Back from Carnival Magic July 9th, Never Again!

[TrinaLC]

We started to eat in the MDR on the 2nd night and walked out about 20 mins into it because the service,food etc was terrible. In fact my hubby asked for Ice Tea and it took forever for them to even bring it to him.Needless to say we walked out and said no more MDR food.

 

 

Hold on - you tried the MDR once (this is how I read what you wrote) and walked out after 20 minutes? And on that 20 minute basis judged the service, food etc to be "terrible"?

 

Sure, you should get served your drink and perhaps your first course in 20 minutes, but in a terribly busy environment that might not always happen. That you would condemn the entire MDR experience "service, food etc" as being "terrible" on the basis of that 20 minute experience tells me a lot about the rest of your review.

[pyroguy]

...on Royal the buffets are all open at the same time not half open part of the time!

 

The experience I had was different. On the AoS, we had to wait every morning for the buffet to open at 7am (CCL has always offered at least something at 6am), and even then it was 1/4 to 1/2 open.

 

I'm actually just the opposite. We just went on our first RCI cruise and personally I would rather stay on CCL. No huge issues, just several little ones. But, to each his or her own. We just perfer Carnival.

[cruzeluver]

"My favorite cruise line can beat up your favorite cruise line!"

 

"Nuh-uh! My favorite cruise line can beat up your favorite cruise line!"

 

 

:p:p:p:p:p:p

 

Glad I don't have a favorite cruise line.

[pe4all]

The worst dining room food we ever had was on the one RCCL cruise we took - Freedom of the Seas. We are very easy to please, and literally left every meal 1/2 eaten, it was so bad. Buffet was okay, entertainment was very good. We loved our Grand Suite - but paid through the nose for it, in comparison to the other cruises we have taken. Every cruise is different - sorry you were so disappointed in Carnival.

[gpas1]

Just curious. How is it that if you've been on Carnival 11 times and sail twice a year you were unaware of the change to the American Table format in the MDR (thus the lack of tablecloths)? I'm a newbie with Carnival and have only been researching details since October and I'm well aware of this.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

Thank you for educating me. Obviously I am not as studied as you on Carnivals latest marketing gimmicks. Now I get it. With a catchy name like American table, they can water down the cruise experience, cut laundry costs and add no value, but we loyal customers are obviously not smart enough to catch on, after all, we all know that fine American restaurants where we dress in suites and ties to enjoy an elegant dining experience never use tablecloths.

[declansdad]

Thank you for educating me. Obviously I am not as studied as you on Carnivals latest marketing gimmicks. Now I get it. With a catchy name like American table, they can water down the cruise experience, cut laundry costs and add no value, but we loyal customers are obviously not smart enough to catch on, after all, we all know that fine American restaurants where we dress in suites and ties to enjoy an elegant dining experience never use tablecloths.

 

You will find many elegant restaurants that no longer use tablecloths.

[JustCruiseMe]

Thank you elliair! Wow, the comments on my post are so rude! SO I guess because I didn't like my carnival cruise I am lying about my experience? How rude of you folks that "Love" carnival to act this way because my experience was terrible! We each have our own opinions about a cruise and your rude comments just shows the type of person(s) you are.

I said our room steward was the nicest but the other crew were not very friendly as I stated. Yes I do believe they had bed bugs in my room because I itched every night and then ended up with a bite that wasn't there before going to bed. In my opinion the food sucked with the exception of those places I did eat that was decent food.

Again, too each there own but I will stick with Royal!

 

Sweetie bedbugs aren't microscopic you can see them clearly and you'd have had more than one or two bites. I know first hand from a redroof inn.

[Julu5416]

Dh and i are booked on our first carnival cruise in January. Was upset after reading review but after reading responses am confident we will have a great time. Our other cruises have been Disney and Norwegian. Looking forward to a great carnival cruise.

[bo789]

Hasta La Vista, baby! Going on our 9th cruise with Carnival! NO REGRETS!

[TheGirlNextDoor]

Wow. We love the Magic. Been on it 4 times. Was sad to see it leave Texas... and hoping Breeze is just as good.

[momof3cruisers]

We just went on a RCI cruise and the buffet area was never open except meal times, was what we did not like, the pizza was the worst I ever had, MDR meals did beat Carnival.

I have never been on any cruise line where the crew was not friendly, of course we do not treat the crews as our servents for the week, have seen a lot of people treat the crews badly, maybe they get tired of it.

That's funny, because we liked the RCCL buffet much better than Carnival, but Carnival wins dining room, hands down. Yes, we had problems with the hours too.

I have come to the conclusion that it isn't Carnival "cheerleaders" that are annoying, since they seem to love their cruises and want to encourage others to give Carnival a try, but the people who come to a Carnival board, bash most everything, and then are upset if others come to Carnival's defense. Once someone uses the term "cheerleaders" disparagingly they, for me, become the ones I loose trust in.

 

Had a bad cruise...OK live with it and move on to other lines and other vacations. Don't, purposefully, call out those who actual love the cruise line, love their vacations, and point out that their experiences were considerably .

 

Agreed and I think when people say things like X line is in a class of "there" own, it clearly implies that they have better taste than those who enjoy whatever cruiseline is being disparaged.

 

As for the OP, I am still confused by what was so terrible. The sheets made you itchy, there is no pool in Serenity and the Lido food was bad and difficult to access. Some of the staff seemed to be new and not helpful. But you loved the comedy, the cruise director was great, you enjoyed the Dive In movies, Guy's, Blue Iguana, the BBQ and deli as well as the pizza were all really good. Sounds like a pretty decent cruise.

 

I am not a cheerleader for any particular line. I have been on NCL, DCL. RCCL, Princess and Carnival. There were things I liked more and less about all of them.

[CruiseFreak11]

I really doubt it was bed bugs! You should really not make accusations like this - enjoy Royal and their Buffets!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[JerseyshoreBruce]

First i must say i have only cruised Carnival......never ever had a rude or unfriendly crew.....with that said i have many friends that have cruised CCL as well as RCCL and for the most part they are the same....they tell me crew seems more friendly on Carnival.....food is slightly better on Carnival.....Entertainment is better on RCCL and ships are a little nicer on RCCL so i honestly think she went on looking for excuses.....im sticking with Carnival to save money for more cruising

[CRUISEMAMMA]

I very rarely comment on anything on cruise critic. I read and search for answers that will help me plan But I could not be quite on this one. I almost stopped reading at the first paragraph. No Cruise Line or business or anyone else can be faulted for a bomb threat. God forbid things didn't go your way and the port didn't just jeopardize what could have been many lives. Just so you stayed on schedule. I don't think you had any intention of enjoying carnival from the moment you booked. Staffing on every Carnival cruise has always been nice to us and our family. I tend to find that if you treat someone not so nicely or like you are better then them sometimes it will reflect back on you. What goes around comes around. Life is to short to act that way. You enjoy the time you have and make the best of what you have. If it is not exactly what you planned, then you change your plan and your attitude so that you have the best time you can. Because tomorrow is never promised. Yes there are circumstances such as the one with the passenger that passed away Its real hard to make that a good situation but now compare that to how rough you had it. Perspective! SMH I cant believe the things that make people say "they will never go back" Makes a person pray harder at night sheesh

[texast518]

We normally cruise on Royal but decided to try Carnival, needless to say we will NEVER go on Carnival again!

 

To start the cruise off our shuttle couldn't enter the port other then driving around in circles because there was a security beach which was said to be a Bomb threat at first and even the bomb squad came out. After we could finally get into the terminal everyone was told to wait outside then we were guided up to another area were we had to wait for a couple hours until they secured the area, after this ordeal we were then told it wasn't a bomb but a can of something that was spraying in a suit case. Better safe then sorry. Once this was over then we could go inside and get ready to board the ship. In my opinion Port Canaveral is the best port there is.

So once on board we went to our cabin and put our other bag in and headed to eat at the buffet as we waited to leave the port.

 

1st issue Staff and lack of knowing anything when asked and lack of friendliness. This ship had the worst staff I have ever encountered on a cruise. They never smiled,spoke or new anything if you asked them a question. Some were even rude. The only staff member we encountered that was very friendly was our room guy, he was awesome all the time. Spoke to us by name and had a friendly attitude.

 

2nd issue Pools, For a ship that hold 4,500 people and only have 2 swimming pools is ridiculous and what makes it worse is that only 1 pool was ever open at a time. I was only able to enjoy the pool 1 day when in a port because it was not crowded.

 

3rd Issue FOOD, the food at breakfast was the best and made to order omelettes were awesome, best meal of the day everyday. Guy's Burger Joint,Blue Iguana & BBQ place also had great food as well as the 24 hr pizza. We ate all these places several times and they were really good.We also ate at the steak house on wed night for our 20th anniv and it was very good. Now for the buffet, the food was lousy in my opinion with the exception of the desserts and the sandwich bar that had pastrami and corned beef, in fact that is what I hate most the time after trying the other food 1st. I also enjoyed the ice cream machine daily. The buffet was not opened long enough if you wanted it and then only one side would be open at times and you would have to walk a long distance just to get food if you wanted it. Terrible buffet all around except breakfast.

 

4th issue, I believe Carnival Magic has bed bugs because every night when we went to bed and got under the sheets I was always really itchy like something was crawling on me but I couldn't see anything when we looked. On the last night I actually got bit by something and ended up sleeping on top of the covers so the ship is not very clean.

We stayed on the 11th deck in a spa room and had access to the spa which was great, very relaxing and enjoyable. We stayed in 11242 and it was quite noisy at times, kids running up and down the hallway,noise from deck above etc. We were still able to sleep, just a lot of noise.Room was nothing fancy, pretty plain and basic.

 

Entertainment was just ok, nothing special. We did enjoy a few dive in movies and Dr. E was great. The comedy shows were also very funny and we enjoyed them as well. Party's on deck were also ok, I overheard several elderly folks complaining about the type and sound of the music and about it being way to loud. The entertainment staff were friendly.

 

Sadly there was a medical emergency with a passenger suffering a heart attack and dying(At least thats what we were told by several crew members) which caused the itenerary to be changed and the Honduras port being skipped and went to key west fl instead. The ship was diverted near miami to get the ill patient medical care. My prayers are with the family.

 

So we went to Key West Fl, Belize, Cozumel & Costa Maya, We had already been to Cozumel but still enjoyed it as well as the other ports. Really liked Key West and would like to go back there. The ports were the best part of the cruise, other then that the cruise was pretty boring. No adult area other then if you want to nap in a hammock or chair and use a jacuzzi, that is Magic's "adult" area.

 

And to top it all off, my hubby got sick on thursday afternoon and was up all night puking his gut out, not sure if it was from the food or what caused this. I know he wasn't sea sick so the food may of been the issue. Not sure because i was fine the entire time.

 

After being on 3 Royal ships, there is NO comparison with Carnival. I would never go on another carnival ship nor would I ever recommend one to anyone I know. You really do get what you pay for and Royal is in a class all its own. My brother is a Carnival cruiser and he bragged to me about how good they are but now I know for myself, not worth bragging about.Anyway, this is my small review, Happy cruising!

Been on Magic 8 times, obvious you were not on those cruises! Sorry for the need of a large vent, thankfully you have ALOT of other cruise options to meet your expectations. You probably should have posted this on Royal, you will not a tremendous amount of empathy here.

Edited August 3, 2016 by texast518

[RCmommy]

After a nice cruise on the Allure this past December, my entire family voiced that we cannot wait to go on another Carnival cruise.

 

Magic, we will see you in October.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[berrieh]

Thank you for educating me. Obviously I am not as studied as you on Carnivals latest marketing gimmicks. Now I get it. With a catchy name like American table, they can water down the cruise experience, cut laundry costs and add no value, but we loyal customers are obviously not smart enough to catch on, after all, we all know that fine American restaurants where we dress in suites and ties to enjoy an elegant dining experience never use tablecloths.

 

It's actually a new menu too (I prefer it because it has more seafood and contemporary dishes, like flatbreads, more interesting desserts, etc. though some people are disappointed in certain favorites being gone), not just them taking the table cloths off. I'm actually one who thinks a nice looking wooden table without a table cloth looks more contemporary (and the ecological ramifications of less laundry is good too... I wish I didn't have to use so many towels on a cruise, but they never dry well in the room; I always re-use in land hotels). Almost none of the expensive places we eat out around town have table cloths (a few of the older places do) these days.

 

Then again, we prefer a place with a high quality food, sort of foodie style, and no requirements on formal dress....dinner is less fun for my husband if he has to wear a tie! So I suspect our dining tastes are very different. But if it has a special butcher's cut, high food quality, good wine, and corresponding price points, I'd still consider a place fancy. These days, there are a lot of dining experiences in the world and I'd never associate a table cloth with quality.

[mpdog42]

To the OP:

 

I get your complaints and they are legit. You are the one who experienced what you did. I didn't care for our Legend cruise to Alaska. Love the scenery and we will be back next year on a cruise to Alaska - just not on Carnival. We experienced the same thing you did with the food situation. We also ate brunch in the MDR (without a screaming bloody murder kid who frequented the MDR). They sat us at a table on the aft end of the ship which the table shook the whole time and roared. We ordered the steak and eggs and the steak so so tough even the knife couldn't cut it. Being platinum we have priority debarkation, but we along with Diamond and FTTF were held back from debarking first. The ones who had Carnival excursions were let off first in Juneau. The CD lied through her teeth with us. So, I hear your complaint and I don't blame you. We're sticking with Princess.

 

Great... then feel free to take the Carnival Platinum logo off your posts!!!!

[jimbo5544]

After a nice cruise on the Allure this past December, my entire family voiced that we cannot wait to go on another Carnival cruise.

 

Magic, we will see you in October.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

 

We experienced the same thing on the Oasis. AS we debarked, we saw the Freedom there and we said we could not wait to get back on a Carnival ship, it's not a knock or Royal, just what we prefer.

[elliair]

Great... then feel free to take the Carnival Platinum logo off your posts!!!!

 

I don't have to do jack ****. I paid my dues. I might give Celebrity a whirl.:p

Edited August 11, 2016 by elliair

[meanjean80]

As a New Yorker, I know something about bed bugs...you would have cluster bites all over and multiple red bumps, almost rash like. Not saying something didn't bite you, but not bed-bugs. (And other posters are right...the cleanest establishment in the world can get bed bugs if they are brought there by a single traveler, and the little devils are a pain in the butt to get rid of...we had a problem in my OFFICE of all places).

 

We all have our different preferences. I believe you when you say that the buffet was not up to snuff...but then, I don't eat at buffets, anywhere. Again, no matter how clean the establishment, that buffet is only as clean as the passengers in front of you in line.

 

I just got off of my first ever NCL trip, chosen specifically for itinerary. Had a Carnival option been in the Baltic, it would have been my first choice. But it wasn't. I was not sure what to expect, being a seasoned Carnival traveler. Here's what I found...there was a lot I liked about NCL, a few things I didn't care for, but overall, nothing that made it exceptionally better (or exceptionally worse) than Carnival. So the next time I am looking at a particular time and location, my first choice would be Carnival, my second would be NCL.

 

I've sailed Royal twice...and did not find them to be up to what I expected from Carnival. Yes, both times on older ships...but both times I felt the rooms were about half the size of what I was used to at the same price. Found the food to be virtually the same as Carnival. Granted, should an opportunity come up to sail Royal on one of their newer ships on an itinerary I am looking at, I might consider it...but I would research things like room size and common areas very carefully first.

 

Any experienced cruiser is going to have certain preferences. This board and a few other google searches are invaluable to let you know if you will be getting what you are looking for before boarding the ship.

[DaisyGirl55]

Wow. We love the Magic. Been on it 4 times. Was sad to see it leave Texas... and hoping Breeze is just as good.

 

I believe that you will Love the Breeze! I know that I did :D

 

Booked our Family cruise on the Magic July 2017. Looking forward to it as just about everything I have read has been great.

 

I'll take care of the Magic for you, and you enjoy your time on the Breeze!

Happy Sailing!

[Cushing985]

I admit I glossed over your review. You mention the alternative eating places but never mentioned the MDR. Did you ever eat there or just grazed at the Buffet and the other alternatives?

 

I've never cruised on Royal (yet) but we split our times on Carnival and Celebrity. I've actually found the food on Carnival better but then again, I don't eat all my meals at the buffet.

 

My brother, who cruises only on Cunard, joined us for a family reunion onboard the Splendor. He told me he thought the food on the ship beat any he had on Cunard. His only complaint was the Splendor didn't have any quiet places to enjoy a drink. I have to agree with that.

 

Bottom line on your review...I don't buy that you never found a helpful and friendly crew member. In our case, we have never found an unhelpful or unfriendly crew member. As someone else pointed out you might want to take a look at yourself. Some people go through life with a scowl on their face making it very difficult to approach them.

 

I don't wave pom-poms in defense of Carnival. We do enjoy them but we also enjoy Celebrity and one day hope to enjoy a cruise on Royal

[Dearabby_84]

I appreciate that you took the time to write this review. We all have our own experiences while cruising and that's ok! No need to attack or pick apart your review :)

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Just in case somebody missed it the OP posted this on July 17, and followed up with another post on July 19th. They have not posted anywhere on CC since then.:)

 

Bill