Carnival Magic review with pictures!!!

[stacycakes1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only work that was ever signed by Michel Angelo..

 

 

 

 

[stacycakes1]

After the Vatican tour was over we met Mauricio out front. We all piled back into the Sprinter for our drive back to the port. He asked if we would like to stop for gelato on the way home and we all thought that was a great idea. I think I got the pistachio that day??? I had A LOT of gelato in Barcelona and Italy so it is hard to remember!

After our gelato we headed back to the ship. We were able to get a group picture in with our driver Mauricio before we left.

That night we saw a beautiful sunset on our deck while Paul enjoyed a cigar he had picked up that day in Rome (yuck). We actually really did not have much time to shop on most days, which was probably for the better, but we did have a chance to get a few items here and there like our traditional magnet from every city we visit.

After relaxing on our deck and watching our ship set sail we headed to the dining room for dinner. That night we were sat next to an older gentlemen who was on the cruise alone and another couple. We hit it off with everyone and had a great conversation.

That was the first night I REALLY realized how much Rome–in-limo was worth every penny. The gentlemen and the couple had gone on the same Carnival excursion that day. They paid $150 dollars for a 5 hour tour on a bus that drove them around Rome, no stops except the Vatican! They basically drove by everything while someone talked about it on a microphone and took pictures through the windows. Then when they finally got to the Vatican they were disappointed to find out that the lines were too long to even get a glimpse like they were hoping and they would only have 1 hour to wander around the outside area.

We proceeded to tell them about our 10 hour tour, which not only stopped at each place but aloud us time to see them in full, with our private driver. They could not believe what they were hearing! They actually decided to talk with some other people they had met that week and see if they could book a Rome-in-limo tour for themselves for the rest of the stops. We never saw any of them again so I hope it worked out for them.

After dinner we met up with our cruise buddies, Courtney and Randy, and had some cocktails and watched the comedy shows that evening.

Bed was calling our names after that and we went to sleep knowing we would get to see more amazing things the next day!

Next up - Florence, Tuscany and Pisa (for real this time)!

[newdestination]

Nice pictures and review, Stacy!

[arph]

I never post, but I feel compelled to tell you how much I am enjoying this review!! The pictures and your writing are the best! We are going on the Breeze this June, and I am getting more excited by the minute.

[Joaljoe]

Awesome review!! Love all your photos! I can't wait to share a "fish bowl" drink with hubby next year!!! LOL

 

Congrats on your wedding! :)

[TheTravelista]

Thanks for sticking up for me! I really didn't mean anything by that!

 

I am going to edit that post though just in case someone else takes it the wrong way.

 

I was going to comment at the end but OMG you're such a sweetie! You don't have to do that. I repeated the line about Asian tourists in my head over and over trying to see how it could possibly be offensive to anyone...I came up with nothing. Nothing wrong with details.

 

I love your review and photos. You and your new hubby are simply adorable!

 

(back to reading)

[chasinraynbowz]

We experienced the same things you did. It was so wonderful to have a "private tour" of the Vatican and of Rome!! I wished we had booked more tours with them. :)

 

We also had the same experience once we got back on our ship. The table next to us asked how our day was and were quite upset that they paid pretty much the same amount we did (theirs was a ship tour) and we saw so much more!!

 

Can't wait to read the rest of the review!!!

[5waldos]

I had forgotten how much I love Barcelona! Sounds like you had a wonderful time everyplace. What lovely memories you will have. And we will say hello to the Magic for you on Sunday. :)

[maryann2]

Next we would be hitting the Parthenon

 

 

 

 

 

Lovely photos and really amazing review but this is the Pantheon.:p

 

I was on a B2B Med cruise on The Magic last October and your review is bringing it all back.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do it and Congratulations on your Marriage.

Edited March 20, 2012 by maryann2

[goinsoon]

My DW and self did many of the same ports last October on a Princess cruise (Med first and then transatlantic). Your pictures are great and what a wonderful honeymoon this was for you both. We had to wait 35 years to get there!:) Best of everything in your future together.

Edited March 20, 2012 by goinsoon

[remharri]

Love your review and photos! You are for sure bringing back memories from our Med. cruise on the Magic as well. I never did a review either :(

[star453]

FAntastic review. We just cruised on the Magic and loved it. Scenery wasn't the same however:D:D:D

[stacycakes1]

Lovely photos and really amazing review but this is the Pantheon.:p

 

I was on a B2B Med cruise on The Magic last October and your review is bringing it all back.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do it and Congratulations on your Marriage.

 

Oops! Darn autocorrect! Thanks for catching that Mary Ann!

[KrystalWaters]

Stacy,

First and foremost congratulations newlywed:p.

Second, love love your pictures. Especially the use of blk&white photos.

Thirdly, excellent review. This is truly my dream vacation. My dream is to go to Paris and to live in France. My husband stated for our 10yr anniversary we can make plans to go(2 more years).

 

Well i'm definitely subscribing. Love the pictures again:D

[Tedro1]

The pic of Paul on the balc with the cigar is the best! His thoughts at that moment? Relaxed? Lucky? Full of inner peace?

 

We'll probably never know, but save that pic, then pull it up whenever he gets stressed at work, or you two have a disagreement, or kids are sick, whatever.

 

Thanks, again for sharing this with all of us!

[arthierry]

Of all the reviews I've read, your's by FAR has been the most enjoyable. I am loving it thus far, & can't wait for the rest. BTW, Congrats on the nuptials!

[Lovharvey]

Love the review! Congratulations on your marriage. I was just on the Magic and loved the ship.

[slm0285]

I am loving the review! Can't wait to read the rest. Love all the great pics! :D

[pcvtmom]

Looking forward to more of your wonderful review and amazing pictures. We're possibly planning (fingers crossed) a similar cruise in 2013...maybe on the Sunshine. I can see we have much to anticipate!

[relaxedPax]

Love your review!

 

I've visited Italy three times and have considered doing a Med cruise to get a taste of a few countries all at once. Never figured a cruise would allow enough time, but your review is going to make me pull the trigger.

[cujosmom]

Our luggage started arriving at that point and we proceeded to unpack. Being this was a weeklong trip I like to unpack everything so it feels more like home and then shove the luggage under the bed. The "under the bed" part was my DH Paul's job and he decided to have a bit of fun while doing it!

 

The following pictures still make me laugh out loud!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take it from someone who will be married 44 years in September. If you've got a guy who makes you "laugh out loud", you're in for a long and happy marriage.

[h_blond2]

So...I'm more than a little jealous of your cruise right about now! haha! But I'm loving the review and it looks like you two had a blast! Congratulations!

[futureAG]

Thanks everyone for all of the congratulations! We have been happily married now for 9 months and are looking forward to our one year aniversary.

 

Paul and I had been together for 8 years before we got married last year so life really isn't throwing us any suprises anymore (I'm sure you can imagine how happy our parents were that we finally tied the not)!

 

This truly was a celebration of how much we love each other and what the world has to offer us and I am glad that you can all see that!

 

Thanks again!!!

 

OMG!!! I have to stop reading here and tell you this is so weird!!! My DH & I also dated 8years before we got married!! And in a few day we will celebrate our 11th month:D We got married April 30th. We wanted to do the Magic's first cruise but the timing wouldn't work out. We loved our wedding date and didn't want to change it, and there was no way we could get from Oklahoma to Barcelona by the time the ship left the next day! :eek: So we chose an Alaskan cruise. AND.. Get this we also booked an aft wrap!!! We loooooved it! So now we are crusing on the Magic for our 1 year anniv, and the Magic will turn 1 year old while we are on our cruise! Crazy I know, but I has to tell you! Loving your review so glad you are doing it! You and your hubby sound like a fun couple! I hope we get to meet on a cruise someday!!

[stacycakes1]

Thanks everyone for all of the great posts! I am so glad so many of you are enjoying it and that it even has inspired some of you to take this type of cruise in the future. I would recommend it to anyone, it was a great way to see Europe and get a taste of what is out there. It is a little expensive but WAY cheaper to see it this way compared to if we had backpacked it and stayed in hotels.

Also, sorry for the lack of posts today. My Mother-in-law is in town visiting so I really didn't have much time today to put anything together. I do have a bit of the next day ready though so here it goes....

[stacycakes1]

So Day 7 was our stop at the port of Livorno. We had scheduled another tour with Rome-in-limo this day and with our same tour buddies. We had our usual breakfast room service and were ready to go at 7:30am.

 

We made our way off the ship and found our driver holding a sign with our group’s name waiting by our Mercedes Sprinter for that day. Our tour guides name today was Fabrizio. We all piled into the car and we were off.

 

Today we booked the tour that included a stop first in Pisa and then the rest of the day in Florence. As we made our way to Pisa Fabrizio asked us if we all like wine. “Of course we like wine” we all answered. Fabrizio told us that a good friend of his owns one of the oldest wineries in the Chianti country of Tuscany that was on our way back from Florence. He suggested that we stop there on the way back and taste a some wine, fresh pressed olive oils and other products they grow/raise on the adjacent farm. We all thought that was a marvelous plan and that was how Tuscany got added to our itinerary for the day.

 

The ride to Pisa was about 30 minutes from the port and we were in awe the entire time because of the following view we had…

 

So we arived in Pisa and Fabrizio took us to a few of the less famous areas in the city for some pictures. Even though the city is known for the leaning tower it is chock full of so much more. There are also other leaning towers in the city because of the soil there that are never talked about, we thought that was really interesting. Here are some of the pictures we took...

Edited March 22, 2012 by stacycakes1