Oct 25

Oct 25 Day Three - A Day At Sea (Loft 19 and ChiBang)

A fitting tribute to the original Mardi Gras

Today is another beautiful day at sea aboard Mardi Gras. Our day begins with a visit to Center Stage where Carnival President, Christine Duffy, is joined by the three Misses Universe for a Q&A session.

Christine Duffy, Miss Mexico/Universe, Miss Dominican Republic, Miss USA

It was quite interesting to hear the stories of these ladies and the challenges they have had to overcome to achieve their titles.

Loft 19 wristband give access to Loft 19

Our Carnival host onboard provided us with Loft 19 wristbands this morning so that we could check out this exclusive space onboard the ship. Loft 19 is reserved for suite guests and is also accessible to those willing to pay a hefty fee to visit.

When we arrive at Loft 19, a hostess greets us and informs us that the daily charge for a private cabana is $500! There are quite a few of these cabanas (see below) and many sun loungers scattered around Deck 19. Loft 19 is much larger than I expected. The sun loungers here are padded and much more comfortable than the ones you will find in other parts of the ship. I heard a rumor that access to the sun loungers (not cabanas) is $175 per day, but I have not confirmed that. Access to Loft 19 is complimentary for guests staying in suite categories.

There is no pool at Loft 19, but there are two large hot tubs. The Serenity Pool is available to Loft 19 guests and is just one deck below. There are waiters circulating around Loft 19 to take drink orders, should you require refreshment while you acquire that perfect tan.

For dinner this evening we decided to try ChiBang, a Chinese/Mexican “fusion” restaurant. It is not really “fusion” cuisine because the menu is actually divided into Chinese dishes and Mexican dishes. The restaurant opens at 5:30, so we walked up to the hostess station at 5:45, thinking we could just get a table. We learned, as did many others who showed up, that you have to “check-in” for a table using the HUB app. So, if you plan on dining at ChiBang, you will have to have your cell phone with you.

ChiBang! Chinese/Mexican fusion restaurant

We did check-in using the app and requested a table for two. The app said it would be a 10-minute wait and the hostess suggested that we have a seat at the adjacent Havana Bar until our table was ready. The 10-minute wait ended up being 21 minutes, but we did get a notification on my iPhone when the table was ready.

This restaurant is large and gets very crowded. If you are looking for a place to have a quiet, romantic dinner, this is not the place. That said, the quality of the food we experienced makes it worth the frenetic atmosphere.

We were seated at a table for two and the restaurant, at 6:15pm, was already near capacity. Our waiter, Agus, greeted us and took our order. The menu can be viewed on your smartphone by scanning the QR Code on the table. Paper menus are also available upon request. The menu is divided into two distinct cuisines, dishes from Mexico on one side and dishes from China on the other. Rickee and I both stuck to the Chinese selections. We both ordered the Egg Drop Soup, which was different from any I have had in the past, but delicious. I ordered the Braised Pork Belly starter which was served with fried onion strings and some sweet and spicy pickled cucumber. Yes, I would order this again.

After her soup course, Rickee chose two starters. Her plan was to skip the main dishes and just make a meal of the starter courses. That was the initial plan. Her Potsticker dumpling appetizer soon vanished and the Chicken Lettuce Wraps were not far behind.

For my main course, I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken and asked Agus to have them make it extra spicy. Main course portions are quite small, so it is not uncommon for people to order more than one. The Kung Pao was delicious, and hot enough to have me wiping my brow by the end of the course. Rickee decided she would try an order of the Sweet and Sour Shrimp, which she says was the best Sweet and Sour Shrimp she has ever had.

For side dishes, we ordered the Jasmine rice and I tried an order of the Hakka Noodles. I also decided to try an order of the Beef with Broccoli which was equally delicious. Needless to say, by the time our desserts arrived, we were both stuffed.

For dessert, I wandered from China to Mexico to try the Tres Leches cake and Rickee stuck with the Chinese side to try the Chocolate C-Bang. Hands down, the C-Bang was the better dessert. If you love chocolate, this is the dessert for you. By comparison, the Tres Leches was bland.

In conclusion, ChiBang was not just the best Chinese food we have had at sea, but some of the best Chinese food we have had anywhere. We may just have to make another stop here before the end of this cruise.

After dinner, we headed back to Punchliner Comedy Club where we enjoyed a PG-rated show by Vince Acevedo. The show was funny, but we thought we were going to an R-rated or Explicit show. Typically, the PG- rated shows are held in the Limelight Lounge rather than the Punchliner.

Tomorrow, Mardi Gras will dock in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A medical emergency required the Captain to divert the ship to Amber Cove to offload a guest who required medical attention, so our arrival in San Juan will be delayed a few hours. No big deal. We can sleep late!