7.27 Magic cruise was....MAGICAL!!

[cthrn27]

Getting Ready and Getting There

 

We flew in to Miami the evening before the cruise.  We usually fly in the day of, but there have been so many airline issues lately, that we wanted to get there a bit early.  Based on the recommendation of people here, we stayed at the Hampton Blue Lagoon.  Thank you!  The hotel picked us up at the airport and delivered us safely to the hotel.  We really liked the hotel.  We were able to walk a short way to grab some food, based on assurances by the desk clerk that the walk was safe.  And it was.  We passed several families doing what we were doing.  There was also a Publix just across the street which could be helpful for people trying to bring in their own snacks/drinks.

 

The desk clerk helped us secure transportation to the port, $14 per person, clean, air conditioned van.  Dropped us off right in front of our ship.  There is nothing quite like the first glimpse you get of your ship, waiting there for you.  We have usually sailed the Fantasy class, so we were excited to see what would be different on the Dream Class.

 

We made it through check in with no problems and we were soon on our home away from home.  The ship, compared to Fantasy Class, was big.  I know, there is bigger, but it was big to us!!  While waiting for our stateroom to be available, we made our way to the Lido for lunch.  HOLY COW.  That's why the boat is bigger!  There are waaaay more people on it.  Everything was crowded.  We made our way to the Pig and Anchor.  This was our first ship with that offering and we wanted to try it.  Additionally, there was no line.  We were able to grab our food and head back inside and sit in relative peace and coolness.  The food was meh.  It wasn't bad.  We did eat it and it served it's purpose, but we never went back to it.  The beans were delicious!

 

More on the stateroom to come......

[onthelido2]

Thanks for the share. Will be following. 

[cthrn27]

When it was time to go to our cabin we opened the door to the typical Carnival stateroom.  There was the long bench, the comfy bed, and the long counter.  All seemed good.  Except.... I have been on 8 Carnival cruises, and this room was not as clean as the others.  There was a thick layer of dust along the counter, and the bench was discolored.  Not really a big deal, I pulled out my trusty wipes and got rid of the dust, but it is NOT something I have seen with Carnival before.  Our cabin steward introduced himself.  He was pleasant and friendly.

 

We were anxious to check out our balcony.  We have only had 1 other balcony, and this time we went with a Cove balcony.  I wanted to see just what that was all about.  Turns out, I really liked the Cove.  We were under the lifeboats, so I had shade most of the time.  That is something I really prefer.  That meant I could sit out there during the sunniest part of the day, during light rain, etc.  And I loved the sound of the water rushing by.  That being said, the balcony was a mess.  There were paint spatters everywhere, there was scraped off paint on the floor.  The light did not work, and someone must have worked on it as they had pulled off the protective covering along the window and left it off.  Thankfully, it was just husband and I, not kids, so we just left it alone.  Certainly did not detract from my enjoyment, but it was something I hadn't seen before on Carnival.  I was a bit disappointed.

 

When you see things like that, you wonder about what else might have been forgotten....  

[Stick93]

3 hours ago, cthrn27 said:

When it was time to go to our cabin we opened the door to the typical Carnival stateroom.  There was the long bench, the comfy bed, and the long counter.  All seemed good.  Except.... I have been on 8 Carnival cruises, and this room was not as clean as the others.  There was a thick layer of dust along the counter, and the bench was discolored.  Not really a big deal, I pulled out my trusty wipes and got rid of the dust, but it is NOT something I have seen with Carnival before.  Our cabin steward introduced himself.  He was pleasant and friendly.

 

We were anxious to check out our balcony.  We have only had 1 other balcony, and this time we went with a Cove balcony.  I wanted to see just what that was all about.  Turns out, I really liked the Cove.  We were under the lifeboats, so I had shade most of the time.  That is something I really prefer.  That meant I could sit out there during the sunniest part of the day, during light rain, etc.  And I loved the sound of the water rushing by.  That being said, the balcony was a mess.  There were paint spatters everywhere, there was scraped off paint on the floor.  The light did not work, and someone must have worked on it as they had pulled off the protective covering along the window and left it off.  Thankfully, it was just husband and I, not kids, so we just left it alone.  Certainly did not detract from my enjoyment, but it was something I hadn't seen before on Carnival.  I was a bit disappointed.

 

When you see things like that, you wonder about what else might have been forgotten....  

I’ve been on the Magic twice - Dream class is the best class in my opinion, but the last time I was on her she was just filthy. Just off the Venezia and she is also dirty.  The decks turned my shoes black, the chairs were covered in dirt and the furniture cushions in the Terrazza area were stained, flattened and fraying. My room had sand all over it from the last people, smelled like B.O. and the bathroom smelled even worse. Not sure what they clean with but it’s not very good. 

[pe4all]

Looking forward to the rest of your review.  Love the Magic, and will be on her again in January.  She was a bit worse for wear last January- especially our balcony,  but the crew and itinerary made up for it, imho.  

[ledges1]

This is interesting. I am on the Magic in November. I hope it gets better or maybe not worse.

[cthrn27]

comparing the ships.  Fantasy Class Vs. Magic

Well, Magic is certainly bigger, but the overall layout is quite similar and we were pretty comfortable finding our way around.  It seemed like there were more chairs on the main level to watch Dive in movies (any movie is good on the sea!)

 

The Comedy club was definitely bigger.  Last year we had to line up early to get a seat.  Here there were plenty of seats and on occasion they used the big Playlist theater.  We got to see some great comedians.  

 

The Deli was in a better location but provided the same tasty food.

 

I felt like they really made an effort to draw people away from the LIdo .  I think Guys might have been open later (6pm?), the Seafood place, too.  There is the Italian place above the Lido (on Fantasy Class we could eat breakfast up there, away from the crowd).  I think this works well for them and helps keep crowd controlled.  There is also Pig and Anchor for lunch.  And the food on Lido is arranged so that you can slip in and grab fruit (and Dessert) without standing in the long line for the entire buffet.  

 

The stir fry place had shorter lines, but the food was not as flavorful.  Guessing asking for extra sauce would have fixed that, but there were so many other things to try that we didn't go back.

 

We didn't like having to walk through the middle of the smoke filled casino as part of the promenade.  AND, we really missed the booths that are nestled a long the side of the promenade on Fantasy where you can sit and watch the people or the ocean.

 

So, while there were things we missed about the Fantasy class, we were very comfortable on, and thoroughly enjoyed the Magic.

 

Next up Sea days and Excursions

[mere08]

I’m really enjoying yourreview. We are sailing on the Magic next week and are really excited to go!! 

[cthrn27]

Sea Days and Excursions

We have always wanted to do this itinerary, but just never had the time.  We would typically take 5 day cruises, but this time we were ready for more!  We were very happy with the ports, St Thomas, St Maarten, San Juan and Amber Cove.  We were a bit concerned as the first 3 days were Sea days.  Hubby was afraid we might be bored.  Silly us.  Who could ever be bored on a cruise??  We loved all our sea days, walking around the ship, going to various shows, enjoying the balcony.  We were recharged and ready for the 4 port days in a row!!  LOL.

 

All excursions booked through Carnival because we feel less nervous that way.  It works for us.

 

St Thomas: Magen's Bay.  Lovely beach area, but not friendly for older people.  Chairs were $20 each, with little to no shade.  Beach area was soft sand and ...?  seaweed??    The water was a beautiful shade of blue and temperature was perfect.  We strolled along the  shore and then relaxed in the picnic area.  We were only there a couple of hours and it was perfect for us.

 

St Thomas:  Skyride down the mountain.  Glorious views of the water, the ship, the entire area.  stopped and had a delicious Pina Colada.  

**We enjoyed this excursion, but there was no information.  No island information.  We were disappointed that the tour guide did not share any information with us.

 

St Maarten:  We boarded a bus with a tour guide that gave us a running commentary about the island.  Very interesting.  Then we got on a boat and sailed around the lagoon going from the Dutch side to the French side.  It was a beautiful day, with music playing and unlimited drinks (water, "punch", soda).  Beautiful Island breeze and the tour guide to give us information. 

 

St Maarten:  We got back  on the bus and drove to a shopping area on the French side.  On the way, the guide shared history of the French side and interesting bits of information.  The guide recommended a French Patisserie.  Who could resist that??  We really enjoyed the boat ride, the tour and the eclair!

 

San Juan: We had a bus ride with a guide through old and new San Juan.  We went to the old fort and enjoyed the guides commentary throughout the tour.  We stopped at the park where there is a statue of every US President that has visited the Island.  Then he dropped us at a small shopping area.  Very touristy.  No Patisserie 😞  and then back to the ship.  We very much enjoyed the tour.

 

Amber Cove:  This excursion had a late start (11:30).  By day 4 of excursions, we were kind of grateful!!  We ventured to Ocean World, by bus, with a guide.  The young man was knowledgeable and friendly.  We really enjoyed Ocean World.  There was a sealion show, a dolphin show, and  bird show.  The atmosphere was clean, relaxed and friendly.  There was a beach area to swim or just relax.  Snacks were available, as well as a restaurant.  There was a souvenir shop with seemingly better quality items than the ones in San Juan (just Tshirts for the grand kids).  We were able to wander at our leisure and catch each show, shop for souvenirs and relax.  We really enjoyed this tour.

Next up, our last sea day and some final thoughts about our cruise and the dreaded debarkation hahaha

[cthrn27]

Final thoughts.  We really enjoyed our cruise on the Carnival Magic.  Some things were a bit off-putting - the tables in the Lido were often dirty.  I saw one of the workers go over and just wipe a circle of where 1 of the diners was eating, not wiping the whole table.  Any different from places I eat on land??  No.   

Cruisers trying to fill multiple personal water bottles during the breakfast or lunch rush was repeatedly annoying.  Not only did many of these people put their personal bottle up around the spigot, but they took SO long.  Most people in the long lines behind them just wanted a cup of water or beverage to enjoy with their meal.  Couldn't they refill outside of the busy times?  Or use the filling stations outside of the Lido??

Debarkation - no matter how I choose to do it, I always feel like I made the wrong choice.  This one went fairly well.  We did express and carried our own luggage.  Next time, I have to pack less.  Totally on me.

Souvenir- alas, I did come home with Covid, but hubby did not.  Go figure.  

 

All in all, we had a great time on our cruise.  We enjoy traveling on Carnival.  There are a million things to do and I can do as many (or as few) as I want.  And still have a wonderful time.  The crew of the Magic was wonderful.  Kind and friendly, always smiling faces.  We can't wait to go  back!!

[tradewinds traveler]

Enjoyed your review. We are sailing on the Magic in November with the same itinerary. Thank you again.

[pe4all]

Great concise review.  So sorry you came back with a covid.  It seems to be popping up its' ugly head again more than before.  We will be wearing masks on Magic when indoors or in crowds outside when we cruise on her in January, as we always have since restart.  Luckily have not come home with anything.... yet.

Edited August 10 by pe4all

[matt082600]

Thanks for taking the time to write this review.  We're sailing the Magic in February.   We can't wait!

[nancy1031]

Thoroughly enjoyed your review- am sailing on the Magic Oct 13 and I can't wait!!!! Thank you for taking the time to write such a precise and organized review and hope you're feeling better!!

[SASA13]

Great review.  Thank you, we sail her in two weeks.   We love the Magic.  She is an old gal, but

still has life left in her 🙂

 

[Indiansbaseball]

Great review ! We were on Magic back in March and really enjoyed her. Covid cases are up here in Ohio. They say that’s the new norm for summer/ fall. Stinks with kids going back to school. 
Glad you had a good time !

[Sagittarius traveler]

Enjoyed the review 

[cruisewithwife]

On 8/8/2024 at 12:51 PM, cthrn27 said:

comparing the ships.  Fantasy Class Vs. Magic

Well, Magic is certainly bigger, but the overall layout is quite similar and we were pretty comfortable finding our way around.  It seemed like there were more chairs on the main level to watch Dive in movies (any movie is good on the sea!)

 

The Comedy club was definitely bigger.  Last year we had to line up early to get a seat.  Here there were plenty of seats and on occasion they used the big Playlist theater.  We got to see some great comedians.  

 

The Deli was in a better location but provided the same tasty food.

 

I felt like they really made an effort to draw people away from the LIdo .  I think Guys might have been open later (6pm?), the Seafood place, too.  There is the Italian place above the Lido (on Fantasy Class we could eat breakfast up there, away from the crowd).  I think this works well for them and helps keep crowd controlled.  There is also Pig and Anchor for lunch.  And the food on Lido is arranged so that you can slip in and grab fruit (and Dessert) without standing in the long line for the entire buffet.  

 

The stir fry place had shorter lines, but the food was not as flavorful.  Guessing asking for extra sauce would have fixed that, but there were so many other things to try that we didn't go back.

 

We didn't like having to walk through the middle of the smoke filled casino as part of the promenade.  AND, we really missed the booths that are nestled a long the side of the promenade on Fantasy where you can sit and watch the people or the ocean.

 

So, while there were things we missed about the Fantasy class, we were very comfortable on, and thoroughly enjoyed the Magic.

 

Next up Sea days and Excursions

How was the lobster roll?

[KKB]

On 8/8/2024 at 7:23 PM, cthrn27 said:

 

 

St Thomas: Magen's Bay.  Lovely beach area, but not friendly for older people.  Chairs were $20 each, with little to no shade.  Beach area was soft sand and ...?  seaweed??    The water was a beautiful shade of blue and temperature was perfect.  We strolled along the  shore and then relaxed in the picnic area.  We were only there a couple of hours and it was perfect for us.

 

From April-October is sea grass season in the Caribbean.

We didn't notice it our first cruises...then realized we rarely cruised within those months.

It's nice when they try to keep it raked off the water line, but sometimes its a losing battle.

 

[cthrn27]

LOL.  Regarding the lobster roll:  mind that I have the viewpoint of a landlocked midwesterner.  I enjoyed it very much.  It was actually "too much"  and I ended up scraping out and only eating the delicious lobster and ignoring the fries.

[cthrn27]

Just now, cthrn27 said:

3 hours ago, KKB said:

From April-October is sea grass season in the Caribbean.

We didn't notice it our first cruises...then realized we rarely cruised within those months.

It's nice when they try to keep it raked off the water line, but sometimes its a losing battle.

 

Thank you for sharing that.  That is very interesting and I would never have known that!!.

 

[beccawes7471]

We just booked our first Carnival Cruise for March 2025 and it is on the Magic. We are very excited! Thank you for your review and taking the time. 

[hurricane0226]

Loved your review, the magic was our favorite ship when it was in Port Canaveral, her and the Breeze, our two favorite dream class ships, but now we are making the vista our favorite so hopefully it can fill the magic's shoes. haha

[onthelido2]

On 8/12/2024 at 11:43 AM, SASA13 said:

Great review.  Thank you, we sail her in two weeks.   We love the Magic.  She is an old gal, but

still has life left in her 🙂

 

Would love to hear your take on the Magic after your sail. We love the layout and hope Carnival is taking good care of that old girl. 

[jimbo5544]

Thanks for doing the review.  Been on the Magic 4 times.  We really enjoyed her.