whciv
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Posts posted by whciv
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Funny, but we are looking at booking that same exact cabin for a late June sailing. We also have a son that is 19 that will be staying with us. I would be interested in hearing any input on the room, its location, noise level and anything else.
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We were thinking or Hilton rose hall. Hopefully it will be a bigger experience.
We also heard some of the inland tours were pretty good. Some were sold out before the cruise started. Good luck on your tour.
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Which AI did you do in Jamaica? We sail in a week and I still haven't booked anything.
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We did the Sunset Beach All-Inclusive resort for the day. Its about $100 per person and comes with lunch and all you can drink. I guess if you drink a lot then its worth the money. The staff at the resort were very nice, but we expected more activities for the price we paid.
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We just finished a 7 day cruise on the Carnival Magic out of Galveston. This is our second trip on the Magic. We took our first last summer. We are also seasoned cruisers with 27 cruises under our belts. Here is a very quick review and some differences we saw from last year.
THE SHIP
First, let me say that the Magic is one of our favorite ships. We've been on smaller ships and we've been on bigger ships... but this one is just right for us. At 128,000 tons it has enough activities to keep folks busy, but not so big that you get lost in the crowd. Unlike some past Carnival ships, the Magic is more elegant and less Las Vegas. Its laid out very well with easy access to facilities from almost all decks. The sports deck and pool areas get a bit crowded, but we never felt it was ever overcrowded. We did notice that the buffet lines were a bit longer on this trip from last year. We cruised the exact same week, but the lines were definitely longer... especially at breakfast. I tried to get an omelette but the wait was just too long.
The cabins are nice and roomy, but nothing over the top... at least for the inside and oceanview cabins. We did have a second bathroom in our cabin this trip. Although it was nice, I would have preferred the extra room in the cabin. If you are traveling with 4 or more than the extra bath would be very nice.
We really enjoyed the outside movies on the pool deck. My son also enjoyed the entire outside sports area. This ship has a great basketball / soccer deck for organized sports during the day and late night. Our 18 year old spent much of his time on this deck.
THE FOOD
Both years we found Carnival's food to be good, but not great. Celebrity and RCCL have better menu options, but Carnival has improved over the years. They may not win any awards for the food, but the service is top notch. Our table staff on both cruises were excellent. Because of this alone, I would give their food and service a 4+ rating. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Carnival's food, we just find some dishes don't have the same level of flavor as other cruises. Steaks were mostly overcooked, soups were not as tasty and the salads had some limp lettuce.
The breakfast buffet was also good but not as good as the dining room. The eggs seemed powered, but I wasn't sure. The pancakes and waffles are good, the bacon is as expected (but you have to sweet talk the "bacon manager" to get very much). The top deck hamburgers were okay, but there were some terrific hamburger sliders on deck 5. The all day pizza is very good and so is the ice cream.
GETTING ON and GETTING OFF
Embarkation this trip was an absolute breeze. We basically walked right on the ship and put our stuff in the room. We arrived around 11am and there wasn't was no line whatsoever. Last year we had to wait about 45 minutes in the lounge before getting on the ship.
Disembarking was much less organized this trip. Last trip we walked off no problems. This time it felt like the cruise staff were not organized. They started calling to many decks and before we knew it there were tons of people on the stairs waiting to get off. It took us 45 mins to an hour just to get into the terminal. Customs was a little slower, but if you get a porter you can take the "smaller line". Keep this in mind.
PORTS
Our ports of call were Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Cayman was our favorite with Cozumel second. Jamaica is nice... but not great. We spent the day in an all-inclusive resort that was not really worth the money. In Cayman you have to go to Stingray City and also do some snorkeling at the Coral Reef. This was a 5+++ (scale 1 to 5). Cozumel is actually gotten much better over the years. I would love to go back and stay on the island. I would not have said this 10 years ago.
SUMMARY
That's about it. In summary, I would take this trip on Magic again in a New York second. It is a great balance between cost, elegance, fun and excellent service. Keep in mind, Carnival caters to families and kids. If you are 60+ traveling without kids, you might want to pick another cruise line and definitely don't go in the summer. I always hate to see people rate Carnival with other cruises that are twice as expensive. You cannot compare a Four Seasons Resort to a Marriott Suites. They each cater to different expectations. :)
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Is Carnival Magic reordering its ports? I've noticed that Cozumel is listed as the first stop when viewing the ships real-time location. I thought Cozumel was the last port. Anyone been on the Magic in the last week or two.
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We were just assigned our OV guarantee about a day ago. Our cruise is mid June and we are hoping to get an upgrade (or even upsell) to a balcony. I was concerned that Carnival wouldn't upsell folks that are in guarantee rooms.
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Thanks. Anyone else with input on the aft cabins on deck 1 of Magic. We thought we might change the room, but maybe the noise level is not bad. Also, I've read about cabins being warm to even hot. Is this true on Deck 1?
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We are sailing next month on the Magic and staying in a Deluxe Ocean View Room. Does anyone know how you can configure the bed in the room. I know you can have a king or two twins, but can you move them near the window to allow for more room in front of the bed? We have 3 traveling and want to configure the room best for walking space.
Also, our cabin is aft deck 1. We've never been this deep on a ship. Is the noise level a problem here? Do these rooms have cooling problems are other cons that we should know about?
BC :)
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We went on a Carnival Cruise last year and they had some terrific deals. This year, the prices are sky high for the summer. Does anyone know when Carnival starts lowering their prices for summer cruises? Certainly they don't have more cruisers this year. If anything, the recent sick boats normally reduce travelers.
Anyone ever hear from Carnival on when they starts summer specials?
BB
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[quote name='pensgrl']From the time we left on the shuttle from Lighthouse parking to when we were sitting in the Italian Resturaunt ordering lunch it was 45 min! Gettin off the ship was even faster! Self debarkation for 1,2 and 12 was at 7:30 and we were loading up the car at 7:45am![/QUOTE]
Did you have FTTP? Also, what time did you arrive at the parking lot? We are leaving on Magic this summer and don't really want to pay another fee for FTTP. -
We have cruised about 24 times on all different lines. We've only done Carnival a handful of times and are going again this summer on the Magic. There are differences in all of the cruises and we have always felt Carnival was geared towards a younger crowd. But remember, you get what you pay for here. The new huge ships RCCL has look amazing, but they also charge more for those cruises. If your looking for a nice balance between price and cruise ship, then I think you are good with the Breeze.
Also remember... Every cruise ship out there has good and bad reviews. Everyone has different expectations. I always laugh when someone pays $350 per person for a 7 day cruise and then complains when the cruise wasn't a Four Seasons experience. Really?? If price isn't an issue then you can certainly find some wonderful cruises in some very exotic places. Some of the high dollar cruises have far fewer passengers and the food is like a 5 star restaurant.
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WOW, look at the number of post on this thread. All for a packing list.
Cruising is a great experience. My family, including our child, have been on over 20 cruises to almost everywhere. We think they are the best vacation option out there. Don't worry so much about what you bring. Cruises have changed over the years and are not nearly as formal.
Have a great time! :)
Reference Site (FREE)
Carnival Magic vs. Carnival Freedom
in Carnival Cruise Lines
Posted
We had this same dilemma. We have cruised on the Magic twice and are now booked on the Freedom for June 20th. The Magic is a very nice ship. It has a lot of open area on deck and the layout seemed very easy to navigate. Our son, 19 now, has gone with us and will be with us this summer. He liked the Magic as he met kids his age both trips. I suspect this will be the same on Freedom. We mainly chose Freedom based on price. Carnival was running the June 20th cruise for $580 a person plus a $50 cabin credit for an oceanview room.
Good luck on your decision. We've done the Roatan, Belize and Cozumel ports before. We enjoyed the western ports a little better, but these are also very nice. They all provide what we are looking for... sun, clear water, snorkeling and sand.
Bill
From SA