Carnival magic opinions/ reviews. Help me :)

I am wanting to take a cruise on the carnival magic and September 2016 but I'm not sure if the ship is worth it or not because I've heard mixed reviews. Has anyone enjoy the **** lately on the cruise as they have been on? I have attached a picture of the itinerary that the ship is going on in 2016

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I have been on her six or seven times and will be on her again, one last time before she leaves Galveston. I Love Her !!! The crew is wonderful- the ship is Beautiful. I have yet to have a bad cruise on the Magic. I tend to take reviews with a grain of salt, because some people(like me) go on a cruise intending to have a good time and others are looking for flaws and a reason to complain. Go on her and form your own opinion.

We just booked for August 6, 2016. I've been stalking CC religiously and the only bad reviews I've seen are from people who obviously haven't been on a cruise before or expect the world to revolve around them. I got the feeling that most experienced cruisers loved the ship. I'm very excited. Only 311 days to go!

I have sailed the Magic three times, always in an aft-extended balcony. Cabin was roomy and comfortable.

The ship is pretty and easy to navigate. The serenity deck is nice but not the easiest to access. The aft pool area is lovely and in our experience rarely crowded.

I am sorry she is leaving Galveston though excited to try the Breeze.

Can't speak to the entertainment. Can't speak highly enough of the crew.

Booked for April 30 2016 and honestly, I am excited beyond words. Ill be following this thread but I take most reviews on the review part of this website for exactly what I paid for them :) lol

Ive been watching youtube and Magic looks wonderful. Im very curious to find out what happens when she goes to dry dock early next year. I sure hope they put a Guys Burgers on her!

If you believe reviews, I would definitely not book the cruise.

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That itinerary looks amazing. I'd book it. But I cruise for ports.

Magic was good, not great. We were disappointed with the food selection, but there were definite standouts that were excellent. Anytime dining was very slow (2 - 2.5 hours; but no wait to be seated; elegant night when there is no water on the table, we had to ask for any refills, none were offered.), but friends in scheduled dining had meals that lasted between 1 and 1.5 hours. My room steward was amazing. Entertainment was a miss for us though- the shows were SO LOUD we couldn't enjoy them. Trivia was all held in the Ocean Plaza which has a very smoky smell between the exterior doors and the casino. That was a disappointment. On port days, all trivia was scheduled during the port time; nothing after 'all on board'- another disappointment.

The ship was nice though. More understated that some of the other ships I've been on. It was probably just the time of year, but there were NO crowds, always a place to sit.

We just booked for next September and I have the same concerns! I am so excited but since I am the vacation planner in the family, everyone else just goes along for the ride so I really don't want them to be disappointed. We have such a mixed group so I hope everyone can be happy. I am sure my kids and I will have a great time. Hopefully my step dad who prefers some quiet and my brother in law who found himself bored on his last cruise and is also bringing a near three year old along will find food and activities to keep them satisfied.

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We just booked for next September and I have the same concerns! I am so excited but since I am the vacation planner in the family, everyone else just goes along for the ride so I really don't want them to be disappointed. We have such a mixed group so I hope everyone can be happy. I am sure my kids and I will have a great time. Hopefully my step dad who prefers some quiet and my brother in law who found himself bored on his last cruise and is also bringing a near three year old along will find food and activities to keep them satisfied.

 

 

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When in September are you going?? I went ahead and book this cruise for September 17 of 2016. I'm truly excited because I've seen great reviews for the ship and the carnival magic is going to Port Canaveral next year but I read in this thread that it's getting a upgrade? When are the upgrades coming to the ship? I sure hope the guys burger gets put on the ship before I go in September of next year

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Also I have both the interior room on the deck one which is the lowest part of the deck midship though so I was wondering if that's a good deck according to the deck layout it looks to be good but it is the lowest deck I wonder if I will hear the water at the boat really hard since it's the lowest that on the ship. Has anyone booked a room on the carnival magic on the lowest deck before?

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We are sailing on the Magic for the 3rd time on Sunday. I can't imagine anyone giving her a bad review. She's beautiful, and the staff is amazing. Book a cruise on her, you won't be disappointed!

Also I have both the interior room on the deck one which is the lowest part of the deck midship though so I was wondering if that's a good deck according to the deck layout it looks to be good but it is the lowest deck I wonder if I will hear the water at the boat really hard since it's the lowest that on the ship. Has anyone booked a room on the carnival magic on the lowest deck before?

 

 

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We had a deluxe ocean view on deck 1 on the Magic in April, it's great! Pretty quiet, plus you're just on the lowest guest deck, the crew are on the floor below that.

We just booked for next September and I have the same concerns! I am so excited but since I am the vacation planner in the family, everyone else just goes along for the ride so I really don't want them to be disappointed. We have such a mixed group so I hope everyone can be happy. I am sure my kids and I will have a great time. Hopefully my step dad who prefers some quiet and my brother in law who found himself bored on his last cruise and is also bringing a near three year old along will find food and activities to keep them satisfied.

 

 

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I'm in the same position. My husband and I took our toddler in April and it was great. This January the grandparents on both sides are joining us.

The serenity deck (adults only) is great for quiet, there is also a library that seemed quiet too.

We were never bored, our 3 yr old loved camp ocean and the little kid water slides. There was a great mix of varied entertainment throughout the day we thought. There is also basketball, mini golf and a high ropes course.

Good luck!

When in September are you going?? I went ahead and book this cruise for September 17 of 2016. I'm truly excited because I've seen great reviews for the ship and the carnival magic is going to Port Canaveral next year but I read in this thread that it's getting a upgrade? When are the upgrades coming to the ship? I sure hope the guys burger gets put on the ship before I go in September of next year

 

 

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We will be getting on as you get off then!

I think the upgrades are sometime in the spring. I am also hoping for the Guys Burgers. It wasn't something that mattered much to me at first but that's one thing people seem to consistently rave about on this ship.

We have two cove balconies and an interior room down the hall for my sister with the toddler. They are welcome to visit our balconies anytime but weren't sure how the little one would be with the balcony. I couldn't believe that this far out the closest they could get her to us was ten rooms down. She said all the interior rooms across the hall from us were already booked. Unfortunately this puts them under the galley where I have heard is very noisy. Do you know if there is any fee if you change your room location, not category? I am wondering if they should just move to the other side, away from the galley.

I will be sailing the magic on may 7 2016. Very excited sure it will be great. I've sailed carnival a lot and don't have ridiculous expectations of the magic so. This is not to say I think it will be bad but just that it will be carnival

Partner and I will be sailing her for the 4th of July holiday 2016. (Eastern Caribbean) Hoping that she gets Alchemy Bar during her dry dock. Excited to stop at the new port in the Dominican Rep. - Amber Cove

We sail December 2016, can't wait for everyone to get back and tell us all about the Magic

Also I have both the interior room on the deck one which is the lowest part of the deck midship though so I was wondering if that's a good deck according to the deck layout it looks to be good but it is the lowest deck I wonder if I will hear the water at the boat really hard since it's the lowest that on the ship. Has anyone booked a room on the carnival magic on the lowest deck before?

My BIL and SIL had an oceanview on Deck 1 last week. I had prepared them for some wave noise, as it was HORRID when we were on Deck 1 of the Freedom. They said they had none (though the water was very calm). The only noise they complained about was their neighbors.

I can't say for certain, but I would think an interior would have less wave noise, because it isn't on the side of the ship where the water hits. There are still MANY decks below you- you aren't underwater or even that close to the water line.

We just booked for next September and I have the same concerns! I am so excited but since I am the vacation planner in the family, everyone else just goes along for the ride so I really don't want them to be disappointed. We have such a mixed group so I hope everyone can be happy. I am sure my kids and I will have a great time. Hopefully my step dad who prefers some quiet and my brother in law who found himself bored on his last cruise and is also bringing a near three year old along will find food and activities to keep them satisfied.

Your step dad will find plenty of quiet spaces. Anywhere there is music got very loud, but there were lots of other nooks to relax in. There is a card room that was always nice, and the piano bar was quiet during the day.

We didn't find the programming to be great on port days- very few activities after the all on board time, everything took place while in port! And the final sea day there were multiple hour stretches at a time without a scheduled activity anyone wanted to do. I suggest your BIL brings some card games. We played Cards Against Humanity (with strangers) and had a blast. Also, Uno.

Food- well, that was always there to find!

The last time we sailed Magic there was a couple we kept running into and they looked like they were having a great time and said good things about the cruise. Then I read their review of the Magic and was shocked that they DH complained about how bad the food was, the service, the cabins ect. My opinion of them went down. If I had not been on the same cruise with them and had seen them with my own eyes enjoying themselves and talking up the Magic, then I would of believed they had a bad experience. Gave me a whole new perspective on people giving reviews!!!

Seems like the magic is a good ship though. I mean all carnival ships are going to be about the same except for the different entertainment staff.

I'm still having hard decision though if I should change my deck level of my room. I'm on deck 1 and above me is another deck of rooms and below me from what you guys have said is employees and other stuff where cruisers can't go. If I were to go any higher then the price goes up. I'm thinking deck 1 should be fine.

Does anyone have any good you tube videos of the magic that's worth watching?

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I have been on the Magic 3 times in a year and I really Love her! The Lay-out is Perfect! It has a lotta bells and whistles and at the end of a long day cruisin' you have the Red Frog Pub to kick back and get a night cap :-)

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I was on the magic Jan 2014. Very fun. I don't notice any of the bad things others notice on any cruise. I loved the cheese pizza(free) and the pub grub(3.33). Great times.

To answer a question a few posts back, the Magic is scheduled for dry dock in (late?) February 2016. At that time she's supposed to get the upgrades that other ships in her class have already. I believe this includes Guy's Burgers.

We're sailing her in January, so will get to see the "before" version...

I loved it twice this year.

We are Diamond RCCL & swore we'd never do carnival again after the Conquest a couple of years ago...unless it was free. It was, so we did. We both gamble a lot and both earned a offer from the casino to travel again in 3 months. SO, I took my daughter & 7 year old granddaughter on her first cruise. We ALL loved it!

What I like more than RCCL is the PRICE. We spend the same amount in the casino, and get nothing back...an almost free cruise can't be beat. So that is starting in a happy place.:D We usually pay a difference to upgrade from an interior room. I also like the comedy shows & how many are offered during the week. And we start with a free drink card in the casino.:cool:

The disappointments :mad: are food is not as good in MDR (let them eat steak/cake!:rolleyes:) & buffet compares really badly. Beds are harder, a lot. (Air mattress) Navigation is a little bit of a challenge in ship design. (Go on same ship class, you know it.) Suite benefits. (Non existent, no help for that.) Past pax benefits. (Mimimal forever...but casino benefits are better.)

If money were no object (PCH winner for life!)...we'd travel RCI/Celebrity product. But, when you can go THREE times a year for the same base price or less then your normal annual travel budget...well. Sign me up, Bat man!

So... long story short. Magic was great (not Allure/Oasis) and third trip is on the sister Breeze in a few days...which also is getting stinky reviews.

If you can get it, FTTF in Galveston is WORTH IT.