Oct 24

Oct 24 Day Two - A Day At Sea

Today was our first of three days at sea on this cruise and the seas are cooperating with very calm waters. For lunch today we decided to stop by Street Eats on Deck 16 midship. Rickee had an order of french fries from Time Fries, but only ate a few of them. We both felt like the fries at Guy’s Burger Joint (Deck 17) were better, so we headed to Guy’s.

The fries from Time Fries at Street Eats

The burger and fries at Guy’s did not disappoint. It may look like a mess on the platter, but they are delicious, still one of the best burgers anywhere.

Right next to Guy’s is one of the soft serve ice cream machines, and since this is Sunday, and Sunday is my “cheat day”, I had to enjoy a cup of the vanilla. Every day is cheat day for Rickee, so she had not one, but TWO chocolate cones!

When we returned to our stateroom after lunch, Calvert had our room made up and a cute towel animal on the bed. It is nice that Carnival has kept the towel animal tradition.

After a nice afternoon nap, we get ready to go out for a Cruise Elegant evening on Mardi Gras. Time to snap a photo of Rickee next to our stateroom door.

For dinner this evening, we wanted something light, so we did not hesitate to visit Bonsai Sushi. Amazingly, we are the only ones here at 7:00pm. Rickee and I shared an order of the Edamame, which was delicious. I ordered a starter of the Kikuni, a chunk of braised beef short rib served atop a bao filled with black bean paste. It was one of the best starters I have ever had and I will be back for another. Think of tender pot roast with a sweet bbq flavor. The small side of pickled vegetables was also delicious.

I ordered the Spicy Tuna Roll for dinner, which is always my “go to” order at Bonsai. This tuna roll does not in any way change my opinion that Bonsai Sushi is the best sushi at sea, and better than most you will find on land. I was served eight large pieces of spicy tuna roll for only $5. This tuna roll would easily cost $13 to $15 on land. Rickee ordered the Shrimp Tempura Roll and it, too, was delicious.

After dinner, we met the rest of our media group for a dedication ceremony held at the Grand Staircase on Deck 8 aft. The staircase was dedicated to Kimberly Jiménez, Miss Dominican Republic and Carnival Mardi Gras’ Godmother. From now on, the staircase will be known as “Kimberly’s Staircase”.

Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line, dedicates the Grand Staircase to Kimberly Jiménez

After the dedication, we raced down to Deck 7 forward to Punchliner Comedy Club where we saw an adult comedy show by Macio. We saw Macio on Carnival Panorama and he is an amazing talent. Punchliner Comedy Club is one of the best entertainment features on Carnival ships.

Macio is killing it at Punchliner Comedy Club

After laughing until our sides hurt, we left Punchliner and walked to Grand Central to watch a great show by Marcus Anthony at Center Stage. All three decks were packed for the show and Mr. Anthony did not disappoint. He performed a variety of Motown and other popular 60s music.

Our entertainment journey ended with Rock Revolution performed in the Mardi Gras Theater on Deck 6 forward. The vocals and dance numbers were similar to what we remember from the same show on Carnival Panorama, however, on Panorama the performers were moving through the audience and playing musical instruments. Nevertheless, it was a great show.