but. Although the itinerary was unique since the ship would be docking in New Orleans, the activity and dining schedule was apparently a carbon copy of the one used for the ship's standard itinerary. This meant that one of the formal dinners and feature entertainment was scheduled on evenings we were scheduled to be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Just how bright was that? Read more