Please cheer me up and sell me on the Magic~ i'm bummed :(

[pyropoodle]

Like so many others on these boards,  I was looking forward to seeing the Mardi Gras deck plans, following  the MG threads religiously, stalking the leaked deck plans, etc....and then last night happened and literally the only time we can sail in the dates that were finally published is an UBER EXPENSIVE Holiday.  My husband was having NONE OF IT since the Carnival Magic is available on the exact same dates at virtually half the price for the same room category (Regular Balcony on the Magic for family of 4 is $4,100 vs, $7,300 on the Mardi Gras with tips/ taxes and insurance all included in that price).   so, needless to say, I was not able to book the Mardi Gras, but I was able to book the Magic.  

 

I really am hap,hap,happy that I will be sailing for New Years 2020 into 2021, that's a bucket list item for me, and I am stoked deep down, BUT I can't help feeling a little bit bummed and let down that I'm not on the new super mega Mardi Gras.  (I will book her eventually, don't worry)

 

ANYWAY, I am counting on all of you wonderful CC'ers out there to really sell me on the Magic and let me know that I have done the right thing~ what do you love about her ~why is she your favorite ship~  Tell me that I will really love her too.   I need to read some positive, uplifting words today.  

 

I am hoping that the disappointed feeling will pass and I can get on with my life knowing how lucky I am that I am able to cruise at all, and super blessed.

Edited January 30, 2019 by pyropoodle

[bury me at sea]

Magic is a great ship.

 

Clubs for kids are wonderful, staff is wonderful, decor is fun, she's easy to navigate, and has lots of public spaces.

 

Cloud 9 Spa is amazing.

 

I stopped sailing on her only because she stopped sailing from Galveston.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

[pcvtmom]

Magic is my favorite ship!  I love the layout (particularly the lanai on Deck 5), the Cloud 9 spa (worth getting a pass, if you aren't booked in a spa stateroom), the Red Frog Pub, Alchemy Bar, and the Serenity area.  Booking a brand new ship always means extra $$$$$$$, so waiting a few years will be worth it to book the Mardi Gras!

[pyropoodle]

y'all are making me feel better already!    Thank you :)

 

will definitely look into getting a spa pass since I can toss ...ahem...send my kiddos to camp carnival and get some me time. plus I'm saving $3 grand, sooooo, that ought to buy a pass

[Athankfulheart]

The dream class ships have the BEST thermal suites ! Judging by the deck plans, the Mardi Gras spa is windowless, which sounds awful to me ! We love all the dream class ships and really enjoy the Magic. My daughter will be spending her honeymoon aboard the Magic in April 😃 

[let's go cruising]

I've never been on the Magic, so I looked it up.  It sounds great!  You can go a different time on the Mardi Gras.

 

Have fun! I'm jealous.

 

 

[PhillyFan33579]

Magic is my favorite Carnival ship.  Following are some of my things I love about this ship. The lounges are large and very comfortable, which is great if you like production and comedy shows.  The Thalassotherapy pool is awesome and the main reason we always book a Cloud 9 Spa cabin on any Dream class ship. The Alchemy Bar is in a great location. Great place to hang out and listen to a band playing in the Ocean Plaza. The atrium has glass elevators which are always fun to watch and ride. If it gets a little crowded on Lido and/or Serenity, there is always plenty of lounge chairs available on deck 5, which also has hot tubs.  The Red Frog Pub is always a fun place to hang out at night. Magic basically has all the 2.0 restaurants and bars. It also has Guys BBQ.which is fantastic. Both the steakhouse and Cucina del Captina are excellent speciality restaurants.  If you like outdoor activities, they have a fun rope course and two pretty good water slides. Not everyone will think this is a good thing, but it was the last Carnival ship designed by Joe Farcus and it has a lot of color and character like all the ships he designed before Carnival’s ships started to get boring decor wise starting with Breeze. 

[Shaded Lady]

First of all, Magic & Breeze are my favorite ships!

 

My niece and her husband just went on a NYE cruise on Magic and LOVED IT! Haven't stopped yapping about it since they got back!

 

I hear ya, Mardi Gras would have been cool, but you'll love Magic. If it makes you feel any better, just tell yourself you'll cruise on MG when they've worked out all the kinks, not when it's still got all those little annoying bugs!

[momof4girls]

I love the Magic! The Dream class ships are my favorite of all the ones I’ve been on. The Magic has so much to do! It was my girls first cruise, and they still talk about it today. I would not be bummed at all to spend NYE on that ship! We didn’t feel crowded ever when we sailed on her. We are finally going on the Breeze this May, and I’m ecstatic! 

 

You shouldnt be disappointed at all! Did you enjoy the Legend? 

[Butterbean1000]

The Magic is my favorite ship so far.  I love the lay out.  The Cloud 9 Thermal Suite is fabulous.  Pig and Anchor is tasty.  The Ocean Plaza is a great place to gather along with the lanai which is a place to hang out or eat.  The ship is big enough to not feel crowded.  We are sailing on her sister ship, the Breeze, in Oct.  We can't wait.

[BENHANDEL]

I have also been stalking mardi gras....but now that itineraries are out, I am veryunderwhelmed. The Christmas 2020 voyage is SUPER EXPENSIVE and there does not seem to be a family suite, which we loved on horizon, giving us a balcony and space for less than 2 rooms. PLUS it is the exact itenerary, minus one, as the breeze, which we will be on next christmas-and it was nearly $4000 more! It does not appear that there are many more or bigger common spaces than Horizon, so I imagine the crowds and lines would be ridiculous. 

 

I am no longer interested in mardi gras. Perhaps once she is no longer new, and the prices fall, maybe. 

[pyropoodle]

1 hour ago, Shaded Lady said:

F

My niece and her husband just went on a NYE cruise on Magic and LOVED IT! Haven't stopped yapping about it since they got back!

 

 

i have always wanted to do a NYE cruise and this  particular year just happened to work out with the school dates and with me being off work.  other years, where NYE is say, in the middle of the  week,  i have to be back at work the day after Jan 1 so haven't been able to do it.  luckily ,  in 2020/ 2021 ,it falls on a weekend and I have that extra day in there.  i am super happy about that.     

 

1 hour ago, momof4girls said:

 I would not be bummed at all to spend NYE on that ship! We didn’t feel crowded ever when we sailed on her. We are finally going on the Breeze this May, and I’m ecstatic! 

 

You shouldnt be disappointed at all! Did you enjoy the Legend? 

ugh, i know , i feel terrible for feeling bummed. it's AWESOME that i will get to do this and y'alls comments are really, really helping me put that into perspective.  

 

and yes, i think i've been on the Legend at least 3 times and it is probably my favorite ship of the ones I have sailed.  it's not huge, but it's easy to navigate and I think it has as classy of a decor that a cruise ship can have, especially considering how old she is.   I would sail her again, but I need to get out of my comfort zone and try other ships.  

30 minutes ago, BENHANDEL said:

I have also been stalking mardi gras....but now that itineraries are out, I am veryunderwhelmed. The Christmas 2020 voyage is SUPER EXPENSIVE and there does not seem to be a family suite, which we loved on horizon, giving us a balcony and space for less than 2 rooms. PLUS it is the exact itenerary, minus one, as the breeze, which we will be on next christmas-and it was nearly $4000 more! It does not appear that there are many more or bigger common spaces than Horizon, so I imagine the crowds and lines would be ridiculous. 

 

I am no longer interested in mardi gras. Perhaps once she is no longer new, and the prices fall, maybe. 

YESSSS, THISSSSSSS.  I feel the same way.  I was  also disappointed because there was no family harbor area (i haven't been on a ship that has that yet, and it seems like it's something we would use and enjoy. it's so strange with a ship that huge they couldn't fit it in.    and the Itin  is not awesome either.  i can only speculate that that is because it's a huge ship and only certain ports can deal with that amount of people.  Tendering would probably be a nightmare. maybe...again, i haven't been on a large ship of any kind, so that's just speculation

 

on the Magic, the dates are exactly the same, just from Miami instead of Orlando, and we get an extra port.   (i've been to all of them, so no big deal) but hubs really doesn't even like to cruise. he goes because I love it, so an extra day for him to do something in a port is a plus.  For me, i'm happy on the ship being lazy, but he needs to be into something. 

 

it is a little bit crazy to run the prices up that much, even for a new ship.   I can see that it's going to cost more being new and being at that time of the year, but really, I cruise for economy and when Carnival starts charging as much as those other guys, it kinda hurts my heart a little.   just a little though.   I have never, ever, ever had a bad cruise...even though on one of them we missed ports due to sailing around a tropical storm of some kind. even then, it cruising has always been Magic for me <--- see what i did there???hahahah.   

 

oh you guys. i feel so much better about my choice.   thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to cheer me up! 

 

😎 you are all rock stars

[BoDidly]

Guess what, You're going on a cruise !!!

Enjoy !

[pyropoodle]

I KNOW!!!!  i really am excited.  I haven't been on one in 2 years, so I am ready!

[SRQbeachgirl]

We really loved the Magic and will no doubt cruise on her again. The thermal suite in the Cloud 9 spa is definitely worth experiencing. One of my favorite places on the ship was on Deck 11 overlooking the main pool, where there are great padded chairs and ottomans in the shade--still able to see all the action around the pool, without feeling crowded--but can also watch the ocean slide by from there.

[moongal]

Magic was my favorite ship I have sailed on hands down.  I only got to go once because she moved from Galveston and I am excited to be going on the Dream this May, but the Magic was my all time favorite so far.  The Mardi Gras will always be there and you can book it anytime later. 

 

[Jamman54]

We absolutely loved the Magic when we did a B2B on her in 2017. I have a review in my signature.

[robertlanajean]

11 hours ago, pyropoodle said:

but hubs really doesn't even like to cruise. he goes because I love it, so an extra day for him to do something in a port is a plus.  For me, i'm happy on the ship being lazy, but he needs to be into something. 

 

I love seeing this! The things we do for love... 

 

We're taking my wife's parents on a cruise in May. We were all scheduled on Magic in March but had to reschedule for May to accommodate their schedule. They had psyched themselves up so much for Magic by watching youtube videos that we had to rebook the same ship. Ended up with 2 fewer days and ports that are just meh -- but they will get their Magic and we're still on vacation so all is good. Looks like a fun ship. I think you'll have a blast! Plus vacations are more about the company you keep and the memories you make. Any ship (except maybe the S.S. Minnow) would be a good vacation.

 

 

Edited January 31, 2019 by robertlanajean
added a sentence

[Aplmac]

Nothing can ruin a cruise quicker..

than unrealistic expectations of heavenly perfection.

[jimbo5544]

18 minutes ago, Aplmac said:

Nothing can ruin a cruise quicker..

than unrealistic expectations of heavenly perfection.

You sound like my wife....

[pyropoodle]

1 hour ago, Jamman54 said:

We absolutely loved the Magic when we did a B2B on her in 2017. I have a review in my signature.

Thanks, i'll check it out whilst I kill time at work today.  I only have 695 days to prepare ...wooo, that's a long time. 

 

1 hour ago, robertlanajean said:

 

I love seeing this! The things we do for love... 

 

We're taking my wife's parents on a cruise in May. We were all scheduled on Magic in March but had to reschedule for May to accommodate their schedule. They had psyched themselves up so much for Magic by watching youtube videos that we had to rebook the same ship. Ended up with 2 fewer days and ports that are just meh -- but they will get their Magic and we're still on vacation so all is good. Looks like a fun ship. I think you'll have a blast! Plus vacations are more about the company you keep and the memories you make. Any ship (except maybe the S.S. Minnow) would be a good vacation.

 

 

 

 

Yes, he is really, really great in that regard.  it's something that brings me joy, so he 'suffers' through it.  it's not the cruising that he hates per se, it's the being stuck miles from land in the middle of a large body of water, filled with sharks and no way to escape.  <----  his words, not mine.    plus, he literally never relaxes.  even at home he can't sit still. he's always doing something, piddling or fixing. I have to force him to relax.

1 hour ago, Aplmac said:

Nothing can ruin a cruise quicker..

than unrealistic expectations of heavenly perfection.

 

1 hour ago, Aplmac said:

Nothing can ruin a cruise quicker..

than unrealistic expectations of heavenly perfection.

 in terms of cruising, I'm always a glass half full person.   I'd change that quote to "Nothing can ruin my cruise"

 

literally.  I'm on a boat.  maybe not the boat I had in my head, but it's still a boat and it's still (for me) a perfect vacation. 

 

after reading these comments and seeing how many of you "love the magic, it's our favorite ship" my head is in a much better place today.    The ONLY thing that will ruin this cruise is my flight not making it down to Miami.....OR if they run out of DOD's!!!  

 

now, heading to read @jamman54's review.

Edited January 31, 2019 by pyropoodle

[fozzy1975]

16 hours ago, pyropoodle said:

Like so many others on these boards,  I was looking forward to seeing the Mardi Gras deck plans, following  the MG threads religiously, stalking the leaked deck plans, etc....and then last night happened and literally the only time we can sail in the dates that were finally published is an UBER EXPENSIVE Holiday.  My husband was having NONE OF IT since the Carnival Magic is available on the exact same dates at virtually half the price for the same room category (Regular Balcony on the Magic for family of 4 is $4,100 vs, $7,300 on the Mardi Gras with tips/ taxes and insurance all included in that price).   so, needless to say, I was not able to book the Mardi Gras, but I was able to book the Magic.  

 

I really am hap,hap,happy that I will be sailing for New Years 2020 into 2021, that's a bucket list item for me, and I am stoked deep down, BUT I can't help feeling a little bit bummed and let down that I'm not on the new super mega Mardi Gras.  (I will book her eventually, don't worry)

 

ANYWAY, I am counting on all of you wonderful CC'ers out there to really sell me on the Magic and let me know that I have done the right thing~ what do you love about her ~why is she your favorite ship~  Tell me that I will really love her too.   I need to read some positive, uplifting words today.  

 

I am hoping that the disappointed feeling will pass and I can get on with my life knowing how lucky I am that I am able to cruise at all, and super blessed.

We sailed the magic 2 years ago and will be sailing her again in July! GREAT ship! We had a blast!

[pyropoodle]

....and talk about timing. I just checked my email, and there is an email from Cruise Critic detailing the pros of sailing on the Carnival Magic.  Coincidence?  I think not. 

 

love it!

[five.]

Phillyfan said it better than me in another thread:

Quote

Horizon isn’t much bigger than Magic, but I agree it has features like smaller show lounges, no glass elevators, smaller atrium, no thalassotherapy pool, etc. My wife and I enjoy going to shows, comedy, etc., and the lounges on Vista class ships are too small, poor sight lines, etc. But if these don’t appeal to you, that eliminates a big negative associated with Vista class ships.
 

I know you were wanting the MG which is not a Vista Class, but I know between those two classes, I would go with Magic every time. Get access to the spa, the thalassotherapy pool is one of the highlights of the ship for me. MG is too new for me to have an opinion on it yet, but I am a little underwhelmed. I'll wait for prices to come down.

Edited January 31, 2019 by five.

[pyropoodle]

so, just for my clarity, when you guys say "get access to the spa", what does that entail. we aren't in a spa balcony, so would I be paying for a pass to use a hot tub? or is there more to it?