Our unBELIZEable, MAGICal Cruise (and one "Dude, you are SO busted!" moment)

[SRQbeachgirl]

We just sailed on the Magic 7/21 – 7/28 Western sailing, with stops in Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and Costa Maya. This review may not be as extensive as many others and I haven’t decided if I’ll post photos, but I’ll try to hit the highlights and I’m happy to answer any questions I can.

 

About Us

 

Me, DH, and DS (19). This was my 6th cruise (previously cruised with Carnival 4 times and RCI twice). It was DH’s 5thcruise (one of my previous RCI cruises was with a group of 40 women – no husbands allowed!) and DS’s 2nd cruise. DH and I turned Gold on this trip. We celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary and my birthday on the cruise.

 

Planning Phase

 

We only had one specific week that we were able to travel this summer due to my job, so we were limited as to ships and itineraries. I looked at multiple cruise lines for this trip, but Carnival had the best options for the week we could cruise. We have been to Cozumel many times, but have never been to the other three ports on this sailing.

 

There are some really great excursions available for this itinerary, which made it hard to decide what to do at each port. In the end, we decided that this trip was more about relaxation, so we avoided the high-octane adventure options. Our initial plans were (I say “initial”…more on that later):

 

Cozumel – Mr. Sancho’s Beach Club

 

Belize – Sharks, Rays, Barrier Reef Snorkel & Island Escape (through Carnival)

 

Roatan – Dolphin Swim & Snorkel (through Carnival)

 

Costa Maya – No excursion booked; plan to just wander around port and then get back on ship

 

We did not buy Cheers or Bottomless Bubbles. DH really doesn’t drink and I only drink two or three alcoholic beverages per day on a cruise, so Cheers just isn’t worth it. We rarely drink carbonated beverages at home, opting for iced tea or water, so BB wasn’t important to us, either.

 

This was our first time to book a balcony, having always booked outside cabins. I may never go back. More on that later.

 

Travel Day

 

We flew out of Washington-Dulles International on Friday, 7/20, to Orlando, with a short layover in Charlotte, NC. We got a great offer to upgrade to first class, which really came in handy on our return trip (more on that later). Our flights went smoothly and we landed in Orlando on time.

 

Prior to last October, we had lived in Florida for 10 years and were used to the heat and humidity. Well, last Fall we moved to northern Virginia (our fist winter with snow was…interesting). So when we stepped out of the Orlando airport we discovered that our tolerance level for Florida’s July weather had bottomed out after only 7 months away.

 

Anyway, we waded through the humidity to the Hertz rental area in the parking garage, found our rental car parked in our assigned slot, and away we went. We had booked the Residence Inn at Cape Canaveral, but that was not our first stop. Nope, we drove right passed the hotel straight to the nearest Publix, with one goal in mind: Blue Bell Ice Cream.

 

Now, for those of you who have not had the pleasure of knowing the creamy goodness of Blue Bell, you may think this to be odd. But we’re originally from Texas, where Blue Bell is virtually at the top of the food pyramid, along with Dr. Pepper and Texas Barbeque (which is beef – always, always beef). We were very fortunate that we were able to get Blue Bell while living in Florida, but we discovered a cruel truth when we moved to northern Virginia. No Blue Bell. None. We’ve tried every brand we can find up here, but nothing compares to Blue Bell. So it was only natural that our first priority upon obtaining transportation was to get ourselves to a Publix, pronto.

 

After procuring the delectable treasure, we proceeded back up the street to the hotel. We used Marriott points for this stay, so I’m not sure what the normal room rate is. Our room had a kitchen, living room with a pull-out sofa bed, and a separate bedroom with a king-sized bed. It was more than we needed for just one night, but it had the all-important full refrigerator/freezer in which to store our Blue Bell. DH walked across the parking lot to get Burger King for us, as it was already late, we were beyond hungry, and we were too tired to go out to a restaurant. We gratefully ate our Whoppers and ice cream and called it a night.

 

Next up, Embarkation Day.

[lennythenose]

Being a fellow Texan I completely understand your priorities! We sailed the Magic this summer also with our 19 and 15 yo sons but on the Eastern route. Looking forward to your review!

[momof4girls]

Great start! What cabin did you end up choosing?

 

We have Blue Bell here but I’ve never tried it. Now you have me curious as to what I’ve been missing! We are strictly Braums ice cream lovers, which is definitely not available just anywhere!

[watermelonqueen99]

Following! Magic is our favorite ship. :hearteyes: And being an Okie who lives in a town with a Blue Bell plant, I understand. Lol

[cindik]

I totally understand about Blue Bell! My absolute favorite is cherry vanilla!

[disneylover89]

Following along! We sail on her in 20 days!

[IPlayWithString]

Following and yes..you are absolutely correct. The top 3 food groups are definitely barbecue (preferably brisket), Dr. Pepper and Blue Bell ice cream.

[SRQbeachgirl]

Embarkation Day

 

We got up about 8:30am, got ready, and went down to eat breakfast. Then DH and DS went back to the room to round up our luggage while I took the rental car across the parking lot to return it at the Hertz location next to the hotel. We hopped on the shuttle that the hotel uses ($5 cash per person) and were at the cruise terminal by 10:40. We had FTTF, so we were through check-in and on the ship by 11:05.

 

Now, I have to talk a little about FTTF. I know there are very strong feelings on both sides of this feature as to whether it is worth the now $90 for a 7-day cruise. IMO, yes, yes, a thousand times yes! I stalked the Carnival website for months hoping more FTTF slots would open up and finally scored one about 2-3 weeks before the cruise. The two main reasons I buy FTTF is for our cabin to be ready as soon as we board and to avoid long lines as Guest Services.

 

Anyway, we got on the ship and got to our cabin and…it wasn’t ready. Grrr. Reason number one for getting FTTF is not working out so well this cruise. Our cabin steward was there and he said our names were not on his FTTF list. I showed him our FTTF stickers and he apologized profusely, said he would get it ready for us, and went and got our S&S cards. He also asked us if we wanted morning service, evening service, or both. We chose both. We dropped our luggage off in the cabin, so FTTF wasn't a total bust on FTTF Reason #1. The cabin was, however, very warm. After hearing from previous Magic cruisers about A/C trouble, we thought “uh oh”and asked the steward to leave us a fan. Then we stopped by a public restroom, went by the Lobby Bar to get me a Kiss on the Lips (yum!) and then went over to Guest Services.

 

It was only about 11:45 by this time, but already the regular GS line was about 20 people deep. This is my Reason #2 for liking FTTF. There was no one in the priority line, so while our cabin had not been ready at boarding, at least I didn’t have to wait in a long line to complain about it. :') The GS member apologized for the cabin not being ready and then excused herself to the back office for a couple of minutes. I had expected to be offered a partial credit for FTTF, maybe $20 or $25 in OBC. Instead, the GS member came back out and said they were refunding the whole $89.99 as OBC, but we would still keep all the FTTF privileges. Wow! Carnival scored some major points with me for that move.

 

We checked out our dining room (Northern Lights – Your Time Dining), went to activate our Spa passes (we bought the Thermal Suite passes), and then went back to our cabin, which was now ready. The cabin steward had left us a fan and filled our ice bucket (points earned).

 

This was our first time to book a balcony cabin. We have always had outside cabins on lower decks, but this time we wanted to splurge. We were in cabin 10282 on the Lido Deck, only three cabins away from the doors going out to the main Lido pool area. It took about three minutes for us to fall in love with a balcony cabin. We may never book anything else. It made the room feel so much bigger. We also loved, loved, loved the location on the Lido Deck. It was so convenient, especially when we were at the pool area or the Lido café and wanted to run back to the cabin for something.

 

We unpacked and then hung out on the balcony for sail away. It rained very lightly as we pulled away from the dock, but that was the only rain we had all week. We set out to explore the ship, as this was our first time on a Dream Class and was also the largest ship we’ve sailed on so far. We thought the Magic is the perfect size – not too big and not too small.

 

After exploring the ship and wandering through the shops once they opened, we headed to our MDR for dinner. DH and DS ordered the flat iron steak for their entrée, which they said was good. I ordered the sweet & sour shrimp, which was decent, but the fried rice that came with it was foul – it had like a chemical plastic taste and really was inedible.

 

After dinner we wandered around some more, sat on the aft Lido deck listening to the ship's wake, and generally relaxed. Sometime before midnight we got pizza and our first of many soft serve cones, then went back to our cabin to turn in for the night.

 

Next, our first Sea Day.

Edited July 29, 2018 by SRQbeachgirl

[SRQbeachgirl]

Great start! What cabin did you end up choosing?

 

We have Blue Bell here but I’ve never tried it. Now you have me curious as to what I’ve been missing! We are strictly Braums ice cream lovers, which is definitely not available just anywhere!

 

We had Cabin 10282.

 

Braum's - yum. Grew up with them before Blue Bell existed and still love their ice cream when I can get it. Blue Bell is up there with Braum's, IMO, and I recommend trying it if you get the chance.

[searoses]

Have you tried walmart for bluebell?...i moved to eastern nc last year and that is the only place i could find it...missing our maine made local brands but bluebell is a pretty good substitute!

[rjl1977]

Following

[SRQbeachgirl]

Have you tried walmart for bluebell?...i moved to eastern nc last year and that is the only place i could find it...missing our maine made local brands but bluebell is a pretty good substitute!

 

Not at Walmart, either. We contacted Blue Bell (yes, we were THAT desperate!) and the closest retailer is about 2.5 hours away. I've been tempted to make the drive with a very large cooler and dry ice in the trunk. :')

[SRQbeachgirl]

First Sea Day

 

I woke up a little after 8am on our first sea day, which is a little late for me on a cruise. I hadn’t gotten much sleep lately though, soI needed the rest. My intention was to go straight to breakfast, but I checked my account on Carnival’s HUB to see if the FTTF refund OBC was there. As soon as I pulled it up, I realized my first priority was going to be to head back to GS –not because of the OBC, which was there, but because the spa had charged our folio account when we activated our spa passes even though we had already paid in advance through the website.

 

As soon as I got off the elevator on Deck 3, I was once again grateful for FTTF. The regular GS line was over 50 people long at 8:30am! I even took a picture of it because I knew DH wouldn’t believe me. The priority line had three people. YES! Five minutes later I had my account sorted out and was on my way to get breakfast.

 

I was surprised that there were still available lounge chairs around the main pool, though the chair hogs had definitely visited. I went up to Deck 12 and got one of the tables with the padded wicker chairs overlooking the Lido Deck, where I would also have a nice view of the ocean. Tip: put a towel in the chair, because those pads are vinyl and you WILL stick to them! Then I went down to Blue Iguana for my first breakfast burrito. Mmmm.

 

Once the burrito, juice, and coffee were secured, I made myself comfortable at the table and settled in with the first of three books I would read on this cruise (I had already started this one at the airport). DH and DS joined me mid-morning. Once they had eaten, we went to play mini-golf. It’s a decent little course and we had a good time, but I had forgotten to put sunscreen on. Doh! Fortunately, we have a “miracle” gel that really takes sunburn pain away, so it was all good.

 

After a late lunch in the Lido café we went to the Spa. That thermal suite is amazing, especially the T-Pool. I know they say to limit your time in it, but it’s really hard to not just sit in it all day! And the heated loungers – that is a nap just waiting to happen!

 

This was the first formal night, but we don’t do formal. DH and I did that in our younger years, but I have to dress very nicely for work every day and do not feel like dressing up on vacation. So formal night for me consists of nice pants and a nice short-sleeved top, with DH and DS in khakis and button-down shirts. This is also one of the few times DH will drink anything, so we split a bottle of wine. Both DH and DS had steak and I had lobster. Actually, I had 2 lobsters because…lobster! :D

 

After dinner we walked around the Promenade, which I really like on the Magic. Then we went back to the cabin, where we found a gift – a dozen chocolate covered strawberries, two ships on a stick, a $50 spa gift card, a card from John Heald, and a big “Happy Anniversary” message from our steward written on the mirror above the desk. Very nice!

 

The Greatest Showman was the dive-in movie for the night. We hadn’t seen it so we decided to watch. We really like the dive-in movie concept and enjoyed watching movies under the stars, but…Carnival, please, get some popcorn seasoning!

 

After the movie, DH went back to the cabin and DS and I ventured to the casino for the first and only time on the cruise. DS won a few dollars on Black Jack, while I lost on video poker. We decided to cut our losses when it became apparent that I was going to lose more than he was going to win, so we gave up and went back to the cabin.

 

Next stop, Cozumel.

 

[Gin505]

Have to laugh when we got to Florida it was straight to Publix for their fried chicken

[SRQbeachgirl]

Cozumel

 

We had planned to spend the day at Mr. Sancho’s Beach Club. I got up early and sat on the balcony while we pulled in to Cozumel. By the time we docked, I realized I just was not feeling like sitting on a hot beach all day. Now I know some of you are thinking “WHAT?!? How could you not want to spend the day at a beautiful beach?!?” I get it, really. But we spent the last 10 years living less than two miles from one of the best beaches in the U.S. and spent many, many days sitting on that beach and enjoying the beautiful clear water. We had actually picked Mr. Sanchos not for the beach, but just for the relaxation factor. We've been to Cozumel several times and stayed at various resorts on the mainland along the Riviera Maya, so we've seen ruins, cenotes and lots of the adventurous stuff and didn't feel like doing long, exhausting tours on this trip.

 

So anyway, I’m sitting on the balcony thinking I’m just not feeling like having a beach day. I woke up DH and DS to get their thoughts and, to my surprise, both said they’d rather not go. Well, alrighty then. I grabbed my book and headed back out to the balcony for an hour while DH and DS slept a little longer.

 

Once they got up and we all got ready, we grabbed a bite to eat at the Lido café and then left the ship to do a little shopping. Since we were celebrating two special occasions, I gravitated toward the jewelry shops (of course!). We wound up getting DH a new wedding band, since his had some damage on it, and I got a blue topaz and white sapphire ring to replace a ring I had lost last year.

 

After getting shopping out of our system (or, more accurately, emptying our wallet of the cash we’d taken off the ship), we got back on the ship for a late lunch. We all decided to try out Guy’s burgers and gave it three thumbs up.

 

The rest of the afternoon consisted of a spa visit, sitting around the pool, and then a little relaxation and reading in the cabin and/or on the balcony before getting ready for dinner. We all had steak in the MDR for dinner and DH and DS said theirs were good, but mine wasn’t. I wasn’t really hungry, though, so I wasn’t overly upset about it.

 

We did get a little entertainment for dinner. It was just about time to pull out from Cozumel when an announcement came through the intercom asking for three guests to contact GS immediately. I told DH and DS that my bet was that those people had not re-boarded the ship and we might get to see some pier runners, since we were seated at a window table overlooking the pier. We were supposed to leave at 6pm, but 6pm came and went and we didn't move. At 6:10, we saw three people running flat-out down the pier. I mean running like their lives depended on it. Those people got very, very lucky.

For the rest of the evening, we watched one of the comedy shows, walked around the ship, stopped off for some soft serve, and then went back to the cabin. DH and DS watched something on tv while I read on the balcony.

Tomorrow, Belize.

[trueblue91652747]

Looking forward to the rest of your review. We will be doing the same stops and ship it September.

[CruiseMomTX]

Enjoying the review especially the Blue Bell part! We not only live about an hour from Blue Bell in Brenham, TX but my husband used to deliver cream to them from our family dairy!! I just bought their new flavor Key Lime Mango Tart yesterday and its delicious.

[SallyPilot]

I always have to stop at Publix for a deli Boars Head sub and a mango key lime pie!

 

 

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[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[You Me & the Sea]

Enjoying your review!

[Can'tWait2SetSail]

Thanks for taking the time to write your review. It is an enjoyable read!

[E@syPe@zy]

Really enjoying your review. I had no idea Blue Bell Ice Cream was not available all over the country.

It's nice to hear that Carnival went up and above on the FTTF refund.

Thanks for doing this review....looking forward to the rest of it!

[Shaded Lady]

Our Publix stop always involves their mountain bread! In fact when I travel to Tampa for business (lived there for 12 years before moving to TX), the TSA screeners all think I'm bizarre because my carry-on consists of a laptop and 3 loaves of Publix mountain bread!

 

Loving the review... thanks for sharing!

[grandmarnnurse]

We just sailed on the Magic 7/21 – 7/28 Western sailing, with stops in Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and Costa Maya. This review may not be as extensive as many others and I haven’t decided if I’ll post photos, but I’ll try to hit the highlights and I’m happy to answer any questions I can.

 

About Us

 

Me, DH, and DS (19). This was my 6th cruise (previously cruised with Carnival 4 times and RCI twice). It was DH’s 5thcruise (one of my previous RCI cruises was with a group of 40 women – no husbands allowed!) and DS’s 2nd cruise. DH and I turned Gold on this trip. We celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary and my birthday on the cruise.

 

Planning Phase

 

We only had one specific week that we were able to travel this summer due to my job, so we were limited as to ships and itineraries. I looked at multiple cruise lines for this trip, but Carnival had the best options for the week we could cruise. We have been to Cozumel many times, but have never been to the other three ports on this sailing.

 

There are some really great excursions available for this itinerary, which made it hard to decide what to do at each port. In the end, we decided that this trip was more about relaxation, so we avoided the high-octane adventure options. Our initial plans were (I say “initial”…more on that later):

 

Cozumel – Mr. Sancho’s Beach Club

 

Belize – Sharks, Rays, Barrier Reef Snorkel & Island Escape (through Carnival)

 

Roatan – Dolphin Swim & Snorkel (through Carnival)

 

Costa Maya – No excursion booked; plan to just wander around port and then get back on ship

 

We did not buy Cheers or Bottomless Bubbles. DH really doesn’t drink and I only drink two or three alcoholic beverages per day on a cruise, so Cheers just isn’t worth it. We rarely drink carbonated beverages at home, opting for iced tea or water, so BB wasn’t important to us, either.

 

This was our first time to book a balcony, having always booked outside cabins. I may never go back. More on that later.

 

Travel Day

 

We flew out of Washington-Dulles International on Friday, 7/20, to Orlando, with a short layover in Charlotte, NC. We got a great offer to upgrade to first class, which really came in handy on our return trip (more on that later). Our flights went smoothly and we landed in Orlando on time.

 

Prior to last October, we had lived in Florida for 10 years and were used to the heat and humidity. Well, last Fall we moved to northern Virginia (our fist winter with snow was…interesting). So when we stepped out of the Orlando airport we discovered that our tolerance level for Florida’s July weather had bottomed out after only 7 months away.

 

Anyway, we waded through the humidity to the Hertz rental area in the parking garage, found our rental car parked in our assigned slot, and away we went. We had booked the Residence Inn at Cape Canaveral, but that was not our first stop. Nope, we drove right passed the hotel straight to the nearest Publix, with one goal in mind: Blue Bell Ice Cream.

 

Now, for those of you who have not had the pleasure of knowing the creamy goodness of Blue Bell, you may think this to be odd. But we’re originally from Texas, where Blue Bell is virtually at the top of the food pyramid, along with Dr. Pepper and Texas Barbeque (which is beef – always, always beef). We were very fortunate that we were able to get Blue Bell while living in Florida, but we discovered a cruel truth when we moved to northern Virginia. No Blue Bell. None. We’ve tried every brand we can find up here, but nothing compares to Blue Bell. So it was only natural that our first priority upon obtaining transportation was to get ourselves to a Publix, pronto.

 

After procuring the delectable treasure, we proceeded back up the street to the hotel. We used Marriott points for this stay, so I’m not sure what the normal room rate is. Our room had a kitchen, living room with a pull-out sofa bed, and a separate bedroom with a king-sized bed. It was more than we needed for just one night, but it had the all-important full refrigerator/freezer in which to store our Blue Bell. DH walked across the parking lot to get Burger King for us, as it was already late, we were beyond hungry, and we were too tired to go out to a restaurant. We gratefully ate our Whoppers and ice cream and called it a night.

 

Next up, Embarkation Day.

 

 

 

I had to laugh when I read this, as we just returned from visiting our son and his family in Wylie, Texas, and those 3 food groups are a big necessity in his house: Blue Bell ice cream, Dr Pepper, and BBQ (primarily brisket).

 

 

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[Alaskan Joe]

*Book Mark*

I can't wait for the "Dude your so Busted" moment....LoL