NCL Loyal looking at the Magic....

[lisakoivu]

I am looking for a cruise for myself (49) DH (46), DD (23) DS (20) and his GF (20). I haven't been on a cruise in about two years. Before that, we've been on a number of NCL ships including Breakaway, Jewel and Dawn a couple of times each. We went on Carnival once about six years ago - the Imagination - and my DH HATED it and said never again. His biggest complaint was food,and lack of dining options after hours.

 

So now, I have five of us and I'm trying to book us a holiday cruise. The Magic has a great itinerary leaving Dec 24, and the pricing is a lot cheaper than NCL. I've also been "hearing things" about NCL lately, quality and service going down, etc.

 

DS and DH do not drink AT ALL. "The girls" are happy with a drink or two a day, so I don't even think we'd drink the amount that NCL charges for the gratuity on their drink package - we would just stick to purchasing by the drink.

 

DH LOVES the spa, so I would be looking at a Cloud 9 Spa room for us and an interior or oceanview for the other three, not sure yet.

 

DS does not love to cruise at all. He is humouring me/GF. So I am trying to find new ports/port intensive (which I think this one is). We've never been to Belize, Costa Maya, Mahogany Bay. And we love Cozumel.

 

The pricing, x 5 people and if you figure the cost of adding the spa on NCL, doing Carnival vs NCL is going to save me like rough estimate, in the neighbourhood of $2000 which would cover the flights.

 

Will we like the Magic? I know that's a very subjective and possibly silly question. I guess what I'm really looking for is... is Magic a lot different (better) than Imagination? Has Carnival "upped their game" in the last six years and/or has NCL dropped theirs so much that the two companies are pretty much equal at this point?

 

Any tips appreciated, sorry for the long set-up.

[cocacola86]

We haven't been on Magic but are booked on it in 2017, we stayed on the Breeze a sister ship and one must try on the lido deck is Guys burgers/ blue iguana cantina burritos both are free and Guys is sooooo Good! That you can't stop at one, the burritos are really good, you can pick from chicken, steak, or fish I believe and you pick what you want on it another must do is the punchliner comedy, they also on sea days have a sea day brunch in the MDR.

 

 

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[ryano]

 

I've also been "hearing things" about NCL lately, quality and service going down, etc.

.

 

You are gonna hear things like that about every single mass market cruise line on every forum and social media outlet there is. According to a lot of cruisers here, Carnival has only went downhill. Coming over from Royal Caribbean, I can tell you that so have they as well. I honestly dont think Carnival has went downhill since 2008 (my first cruise) as much as some will have you to believe but I say go see for yourself.

 

I can also say that Magic is a AWESOME ship! Give Magic a try. I dont think you will be disappointed. Wonderful ship, great crew, very good food and a wonderful time! And if you are lucky enough to have Dr E as the Cruise Director, youre in for a great time. :) I dont put much stock into who is Cruise Directors however Dr E was the best ever.

Edited June 24, 2016 by ryano

[cruzeluver]

Magic and Imagination are worlds different.

 

Imagination is 21 years old, one of the oldest Carnival has and one of the smallest. As a result it does have fewer food options and amenities than a newer ship like Magic. The décor on those ships is very dated, to say the least.

 

For comparison sake, Magic is 7 years old, more than 150 feet longer and has a lot, lot more food options and amenities. We are booked on Magic for February and are really looking forward to it.

[jakesnana]

The only down side to the Magic vs. NCL is that the Magic does not have O'Sheehans for late night snacks. HOWEVER, room service is free (if you order the free items) on Carnival and even their free menu has many good choices available. Also, I have to admit, the entertainment is better on NCL.

 

I sailed the Breakaway and I'm going on the Magic in 4 weeks. While I enjoyed the Breakaway when I sailed on it, I missed being able to get a bagel and fruit delivered for breakfast without paying a $7.95 delivery fee. Also, it seems like pretty much every dining option (with the exception of MDR, O'Sheehans, buffet and noodle bar) carries a additional charge. I can appreciate that NCL offers a wide variety of dining options, but all of the extra costs REALLY drive up the over all price, especially when you're talking about 5people.

[ryano]

Magic and Imagination are worlds different.

 

Imagination is 21 years old, one of the oldest Carnival has and one of the smallest. As a result it does have fewer food options and amenities than a newer ship like Magic. The décor on those ships is very dated, to say the least.

 

For comparison sake, Magic is 7 years old, more than 150 feet longer and has a lot, lot more food options and amenities. We are booked on Magic for February and are really looking forward to it.

 

A little over 5 years old! :D:)

Edited June 24, 2016 by ryano

[cruzeluver]

A little over 5 years old!

 

Whoops! Yep. Happens when your coffee has not kicked in yet!

[evandbob]

IMO, the Magic is the nicest Carnival ship I've been on, and will compare comparably to the Breakaway for comfort and service.

 

IMO, Carnival's MDR food and service is better than NCL's, which is why I like getting, freebie or not, the UDP on NCL so I can enjoy the many specialty restaurants there. Carnival does not have an OSheehan's, but it has Guys burgers and BBQ, a plus for NCL.

 

IMO, the Perhaps Carnival has better comedy than NCL, but NCL's dueling pianos is better than the piano bar on CCL.

 

entertainment on NCL is better than Carnival's, but not by much . Fat City blows away the Filipino cover bands that Carnival has. The Rock shows in the theater are comparable.

 

Forget about the Imagination, it was a bad dream years ago.

[abisha]

It's been numerous years since I've sailed on NCL so I cannot compare to how it is today vs. Carnival. I can, however, say, that I have had all great Carnival cruises, but the one disappointment to me these days is that their entertainment is somewhat lacking in certain areas. Their live bands are great, and I also like their comedy shows, but their main theater/showroom has gone down hill and not what it used to be.

 

I also miss the passenger talent show. I've seen some incredibly talented passengers. I wish that didn't go away.

 

I just got off RCI's Allure of the Seas and was completely blown away by all of their various types of spectacular entertainment...all Las Vegas quality.

 

Having said that, I am also booked on the Magic and really looking forward to it. I have always had excellent service (both in the dining room and by the steward), enjoyed their cuisine in many of their venues and have always had a GREAT cruise!

[ryano]

It's been numerous years since I've sailed on NCL so I cannot compare to how it is today vs. Carnival. I can, however, say, that I have had all great Carnival cruises, but the one disappointment to me these days is that their entertainment is somewhat lacking in certain areas. Their live bands are great, and I also like their comedy shows, but their main theater/showroom has gone down hill and not what it used to be.

 

I also miss the passenger talent show. I've seen some incredibly talented passengers. I wish that didn't go away.

 

I just got off RCI's Allure of the Seas and was completely blown away by all of their various types of spectacular entertainment...all Las Vegas quality.

 

Having said that, I am also booked on the Magic and really looking forward to it. I have always had excellent service (both in the dining room and by the steward), enjoyed their cuisine in many of their venues and have always had a GREAT cruise!

 

Magic had a guest talent show.

Edited June 24, 2016 by ryano

[abisha]

Magic had a guest talent show.

 

That's good to know! I hope they still have it when I embark in November. We have seen some amazing passengers bring the house down!

[meatloafsfan]

We went on Carnival once about six years ago - the Imagination - and my DH HATED it and said never again. His biggest complaint was food,and lack of dining options after hours.

 

DH LOVES the spa, so I would be looking at a Cloud 9 Spa room for us and an interior or oceanview for the other three, not sure yet.

 

Any tips appreciated, sorry for the long set-up.

 

Dining options after hours are:

 

Deli until 11pm (hot and cold sandwiches)

Pizza 24 hours a day

Ice cream and frozen yogurt 24 hours a day

Room service (sandwiches, salads, desserts no charge - hot food for a fee).

Some nights there will also be things like chips and salsa (Mexican party) or late night eats until around midnight - a small selection of hot food, quick bites.

 

My recommendation is to avoid these food stations during the day when others are open so they don't feel repetitive if you (or DH) are partaking of them every late night.

 

The buffet/food station set up on the Magic will open up a ton of choices - Made to order pasta dishes, guys burgers, blue iguana cantina, Mongolian wok, etc.

 

 

As for the Spa - the Magic on the Spa is very good (I sailed the sister ship the dream in a spa cabin). I think your DH will find it very relaxing with the tiled loungers, thalassotherapy pool, steam rooms, etc.