Is the Magic Crowded

[PGCRUISERS]

Thinking of booking a cruise on the Magic, my husband is apprehensive when he sees how many passengers it holds. Just off the Conquest with a capacity for 2,974 so 4,675 seems like a lot more people. Thoughts?

[DallasGuy75219]

Thinking of booking a cruise on the Magic, my husband is apprehensive when he sees how many passengers it holds. Just off the Conquest with a capacity for 2,974 so 4,675 seems like a lot more people. Thoughts?

 

I haven't been on the Magic but have been on the Breeze and Magic (all in the same class and similar layout). It seems like Carnival did a really good job designing this class for crowd flow and creating enough venues so that tons of people aren't wanting to be in the same place at the same time. I think the outside barbecue/grill on Deck 5 is an especially good idea to get people off the Lido Deck on sea days.

 

Breeze and Dream felt relatively uncrowded to me compared to pretty much all the Carnival ships besides the Fantasy and Spirit class.

[Tapi]

Conquest actually holds 3,581 passengers at full occupancy, but it's also 20,000 tons smaller than the Magic.

 

With that said, tell your husband that if he could handle the Conquest, he can handle the Magic. We sailed on the Dream (Magic's sister), and although we found it to be just a bit more crowded than Conquest class ships, it wasn't a significant difference. The only time when I thought that it felt ridiculously crowded was one day at the buffet during peak hours (after which we learned to avoid that area during those times).

 

From a technical standpoint, Magic does have a worse space to passenger ratio, but once again, I didn't consider the difference to be significant enough to keep me from sailing on this ship.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Tapi

[MAGNUM PI]

We booked the Magic for a 2017 cruise. We have taken seven cruises before, all on smaller passenger capacity.

We are not intimidated by this factor. I have read many posts, about the Magic's most congested area, being the buffet. But with all of the upgrades being made to the Magic, there will even more options for dining. By reading the posts about the Magic, you learn valuable insight, about its layout and advice from previous Magic cruisers. I have read about decks/areas of the ship, that

are under utilized by the passengers.

 

Tell your husband that the Magic is a huge step up for us, too. But have a sense of adventure, and enjoy all it has to offer.

[agreenway6]

I've sailed the Magic twice and never found it to be crowded enough for me to go out of my way to be upset. Sea days it can be hard to find a chair to lay on, but other than I loved it! My favorite ship of the 3 Carnival ships I've been on!

[smyliecruising]

I was not on the Magic or Conquest during peak season but neither ever seemed crowded to me:)

[dmdiver]

The only time Magic seemed crowded to me was when we were trying to find loungers by the aft pool on a sea day. Other times, it seemed no different than any of the other ships I've been on.

[Trumpster]

The Breeze didn't feel crowded.

 

The pool deck and buffet ocasionally.

 

Expect the Magic to be the same.

[texast518]

Thinking of booking a cruise on the Magic, my husband is apprehensive when he sees how many passengers it holds. Just off the Conquest with a capacity for 2,974 so 4,675 seems like a lot more people. Thoughts?

Been on the Magic 8 times, love it, just watched it leave Galveston for Freeport, after dry dock will be nicer.

[trirae]

I've only been on one cruise and it was on the Magic. I concur with others who've said finding chairs by the pool is the only time it felt crowded. It's pretty well noted that the pools themselves are quite small as well. However, for dining and entertainment options, it never felt crowded to us.

[dave_k58]

I have been on both Conquest and Magic during peak summer season. I never noticed the Magic to be crowded. Seems like there were plenty of places to go to eat and just relax. But I also didn't think the Conquest was ever crowded.

[texast518]

I've only been on one cruise and it was on the Magic. I concur with others who've said finding chairs by the pool is the only time it felt crowded. It's pretty well noted that the pools themselves are quite small as well. However, for dining and entertainment options, it never felt crowded to us.

 

Go to the adult pool @ back.

[E&B]

Go to the adult pool @ back.

 

 

I thought the Magic didn't have an adult pool.

[Trumpster]

I thought the Magic didn't have an adult pool.

 

It doesn't

[cruiser fanatic]

I have been on the Magic 3 times and I did not think it was crowded.

[overeasy]

Magic is my favorite ship so far, but there are lines at times. DW wanted a change, so we just sailed Freedom. I must admit, hardly any lines on the Freedom.

[marimojo]

I have to disagree with those saying it is not crowded, or doesn't feel crowded. I just got off Magic on February 14. I have been on Magic 5 times and there are certain areas that get really congested. Deck 5 is hard when the shops are having sales. People love to just stop in the middle of a crowd. The elevators got really, really crowded. The theater was also packed, you had to get to the show about 30 minutes early if you wanted a decent seat, same with the Comedy Club. If you want a good seat on the Serenity Deck - get there early or be prepared to walk around and around until someone leaves. The Cloud 9 Spa was super crowded every time I tried to go there. There were not enough of those heated chairs for capacity, the thalasso pool was hip to hip people. Getting out of dinner (we were in Southern Lights) took forever. I have to say, I don't know why it was so crowded - I don't remember it being like this the other 4 times... this time is was jammed full of people.

[E&B]

I have to disagree with those saying it is not crowded, or doesn't feel crowded. I just got off Magic on February 14. . . I have to say, I don't know why it was so crowded - I don't remember it being like this the other 4 times... this time is was jammed full of people.

 

 

School vacation week maybe?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[tkportersat]

In certain places at certain times it can feel crowded....Lido pool, buffet, getting on/off at ports. Overall though it didn't feel any more crowded than any other ship I have been on.

[k2excursion]

I have been on both Magic & Conquest. Conquest during a lower-demand time, a few hundred short of full capacity, and Magic during a very high-demand time, with nearly every single bed filled. Despite that, Conquest felt more crowded to me than Magic, and Conquest seemed to have much longer lines. On Magic, I would eat lunch at the peak time of noon-12:30, and there would hardly be any line at all. Some spots can get crowded at times, but no different than Conquest. The only bad thing about Magic was that on that week, groups of people would send 1 person up to the decks to stand guard of 30-40 deck chairs, keeping them all reserved for their group all day. I literally couldn't get a chair anywhere on the ship for hours on a couple days. Worst chog experience ever, but that wasn't because of the ship.

[MACUQUI58]

I have been on both Magic & Conquest. Conquest during a lower-demand time, a few hundred short of full capacity, and Magic during a very high-demand time, with nearly every single bed filled. Despite that, Conquest felt more crowded to me than Magic, and Conquest seemed to have much longer lines. On Magic, I would eat lunch at the peak time of noon-12:30, and there would hardly be any line at all. Some spots can get crowded at times, but no different than Conquest. The only bad thing about Magic was that on that week, groups of people would send 1 person up to the decks to stand guard of 30-40 deck chairs, keeping them all reserved for their group all day. I literally couldn't get a chair anywhere on the ship for hours on a couple days. Worst chog experience ever, but that wasn't because of the ship.

You are not allowed to save any chairs, so if that would have happened to me I would have just sat down on a chair....

[k2excursion]

You are not allowed to save any chairs, so if that would have happened to me I would have just sat down on a chair....

 

At that time, 2012, Carnival staff were siding with the chair hogs. So in order for me to not be the villain & avoid an ugly scene, I had to be sneaky. I did throw a flip flop to the side when the monitor wasn't looking, and sat down. Oops, the wind must have blown it off; well, I'm here now.

[TerReuv]

We just booked the Magic for next year and have sailed on the Conquest our last two cruises. We loved the Conquest and are looking forward to the Magic.

 

I have to ask though about the numbers you have for the passengers. On the Carnival site, it shows Conquest holds 2980 guests and Magic holds 3690. Also shows 1150 crew on Conquest and 1367 on Magic.

 

Where did you get your numbers? You're showing the Magic has almost 1000 more guest capacity than the Carnival site shows. Just curious, but I have to admit when we booked I like that it was only 700 more guests.

[NavarreCruiser]

We have over 80 cruises on Carnival, many on Dream class ships (Dream, Magic, Breeze) The listed capacity on these ships is about 3700, that would be only double occupancy. But true passenger count sometimes goes over 4400. In our experience when these ships sail with 3700 to 3900 PAX they don't seem crowded. When they have more than 4300 on board the public areas are more full, the lines are longer, and the walking areas are more difficult to navigate. So in our view everyone who posted above was probably accurately describing their cruise experience on the Magic.

 

Oh and by the way, if our good friend Eversen (aka Dr. E) is CD on your cruise tell him Bob & Lynda say hi.

[Cruzaholic41]

I have to disagree with those saying it is not crowded, or doesn't feel crowded.

 

I totally agree with you. Carnival Dream Class are the most crowded feeling ships I have ever been on. At full capacity, the space to passenger ratio is 30, which is a terrible score. The main lido deck and pool is an absolute joke.

 

That said, Conquest is about the same score so if the OP was ok with Conquest, they should be ok with Magic. In general, Carnival has the most crowded ships at sea.