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Dream or Magic?

Raxter54

By Raxter54,
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Raxter54

Raxter54

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DW and I took out first cruise on the Serenade of the Seas out of NOLA in February. We enjoyed our cruise, and are looking at possibly another cruise next year, but wanted to try out Carnival to compare cruise lines.

 

We can't afford to fly to get to our cruise, so New Orleans was within driving distance. Since Royal Caribbean is leaving NOLA, we are looking at the Carnival Dream, or possibly the Magic out of Galveston. They appear to be fairly similar, just wanted to know if y'all had any opinions on which one would be better for an older couple like ourselves.

 

Thanks in advance!

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cruiser fanatic

cruiser fanatic

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DW and I took out first cruise on the Serenade of the Seas out of NOLA in February. We enjoyed our cruise, and are looking at possibly another cruise next year, but wanted to try out Carnival to compare cruise lines.

 

We can't afford to fly to get to our cruise, so New Orleans was within driving distance. Since Royal Caribbean is leaving NOLA, we are looking at the Carnival Dream, or possibly the Magic out of Galveston. They appear to be fairly similar, just wanted to know if y'all had any opinions on which one would be better for an older couple like ourselves.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

I have been on both ships and I prefer the Magic greatly. Everything was better on the Magic. You will also find a more older crowd out of Texas. There will be more of a party crowd on Carnival out of New Orleans.

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Raxter54

Raxter54

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We found Serenade superior in layout and decor to Dream. Royal's Radiance class ships are our favorite. Not exactly what you asked, but since you enjoyed Serenade, perhaps Magic is the best choice. :)

 

Yes, we enjoyed Serenade alot. But, being our first cruise, we have nothing to compare her with. And having the Serenade docked next to the Oasis at Falmouth and Cozumel showed us the size difference. I don't think we would like a ship as large as the Oasis, but one a little larger might be nice.

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Raxter54

Raxter54

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Magic is being replaced by Breeze in the future. Dream probably stays in NOLA for the forseeable future just in case that has any impact on your decision.

 

We are leaning towards NOLA and the Dream, since it is a shorter drive and we now know how to get around NOLA and get to the port. Having to decide now between an aft balcony or a cove balcony...

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carrieluvsgreg

carrieluvsgreg

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The dream is the first ship of the class. The magic is the same class with some improvements over the dream. Some of the "improvements" are not that important to some people. The magic has guys burgers and some of the "pay extra" options the dream doesn't. We've sailed on the dream 3 times and we love it!

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Runaway Parent

Runaway Parent

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We've also been on both and would prefer the Magic. Of course, Breeze is supposed to be even better-- I believe with Guys??

 

But definitely Magic over Dream. If I remember correctly, Dream does not have the ropes course or Cucina. Serenity "basket" chairs for 2 on the Dream have a divider in the middle, making it quite awkward to really spread out. The middle divider makes it a lot let spacious.

 

Port of Galveston is a LOT easier to access/get around than NOLA, in my opinion. Also, parking charges in Galveston are much cheaper than NOLA.

 

Having said all that, the cruise prices in NOLA are usually a bit less than Galveston.

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mitsugirly Great Review Rare

mitsugirly

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I haven't been on the Magic...yet (but hope to) but have been on the Dream and we absolutely loved her. We normally sail with NCL so it was our first Carnival cruise and we loved it so much and were so glad we decided to give them a try. (We are sailing on the Pride in a week and happy to be back with Carnival again).

 

I have a complete Dream review listed in my signature line if you are interested in reading it...or even just checking out the pictures...there's TONS of them throughout the review. :)

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dave_k58

dave_k58

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We are leaning towards NOLA and the Dream, since it is a shorter drive and we now know how to get around NOLA and get to the port. Having to decide now between an aft balcony or a cove balcony...

 

Galveston is a very easy port to navigate. Parking is cheaper and the town is not as frantic as NOLA. Don't know where you guys live, but Galveston may be a shorter drive than you think.

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cruiser fanatic

cruiser fanatic

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We are leaning towards NOLA and the Dream, since it is a shorter drive and we now know how to get around NOLA and get to the port. Having to decide now between an aft balcony or a cove balcony...

 

I would do the Cove Balcony on either ship. You are really close to the water. The view is fantastic. Honestly, the Magic has more to offer. Ropes Course, Red Frog Pub, etc... As others have said, parking is much cheaper in Galveston. It is $16 a day at the New Orleans port. It is $8 a day at Fulton Street Garage (where I park since it is cheaper). It is $65 total at the port for a 7 day cruise out of Galveston. Much more convenient then New Orleans.

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Raxter54

Raxter54

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I would do the Cove Balcony on either ship. You are really close to the water. The view is fantastic. Honestly, the Magic has more to offer. Ropes Course, Red Frog Pub, etc... As others have said, parking is much cheaper in Galveston. It is $16 a day at the New Orleans port. It is $8 a day at Fulton Street Garage (where I park since it is cheaper). It is $65 total at the port for a 7 day cruise out of Galveston. Much more convenient then New Orleans.

 

We also did the Fulton Street garage. We live in east central Illinois, and it is a little over a 12 hour drive to NOLA. Google Maps says Galveston is over 14 hours away. For our cruise out of NOLA, we drove to southern Mississippi to stay overnight, which left us a leisurely 2 hour drive to the port. if Royal Caribbean hadn't left NOLA, we would probably book the Serenade again, but we are not tied to one cruise line. As long as we stay away from short cruises during spring breaks, Carnival should be just fine for us :-)

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cruiser fanatic

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We also did the Fulton Street garage. We live in east central Illinois, and it is a little over a 12 hour drive to NOLA. Google Maps says Galveston is over 14 hours away. For our cruise out of NOLA, we drove to southern Mississippi to stay overnight, which left us a leisurely 2 hour drive to the port. if Royal Caribbean hadn't left NOLA, we would probably book the Serenade again, but we are not tied to one cruise line. As long as we stay away from short cruises during spring breaks, Carnival should be just fine for us :-)

 

I know you said you are not tied to one cruise line. However, have your considered the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas out of Galveston? The Liberty of the Seas will replace Navigator in November.

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Raxter54

Raxter54

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I know you said you are not tied to one cruise line. However, have your considered the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas out of Galveston? The Liberty of the Seas will replace Navigator in November.

 

I definitely have considered it. But - the difference between a Cove Balcony on the Dream and an Aft Balcony (LOVE aft balconies) on the Liberty is enough to pay for hotel rooms and our gas to drive to NOLA. DW has a slight case of claustrophobia, so a balcony is a must for us...

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