Sheeba67

Need info on the hop on hop off buses to please. We will be there in Sept as well and would like to go to Doctor Cave. Thanks!!

We got back from the Magic on June 21st. It is kind of chaotic at the port and they kind of hoard you towards the JUTA buses. They load the buses full and then start to give you a tour. They offer to take you around for a while or will just drop you off at Dr's cave beach. Just to Dr's Cave I think was $5.00/ea and the tour was an extra $10 (I think), and they would drop you off at Dr's Cave for a little beach time afterwards. We went straight to the beach for a while, then walked to Maragaritaville, and then caught a taxi back for $4/ea. Not bad, but with chairs and umbrellas, beers at the beach, and transport, it adds up.

Yep, I got the last one for being the team leader for a women vs. men super trivia, even though we lost. Play a lot in the activities nand then the crew gets to know you and if you are involved, odds are you will eventually get a ship on a stick.

Look for the Red Frog Pub Quiz. It is fun and you can win a 101oz tube of beer. The aft buffet and bar is less crowded than the forward buffets and pool bars. We also find it easier to get drinks at the Ocean Plaza bar on deck 5 and the bar in the Sports Square on deck 12 than any other bar. Do the Comedy shows.

Time for the sailaway party! The entertainment staff on the Magic were nothing short of awesome the whole cruise! We did all the fun dances- wobble, Cupid shuffle, electric slide, cha cha slide, and YMCA.

 

 

But first, let me take a selfie.

 

 

He saw me taking this and jumped in. He called me Beyonce, so I called him Jay-Z. :p

 

 

Sailaway selfie stick selfie. lol

 

congrats Vicki! You made the review.

Wen sail in the Magic this Sunday and will check it out for you. Hopefully I don't forget to let you. You can always bring on a bottle of wine for sail away.

Yes, the aft bar was open. Wen had our meet and greet there about an hour before Muster (around 2:30). I think the only bars not open were Casino and Ocean Plaza, if I remember correctly. Good luck and have a great cruise, we did.

The reason I asked the question is we were going to schedule a meet and greet on deck 10 after Muster drill. We did this on a Princess cruise earlier this year out of Houston (which has a LONGER ship channel, like 4 hours before intnl. waters) and the BAR was not even opened on aft. It was not big deal, we just had to sail away with no drink in hand unless you bought it from another bar area of the ship. I just wanted to let our CC group know what to do if they wanted to have a drink in hand during the sail away party.

 

With that said, is anyone sailing Magic between now and Dec. that will let me know if the BAR on deck 10 aft is open during sail away and if so, what liquors or beers do they sell until we enter intnl. waters? thanks you all.

Wen sail in the Magic this Sunday and will check it out for you. Hopefully I don't forget to let you. You can always bring on a bottle of wine for sail away.

I think it is on Edwards Street and few blocks straight up from the tender pier, but I would like to know for sure as well, as I will be on tyhe Magic next week.

We really liked the Super Trivia where you had teams and had to show up three different days. The only problem is sometimes you invite others to join your group, and they don't show up some or all of the other days. It does take luck, as you roll the dice for the number of points you are playing for and then if the group does not get the right answer, the next group gets a chance. This was all shout out answers and the host kept the score. Great group activity. Bring the kids as there are questions they can answer.

I think all the other trivia we did was the write your answer and grade your own type, except there was a Red Frog Pub Quiz that was really fun. You have the chance to win alcohol, so they always passed the sheets for others to grade.

The best way to avoid a hangover is to drink a bottle of water and take 4 ibuprofen before yo go to bed because then you can wake up and do it all over again the next day.

The transportation had us a little worried because we had the kids with us. JUTA drove over to the Hip Strip very safely but the taxi on the way back was insane. We loved Doctor's Cave Beach and everyone there was excellent. If we do Jamaica again with the kids though, we will probably stay on the boat and enjoy the waterworks.

Where in Dr. Cave did you end up? Did you get down to Margaritaville, or make it over to the pork Pit? We want to do this on our trip next month. What would you suggest is the best way to get a party of 8 from the pier to Dr. cave beach?

We went in late October last year and it was fine. I would guess about 65 -70 degrees. A little chilly, but felt good with the warm air temps.

An 11:40 am flight from Houston Hobby after debarking Magic, yay or nay? Next nonstop flight my mom can take to get home isn't until 9:45 pm, next flight with a connection isn't until 6 pm. We'll have priority debarkation since I'm platinum, and we'll have our cousin's car parked at the port so no waiting for a shuttle. Is this doable? I've never cruised out of Galveston so I really don't know. :confused:

we had that flight last year and with self assist debark made it easy. We were off the ship at 8:15 and at the airport by 10:30 after waiting for the shuttle. With a car you should have no problem, as long as you leave early. Good luck and look forward to seeing you on the cruise.

Last year we had a party of nine, and did the private super shuttle from IAH to Galveston the day before. After the cruise we had a flight out of IAH at 11:30 so we took a pre-booked transport from Galveston Limo. It was a little more expensive, but we were a little worried about the connection. Super Shuttle was a little disorganized it seemed and we had to wait approx 20 min for the van to arrive. We did self assist and was off the ship by 8:00am and the Galveston Limo was actually able to pick us up a half hour earlier than our scheduled pick up and we made it easily for our flight.

We are going again in June and have a Van rented through Costco and Budget. They do not have a drop-off in Galveston, but will drop you off at the pier from Texas City for $50 extra for your whole group (they actually drive the same vehicle, so you don't even have to take your bags out). It turns out about the same cost, but gives us flexibility to go to dinner, get our case of water, and check out the area. Still much cheaper for a larger party that the Carnival shuttle.

Ship motion?

Obstructive view?

Noise due to it's location?

 

Thanks,

 

JT:)

We were on the 6th floor of the Magic this past October and loved the location. We were mid ship, so probably a little less movement than you will experience, but we didn't notice that much motion on this ship regardless of where we were. The proximity to the Casino, Ocean Plaza, and Red Frog sold us. WE never experienced much noise from the promenade, and it looks like you are even before the hot tubs so should have no problems at all.

We are a family of four taking our first cruise at the end of May. We are a bit nervous and a bit anxious. I have stalked the reviews on here trying to learn certain things from all of the cruise veterans and I thank you all for your comments.

 

We are looking forward to the activities discussed regarding the Red Frog (not to mention the micro brew that i have to try), but are a bit wary of how to pull it off with two kids, 13 and 7. I have read reviews from different sites and am not exactly impressed with the child service reviews posted.

 

Can anyone add some information or insight to that?

Obvioulsly, first try and check the kids into Camp Carnival (my kids didn't like it much), but we just played cards outside Red Frog Pub. The kids also like the trivia, especially the Harry Potter and Disney Trivia. You can also get some me time by taking them to the slides and waterworks.

Does anyone know what it takes to earn 1500 points? Particularly for blackjack or slots.

We like the Ocean Plaza for trivia, red frog pub quiz, the aft bar for a less crowded drink option, the comedy shows (just make sure you get there a little early, and the Indian Food. Try the taste bar and the outside bbq on sea days.

Deck 6 is great. Just one floor down to all the action and very little noise (at least no chairs scraping the deck). We actually really enjoyed that location. As others have said, aside from the hot tubs, there is not much going on at night on the Promenade. It will be fine.

For those that have been to Blue Hole, should I be bringing a life jacket/vest for our 9 year old?

She's strong swimmer. But, i still require a life jacket at the lake in the deep water jumping off the boat (10+ feet). Wearing the jacket seems to be 'normal' at the lake. But, I don't see any life jackets in BH pics. Maybe it is not as deep as I am imagining?

I definitely plan to have the 5 year old wear one.

We'll be touring with Courtney Taylor.

Thanks for the advice!!

It would be a piece of mind, as the most fun is had jumping off the banks into the river pools which are a little murky. Some water near the banks is shallow, but the pools are deep. Nothing would ruin a vacation faster than an accident.

So I would imagine with no match plays being given out, they would not accept previous match play coupons earned? Anybody know for sure?

Been on both the Magic and the Freedom. Magic has more options and venues with more things going on, and probably more kids. So if you want an active, hands on experience, pick ther Magic. If you want a little more time to relax, go with the Freedom. They are both great ships and I don't think you could go wrong with either one.

nope, just cant be too windy or they wont open the ropes course.

I just lug on a whole case for my wife and I. It last perfectly for the two of us on a 7 day cruise and is well worth the hassle for us.

Steel Drum and Reggae would be a welcomed change, especially when sailing from Galveston. The Country music is fine for a bit, but is a little much for the whole Carribean Cruise.

You can't go wrong with the free drink package on Celebrity. They also include bottled water with their package so you don't have to haul a case of water with you during embarkation. The MDR experience is a little nicer on Celebrity than Carnival, but the food is very comparable. Celebrity night life is a little lacking, but it is nice to be able to sit and talk to a bartender every once in a while. Carnival has much more activities in the day and way more comedy opportunity. Overall, both offer a little different experience, but both are very enjoyable cruises, Try them both and decide foer yourself.