treevee1985 Posted May 20, 2019 #1 Share Posted May 20, 2019 I am looking to book a cruise for summer of 2020. I've narrowed it down to either Magic or Horizon. Both are 8 day southern Caribbean. the ports are Aruba, curacao, la Romana and Amber Cove. The Horizon is $44 more. I've only been on carnival glory and carnival liberty. I can't decide which to choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare dctravel Posted May 20, 2019 #2 Share Posted May 20, 2019 This was a hard choice for us for our upcoming August 2019 cruise. Ultimately, the cost difference was greater in August, so we choose the Magic, which have sailed on before. My kids loved the layout and the water slides. They were less enamored with teh pictures of the Dr. Seuss themed water areas on the Horizon. I would have liked to try something different, but what can you do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNcruising02 Posted May 20, 2019 #3 Share Posted May 20, 2019 (edited) I had to make that same decision. My husband chose the Magic. We like that size Carnival ship the best. We haven't sailed on the Horizon, but have sailed on the Vista. We didn't like the extremely long lines for the adult comedy shows and didn't like the theater. The theater is not set up like the smaller ships and it's difficult to get a decent view of the stage. We always stand in line early, but this was ridiculous. There are pros about the bigger ship. There are more people, but there is also more to do. It really depends on who you are travelling with and the things you would like to do on the ship. I think teens would really like the larger ship. Many adults prefer it too. Since my husband and I aren't interested in the water slides and things like that, the Magic is a much better fit for us. Edited May 20, 2019 by TNcruising02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillyFan33579 Posted May 20, 2019 #4 Share Posted May 20, 2019 I have cruised on both ships and Magic would be an easy choice for me. Keep in mind I like attending shows, especially comedy, and there is no comparison between the lounges/theaters on these ships. The ones on Horizon are way too small for the size of the ship. The thermal suite on Magic is a lot nicer if that interests you. I like the Red Frog Pub more than Guys Pig n Anchor, another plus for Magic. I also prefer the atrium with glass elevators on Magic. Horizon is still a nice ship, but it doesn’t compare to Magic in my book. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nycruise3 Posted May 21, 2019 #5 Share Posted May 21, 2019 (edited) Here are the differences between the ships, it is ultimately up to you and your family to choose which better suits your needs. I hope this helps. Horizon: Basics- 3,500 more gross tons 300 more passengers 50 feet longer 100 more crew Dining- Bonsai Teppanyaki Jiji Asian Kitchen Fresh Creations Bonsai Sushi Shake Spot Bars- Havana Bar Guy's Pig and Anchor Brewhouse Skybox Sports Bar Beer Station Entertainment- IMAX/Thrill Theater Kids/Teens- Dr. Seuss Bookville Outdoor- SkyRide Magic: Dining- Mongolian Wok Activities- Art Exhibitions/seminars/auctions/games Bars- Red Frog Pub Kids/Teens- Seuss at Sea Circle C Towel Animal Theater Spa- Thalassotherapy Pool Edited May 21, 2019 by nycruise3 Formatting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaniceB Posted May 21, 2019 #6 Share Posted May 21, 2019 It looks like the Horizon has more for kids to do. Does the Magic have the ropes course and a thrill theater like the Breeze? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joebucks Posted May 21, 2019 #7 Share Posted May 21, 2019 It really depends what you are looking for. The Horizon has more going on, which I believe usually brings a higher chance of fun. If you are going to let some of the poorly designed lounges ruin your time, I would choose the Magic, which is no slouch. I had a heck of a time getting a Punchliner seat on a Dream class though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplephenom Posted May 21, 2019 #8 Share Posted May 21, 2019 (edited) Both these ships are bigger than what you've sailed before, and the price difference is small. If flights are open for your dates, I would look at those and see which is cheaper (or are both cruises at the same time?). Both cruises will have more "stuff" than your previous cruises. And both have the same awesome ports. IMO, you can't really go wrong here. EDIT- I just reread and saw you were looking at summer 2020- perhaps you could check flights for the same time this year and see if either date is drastically cheaper. Edited May 21, 2019 by purplephenom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNcruising02 Posted May 21, 2019 #9 Share Posted May 21, 2019 (edited) 14 minutes ago, Joebucks said: It really depends what you are looking for. The Horizon has more going on, which I believe usually brings a higher chance of fun. If you are going to let some of the poorly designed lounges ruin your time, I would choose the Magic, which is no slouch. I had a heck of a time getting a Punchliner seat on a Dream class though. On the flip side, it makes sense for someone who likes theater shows and comedy shows to choose a ship size where watching those shows is a pleasant experience. It's not a matter of letting a poorly designed lounge or theater ruining a cruise. It didn't ruin my cruise and I had a great time. However, choosing not to watch shows in a poorly designed theater or stand in insanely long comedy show lines is common sense for people who enjoy those things and don't cruise for the water slides, rope courses, IMAX, etc. Different strokes for different folks. Choosing a ship size that works for a family doesn't mean the other size ships won't work for others. I think the ship size really depends on what the cruisers are looking for. The Horizen will appeal to kids and teens, that's for sure. But there are negatives, just like with any ship. Edited May 21, 2019 by TNcruising02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbethel11 Posted May 21, 2019 #10 Share Posted May 21, 2019 19 hours ago, TNcruising02 said: I think teens would really like the larger ship. Not necessarily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbethel11 Posted May 21, 2019 #11 Share Posted May 21, 2019 1 hour ago, nycruise3 said: Here are the differences between the ships, it is ultimately up to you and your family to choose which better suits your needs. I hope this helps. Horizon: Basics- 3,500 more gross tons 300 more passengers 50 feet longer 100 more crew Dining- Bonsai Teppanyaki Jiji Asian Kitchen Fresh Creations Bonsai Sushi Shake Spot Bars- Havana Bar Guy's Pig and Anchor Brewhouse Skybox Sports Bar Beer Station Entertainment- IMAX/Thrill Theater Kids/Teens- Dr. Seuss Bookville Outdoor- SkyRide Magic: Dining- Mongolian Wok Activities- Art Exhibitions/seminars/auctions/games Bars- Red Frog Pub Kids/Teens- Seuss at Sea Circle C Towel Animal Theater Spa- Thalassotherapy Pool I am confused. Circle C is on both the Horizon and the Magic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillyFan33579 Posted May 21, 2019 #12 Share Posted May 21, 2019 2 hours ago, JaniceB said: It looks like the Horizon has more for kids to do. Does the Magic have the ropes course and a thrill theater like the Breeze? Magic has the ropes course but doesn’t have the thrill theater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joebucks Posted May 21, 2019 #13 Share Posted May 21, 2019 1 hour ago, TNcruising02 said: On the flip side, it makes sense for someone who likes theater shows and comedy shows to choose a ship size where watching those shows is a pleasant experience. It's not a matter of letting a poorly designed lounge or theater ruining a cruise. It didn't ruin my cruise and I had a great time. However, choosing not to watch shows in a poorly designed theater or stand in insanely long comedy show lines is common sense for people who enjoy those things and don't cruise for the water slides, rope courses, IMAX, etc. Different strokes for different folks. Choosing a ship size that works for a family doesn't mean the other size ships won't work for others. I think the ship size really depends on what the cruisers are looking for. The Horizen will appeal to kids and teens, that's for sure. But there are negatives, just like with any ship. Fair assessment. Sharing my own experience, the comedy is my favorite night time activity, by far. The worst experience I had was on the Dream where all seats were always filled unless you were at least 30 min early. In that case, you got a crappy seat. The best experience has been on any fantasy class. Always plenty of room, even if you walk in at show start. With that said, I would still pick a larger ship over fantasy because I like the total experience better. To each their own 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nycruise3 Posted May 22, 2019 #14 Share Posted May 22, 2019 (edited) 23 hours ago, jbethel11 said: I am confused. Circle C is on both the Horizon and the Magic. There must have been a mistake on the Carnival website. I used the compare feature and it showed Circle C as one of the difference. Edited May 22, 2019 by nycruise3 spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbethel11 Posted May 22, 2019 #15 Share Posted May 22, 2019 34 minutes ago, nycruise3 said: There must have been a mistake on the Carnival website. I used the compare feature and it showed Circle C as one of the difference. When I was on the Horizon, I was in Circle C (but too old) and Club O2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Saint Greg Posted May 22, 2019 #16 Share Posted May 22, 2019 (edited) 23 hours ago, Joebucks said: Fair assessment. Sharing my own experience, the comedy is my favorite night time activity, by far. The worst experience I had was on the Dream where all seats were always filled unless you were at least 30 min early. In that case, you got a crappy seat. The best experience has been on any fantasy class. Always plenty of room, even if you walk in at show start. With that said, I would still pick a larger ship over fantasy because I like the total experience better. To each their own That was not my experience in my two weeks on the Dream and one week on the Breeze last year. And I was in plenty of standing room only shows in my three weeks on Elation. Every CCL comedy club I've been in has gone to standing room only. Not for every show...but once or twice a week. I feel like the Dream class has less of it. Vista is the worst. Smaller club and very very little room for standing. Edited May 22, 2019 by Saint Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNcruising02 Posted May 22, 2019 #17 Share Posted May 22, 2019 (edited) The comedy shows are the main reason my husband and I choose Carnival. We enjoy them. We've found that we can arrive any time before the family shows and get a good seat. We often get to the adult comedy shows 1/2 early to get our favorite seats. We've actually watched as many as four different comedy shows in one night. The only times we have ever had a problem getting good seats was on the Vista adult shows. There are just too many people and we had to stand in line well over a half hour to get decent seats. It's not worth it when the smaller ships don't have that issue. I like the Breeze and Magic size ships the best and realized that a bigger ship isn't always better for what we are looking for in a cruise. Edited May 22, 2019 by TNcruising02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillyFan33579 Posted May 22, 2019 #18 Share Posted May 22, 2019 3 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said: The comedy shows are the main reason my husband and I choose Carnival. We enjoy them. We've found that we can arrive any time before the family shows and get a good seat. We often get to the adult comedy shows 1/2 early to get our favorite seats. We've actually watched as many as four different comedy shows in one night. The only times we have ever had a problem getting good seats was on the Vista adult shows. There are just too many people and we had to stand in line well over a half hour to get decent seats. It's not worth it when the smaller ships don't have that issue. I like the Breeze and Magic size ships the best and realized that a bigger ship isn't always better for what we are looking for in a cruise. If you thought Vista was bad, don’t ever try Sunshine. The Limelight Lounge on Sunshine makes the one on Vista look huge. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinacoladasatpianobar Posted May 23, 2019 #19 Share Posted May 23, 2019 I sailed on both Magic and Horizon and of course, both have their pros/cons. Magic Pros: Elevators were not "smart" elevators and seemed to run a little quicker Smaller ship, so everything was closer Crew on this ship was better. We were constantly called by our names. No one referred to us by our name on the Horizon once Horizon Pros: Bonsai was delicious. They don't have that on the magic Water park was larger FUN crew was much, much better Offered more entertainment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cellfree Posted May 23, 2019 #20 Share Posted May 23, 2019 We would choose Horizon. Did the TA on it and thoroughly enjoyed. We were on the Magic a couple months ago and I thought the Atrium was rather drab (although no one else has ever mentioned that) but did enjoy and appreciate all the other decor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillyFan33579 Posted May 23, 2019 #21 Share Posted May 23, 2019 43 minutes ago, Danca4eva1994 said: I sailed on both Magic and Horizon and of course, both have their pros/cons. Magic Pros: Smaller ship, so everything was closer Horizon is 133,500 GT while Magic is 130,000 GT, so size wise they are very similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinacoladasatpianobar Posted May 23, 2019 #22 Share Posted May 23, 2019 30 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said: Horizon is 133,500 GT while Magic is 130,000 GT, so size wise they are very similar. Wow, would’ve never guessed that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treevee1985 Posted May 23, 2019 Author #23 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Thanks everyone, I'm leaning towards the Magic! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNJCruisers Posted May 24, 2019 #24 Share Posted May 24, 2019 7 hours ago, treevee1985 said: Thanks everyone, I'm leaning towards the Magic! Here's the one main difference between the two ships that has yet to be mentioned and is the major tipping point as far as I am concerned. HAVANA. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillyFan33579 Posted May 24, 2019 #25 Share Posted May 24, 2019 1 hour ago, SNJCruisers said: Here's the one main difference between the two ships that has yet to be mentioned and is the major tipping point as far as I am concerned. HAVANA. I don’t disagree with your comment (and video); however, the Havana area doesn’t appeal to everyone. For example, I live in Florida and have a pool and spa in my backyard. So I don’t spend a lot of time on any ship hanging out by or in a pool/spa. Also, Havana cabins cost significantly more, which is another reason they really don’t appeal to me. But I can understand why someone who spends a lot of time outside on a ship and wants a quieter environment would like the Havana area. Or you could cruise on a Spirit class ship, which has a great Serenity area with everything the Havana area has, plus there are no kids there, which isn’t the case with the Havana area, which allows teenagers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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