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Just Back from Carnival Magic

braveslake

By braveslake,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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braveslake

braveslake

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Going to give a short review and try and not be repetitive here. We sailed on the Magic last week...a family group of 10 ranging in age from 5-63. All had a great time and found plenty to be involved with for their age group. Kids loved their camps. We had early dining at a table for 10 with a really good wait staff. I am one who likes the American Table menus and everyone in our group found there were enough choices for their tastes. There were some menu items that I had never seen before. (fried oysters, steamed mussels, stuffed portobello mushrooms, swordfish, and even Prime Rib on the last night).

 

Some other observations

...Comedy club is now "ticketed" for the adult shows. You have to go to the disco one hour before the show to get your ticket. Then, return to the disco 30 mins prior to show. They call the tickets (A-E and standing room) in order to enter the showroom. I personally liked this new system. You don't have to stand in line in crowded halls and can sit and relax in the disco until called. Of course, we still saw seat saving which defeats the purpose of doing tickets. It was odd to not see the George Lopez introduction though after they had it for so long.

...Guys Pig and Anchor was not only open on sea days but was open on those days that we had late arrival into port. I wish they had some type of trash containers around during the BBQ. Ocean Plaza gets full and the tables cannot be cleared fast enough.

...We used the HUB app and chat which worked out wonderfully for our family. Only a few times did a message not get through. It was $5 each phone for the whole week. They have added a lot of things to the HUB like weather, Sign and Sail account, menus and activities. If you mark your favorite activities it sends you a message 15 minutes before. I don't like carrying my phone around but for this family cruise it was worth it.

...My teenage granddaughter had Bottomless Bubbles but felt uneasy going to bars to get a drink. I had never thought about this before. They will wait on the adults and ignore the kids/teens. I suggested in my survey that they have soda drink stations for those with Bottomless Bubbles so they don't have to go to the bars.

..."Yes, we have no bananas"...a pet peeve of mine. There are never any bananas the last couple of days. It is a necessary staple for so many. IF they can't stock enough due to ripening, then why not restock in a port like San Juan? Maybe one day.

...Dr E makes the Magic! He is a born entertainer that loves what he does.

...Dr Seuss Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast was well worth it! $5 per person...food choices were good and varied. Themed entertainment and opportunities for individual pictures with the characters taken by photographer or with your camera! (Sam, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and The Cat in the Hat). All ages enjoyed it.

...Port Canaveral does embarkation and debarkation right!

It was a fun week for everyone in our family. Was it perfect? No , but we made the best of everything and had a great time!

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braveslake

braveslake

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OP....question reference the ticketing for the Comedy Shows. Do you have to wait in the disco where they allow smoking?? I truly hate smoking, the smell gets to me. How was your experience??

I did not observe anyone smoking in the disco during our waits at all. But, I really can't say whether it was allowed or not. It did not smell bad in there. They did have the air very low so maybe that way how they attempted to clear out the smoke. The Disco didn't open for the night until after 11pm when the last people went in for the show. You don't end up being there long. If you show about 30 mins prior to the show when they ask you to, you are only there for about 5 minutes.

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ABQrobin

ABQrobin

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Thank heavens they have done something about the Comedy Club! We didn't get to see a single show back in March because they just let people line up at the door, and they were lining up 45 minutes before (so as soon as the previous show started). It was awful.

I hope they do this on all the ships soon... we love the Comedy, especially the Adult shows.

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bosoxfan5

bosoxfan5

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Thanks for the review! We sail on Sunday and can't wait! We love the comedy shows so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed them. Did you see the family shows/adult shows or both? This will be our first time doing tickets for the shows so I hope our experience goes as smoothly as yours.

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Open Mind23

Open Mind23

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Thanks for the review! We sail on Sunday and can't wait! We love the comedy shows so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed them. Did you see the family shows/adult shows or both? This will be our first time doing tickets for the shows so I hope our experience goes as smoothly as yours.

 

We're going on Sunday too! Looks like there may be a little rain on Sunday, but so far the rest of the forecast for the cruise is looking pretty good!

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braveslake

braveslake

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Thanks for the quick review, full of good info! We are sailing on the Magic in 17 days!

Just a quick question, cause of the wide range of ages in your group lol, how the kids or teens (yours or others you saw) dressed for elegant night? TIA!

The teen dressed in a dressy dress one night and skirt the other. The 5/6 year olds wore dress shirts, dress pants and dress shoes. Everyone looked great and enjoyed dressing up!

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braveslake

braveslake

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Thanks for the review! We sail on Sunday and can't wait! We love the comedy shows so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed them. Did you see the family shows/adult shows or both? This will be our first time doing tickets for the shows so I hope our experience goes as smoothly as yours.[/quo

We only did the adult shows and the adult shows are the only ticketed ones. (from one Red Sox fan to another)

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AmberTeka

AmberTeka

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Thank you for taking the time to write a review. All of us........who are sailing soon on the Magic, as well as the rest of us who read for possible future bookings.............get a lot of helpful information from reviews like yours.

 

MY Question. Trivia? Did you play? What did you think? We love Trivia. And the casino. And the shows. And the food. And the ports. And the photos. And the shops. You get my drift............

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braveslake

braveslake

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Thank you for taking the time to write a review. All of us........who are sailing soon on the Magic, as well as the rest of us who read for possible future bookings.............get a lot of helpful information from reviews like yours.

 

MY Question. Trivia? Did you play? What did you think? We love Trivia. And the casino. And the shows. And the food. And the ports. And the photos. And the shops. You get my drift............

 

Trivia-Yes, there were many, many trivias...to name a few- Big Bang Theory, Harry Potter, Friends, Sports, General Knowledge. Also a lot of other games in Ocean Plaza like Sorry, Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit etc. My granddaughter and I each won Solid gold ships on a stick during Pictionary. (which I believe was called "Draw It".) I love Trivia and attend as many as I can.

Shops- I am not a shopper so I can't comment but I know there sure were a lot of the usual sales!

Photos-Since this was a family cruise we did all purchase photos which we think came out great. There are even photographers wandering around on the beach in Grand Turk to take pictures. I wish that the proofs were on the tv like some other ships instead of having to wander around looking for them.

Food- one should never run out of options esp for lunch on this ship. Guys burgers, Blue Iguana tacos/taco salad, Mongolian Grill, Deli Sandwiches, Pig and Anchor BBQ and Italian Restaurant are all available and free at lunch.

Casino-The casino on this ship is pretty smokey due to the fact that the sports bar is located inside of the casino. However, they do keep the airconditioning down low in there so it helps. Won a little and lost a little. We only play slots.

Shows- enjoyed them all. Best in my opinion are 88 Keys and America Rocks.

Ports-Amber Cove is a destination by itself without leaving the port-huge winding swimming pool,swim up bar, and water slide. The girls zip lined ($20 for the day) and rented a kayak. There are lots of water toys you can rent available.

St Thomas- we have been there many times. We decided to take the Kontiki Boat Tour with the whole family. It is a flat bottomed boat with a reggae band and free rum punch onboard(also a full bar). They give you a complete harbor tour and then take you to Honeymoon Beach. Was a great day and everyone (even the kids) enjoyed it. Lots of dancing, Limbo contest and even a glass window to see fish on the bottom).

San Juan- we all chose to go to El Moro Fort. We took a taxi. My son and his family walked. The little ones flew kites out front of the fort. There is a kite shop there too.

Grand Turk- We spend the day on the beach there (which we always do). Little ones learned how to snorkel and had a great time. Margaritaville is right behind the beach there. Chairs are free. Umbrellas are rented.

Hope this helps! Have a great cruise!

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bosoxfan5

bosoxfan5

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Thanks for the review! We sail on Sunday and can't wait! We love the comedy shows so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed them. Did you see the family shows/adult shows or both? This will be our first time doing tickets for the shows so I hope our experience goes as smoothly as yours.[/quo

We only did the adult shows and the adult shows are the only ticketed ones. (from one Red Sox fan to another)

 

Thanks for the info! Can't wait until Sunday! Go Sox!

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