Magic (in Sep) or Victory (Oct/Nov)???

[TexasRon]

Situation--we have a cruise booked for 9/2 on the Magic. Final payment is due 6/19. My wife has been reading the reviews and some of them have her a bit worried about the ship, though I am sure we will have a great time.

 

I am not overly impressed with the Ports on the Magic cruise...

 

Another option is to take the Victory our of San Juan in October or November. Much better ports and, with airfare and a "downgrade" to a normal balcony from a "spa balcony", it is only a few hundred dollars more to get on the San Juan cruise.

 

The cruise needs to be this year (wife's 50th b-day).

 

I'd like to hear what other cruises would do in this situation. "Both" is not an option... We've cruised once (Dream, last summer) and we enjoyed it.

[sunshine again]

I say the VICTORY been on there 3 times. Love the ports:)

[okgirl]

Situation--we have a cruise booked for 9/2 on the Magic. Final payment is due 6/19. My wife has been reading the reviews and some of them have her a bit worried about the ship, though I am sure we will have a great time.

 

I am not overly impressed with the Ports on the Magic cruise...

 

Another option is to take the Victory our of San Juan in October or November. Much better ports and, with airfare and a "downgrade" to a normal balcony from a "spa balcony", it is only a few hundred dollars more to get on the San Juan cruise.

 

The cruise needs to be this year (wife's 50th b-day).

 

I'd like to hear what other cruises would do in this situation. "Both" is not an option... We've cruised once (Dream, last summer) and we enjoyed it.

 

I'm not sure what your wifes specific concerns are but I would stick with the Magic.....I absolutely fell in love with her this past March and she is now my offical favorite ship...I've sailed on the Victory too and you get so much more for your money on the Magic, they don't even compare.

 

I've sailed on 15 different Carnival ships and while I didn't care for the Dream so much they made all the needed corrections on the Magic and it's truely an experience not to be missed.

[firefly333]

Are you kidding?? Maybe the reviews have you confused, because there is no comparison between the ships. You are talking a very old ship, with half the buffet space of conquest, where you will be waiting in line, not that its not doable, but seriously it has limited food options, old ship, none of the new stuff .. need I go on.

 

Iv been on Triumph and Magic, and Triumph is sister to Victory, and while its a good CHEAP cruise .. you can do Triumph out of Galveston if you are looking for cheap.

 

The rope course is new, it has the burrito bar, it has the Tandori, the indian food, it has wraps you can choose, the pizza seemed better, I know the area was huge and so much nicer.

 

Going out of San Juan is always cheap .. and you can book them a dime a dozen because airfare is a arm and a leg for most of us. I did finally book a Celebrity cruise out of San Juan, and still half way thinking wow, .. that airfare is going to be steep, maybe not worth it.

 

Lets see, you want to compare a OLD tired ship vs the 2nd newest ship with lots of bells and whistles .. Oh which to choose.. Oh I read a complaint on Magic, where expectations are sky high .. Im worried because someone else complained .. maybe I should book a old tired carnival ship with lots of ports instead.

[pinkmaija]

Come on Magic!!! However, I'm biased, because we're booked on that one too. :D

[IslandToIsland]

We have been on both and the Magic is by FAR a better ship than the Victory. There is absolutely no comparison. It really only comes down to weather you want more ports.

[firefly333]

Magic is the first Carnival ship to get the rope course. It also has the Italian restaurant $12 for dinner as a new option (if nothing else it might make the MDR less crowded).

 

Red Frog Pub is new to this class, though its so popular its being added as a 2.0 upgrade. $3.33 for entrees.

 

So many new lunch options, I didnt try them all yet .. but I sure plan on it.

 

I have Magic booked this Sept and saw it already and thought .. its so gorgeous.

 

I agree with okgirl .. its now my favorite Carnival ship, I loved it.

 

there are 3 new things the Dream did not have .. this is one of them, the rope course

 

[TexasRon]

One of the reasons we are considering this change is for the ports. I know it is still the edge of hurricane season if we go in Oct/Nov, but Sep is right in the middle of it...so I can't really consider that as much of a factor. I do know missed ports are always a possibility.

 

It isn't just reviews; it is a combination of both...reviews and ports...and I am pretty sure we'll cruise on the Magic at some point.

 

Comfort on the sip is important, but most reviewers seem to say both are fine.

 

I appreciate your comments and opinions...

[nwcruiselover]

I sailed on the Victory in February 2012 and the Magic three weeks later, so I had an almost back-to-back comparison of the two. To me, it comes down to what's most important to you, the ship or the ports. The Magic is obviously a far superior ship with lots of new amenities. However, I have been to Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica multiple times. The Victory, on the other hand, visits 5 ports, 4 of which were new to me, as well as San Juan. I'm glad I did both, but if I had to decide between the two, I'd probably go with the Victory simply because of the ports it visits. Just my 2 cents worth. Nancy

[TexasRon]

Going out of San Juan is always cheap .. and you can book them a dime a dozen because airfare is a arm and a leg for most of us. I did finally book a Celebrity cruise out of San Juan, and still half way thinking wow, .. that airfare is going to be steep, maybe not worth it.

 

I am finding very good fares for San Juan out of Houston--as low as $316 r/t. I expected $600.

[firefly333]

I am finding very good fares for San Juan out of Houston--as low as $316 r/t. I expected $600.

 

wow, I hope its as good out of Dallas next year when I go out of San Juan. Dallas is usually higher, but I was finding over $550 prices for airfare when I priced it out.

 

For $200, it MIGHT be worth driving to Houston.

[ed_k_tx]

Are you cruising for the ship or the destinations?

That what it boils down to. Haven't been on Magic but have sailed out of Galveston a number of times since we live only a 90 minute drive away. Decided to try something different this year.

We sailed out of San Juan on the Victory and while true it is an older ship and doesn't have all the latest bells and whistles, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[TexasRon]

Are you cruising for the ship or the destinations?

That what it boils down to.

 

This, as mentioned in several comments, was the key to the final decision.

 

We sailed out of San Juan on the Victory and while true it is an older ship and doesn't have all the latest bells and whistles, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

The Magic is new and the Victory is old. The Magic goes to ports that we are lukewarm about; the Victory goes to ports that excite us more.

 

It came down to it only costing about $160 more to do the Victory than it was costing us for the Magic cruise...that is including airfare. The $316 r/t airfare sealed the deal.

 

The bottom line--I am betting either choice would have been great!!

 

Thanks, all!!

[Topo Gigio]

Since you live in Texas, you can always jump on the Magic, so if you are getting a good deal on airfare and ship I would go with the Victory..for now!

 

Looks like port is more important to you and since this cruise is very port intensive, you won't have much time to enjoy the ship to the fullest anyways.

[LRene]

I sailed on the Victory in February 2012 and the Magic three weeks later, so I had an almost back-to-back comparison of the two. To me, it comes down to what's most important to you, the ship or the ports. The Magic is obviously a far superior ship with lots of new amenities. However, I have been to Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica multiple times. The Victory, on the other hand, visits 5 ports, 4 of which were new to me, as well as San Juan. I'm glad I did both, but if I had to decide between the two, I'd probably go with the Victory simply because of the ports it visits. Just my 2 cents worth. Nancy

 

Totally agree having done them both in the past year. Comparison of the two is apples to oranges. You made a great choice and will love that itinerary on the Victory!

[Snoozeman]

Enjoy your cruise. Great ports.

 

I agree with Topo, you can always do the Magic and it will probably be less expensive next year once the new wears off.

 

I was somewhat disappointed with the Magic, but it's still a wonderful ship and you'll have fun on her.

[TexasRon]

I couldn't figure out why my wife was finding so many things wrong with the Magic. She isn't really a complainer...but she is very into being the mom to our kids...turns out the week we were leaving was out youngest son's second week of high school and, even though she knew that up front, it bothered her more and more as the cruise drew near.

 

She is VERY happy with the change...

 

Thanks again for your help!!! This board is much more fun when we share info instead of some of those darned sniping threads!!

[funcruisingmom]

The Victory is an older ship but the southern caribbean islands are beautiful. I book our airfare at least 8 months in advance and have paid around $350 leaving out of Houston. We cruised in May both times we went. We sailed CCL and RCCL. These ships have different itinerary for the southern caribbean.

[nwcruiselover]

We had a premium balcony cabin on the Victory and although it was very nice, for the amount of time we spent on the ship an ocean view would have been fine. With 5 ports of call there is only one sea day. I think you'll enjoy seeing the islands and visiting Puerto Rico. It was all new to me except St. Thomas, which I had visited about 30 years ago. An excellent cruise! One word to the wise. Make sure you allow plenty of time to get through the lines at the San Juan Airport on Sunday. It's very busy there. Don't try for an early flight. 1:00 - 1:30 is about the earliest I would book. Nancy

[Tapi]

I agree with others. VICTORY would be my choice.

 

A cruise out of San Juan down to the islands of the Southern Caribbean will be like NOTHING you'll ever experience on a cruise out of Galveston. It doesn't matter how nice the ship may be.

 

The term "old" used to describe the Victory is relative. Built in 2001 she may not be the newest and most innovative, but she's definitely a modern ship by cruise ship standards.

 

I would take a cruise in November ANY DAY before I take a cruise in September. The temperatures in the Caribbean will be much more pleasant, plus the chances of your itinerary being affected by a hurricane will be greatly reduced (there's a reason why the Magic cruise is cheaper: those weeks in September are the PEAK weeks for hurricanes, meaning that chances are that there will be a hurricane churning somewhere in the Caribbean).

 

If you are concerned about the Victory, several other cruise lines reposition their ships to San Juan for the winter season beginning around November. You could sail on a Celebrity or Princess ship for not much more than what it would normally cost you to sail on Carnival.

[kingoftheicedragons]

I haven't been on the Magic, but I wouldn't let the reviews determine which ship I went on. People let the smallest things get to them, and I've learned to put very little credence into any ship or hotel review. Unless of course you're the sort who expect everything little thing to be absolutely perfect. What they found bad you may not care about. While all the ships I've been on have had their differences, I personally can't say one is my favorite or to say that I will never go on one specific ship or even one specific class.

 

But if this cruise is for your wife's 50th, I would do the cruise that she really wants to do, whether it's based on the ship or the ports of call. In this instance, I think that's really the only thing to consider.