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Just off the Magic...my take!

Badfinger

By Badfinger,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Badfinger

Badfinger

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This was our second cruise. It was the 7-day to Key West, Freeport and Nassau (our first a year ago was on the Triumph to Progresso and Cozumel).

 

I was going to give a review of most every aspect of our cruise, but realize so much of that is personal taste that it may not be all that helpful (such as the cheeseburgers from the grill were excellent).

 

Anyway...here are some of my take aways:

 

Forget the Italian Restaurant for lunch. Service was slow. It was very noisy with the basketball court directly overhead. Some thumps were so loud/hard that things in the ceiling were vibrating. And personally the food was "meh".

 

Do pay extra for Cloud 9 Spa Balcony if you like whirlpools and steam rooms. Only once did the therapy pool get crowded. Nice facilities and a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle.

 

Don't assume the Serenity deck is quiet. While there may not be any kids, you can hear the water slide (9am-6pm) and also a good bit of breeze up there.

 

Expect a lot of kids (over 1500 on board with us, out of a total of 4300+ passengers). We brought 2 so it didn't bother us too much, but I heard more than a couple folks grumbling about kids.

 

Expect a 15-20 minute minimum wait at lunch for the grill, pizza and mongolian wok. They were the crowd favorites by far. Cheeseburgers are excellent...cannot image Guy can improve on them. My wife loved the wok and the new pizza was just my type (thin and crispy without too much cheese).

 

Do not buy the FTTF. We parked across the street from the terminal. I shut off the car at 1205pm. We were in are cabin (which was ready) at 12:43pm. Getting off on the last morning was just as quick (after a relaxing breakfast in the MDR).

 

Bring extra money for Bingo if you are so inclined. That seems to be the new Karaoke. But at $25 for a chance to win just a couple hundred bucks, I passed.

 

Do not miss the Action Comedian Tueng Fu if he is performing. By far the best entertainment of the week. Did not understand the empty seats given he only gave on performance.

 

Do expect rude people...cutting in front of any line possible (elevators, food, etc), one person holding 12 seats, etc. There seemed to be a correlation between body size and rudeness.

 

Don't expect to hear comedy at the brunch. We went there 4 times and only heard comedy once.

 

Research your excursions. I put a lot of time into this and was very satisfied with what we did while in the ports.

 

The WCMC was just as good as our first cruise.

 

All in all we had a great family vacation, but since we have been on both ships out of Galveston, we are probably done cruising for a good while. I could see a non-cruise trip to Hawaii or a renting a cabin on the lake in the north woods of Minnesota as our next couple vacations.

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Badfinger

Badfinger

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At Key West we did the White Knuckle Thrill ride. Just a lot of fun...plus it was only 2 hours so left a lot of time to walk around the city if desired.

 

In Freeport we did the Kayak and Nature Experience. It lived up to all the reviews. 2.5 mile paddle through the mangroves followed by some beach time.

 

In Nassau we walked to the Colonial Hilton Hotel beach. $60 pp got you on the beach, umbrellas, chairs, some water toys, a freshwater pool and $40 food credit at the beachside cafe. While at the beach I paid another $55 each for me and my two boys to go snorkeling with the company that is located on the beach. That was awesome.

 

All schools should be back in session by then so my guess is it might be hard to find a kid on board!

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prattmom

prattmom

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At Key West we did the White Knuckle Thrill ride. Just a lot of fun...plus it was only 2 hours so left a lot of time to walk around the city if desired.

 

In Freeport we did the Kayak and Nature Experience. It lived up to all the reviews. 2.5 mile paddle through the mangroves followed by some beach time.

 

In Nassau we walked to the Colonial Hilton Hotel beach. $60 pp got you on the beach, umbrellas, chairs, some water toys, a freshwater pool and $40 food credit at the beachside cafe. While at the beach I paid another $55 each for me and my two boys to go snorkeling with the company that is located on the beach. That was awesome.

 

All schools should be back in session by then so my guess is it might be hard to find a kid on board!

 

We did that Freeport excursion as well. Loved it.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

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maitlandmom

maitlandmom

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At Key West we did the White Knuckle Thrill ride. Just a lot of fun...plus it was only 2 hours so left a lot of time to walk around the city if desired.

 

In Freeport we did the Kayak and Nature Experience. It lived up to all the reviews. 2.5 mile paddle through the mangroves followed by some beach time.

 

In Nassau we walked to the Colonial Hilton Hotel beach. $60 pp got you on the beach, umbrellas, chairs, some water toys, a freshwater pool and $40 food credit at the beachside cafe. While at the beach I paid another $55 each for me and my two boys to go snorkeling with the company that is located on the beach. That was awesome.

 

All schools should be back in session by then so my guess is it might be hard to find a kid on board!

 

We had an substituted stop in Key West and did the White Knuckle Tour.....so much fun. Do be prepared to get very wet.

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woodi

woodi

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At Key West we did the White Knuckle Thrill ride. Just a lot of fun...plus it was only 2 hours so left a lot of time to walk around the city if desired.

 

In Freeport we did the Kayak and Nature Experience. It lived up to all the reviews. 2.5 mile paddle through the mangroves followed by some beach time.

 

In Nassau we walked to the Colonial Hilton Hotel beach. $60 pp got you on the beach, umbrellas, chairs, some water toys, a freshwater pool and $40 food credit at the beachside cafe. While at the beach I paid another $55 each for me and my two boys to go snorkeling with the company that is located on the beach. That was awesome.

 

All schools should be back in session by then so my guess is it might be hard to find a kid on board!

 

There are always kids on board. Parents take them out of school year round, go figure.

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daijayx2

daijayx2

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Hey packedandready, Hubby and I are booked on this cruise too! See you in 80 days.

 

 

What excursions did you do?

 

We're booked for this itinerary sept.8. Hoping not as many children on board as on your trip.

 

 

Springs and packedandready, I'm in the Sep 8 magic too! Can't wait, do you have excursions planned yet?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

I am also on the same Sailing as You all!!!

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icruz

icruz

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At Key West we did the White Knuckle Thrill ride. Just a lot of fun...plus it was only 2 hours so left a lot of time to walk around the city if desired.

 

In Freeport we did the Kayak and Nature Experience. It lived up to all the reviews. 2.5 mile paddle through the mangroves followed by some beach time.

 

In Nassau we walked to the Colonial Hilton Hotel beach. $60 pp got you on the beach, umbrellas, chairs, some water toys, a freshwater pool and $40 food credit at the beachside cafe. While at the beach I paid another $55 each for me and my two boys to go snorkeling with the company that is located on the beach. That was awesome.

 

All schools should be back in session by then so my guess is it might be hard to find a kid on board!

 

Wrong about the kids...they are "always" on board

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okgirl

okgirl

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There are always kids on board. Parents take them out of school year round, go figure.

 

Wrong about the kids...they are "always" on board

 

But certainly not 1500. I usually cruise in the fall and winter, so it's not unusual to have fewer than 200 kids on board.

 

It sounds like the OP enjoys cruising but hasn't really become addicted like I am. I just can't justify the extra expense when doing land based vacations.

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