Carnival Magic questions

I have cruised many of Carnival's ships, but I don't believe I have ever done a ship as large as the Magic. If you have cruised this large of a ship within the past year, would you give me your pros/cons (yes it is YOUR opinion) of this ship.

I am just in the "thinking" mode for next year, but since it is one ship I have not done as yet, I would like to get some feedback. :)

Hello!

I have never been on the Magic either, but my husband and I sailed the Breeze last year. We LOVED it. Though some will complain about the crowds, it honestly never bothered me. We were cruising in August, and there were a LOT of people on board, but we tended to eat at irregular times (early breakfast, brunch, late lunch). We waited a couple of times for a table with Your Time Dining for dinner, but it was never long. And dinner was the only meal we tended to hit around a peak time, 7pm or so. So, if a long buffet line bothers you, try to eat at off-peak times. Also, prime seats around the pool and on deck 11 in those wonderful, shaded, padded chairs will be taken early, so if you are hard core about where you sit during the day, you'll need to get to your spot in the morning (probably by 9am or so).

But with such a large ship, there is ALWAYS a good place to sit away from the pools or on deck 5. I loved sitting in the chairs or hot tubs on deck 5 away from the crowds and watching the water.

Comedy club will get crowded. That was the only time I really noticed the crowds on the Breeze, so get there about 30 minutes early. I read Carnival was trying out a new way of getting tickets for the R-rated comedy shows. I'm not sure how I feel about that because it sounds like just more waiting in line, but hopefully the kinks will get worked out.

On the Magic there will be the Italian restaurant on deck 11 that is free for lunch. We did not get the chance to try it, but I've heard it's good, and almost always empty as some people don't realize it's there.

I think you would enjoy the Magic. I'm hoping we will next year and it is our son's first cruise! We really loved the Breeze and everything she had to offer.

I booked Freedom and now Breeze is the same price and Im jealous as can be. I have been on the Magic a couple of times, but not recently. For one thing they had more food choices. They used to have a Indian food stand clear in the back I loved I cant get on Freedom.

The had Italian food i believe that is free at lunch and pay at dinner some people loved, i dont like pasta, but i heard its good. Its right up from Lido one deck up if they still have it.

Just a bigger ship has more food choices. They also did towel animals both times very very early in the morning on Cozumel day on the Lido I havent seen on smaller ships. every chair and in the pool, good for pictures.

It was a step up imo.

I see someone beat me about the Italian that no one seems to find, in the back of Lido and up the stairs.

As far as those fancy seats up there, they look awesome, but i never got one lol. only a few and I cruise alone, no one to save and no one can sit there forever, just wasnt worth it. in the spa area i think its called, seems like you had to go up a special elevator to deck 12 to 14 or something wierd to even get to them. but you had to find a elevator up front of the front elevators on lido to even get to the spa area.

Following! Will be on the Magic in January.

We sailed the Magic last year. Now I'm not up on all the correct terms/classes of all the ships. But I know it's one of their largest ships. The one thing I didn't like was that it was honestly the first time I couldn't even find ONE lounge chair for myself on the top decks. I like to be near the pool, but I don't need to be next to it. So if I'm a deck above it, that's fine too. But I walked around for 10-15 minutes and there wasn't ONE lounge chair I could use. On other ships, I could at least find one during the day.

Otherwise, we enjoyed it for the most part. Oh, we also felt the waitstaff was a little overworked, so things took a bit longer. I just got the feeling that the ship was so packed, it was a little too much. Luckily we weren't in any hurry, so it wasn't a big deal.

I did a review of our cruise, it's in my signature.

We enjoyed the ship for the most part. :) Not a fan of the Casino bar layout on this class of ships though. So much smoke (even though part of the bar is non smoking-it's useless to even call it non smoking.) If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask & I'll try my best to help.

A couple questions for those of you who have been on the Magic recently.

On the Magic ship, do you have to "walk" through the casino (smoke bothers me real bad) to get to either of the MDR?

Other the the Lido (that is what I call it), MDR, ice cream and Pizza, what are the names of other places where the food is FREE? In other words, most of these are small snack places.

We have sailed the Magic twice in last year and one more time coming up for Easter week, we love her and will sad to see her leave PC. We usually stay on deck 7 or 8 anytime we sail and I would suggest a balcony deck 7 and above is perfect.

Many pro's on a ship this big and food choices are one of them, I have to agree that the Tandoor Grill in the back of the ship (lido I believe) is one of the best choices. The comedy club is large compared to many other ships and there are many quiet spots to relax or many near the action spots if you want to be in the thick of things. Lots of entertainment to check out so would suggest when you get the fun times each night take a highlighter to look over and plan for the next day. Serenity deck is a must if you truly want some adult time relaxing in the sun. My son has a blast on the sports deck with all the activities including the ropes course, basketball court and giant chess board, so if you have kids they also have many choices on board (there is a convenient hot dog cart right there for a quick bite for the kids).

The only con that is truly annoying and bothersome is the casino smoke, disgusting and frustrating just walking through (especially in the evening when the smokers are all crowded together pretty much chain smoking in a very small space at the bar). Luckily you can go out the doors and walk outside and around the casino and back in on the other side. You can also use another deck to bypass the casino area. You will still smell it at night in the ocean plaza if you stay too close to the casino doorway.

We love the dream class of ships and with Magic leaving we look forward to booking our first trip on the Breeze (probably in December this year).

I have cruised many of Carnival's ships, but I don't believe I have ever done a ship as large as the Magic. If you have cruised this large of a ship within the past year, would you give me your pros/cons (yes it is YOUR opinion) of this ship.

 

I am just in the "thinking" mode for next year, but since it is one ship I have not done as yet, I would like to get some feedback. :)

We just off the Magic on a B2B in Dec.

Very good= Prime Steakhouse-dk 5 $35.pp,

Guy's burgers-dk 10,

Guy's bar b que-dk 5,

Cucina Del Capitano-dk 11 $15. pp

Cruise Director Dr E

Balcony cabins on upper decks

free room service

cabin attendants

Good= MDR dk 3/4

Buffet dk 10

service with a smile around ship

shows in theater dk 3/4/5

outdoor moives with popcorn dk 10

salad and sandwich bar dk 5

Serenity adult only area dk 15

embarkation

now the not so good,,,,

pizza is very good, but long wait,

pools small for size of ship,

lower level cabins in the front of ship can be noisy,

no covered pool if bad weather which we had for several days,

internet very slow,

tv very limited,

disembarkation very slow-blame it on passengers who refuse to wait until called.

Overall after 3 sailings on the Magic in 7 months, we like the Magic, and will have no problem sailing on her again!

Thank you for your answers to my questions. This will really help out. :)

We’ve sailed on the Magic twice, and both times were wonderful. So far, we prefer the Dream and New Vista class decor and deck plans. They feel more modern. Dr E, the Magic’s Cruise Director is amazing too, so the Magic has the total package imo. Some friends of ours recently went on their very first cruise on the Magic. They absolutely loved it and can’t wait to go again. They said they never felt cramped or claustrophobic, and they went during the Summer. Hope this helps! [emoji4]

Sent from my iPad using Forums

The only issue we had last year on Magic was the same one reported by Kctwinmommy, that is, an inability to find loungers. We too are not picky regarding location, but even being away from the action we found it a challenge.

Otherwise, we enjoyed Magic very much. Love the full wrap-around deck. The aft pool first thing in the morning was great for a quiet swim before the masses showed up. Ocean Plaza is a great location for pre-dinner enjoyment. We would grab a cocktail from Alchemy Bar, a little something from Taste Bar, and enjoy the live music. It was a great way to start each evening.

How early do you usually have to get out if you want a lounger? Not necessarily in a popular spot.

Add a 'me too' in trying to find a place to sit on the Magic outside, particularly on sea days.

The tandoori at the back of the Lido deck is hands down the best food on the ship. Free and open for lunch. If you like Indian or have been wanting to try but was uncertain - give it a try! We ate there nearly every day. And it is only available on the Dream class ships, so definitely enjoy it while you can.

I didn't care for the set up of the Alchemy Bar on the Magic. We fell in love with the Alchemy Bar on the Liberty and again on the Sunshine where we spent every evening trying cocktails (Yay Cheers!) and could enjoy the live music occurring in the Ocean Plaza across the aisle. On the Magic there is limited seating at the bar (not the two rows like other ships), and it is located IN the Ocean Plaza (where the music is directed at the bar) so if the bar is full you can still order your Alchemy drink and go sit in the plaza to drink it, but it loses that 'Alchemy Bar' feel. There is a long side bar to the Alchemy Bar but it is a cut through to the Red Frog Pub - so traffic is going by constantly. It just felt very cramped and like they were just shoving it in so that they could say the ship had one. The atmosphere was completely different from other ships and we did not enjoy it.

If you like hanging on the Serenity Deck, do take the time to figure out the easiest way for you to get there at the beginning. There really is no 'direct' route from the main elevators at the front of the ship. It also fills up quickly on sea days, but has a great variety of seating and is not all beach loungers if you are looking for something a little different - you can also still hear the music from the Lido deck, which I enjoy. The hot tubs are usually not crowded and I've never seen kids in those as they are so far from the main pool and water park.

Beware the water park!! If you go down there to try out the slides yourself you may find yourself pulled into a water battle. :D Kids do have a blast there (as do adults. ;) )

If you get a spa room and don't like constant sales pressure - you may want to avoid any of the 'free' evaluations they offer. They offered, I said 'why not', and was contacted constantly throughout the cruise afterwards asking me if I wanted to purchase anything - it got to the point where I was ducking the ladies that worked there when I walked through to head to the therapy rooms and Serenity deck. If you like purchasing the spa products you will most definitely have some incredible and attentive service to assist you choose which works best for you.

I, personally, am not such a fan of the larger ships and tend to have better cruises on the smaller ships. There are plenty on these boards who have the exact opposite experience. I recommend trying all the various sizes and see which class you prefer. My 'worst' (if you could call it that) was on the Sunshine and my favorites have been the Liberty and Valor - all similar size ships.

Magic was our first "large" ship. I had a lot of reservations about it but we had a fantastic time!! The lunch time menu in the Italian place is truly a hidden gem!! We didn't find it to be overly crowded at all and noticed the same issues we have always had on smaller ships of trying to find deck chairs and peak times for trying to get food. We always got good seats at the production shows if you plan accordingly to get there a little early. But we have always approached every cruise with a just go with the flow attitude and to be flexible.

Great suggestions I'm reading from everyone. :)

A couple questions. Someone mentioned the "wrap around deck." Am I understanding that it is a deck that goes completely around the ship? If so, what deck is it, as I try walking as much as I can.

Also, I don't like the smoke from the casino, even though part of it is "supposed" to be smoke free??? My question, is there anyway (don't know which one it will be at this time) I can come down from deck 6 to one of the MDR, and "avoid" the casino?

Great suggestions I'm reading from everyone. :)

 

A couple questions. Someone mentioned the "wrap around deck." Am I understanding that it is a deck that goes completely around the ship? If so, what deck is it, as I try walking as much as I can.

 

Also, I don't like the smoke from the casino, even though part of it is "supposed" to be smoke free??? My question, is there anyway (don't know which one it will be at this time) I can come down from deck 6 to one of the MDR, and "avoid" the casino?

Deck 5 goes all the way around. You can traverse it from front to back, thus avoiding the casino.

The interior hallway on deck 4 starboard side will also take you from back to front. You will pass a club for kids, lots of art, and end up in the atrium.

Happy sailing.

Bury me at sea, thank you for your response.

My husband is reluctant to try this ship because he feels the wrap around deck will make the balconies on 7 and 8 feel not as private. Can anyone comment on that?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Many more benefits of the wrap around.... It's just not a walkway around ship...its outside venues. seating for food and drinks and hot tubs and general seating in a very tranquil atmosphere. In my opinion this makes this class of ship more desireable. Vista and Horizon have followed this trend minus the hot tubs. There have been a few posters who have stated , at times it was a bit noisy due to activity by hot tubs....

Many more benefits of the wrap around.... It's just not a walkway around ship...its outside venues. seating for food and drinks and hot tubs and general seating in a very tranquil atmosphere. In my opinion this makes this class of ship more desireable. Vista and Horizon have followed this trend minus the hot tubs. There have been a few posters who have stated , at times it was a bit noisy due to activity by hot tubs....

My last cruise on Magic we were in 6329 directly next to a hot tub and over the Casino... We didn't have any issues with noise from the hot tubs they were not overly crowded as there are 2 on each side and usually closed about 8-9 pm for cleaning. I also enjoyed sitting on my balcony people watching deck 5 patio

Following...

We enjoyed the Serenity area and the Red Frog Pub outside seating area. And the pub is a fun place to go inside as well. Also enjoy the ropes course & water slides. The main drawback for me is the lack of an adult pool. I prefer to be able to sun or hang out in the pool without a bunch of children jumping around & screaming. Obviously that is not a dealbreaker for me, since I've sailed Breeze and will soon be on Magic for the 2nd time. If you like pasta, do try the Italian place upstairs from Lido at lunch. We didn't do any of the extra fee restaurants on any of the ships we've sailed - we were fine with the included offerings.

Thanks! That is great info!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I have stayed in the 6th floor aft wraps twice and not been bothered by the people walking around. The novelty of walking around the ship outside on the 5th floor is a great feature and we enjoyed on all 3 Dream class ships.

Sent from my iPad using Forums