bsp

9 hours ago, Ellaleah said:

How far before your cruise do they have these available.  My TA called them today and they said that they do not have airfares yet for my 12/22 cruise.

Agree with others, it's very easy to do. Like they said you can do a mock booking but don't have to book until you are ready. What was also nice with booking through Carnival, you can pay with Carnival gift cards & not due until your final payment. Happy cruising 😎

10 hours ago, groundloop said:

 

I just got off of Magic two days ago and was told by a crewmember that we were at 70% capacity.  I have no idea how much longer that will be the case.

Thanks 👍, hoping it will still be that way in 11 days 😎

8 hours ago, groundloop said:

YES and YES.  

 

We just got off Magic two days ago and it was business as usual.  

 

In my most humble opinion Carnival has done a good job modifying a few things in the buffet, but other than that and wearing masks when indoors you'll notice very few changes.

 

I'll add that I wasn't sure what I'd think of wearing a mask all the time I was indoors.  As it turns out it was no big deal at all and in fact many times I left it on while outside simply because I forgot about it.  I have no clue why a few people either didn't wear masks when they should have been or else wore them as chin diapers.

 

Also, Carnival had crew stationed at a few places on the ship reminding people to mask up and provided guests a mask if they didn't have one with them.

Thanks for your post. Me & hubby are going on Magic 10/7. Are they cruising full capacity or is it still less? Thanks, and we are so looking forward to cruising again. Bonnie

On 9/14/2021 at 1:32 PM, Keys2Heaven said:

Asking for my own curiosity. I ordered a 6 pack of tests on Sept 5th. Order was approved but still not shipped. How long did you have to wait before your tests were shipped?

Just ordered 2 pack from Optum on Sunday, Sept 19 and received Tuesday, 9/21. We are planning on taking that test the morning we leave (2 days before cruise) and to be on safe side I have scheduled a test for us at CVS in Fayetteville NC. Driving from VA to Port Canaveral. Don't want anything to keep us off ship. We are ready and excited - Magic Oct 7. Good luck and happy cruising!

22 minutes ago, Tiffany_Zerbe said:

Hello!

 

I booked a cruise with 7 family members. One member can no longer join. However, we already added this person to the cabin with 2 others. What are some options? I can't find anything on the website other than a name change. What if I can't find anyone else to replace them?

 

Thank you!

If you used a travel agent, I'd call them. If you booked yourself call cruise line. If you get someone to take their place may not be a charge to change name (especially if it's a long way off). But I'm not really sure. Maybe somebody else has the answer. Hope it all works out. Happy cruising.

1 hour ago, lazydayz said:

 

Hubby and I did ours today (cruising on Friday).  No wait times at all.  Immediately connected to a proctor.  This is so much easier than driving to CVS and waiting a day or two for results.  

Will one box (2) suffice for 2 people? We are driving from VA to cape Canaveral and was going to schedule test for cvs in Fayetteville on our way down, thinking I may order this too to be on safe side. Thanks everybody. Cruising Oct 7. Bonnie

1 hour ago, Bostwick girl said:

Last Monday at Port Canaveral, our check in time was 12-12:30. We arrived  around 11:50. Time we unloaded and got the car parked, went thru the boarding paperwork check, security check, and final check, we were on board the ship and dropping off our carryon, met our room steward, and did our very quick and easy muster check in, we were back in the cabin by 12:30! I’d say that’s pretty fast!

 

Great to know Port Canaveral was that quick. Leaving from there Oct 7 & so looking forward to it!! Happy cruising all.🚢 🏖️

4 minutes ago, bsp said:

Went on her in 2018 & like others, loved it. I booked a 4 night on her for 10/7/21 just last week & my Carnival vacation planned said she had been refurbished to be more like the Mardi Gras? Anybody else hear this? I'm so ready!  Happy cruising. Bonnie

Sorry, if I would have been patient & kept reading I had my question answered. Thanks all!

On 6/24/2021 at 6:19 PM, nanners said:

Hey y'all!

 

Can I get your thoughts/opinions on the Magic?  I've read some reviews that aren't great.  Other ships seem to be pretty positive.

 

Also, I read one article that says the Magic is in dry dock until September.  Does anyone know if that is accurate?

 

I haven't sailed Carnival before, so I don't know what to expect.  I keep trying to test Carnival out, but the cruises I book get canceled!  Looking at the Magic for next year.  I should be safe then, fingers crossed! 

 

 

Thanks for any help!

Went on her in 2018 & like others, loved it. I booked a 4 night on her for 10/7/21 just last week & my Carnival vacation planned said she had been refurbished to be more like the Mardi Gras? Anybody else hear this? I'm so ready!  Happy cruising. Bonnie

On ‎10‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 11:47 AM, InitialD said:

Back in the day it used to be based on number of cruises, so people would do a 3 day/4 day back to back to get Platinum quicker. 

Yep, that's how me and my hubby became Platinum. It use to be 10 total cruises, didn't matter how many days. We don't  currently have the number of days that qualifies us for Platinum, we were just lucky to get in on it before they changed. But guess too many people were getting there, so they had to change it. Sorry for those of you who got in too late. Happy Cruising 😎

7 hours ago, scomar said:

We did this in February 2018. I went to customer service, gave them the printed cards (they were e-cards) and asked to have them added to our account. No problem whatsoever. Even though we had a credit card on file, they used amount from gift cards first. If you don't spend it all, go to a slot machine and play a little, then go to the casino and cash out. We bought cards for upcoming cruise in February 2019.  Just used cards to pay off the cruise (did it on-line and it let me put as many gift cards as needed to pay the remainder of cruise). Got less than $400 left to add to my account when we get on-board. Sorry to hear they don't do e-cards any longer.  Happy cruising, Bonnie 😎

 

 

I have a Citi card and use the Citi Easy Deal site to buy $100 Carnival gift cards for $90.  This is the first time I have done this.  I chose the ecard option.  

 

Has anyone had an issue using the ecard version on the ship.  I will have the email printed with the card number and pin on it to present to guest services.

 

Thanks!

Once when we took my husband's parents we tipped the steward an extra $20 and asked if he'd take care of the parents. Can't say if he didn't anything extra; but, we found tipping good with first drink and you've got yourself a waiter for the cruise. Don't know if it's because we are platinum, but our last Carnival cruise we went to get margaritas at the margarita bar and this young lady remembered us right away. She even told us where to sit when we go to the past cruiser party and said she'd make sure we got plenty of drinks.  She did an excellent job!  We have always had great waiters, room stewards, all employees on Carnival and always have memorable employees. We went on a 12 day cruise on another cruise line and funny, but nobody really stuck out to us (and that was the longest cruise we've ever been on).  Oh well, everybody likes something different.  Happy Cruising 😎

What are Premier cruises?????

I'm wondering the same thing. We play in the slots on my husband's card only. We don't spend a whole lot, but he gets emails for some casino discounts (they are a bit cheaper). We are booked on 5 night Elation 2/2019 and I received an email a month or so ago that we could upgrade to a balcony for like $400/piece. Heck, that's about all we paid for the whole cruise. Happy Cruising :cool:

Sailing on the Horizon june 25, what is the current gift ? Thank you

February this year we got blankets on the Magic.

What happens to any OBC we have if we don't use it all while on the cruise?

You also may be able to cash out in the casino. Happy Cruising :cool:

So my husband and I just got off our first Carnival (Elation) cruise last week and we are already plotting our next escape! My question is...when is the best time to cruise if we both love sunny and warm (not scorching) beachy conditions (BTW we had rain almost our whole cruise this past time but it was still a blast just hated not being able to enjoy Half Moon)

We like February before spring break - we've made it almost through winter and ready for warm weather. Prices are pretty good too. We've also done first week in December; as others have said first 2 weeks in December are cheaper. Enjoy :cool:

Easy to do too.

 

Happy sailing.

Works perfectly. You can even use in slot machines if you want (choose charge to your room on machine). We did this in February and next to the last night we won some money and still had money from gift cards left on our account. We cashed out all of it in the casino. Thanks everybody here because I didn't know anything about it until seeing it on this site. I have learned a lot from you all here. Happy Cruising :cool:

Maybe you are talking about Junkanoo Beach? I haven't been there but have read some threads about it. I'm sure there's someone out there that can tell you and I'd like to know also. We haven't booked our next cruise yet, but looking for some last minute deals and we could drive to Jacksonville. Like you, we've been to Nassau and looking for something different. Hope you have a great cruise and find something in Nassau. Bonnie

Just wondering why it seems Carnival has the worst benefit programs amongst the other cruise lines.i love carnival just as much as other people but is there a reason everyone stays loyal when other cruise lines treats their customers better and gives them better rewards

 

 

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We have been on 3 cruise lines - Carnival has been the one we've been on the most because they offered more cruises less than 7 days and that's what we liked when we were working. We became Platinum back when it only took 10 cruises (and it didn't matter how many days they were; we live about 40 minutes from Norfolk, VA and have done (3) 2-day cruises and (2) 6-day from there). We've been on 19 or 20 and can't say that any were bad. But, if I could pick out things I like with each line and put it on one, that would be great. I can't even say that Carnival is cheaper because last year we went on a 12 night with a line that included drinks (all you want as long as you wait 5 minutes), we had a concierge balcony on pool deck and we got off ship owing less than $50 and thought the price for that trip was reasonable. But, even though we aren't late night folks at home, we love staying up late on cruises and we think Carnival has a lot more activities at night than the other 2 lines we have been on and since we are Platinum, the little perks are nice. I guess each person likes something different and you just have to pick out what you like best. And yes, price does play a part in it; for that reason we've never been on Disney. Getting ready to go on Magic and picked that one because - we can drive to the port since we are retired now, we got a casino rate that beat any offers we'd seen, haven't been on that size ship yet and there are 2 ports we haven't been to, and we stuck with inside cabin to save $. Sorry for rambling; happy cruising everybody :cool:

Looking to book 6214 as I think it may be quiet but it is by that mysterious empty space,lol.. anyone have any experience? I have read all the reviews but no inside cabins near with reviews. There was one from 6219 on the other side but didn't say much.

I've read that an empty space is a storage closet or some space that crew uses (laundry, etc.). It could be noisy. Good luck with whatever cabin you decide to get. Happy Cruising :D

Looking to book 6214 as I think it may be quiet but it is by that mysterious empty space,lol.. anyone have any experience? I have read all the reviews but no inside cabins near with reviews. There was one from 6219 on the other side but didn't say much.

I've read that an empty space is storage closet or some space that crew uses (laundry, etc.). It could be noisy. Good luck with whatever cabin you decide to get. Happy Cruising :D

We were back and forth about buying cheers.........but thanks to some money saving ideas from you guys, we will be trying it out in 12 days.

 

I registered on AARP for the rewards program ( no I am not, nor did I actually join AARP). In doing so, I was able to purchase two $100 e carnival gift cards for $90 each and use them towards the purchase of our cheers program.

 

And used our carnival credit card, so now we got more points from the purchase of gift cards and also to pay the balance of cheers program. We have enough points, that we used them to pre-pay our onboard gratuities.

 

Thanks everyone!

Glad it worked for you - aren't CC members the greatest!! I had no idea about this either and last night I registered on AARP - was able to get 1 - $500 and 1 - $100; this morning I got 1 - $500 & 2 - $100. Anyway, final payment is Monday and I have all but like $28 worth of gift cards to pay off. I'm hoping I will be able to get more before the cruise and use for drinks or OBC. Yeah, you have to take lots of tests to get enough points; hubby was laughing at me, but he sure was glad when I told him what I'd saved. Thank all of you - I love searching on here because I know you good folks can answer questions and also find out a lot of things I didn't know. Happy Cruising, Bonnie :cool:

I converted to My Time Dining about 7 cruises ago. You get the chance to sit with or near other people, and if you don't like your tablemates the chances are good you won't have to sit with them the next day. If you do like them, you just pick a time to meet up the next day and go into the dining room as one group. I love the flexibility.

Agree totally - I was so excited when they started My Time Dining and we have gotten that every time since. I am on vacation and can't say that I want to eat at the same time every night. And, if you enjoy meeting new people you can tell them you'd like to be seated with others. It is miserable to be sitting with the same folks the entire cruise if you don't hit it off. Happy Cruising, Bonnie

Greetings Cruise Critic! I typically spend more time on here reading your posts as opposed to actually providing input, but at the direction of the group I was traveling with this past week I am obliged to actually provide input!

 

We were a group of 10 sailing on the Carnival Magic departing 11/18 for a Thanksgiving cruise. We were originally set to sail to Amber Cove, San Juan, St. Thomas, and Grand Turk which everybody was extremely excited about. However, due to the hurricanes we were rerouted to the Western Caribbean - Costa Maya, Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel. To be frank, we were all a little disappointed at the itinerary change but this disappointed was quickly washed away by the realization that we were still cruising and spending Thanksgiving together. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that my continuous thoughts and prayers are with the fine folks in the Eastern Caribbean who are still dealing with the aftermath of the Hurricanes. We cannot wait to return to these ports and be able to spend money again to provide a little help toward the huge rebuilding process currently underway.

 

The Travel Squad:

- My wife plus our soon to be son who the wife is currently 5 months pregnant with. This was our 10th cruise.

- My parents who were on their 9th cruise.

- The in-laws who were on their 1st cruise.

- My sister plus 2 of her friends who were on their 6th, 2nd, and 1st cruise.

 

Travel to/from the Port:

Relatively uneventful drive from Virginia to Port Canaveral (and back) outside of some holiday traffic. We stayed in Daytona Beach at the Hampton Inn beside the Speedway - a great location to avoid the higher cost of hotels in Cocoa Beach. My sister plus her friends flew in from New York and experienced no issues. They stayed at the Hampton Inn near the Orlando airport and took a shuttle over the day of the cruise. We parked at the port (reminder they are not giving that away). All in all it was a smooth travel to/from the port.

 

More to come on the ship and our visits to the ports...

Thanks so much for your post - me and hubby looking @ going on the Magic in February of next year and I started searching to see reviews of the ship. We will also be driving down from Virginia and thinking about staying a little away from port to save $ as we just retired in March. Can't wait to hear more of your review. Sounds like you all had a great time.

Bonnie

Would like feedback on the Atlantic Hotel; recent stays and availability of restaurants in the area (walking distance < 1 mile).

 

I have looked on Trip Advisor and it seems to get good reviews, but I'm interested from this forum as well. Looking at staying there for a couple days prior to a January cruise. Appreciate the information.

 

And yes, I tried to do a search, but either got every thread with the word Atlantic or Hotel in it and really did give me what I was looking for. Thanks.

Are you talking about the Atlantic Hotel and Spa in Fort Lauderdale? If so, me and my hubby stayed there one night pre cruise in December, 2015. We thought it was a very nice hotel and we found quite a bit of places within walking distance. We ate at Lulu's Bait Shack and Hooter's. I think it was less than a mile, but when you start walking, it's hard to say how far. There was also a Walgreen's very close to the hotel if you need last minute things. When we checked into the hotel, we were upgraded to a suite and it was nice and big. We weren't ocean front, but could see the ocean from the side. The next morning we went down to front desk and asked for a taxi and by the time we went outside and sat down, the taxi was there. We highly recommend. Hope this helps your decision and have a great cruise. Bonnie