karessamom

I just looked at those menus and all I can say is boring! Maybe different to those who cruise a lot and like the change but what makes it nice when we cruise is that you have different things that you don't get on land this looks same ole same ole at least to me. maybe i'm just weird. we'll see. Maybe they're doing this to make you eat at the extra cost places?? who knows??

site and from the live web cams it doesn't look that foggy out at least right now. says 61 and cloudy--you can see lights all around but of course that doesn't mean it won't be foggy tomorrow

Just wondering what is the earliest time for flight home from Galveston out of Hobby?? could you make a 10:45 flight?? or would that be too early?? it would be on a sunday. Anyone that's cruised Magic before that knows?? on our last cruise out of NO they said don't book a flight before 2pm we didn't and sat around the airport for hours after our cruise. it's ok because i'd rather do that than miss a flight but I do know they shuffle people quickly off the ship too. Getting ready to make flight reservations soon and want to get an idea of times. Thanks you.

I use a little oxygen at night as well as CPAP. Fortunately my supplier has travel consentrators that are available to borrow. I have already signed up and reserved mine for our cruise. no tanks bottles etc. runs on batteries so it's easily carried thru the ship if you're on it constantly. I just keep mine plugged in all the time and like I said only use it at night with CPAP but you can use it all day if need be. very convienient as I have done this before when traveling. it's fairly light and mine actually has wheels and handle like luggage so it can easily be towed around.

Yes but since we booked through TA we had to do all changes thru them. Very good about it and no penalty!! Word of warning if you use TA carnival will not talk to you and refer you back to your TA

we got the upgrade and the cabin we wanted yahoooo!

I've heard it's the Guest Services desk--which one is it?? shore excursions desk?? (and are they open when you board??) or guest services???

We're going to try for the upgrade, I called Carnival but of course since I booked thru a TA they couldn't touch it. (dahh I thought that might be the case but thought i'd try it anyhow.) and of course because it's sunday the TA is closed, however I did sent off an email to my TA so hopefully she'll get it tomorrow and make the changes. Thanks everyone for your help, we're going to try for rooms 2464, 2489 or 2474 on the Magic. they are showing available as of today so we'll see if any are available by tomorrow or when the TA finally gets the email. I will also try to give her a call tomorrow but I haven't had a lot of luck in the past seems her schedule is about the same as mine ha. and I work on a call floor so don't have much liberty to make phone calls except at break times.

We can upgrade to an aft OV with picture window at the very rear of the ship for a couple hundred more than what we paid for our porthole.. are there any disadvantages to being in the far rear?? Also what are the advantages or disadvantages to paying off the cruise before due. we cruise in Aug. final payment is not due til the end of May but are there any disadvantages to doing this such as not getting upgrades etc??

I booked last year for our Aug. cruise on Magic a porthole room. Now I've noticed that the rates are going down and we can get an Ocean view for just a little more. If we upgrade to an OV would we loose the $50 per person cancellation fee?? we booked at the Early Saver rate?? Also out of curiosity which is better a Port hole room in very front of ship or the OV rooms at the very back of the ship?? it would me on main deck of Magic. or will the prices keep going down?? the balcony rates are dropping too but not seeing as much of a drop, though as it gets closer to sail (Aug) or final payment in May?? BTW we haven't made final payment yet.

Are we talking about debit only cards or Visa debit cards or does it matter. Seems like the last cruise we used our visa debit and there wasn't an issue but that was 10 years ago.

we made reservations at the Double Tree across from Hobby. (that may change but for right now....) We honestly looked at serveral places and looked at the area and this seemed to look the best. it only cost us about $45 more than the drurry or Marriott and it has a shuttle of course. we are renting a car because we're coming in a few days earlier and going out to Johnson but will return car on Saturday and take the shuttle to the airport Sunday morning to grab the Carnival transfer to Galveston. unless there's another more economical way?? I haven't found it though (there are only 2 of us. )

After much deliberation, we've decided to stay at the Doubletree Hobby. They have a shuttle that goes to the airport. We're actually going to be renting a car for a few days so we can go out to Johnson Space center then we'll return the car Saturday night and shuttle to the airport on Sunday day of our cruise then take the Carnival transfer day of the cruise to Galveston. We've checked other options and this seems to be the least expensive and work the best. there are only 2 of us (my husband and self.) we were going to do Drury Inn which also has a shuttle or Marriott south but after speaking to some people they told me that those hotels besides being right on the freeway are in a bad area of town. the doubletree across the street from the airport looked like it was in a better area and not to much more expensive.

Drury INN Hobby? any experiences with either?? we were going to stay at Drury because we liked it when we stayed at one in CO. prices are about the same Marriot has breakfast but not dinner Drury has both but Marriott looks a little nicer and further from the freeway?? Both have shuttle service to airport so we can take are rental car back on Saturday before cruise and get back to airport on Sunday day of.

I noticed a price drop too for our Aug 2015 Cruise on Magic. I'm wondering if the price would drop any more or if it would go back up?? trying to possibly hold out for a better room (right now we're booked interior PH on Magic. if the prices drops much more we might be able to upgrade to an Ocean view or even balcony but I doubt it would drop that much. but don't want to lose out on $100 savings. went thru TA on booking and haven't paid off as yet.

Oh I so much enjoy reading your reviews! Love your sense of Humor too! We are so looking forward to our cruise next Aug on Magic! When we cruised last on Conquest in 2005--We went to the Coffee farm tour. I can't actually remember the name of it but you climbed on a bus and traveled for quite a while so you got to see a lot of the island. then we toured this coffee and pineapple farm. we're not into drinking coffee but thoroughly enjoyed the pineapples and learned a lot on how they're grown and harvested. Had some of the best tasting pineapple EVER! and nothing can compare to that what you get here at home! totally not the same! Our pineapples here don't even come close! they also served an incredible pineapple drink that they make from the skins of the pineapples again very good. we are contemplating what we want to do in Jamacia this time. The itinerary will be the same as we had on Conquest from New Orleans except we're going on Magic out of Galveston. Crazy I know but we liked it so much and didn't get to do some of the things we wanted to do the first time around. Keep writing!

So love reading your review!! We sail on Magic August 9 2015 for our 39th!! (Wedding anniversary) so excited to read it. Where are you from in Cali?? It's my old stomping grounds. Went to high school in Fair Oaks or was it Carmicheal?? Del Campo anyhow. And lived for a little while in Yuba city area. Small world. Glad you enjoyed your cruise!!

we are booked Aug 2015 and have not fully paid but have made and received confirmation for our reservations for Aug 2015! We're sailing on Magic

all the "free" self soft serve icecream too. we got spoiled on that and when we took our kids on another line for a short cruise we were disappointed because we had to pay royally for any ice cream you wanted (like $5 bucks a scoop) or pay for the pizza too. it was ridiculous when we got so spoiled on Carnival.

I'm loving your review! pictures of sunsets, sunrises, moon, food and all! We are going to be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary Aug 2015 on the Magic and I can hardly wait. seeing, and reading your review even makes me more excited! Thank you so much for posting. Glad you enjoyed your cruise. this will only be our 3rd or 2nd if you really want to count a full 7 day one lol! and so excited to get back on Carnival! your sunrise pictures are incredible! you are a great photographer!

We have a cruise scheduled for Aug 2015. We are arriving a few days earlier and staying at the drury Inn Hobby. we're renting a car for a few days and going to JSC then turning the car back and taking the shuttle to the pier from the airport. it's only 2 of us so it seemed the most logical thing to do. Drury INN hobby really nice and offers free full breakfast bar and 5:30 kickback in the evenings. not the greatest food for the kickback but it is enough to fill you up and you don't have to buy dinner. (if you're on a budget like we are it's great)

I think value and price mostly. we've only been on 2 cruises so far and look forward to our 3rd! We went in 2005 for our 20th wedding anniversary (first cruise) and totally fell in love with cruising. We liked it so much that we decided the following year, 2006, to take our kids for a short cruise out of LA. Because of the itinerary (a stop in San Diego) we decided on RCCL. (Monarch of the Seas (which I hear is no longer in their fleet), we were very disappointed in some of the things and pleased with others. One of the big things was that on our first cruise we became spoiled with the ice cream that we could have any time we wanted and we promised our kids that--on RCCL we had to pay for the ice cream, same with the Pizza. I mean they're not huge items but it was disappointing to promise our kids something that we'd gotten for "free" on the one line and had to pay lots extra for on the other. (we're talking about 5-6 bucks a scoop for ice cream) kinda frustrated me so we're gonna do Carnival again for our 3rd! hopefully we'll not be disappointed.

I purchased an adapter that goes from European receptacle plug to our type and unplug the lamp next to the bed and plug my Cpap into that. My Cpap is more important than any lamp. I always bring an extension cord and multiple adapters to allow for almost all conditions. So, far, no problems on CC or NCL. Cruising the Glory Saturday in an Ocean Suite. I can update next week.

where do you get these and what type will work with the ship?? that sounds like a great idea! we are both on CPAPs and I am on oxygen at night--I will be taking a portable consentrator for that.

on our first cruise. My husband was getting bored out of his mind after only a few hours on the ship. We don't drink, smoke or gamble much and didn't find the fun in the hairy chest contests or the bar hopping things etc. He'd read his books that he brought during the lay overs that we had coming from SLC to New Orleans and didn't have anything to do. I was devastated but be didn't know how to turn off his type A personality and just relax. Finally after talking to some people he found a way and we thoroughly enjoyed the rest of our cruise and look forward to the next one we're taking next Aug 2015! we really did discover there is so much to do that's not the drinking etc. It was the sea days that were boring for him at first --one of the things we did discover was the art auctions even if you don't buy any art it was fun to watch the other people. and you get free champagne although we got a free soda instead.

Does anyone know when the Magic will dry dock? I want to book her for August 2015.

We're booked on her (Magic) Aug 9 2015!