MAGIC - Our Photo Review of the Inaugural Sailing of the Magic

[btorlv]

Thanks for the great pics. We leave in the AM for Barcelona for 2 days pre cruise on the Magic. Can't wait to see in person what I have seen in your pictures.

[rizrizriz]

Once again Thanks!

and thanks for the idea of Montserrat, had not thought of that til now. Maybe this is something we can do during one of our days in BCN

Kendall

[rlyans]

WOW! What a day...you had quite a day. Thanks for sharing your your trip with all of us. You have given us so much to to look forward to and so many great ideas for our trip. Thanks so much again. Rlyans

Also hi Kendall. He is on our cruise in July. See youn soon.

[cruisinskier]

Thanks for the great pics. We leave in the AM for Barcelona for 2 days pre cruise on the Magic. Can't wait to see in person what I have seen in your pictures.

 

Have a great trip!!! I look forward to your review!

 

Once again Thanks!

and thanks for the idea of Montserrat, had not thought of that til now. Maybe this is something we can do during one of our days in BCN

Kendall

 

Montserrat was neat to see and if you go you have to see the boy's choir perform. It will give you goosebumps!!

 

WOW! What a day...you had quite a day. Thanks for sharing your your trip with all of us. You have given us so much to to look forward to and so many great ideas for our trip. Thanks so much again. Rlyans

Also hi Kendall. He is on our cruise in July. See youn soon.

 

My pleaseure. Enjoy your cruise in July!

[Bridgeview]

Thanks for the great review. We are on 24th July sailing and are staying 2 days pre-cruise at the Universal.:)

[rnvattes]

Now I'm in Positano, Sorrento, and Pompeii... SWOONING!

 

The photos are just phenomenal! As a PP said -- i have never wanted to go somewhere so badly as I do as I'm reading this review and seeing these pictures!

[hubofhockey]

I agree on Positano. It is an amazing place. Last summer, we walked all the way down to the beach and cooled off in the water. I wish we had stayed there the rest of the day instead of going to Sorrento, which I thought was nothing special and somewhat of a major letdown for us after seeing Pompeii in the morning and Positano in the late morning to early afternoon. This summer, we are opting for Capri. We'll have our kids. With the oppressive summer heat and lack of any shade at Pompeii, we thought Capri was a better call with the kids with this port part of four straight port days in Italy. But if anyone hasn't been to Pompeii or Positano, it's an incredible day and the private or roll call shared excursions with AP Tours, Rome in Limo, or any of the other vendors in Naples is the way to go for that.

 

OP, thanks for the great pictures. If anyone is contemplating doing the Med on the Breeze next summer, your pictures should convince them. :cool:

[Chief Cruiser]

This is by far, the most interesting review I've ever read on any cruise board. You have an eye for photographing the uniqueness of where you are and I know from the comments it has captivated everyone who has taken a peak. With 50,000+ views, you know you've captured an unprecedented interest.

 

The pictures are intriguing, exquistite, and the descriptions clear and concise, yet fully descriptive.

 

This review has certainly set a new standard and is the epitome of a what a photographic journal should be. It would be most uncommon to be matched.

 

Thank you for vicariously taking me with you. I have orally removed most of my fingernails anxiously awaiting your every installment.

 

I have sadly accepted that this review will soon end, but thankful for the experience. You should be extremely proud of this review, as it is in and of itself the same as many of the pictures you have taken: a work of art.

 

Thank you for taking your time and engery to publish this review.

 

Job very well done! :)

Edited May 31, 2011 by Chief Cruiser

[jackdis]

Please tell me you have another trip coming up SOON so that we can have another trip report from you to read!!!!!!! It has been amazing! Your review is amazing!! Thank you!

[gfkcruiser]

Loved your very informative review and wonderful photos!

[rnvattes]

:like

 

Barcelona is incredibly beautiful!

[nans vacation]

I believe the "round building" you said is now a shopping center was until fairly recently a bull fighting ring. Our tour guide said that the people in this part of Spain are not big fans of bull fighting.

 

Great review and photos. I hope you don't mind that i borrowed a few to supplement my own extensive collection from this trip.

 

Mark (nans hubby)

[lives to cruise]

cruisinskier

 

Just have to tell you that after seeing your amazing pictures I just ordered my own DSC Hx7v for our trip on the Magic in October. I just hope I can take such amazing pictures as you have. :)

[FoolishMe]

Thanks so much for the great review... We leave in three weeks for the 24 June sailing.

Just loved the preview!

[cruisinskier]

[quote name='Bridgeview']Thanks for the great review. We are on 24th July sailing and are staying 2 days pre-cruise at the Universal.:)[/quote]

Hi Bridgeview, have a great time on the Magic. We really enjoyed the Universal as it was central to walk to most places and those that were too far, the subway was at the door. Prices were reasonable and make sure to check out Los Cachitos restaurant right around the corner from the hotel...they will take good care of you!!

[quote name='rnvattes']Now I'm in Positano, Sorrento, and Pompeii... SWOONING!

The photos are just phenomenal! As a PP said -- i have never wanted to go somewhere so badly as I do as I'm reading this review and seeing these pictures![/quote]

rnvattes, my wife made me take a picture of a hotel in Positano and said we were going back to stay there.....I hope some day we do make it back!! Thanks again for hanging in thru the review and glad you are enjoying it!!

[quote name='Ljberkow']I agree on Positano. It is an amazing place. Last summer, we walked all the way down to the beach and cooled off in the water. I wish we had stayed there the rest of the day instead of going to Sorrento, which I thought was nothing special and somewhat of a major letdown for us after seeing Pompeii in the morning and Positano in the late morning to early afternoon. This summer, we are opting for Capri. We'll have our kids. With the oppressive summer heat and lack of any shade at Pompeii, we thought Capri was a better call with the kids with this port part of four straight port days in Italy. But if anyone hasn't been to Pompeii or Positano, it's an incredible day and the private or roll call shared excursions with AP Tours, Rome in Limo, or any of the other vendors in Naples is the way to go for that.

OP, thanks for the great pictures. If anyone is contemplating doing the Med on the Breeze next summer, your pictures should convince them. :cool:[/quote]

Ljberkow, thanks for your comments. We really enjoyed Positano, Sorrento and Pompeii and as I said above we do hope to get back one day. Two members of our group did go to Capri and we heard lots of wonderful things about it as well....hope to ge there one day. Have a great trip this summer and I look forward to your review!!

[cruisinskier]

[quote name='Chief Cruiser']This is by far, the most interesting review I've ever read on any cruise board. You have an eye for photographing the uniqueness of where you are and I know from the comments it has captivated everyone who has taken a peak. With 50,000+ views, you know you've captured an unprecedented interest.

The pictures are intriguing, exquistite, and the descriptions clear and concise, yet fully descriptive.

This review has certainly set a new standard and is the epitome of a what a photographic journal should be. It would be most uncommon to be matched.

Thank you for vicariously taking me with you. I have orally removed most of my fingernails anxiously awaiting your every installment.

I have sadly accepted that this review will soon end, but thankful for the experience. You should be extremely proud of this review, as it is in and of itself the same as many of the pictures you have taken: a work of art.

Thank you for taking your time and engery to publish this review.

Job very well done! :)[/quote]

Chief, thanks for your comments and glad I am able to give back a little bit. Every place we visited and every tour we took was a result of feedback others provided on these boards so I feel I am just doing my part. I am overwhelmed that over 50,000 have viewed it but make sure you also check out the other great posts on these boards with Magic info, especially those posted by sargent_schultz [URL]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1413062[/URL] and imatexan [URL]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1413277[/URL] and I am sure there are others as well....

[quote name='jackdis']Please tell me you have another trip coming up SOON so that we can have another trip report from you to read!!!!!!! It has been amazing! Your review is amazing!! Thank you![/quote]

jackdis, no cruises currently booked but hoping to resolve that soon. Alaska is next on our list however we have a daughter in her senior year so headed to University in September....she will be relocating across Canada to go to school in BC so that will be our next trip.

[quote name='gfkcruiser']Loved your very informative review and wonderful photos![/quote]

gfkcruiser, glad you enjoyed it!!

[cruisinskier]

[quote name='rnvattes']:like

Barcelona is incredibly beautiful![/quote]

Yes we really enjoyed our time in Barcelona and would gladly go back :D

[quote name='nans vacation']I believe the "round building" you said is now a shopping center was until fairly recently a bull fighting ring. Our tour guide said that the people in this part of Spain are not big fans of bull fighting.

Great review and photos. I hope you don't mind that i borrowed a few to supplement my own extensive collection from this trip.

Mark (nans hubby)[/quote]

Mark, yes the round building was a bullring and is now a shopping mall after 15 years of construction.

[cruisinskier]

[quote name='lives to cruise'][URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/member.php?u=302482"]cruisinskier[/URL]

Just have to tell you that after seeing your amazing pictures I just ordered my own DSC Hx7v for our trip on the Magic in October. I just hope I can take such amazing pictures as you have. :)[/quote]

lives to cruise, I hope you enjoy your new camera....it did us well on our trip. A large portion of my pictures were taken as I continued to walk along so it provides the true perspective. Very few were "staged" photos. Enjoy the Magic in October!!

[quote name='FoolishMe']Thanks so much for the great review... We leave in three weeks for the 24 June sailing.
Just loved the preview![/quote]

Foolish, I look forward to seeing your review in a month or so. Have a great trip!

[Prairie_Gal]

This is one of those reviews that, like a good book, I just hate to see end.

Thank you so very much for all the work you put into it. It has made me even more excited for our cruise on the Breeze Inaugural next year.

[cruisinskier]

So the end of our trip was now upon us. We were up around 7:00am and had the breakfast buffet at the hotel. We then made our way downstairs and they called a taxi to take us to the airport (I believe it was roughly 25 euros). We flew Continental / United from Barcelona to Newark and then on to Toronto. Overall our flights were non-eventful although we almost missed our connection in Newark due to the long lines when we had to re-clear security after changing terminals. But we arrived home safely and with many, many more memories than we thought possible. Given that intially we were not even going on this trip, it was truly one of the best we ever had. When I look at all the things we crossed off the bucket list on this trip, I am extremely glad we went. To anyone who is even slightly thinking of going to Europe, I hope this review helps with your decision....

I truly want to thank all previous posters on these boards as this was our first trip to Europe and we learned everything from reading lots and lots of info here. Every tour we did was a direct result of reading about past experiences from CC posters. The sites we selected to visit in Venice and Montserrat were a result of CC input. We truly thank you all for your assistance in making our trip so memorable!!!

For those going to Europe, research and planning is the key. There are so many historical and cultural sites to see that you truly need to research and plan your days. The more research you do, the more you will get from your trip.

So for those who have been following along, I do now have to post that other plane picture, just because :D

Our puddle jumper from Newark to Toronto....safely home
[IMG]http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x448/cruisinskier/Magic%20Med%20Cruise/DSC03275.jpg[/IMG]

[cruisinskier]

Well, this trip was a lot of fun, we visited exciting places, toured with great companies and enjoyed a great new ship!! I want to thank everyone who stopped by to check out the review and truly hope this helps out some future Magic cruisers and/or those headed to Europe....I hope some day we do get the chance to go back!!

So to wrap up this review, here are a few final pictures from our time on the Magic......thanks for letting us relive our trip!!!

Thanks
Jerry

[IMG]http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x448/cruisinskier/Magic%20Med%20Cruise/DSC00675.jpg[/IMG]


The Captain and the Godmother
[IMG]http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x448/cruisinskier/Magic%20Med%20Cruise/DSC00741.jpg[/IMG]


The signs in front of the Red Frog Pub
[IMG]http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x448/cruisinskier/Magic%20Med%20Cruise/DSC00940.jpg[/IMG]


The Magic Whale Tail
[IMG]http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x448/cruisinskier/Magic%20Med%20Cruise/DSC02522.jpg[/IMG]


The Magic bell on the front of the ship
[IMG]http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x448/cruisinskier/Magic%20Med%20Cruise/DSC02584.jpg[/IMG]


Until we cruise again......
[IMG]http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x448/cruisinskier/Magic%20Med%20Cruise/DSC02500.jpg[/IMG] Edited June 1, 2011 by cruisinskier

[cruisinskier]

[quote name='Prairie_Gal']This is one of those reviews that, like a good book, I just hate to see end.

Thank you so very much for all the work you put into it. It has made me even more excited for our cruise on the Breeze Inaugural next year.[/quote]

Prairie Gal, thank you again for your comments. I truly hope you enjoy the Breeze as much as we enjoyed the Magic. I feel they did a great job getting it ready for the inaugural, with minimal issues during that first cruise. Enjoy and I will watch for your review in just over a year.....

Jerry

[mississauga]

Jerry, finally I can thank you so very much for your amazing review. I had to restrain myself from posting comments after each of your postings. Did not want to clutter your wonderful review and pictures with my ramblings because once I started I would have had to comment each and every time because each posting was also as brilliant as the one before. I did post a thank you at the beginning but after that, had to resist or you would have had posting after posting from me ....lol.

It was very generous of you to take the time to do this as I know how time consuming it is and of course, life gets in the way or writing this gets in the way of life after the cruise....lol. Thank you also for sharing of your fantastic pictures. You gave so much valuable info. We are going on the Breeze Inaugural next year and I have learned so much from you. Merci!:):):)

[kezza]

Jerry thank you again for such a wonderful review and the best photos I've seen on any review.

We're heading off in 4 days to Madrid then onto Barcelona for catch the 12/6 cruise and your review and photos have made it even more excitable, if that's at all possible.

Thankyou again for your time in doing such a great review.

Kerri

[rlyans]

cruisinskier, Jerry, thanks one more time for all your great pic's and reviews that went along with it. I shared your review with our CC group going on the Magic July 17th and I think half of them were following your review. I sat down with my wife Sunday and took her on your cruise and we sat there for hours enjoying and forming more idea's. You are so right that you learn so much from other CC reviews and postings. One thing I am sad about is after learning about Montserrat we really want to go there however the Boy's Choir is on vacation in July.(so sad) but I think we will still go... It looked so beautiful! Thanks again for your review and PICTURES!!!! rlyans