CarnivalCruiser875

Oh man did I screw up!!

The itinerary is COSTA MAYA, not Mahogany Bay! Good to hear about MB though.

Comparing two cruises in Jan 2022 that are relatively same in price and come out of the same port. One itinerary is Cozumel and Mahogany Bay and the other is Cozumel and Progreso. Having been to Cozumel multiple times, I know what is available there. However MB and Progreso are new to me. Which do you prefer and why?

I suggest Fascination: San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Martin, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Barbados. We did this itinerary a couple years ago in December and had an absolute blast. If you are into snorkeling or diving, please please please skip St. Thomas and do it in St. Lucia. St. Thomas marine wildlife is completely different nowadays, and St Lucia's is almost untouched. Have a wonderful time!!

Oh boy has it been a minute since I've been on here, and I sure have missed it! Although I am not a "known" poster on this website, I look forward to becoming active again! Since my last cruise in 2018, I graduated college (woohoo!), got a real adult job (boo!), and after working and saving the last two years, now have the opportunity to take my first "I'm an adult now and this is what I want to do with my hard earned PTO" vacation! Therefore, I am planning this future cruise vacation all on my own, with the help of my fiancee of course. This will also be his VERY FIRST cruise! Can you tell I'm excited?? Although I have been on a handful of cruises, this will be the first time everything is on me! So, I need your help with a few things to get the trip planning started!

• So far, we have agreed the best time to plan this will be April of 2022. Yes, I KNOW that is far in advance, but with our schedules and travel for work, it has to be. I have an idea as to what the "average" cruise will cost us, but what would be the best time to book this cruise? I am able to view my "discounted rates for past cruisers", but is there truly a better time of the year or timeframe to book a cruise i.e. 18 months in advance, book on a specific month?
• This cruise is on the Paradise out of Tampa. Anyone with past experience on her or the port have any precautions, recommendations, or stories to tell?
• With this being my fiancee's first cruise, I want to make sure he gets the absolute best experience possible (duh, of course he will, it's Carnival!). What is one thing you wish you have or would not have done differently on your first cruise?
• At this point, I'm truly looking for feedback on booking and planning this cruise. It may sound silly, but with past cruises, I was only responsible for myself, not the finances or logistics. (thanks mom & dad!). We are so excited! Any comments or thoughts given are appreciated more than you know!

Thank you! 😁

We did the valor for NYE week, enjoyed the MDR brunch once. Does this ship have it?

 

Thanks :cool:

If you're referring to the Sea Day Brunch, yes this was available! We never tried it but heard nothing but good things.

Cherries!

 

The funny part about this whole situation (assuming you were part of our social media group, which I am sure you were lol) when Cookie kept talking about the pineapples and cherries at the beginning of this cruise, he had NO idea what they meant. Someone finally explained it to him and he was so embarrassed. Now you know it takes a lot to embarrass that man. haha.

 

That was the largest social media group I have ever been a part of in terms of cruise roll calls. I could not believe how big it was.

 

We were going to Mr. Sancho's in Cozumel but that rain sucked. They refunded the deposit, I guess next time.

 

Glad you had fun, it was a great sailing despite the weather we had.

Yep that rain DID suck!! We've been to Cozumel before, but that was 10+ years ago. Oh well, just another excuse to go back!

Thanks for your review. It is really nice to hear you were pleased with the fare in the MDR.

Yes absolutely! We are self-certified foodies and were pleased every time. We've only sailed Carnival before, and sometimes wonder if we should venture out but Carnival's food is always what keeps us coming back!!

Thanks for your review! We are going in a few weeks and I can't wait. I'll definitely check out the shows and the cruise director Q&A, been awhile since I've been to one of those.

 

The comedy shows are always hit and miss. I think the comedians rotate with them getting on and off and ports, so there's no telling if the one you saw who was super vulgar will be on my sailing or not. We liked the comedy shows on the Ecstasy last October so I hope these will be good too.

 

I've never seen avocado toast on a menu with Carnival. Did they change out menus for the cruise? I love the breakfast in the MDR and the sea day brunches.

If you look on the Dining page on carnival.com, look at the MDR breakfast menu there. That's the menu we had. I always had the same thing but the other two tried something different every day and were very pleased.

Thought I would post a condensed review on the Magic sailing out of Port Canaveral. We had a blast! Enjoy.

Hampton Inn Cocoa Beach- $120 for the night before. Left Atlanta around 6pm, got to hotel around 2am. It was clean enough, breakfast was hot. At 2am, you'd take anything. We booked ahead and got a discount rate for being Georgia residents.

Park Port Canaveral- $90 per car for the week, gated and on site security 24/7. Shuttle took us right to port. If we ever go out of PC again we will park here. Professional staff.

Port Canaveral- Just like everyone said it would be. Great port, easy to get through on embarkation and easy to get out of on debarkation. Very energetic, professional, and effective workers there.

Staterooms- We had Balcony 7222, which is 3 rooms away/right under the crow's nest of the ship (where the captain is). Clean, comfortable, a little rocky on rough waters but we love the rocking to put us to sleep! Lilith was our stewardess and was great.

Cruise Director- Cookie is flat out AMAZING. What a joy to be around! So heartfelt, you can tell he is in love with his job. Go to the Q & A he does, you'll get to know more about him, his life, and what its like on a cruise ship. Make sure to ask his most memorable/funniest story that's happened on a cruise ship! Seriously, what a great guy. If you were on this sailing with us, "pineapples"!!

Ports of Call- We stopped in Costa Maya, Mahogany Bay Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel. We stayed on the ship in Costa Maya to lay out in the sun, drink, and hang out as a family and don't regret it one bit. Most people said the port was okay. Roatan was our absolute favorite, so much I'm planning a vacation to go back. We snorkeled and shopped, by far the best day. Belize we snorkeled and shopped as well. The water there was crystal clear turquoise, beautiful to see, VERY hot. Hit 94 degrees at one point. Shopping was okay. Cozumel we had a snorkeling excursion booked and we were so excited, however it was a torrential downpour ALL DAY. Bummer! Thankfully this excursion was through Carnival and they refunded us 100%. We shopped some and still had some fun. Overall a good itinerary.

Shows- We saw 88 Keys and Country Roads and enjoyed both very much. I remember when Carnival did actual productions but I think I enjoy these more.

Comedy- PG shows were great! Funny for the whole family. The R 18+ show we saw was vulgar. I mean, VULGAR. No way would I have let an 18 year old see that show. At 23 there were parts I was even uncomfortable with. But for many they found it hilarious. Just not for us!

Food- The part you're waiting for! We consider ourselves foodies, what can I say. Marko was our waiter and was amazing. All of our recommendations include: swordfish steak, strawberry bisque, spaghetti carbonara, spring rolls, navy bean soup, caesar salad, linguini, beef tenderloin, bitter and blanc (aka what I LIVE for), melting cake, chicken pastelitos, penne mariscos, and filet mignon. Our favorite bar drinks were the mojito and the caribbean colada for pool/sea days. The punchliner drink at the Punchliner Comedy Club was good, and trust me, it WILL get you laughing! We also went to Cucina del Capitano on the last night since this cruise was a celebration for a college graduation. We typically don't lean towards the specialty restaurants but OH MY. This place was great. Calamari, salads, pasta, wine, dessert, everything was just phenomenal. For $15 per person, just bite the bullet and go. We also ate in the MDR for breakfast every morning, and every morning I had the yogurt parfait, avocado toast w/ scrambled eggs atop, and bacon, and was pleased each time. My mouth is watering thinking about that darn avocado toast!!

Pools- Good, never too crowded. Although there is no lifeguard, I did notice some staff would stay by the pool and tell kids to not be so rough in the water.

WiFi- Overall good. Worked best first two days, spotty at peak times, like 6pm and 10pm. Lagged some but also worked some. I had the value package and was able to receive iMessages as if I was on land. Facebook & Snapchat also worked very well, Instagram and Twitter not at all. The Hub app was great and always worked no matter what time of day.

That's all I had to talk about in my notes, I wish I was as good of a reviewer as some on here, but I figured this may be helpful to some. Feel free to ask me anything!

Spring rolls, all of the chilled fruit soups (strawberry, peach, mango), bacon mac and cheese, navy bean soup, linguini, and the chocolate melting cake just to name a few! :)

Great! Thanks for the advice everyone.

Haven't sailed for 4 years now, just a little worried about the chance of lost luggage when checked vs carrying on all suitcases. What is the better option? Check bags or carry all bags?

Also, hearing a lot about $20+ tips to the porter to ensure bags make it on the ship?

Thanks!

Coming from a meat science background, those that complain about flat iron steaks need to understand that this particular cut not only naturally has a layer of gristle which cut with the grain (how Carnival cuts it), but it comes from a high-locomotion area on the cow. More locomotion = less tender meat. Not to sound like a smart butt, but a lesson in retail cuts is always a learning experience! :)

Will agree on the calamari, like fried rubber bands. Our family loves calamari and is very picky about it in restaurants to begin with, but hey what can you expect when feeding 4,000+ people?

- Value

- Most laid back atmosphere- like someone else said, not taken too seriously versus other lines).

- Serenity Adult Only Deck

- Menu- I know a LOT of people disagree, but cooking for 4,000+ people, 3x a day, there should be a reward for that. Plenty to choose from, and we always enjoy it

- Service- We had an issue with our room last time we cruised (some sort of consistent knocking noise above us, and was assumed to be cords/rope/etc that was moving around and could not be stopped). We alerted Guest Relations about the noise in the night keeping us up. Not only did they move us from Ocean View to Balcony at no extra cost, we were also surprised with a complimentary bottle of wine the next night at dinner. We said it wasn't necessary but Carnival refused. Just went to show us that they want to make sure you have a memorable time and truly care about their guests. That in itself made me want to always come back.

Need some referrals on shopping in these ports, good, bad, etc. We will be sailing on the Carnival Magic in two weeks! I have not been to the two listed below and have some time set aside for walking around and shopping, if applicable in these ports. Any advice helps!

Costa Maya (Mahahual)

Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan

Also does anyone know if Carnival still gives out the free drink coupons to returning guests? Or is it only for Gold, Platinum, and Diamond guests?

Thank you!

Do they no longer give appreciation drink coupons to returning/past cruisers? Just Gold and higher?

I have pre-purchased the Social Wi-Fi plan so I am able to keep in touch with the pet sitter in case of an emergency. I've heard mixed reviews on the internet plans, some say excellent and others say not so much. I am only interested in using it for the Facebook Messenger. We will also be docked in Belize, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Roatan if anyone has Wi-Fi experience at these ports. Should I keep the plan or not bother with it?

What is the date of your sailing? Belize does not recognize daylight savings time, so depending on when you sail, ship time will be either 1 hour ahead of local (Standard Time) or two hours ahead (Daylight Savings Time).

We will be in Belize May 23rd, 2018

We will be in Belize on the Carnival Magic from 8am-5pm. I'm trying to figure out what kind of time frame we will have in Belize for an excursion...if the excursion starts at 9am Belize time, does that mean its 11am ship time? And if we get back at 3pm, that's 5pm ship time? The last tender leaves at 4:15pm, so getting back to port at 5pm will obviously not work...I feel like I am the only one who has had problems or worries about this! Does anyone have any insight or past experience with this?

Hi all.

We have a family of 3 well-seasoned snorkelers & divers taking a Western Carribean cruise with Carnival next May. I've got all of our excursions booked except for Belize. I had found one a couple weeks ago that was a 4 hour private tour with multiple stops and had raving reviews. My only problem was that it was more than what I wanted to spend ($400+), and we would be cutting it VERY close to getting back on the ship (the last tender leaving at 4:15, we would be getting back at 4:10). So, is there anyone out there that can give some raving reviews on a snorkeling excursion they did in Belize? Any comments would be great! Thanks!!

Boo. Does this mean Dr. E won't be there May 2018? That's when our cruise is and have heard SO many great things about him!

Heading onto the Magic this fall myself I also asked the same questions and researched the same issue and found that it boils down to: Things change. Shocker!

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

Oh please let me know how you like the Magic this fall! We are so excited!

A couple bragging about all their expensive things asked us if we wanted to join them back in their cabin.

We have dealt with something like this before.

Backstory: We were on our 3rd cruise with CCL and our ocean view room had problems with the lights (sometimes turned on, sometimes turned off, flickered 24/7), an odd clicking/banging noise 24/7, and other various little problems. We went to guest relations and they apologized profusely and ended up putting us in a balcony that same night for the rest of the cruise. We were very thankful! That was the end of that.

Story: We were seated with another 3 person group in the MDR which included a 16 year old that said a total of 2 words the whole trip, an excessively loud wife....and like the post before said, an obnoxious, "showy" husband (we'll call him Guy). He made it clear he made a lot of money (come to find out he's a painter for residential homes, no shame there, we too work in the blue collar industry), repeated multiple times he was a Diamond Member, knew all these "big names" in the CCL Industry, told us about his expensive cufflinks he wore, gets special meals because he's "such an elite member"...you get the idea. On the second night, the Maitre'D came to our table asking for my father, saying "we heard about your room issues the other night so here's a bottle of wine on us". We said that wouldn't be necessary, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. Just another way Carnival showed us they care about their customers. Guy said nothing for the rest of the night. The next night, the Maitre'D brought chocolate covered strawberries for our family, again we declined but thanked them for the customer service, and again they would not take no. Guy's eyes got SO big and stopped bragging after that night! We joke that Carnival knew about Guy's showy attitude the whole time! :') Sometimes you wonder why people have to brag? We're just there to have fun!

So are there two separate menus now? Or is it just an updated menu with an American Feast section? Why is everyone so upset about menus now?

We have sailed with Carnival 3 previous times (2007, 2011, 2014) and have a trip planned for next year. I've used Cruise Critic since 2014 but just recently became a member. If anyone can answer any of these questions I thank you in advance!

- What is the situation with the MDR menus? I love the original menus (like the ones posted on zydecocruiser) but what is the deal with "American Menu/Feast"? Are both the original menus and American menus available? Could someone explain?

- Anyone have any tips or recommendations about Carnival Magic specifically? We still have a long wait but any information would be appreciated.

- Finally, who is John Heald?

Thanks!