Just Returned From Magic

[2Ccruisers]

Yes!!! Love this post! Now, about this Quest you spoke of.... what is it? :D I'll be on my first Carnival cruise in just a few months.

[crazy4themouse]

I am sooooo glad they do Quest on Carnival!! If it's anything like Quest on DCL and RCI, I'll be a happy happy camper. Most riotous, hilarious fun you can have on a cruise ship!! :D

[Greselda]

Thank you OP for such a positive post! We will be on the Magic in 10 days and are are even more excited now.....very nice:D

[Rock_ON!!]

My sentiments exactly.

[nflvikings1]

I am going on Magic for the 5th time Feb 7 and it is my favorite ship. Some people just have to have something to complain about.

[ryano]

Thanks for this post :) After being 8 years removed from Carnival and only having an experience of a very old ship (still a great time though!) in Holiday, I have cancelled my April 2016 Allure of the Seas cruise and just booked Magic out of Port Canaveral. Really excited to get back on a Fun Ship and give Carnival another try. Very happy to read the positive experiences you had on Magic. :)

[john91498]

It seems when people have a great time, we usually don't hear about it. We usually hear about about the complaints...

[shadow8800]

Thanks for your post, it is so nice to read positive things instead of all negative all the time. We always try to make the best out of whatever situation we encounter and I believe we have realistic expectations. I look forward to our December cruise on the Magic and I hope we meet lots of fun people!

Happy Planning all!

[walkingkay]

I can't wait we leave in 2 days on the Magic with my hubby and girlfriend, after all the griping I've heard I was wondering how it will be. :)

[WISH84]

I wasn't going to post. I really wasn't. Then I read some post about the bad American Table menu and had to comment. The truth is, the MDR is fine. Not spectacular, not extravagant, but you can find something tasty and well-prepared most any evening. Also, healthy. With selections of fish, chicken, and salmon you can protect your heart and your waistline.

 

American Table is just a name. I say that because the menu is evolving. Some nights you might find lasagna, or others you might find Shrimp Creole-and it seems to vary cruise to cruise. Carnival is still working on the best fit for its passengers. One oft overlooked element is the port of call menu. Here you can find port inspired exotic favorites that are often the best offerings.

 

That said, if clam chowder with crab cake and Jumbo shrimp is not for you, might I suggest a bisque? Perhaps prime rib is more your thing. See where I am going with this?

 

Look, the fellow who complained has a right to. But complaints without context irk me. This ship is a marvel. You pay, you know, $500-850 a person and get an IS or balcony, and for that you get a week of..

 

Professional stage productions, professional comedians, all the trivia you could want, karaoke, excellent drinks, a ridiculously wide array of lunch options-Mexican, Mongolian, BBQ, Salad, standard "taste of nations" buffet changing daily, a pasta bar and a TANDOOR.

 

You also get, free movies on a gorgeous HD outdoor big screen, ice carvings, various contests, Bingo, a chance to be a star in the Legends show-there was good talent on the most recent run to KW/BAH, dance classes, the chance to make friends and the Quest-which if you are good boys and girls I will fill you in on.

 

Now NCL specialty dining is better food. And there is no Broadway on this ship. But Carnival, especially this crew, excels at CONNECTING. You take Curly the entertainment host with you when you leave. He becomes part of your family memories. He engages. So does Arsana, the 21 yr vet of the dining room scene, always friendly, always on point, as Willie Degel likes to say.

 

Then there is Disna, a loyal, attentive, and warm steward who literally bends over backward to please. Sure there is not exclusively anytime dining-but do you know what you lose with anytime dining?

 

Seatmates. Friends that you make, and get to know, and plan future trips and cruises with, you know, actual human interaction. That sort of thing used to be important. Yes Royal does some things spectacularly, so does NCL, and Carnival is not spectacular. But it is indescribably fun-the intangibles, the friendliness, the camaraderie, the hugs, pics, and smiles and hand slapping when you when a game of washer toss-these things add up to joy.

 

I left the ship and remarked to my Wife that Carnival gave us a great deal of fun and created an environment of whimsy. While NCL delivers Rock of Ages, there is rarely anything special for lunch and the trivia is few and far between. That may not matter to some of you, but it matters to a lot of us. The chance to "goof off", grab a drink, and playfully argue over deodorant slogans is a welcome respite from the formalities of day to day life.

 

Yes the cornmeal chicken was cardboard. So bleeping what? Arsana just brings you something else-in my case a good steak with a baked potato. Oh, the horror.

 

Maybe it is me. I grew up poor poor. So the chance-whenever it presents itself, to go on a ship and be treated like a King and make friends and have fun and escape from the everyday is a blessing to us. So maybe I look at a piece of steak and get giddy while others pine for better cuts. I myself have had better.

 

But I looked at my facebook, and it is stunning how many of my friends are from Carnival, either pax or crew. Stunning. And we keep in touch. None from Royal, or NCL though. Does that mean something to some of you? Maybe maybe not. But while Carnival does nothing spectacularly, it does most everything very well. Now I love Royal, and NCL delivered top notch food and entertainment on our anniversary trip, top notch. But it did not feel like leaving my best friends when I left those ships. With Carnival, it is like I am leaving family and as soon as I get home, I want to plan another one.

 

I mean we were on smoky Freedom, and that was its biggest-albeit a large problem, and after being aggravated about the smoke, we still remembered Jen's energy and hugs, and support, and Majda's willingness to fill our glasses with Arnold Palmers upon arrival at dinner, and Symogi's humor, and, we booked the Magic.

 

And if you have a booking for the Magic, be prepared to smile, laugh, dance, drink, eat, play, swim, relax, and re-connect with family. You will have a spectacular time.

 

Uh, maybe Carnival DOES do some things spectacularly well. Deliver fun, make awesome memories, and help to foster lifelong friendships. If those things matter, you overlook the odd serving of cardboard chicken..

 

and then you ask one of your new best friends to bring you a steak.

 

Have fun, cruise often.

 

Quite possibly the best review I've ever ready. Awesome!!