A New Englander meets Texas! Magic Review April 20 - 27 WITH PICS!!

[Rudyard]

Subscribing to read the rest of the review. Hope to sail Magic one of these days.

[TheGirlNextDoor]

I am loving your review and can't wait for more. Magic is my ship! :D Been on her twice. I just finished my own picture review too.

[Catrin]

Hello All... let's Continue....

Before we go on.... Embarkation Picture!! One of ONLY THREE that I purchased this cruise.. more on that later.....

 

Day 1 - LUNCHTIME

 

Finding food Day 1 is always interesting. Just because for many, it is a feast... so many options!! First timers usually go straight to the buffet (as we did on our first cruise!). We usually spread out. Allison and Steve decided to get Pizza. And.... they were the FIRST IN LINE for the whole cruise!!

 

Let's talk about Pizza on the Magic for a minute..... and some comparisons. On the Splendor last summer, we waited FOREVER for Pizza. The lines were ALWAYS so long, usually a good 15-20 minute wait all day. Especially at lunchtime. Us Northerners love our Pizza!! On the Magic, however.... most of the time there was never a line! At most one or two people ahead of us. This pizza staff were either more efficient, or less people really wanted Pizza. The pizza on the ship is super thin, baked fresh in front of you. If you are used to doughy pizza, this may not be for you, but we really loved it.

 

So while Steve and Allison got Pizza ... I jumped right in line.... For the Mongolian Wok. This is the station where you fill a bowl with noodles and veggies, then you chose your meat or seafood and the chefs stir fry it in front of you. It is a great healthy lunch!! BUT>> speaking of lines.... lines can run up to 30 minutes and are consistently SLOW! So I knew coming here today would be a good thing. Once cruisers discover this area, it gets very crowded!! Even though there were only three people ahead of me, I still waited 15 minutes. But it was well worth it!!

(Don't get too excited for Food Pictures.. it is the only one I took!)

 

Matthew on the other hand.... wandered. This was the time that Kyle, my oldest and Matt usually explored. If I had to guess what Matthew had for lunch, it was ice cream. :)

 

After lunch, Steve decided to go back to the room and see if the luggage had arrived.... and if it had, he would unpack. It was my turn to explore with Allison, starting with Camp Carnival, where we would sign her up.

 

Camp Carnival Info -

Allison was in the 9-11 group this cruise, and she had a blast! Some activities were in the Club O2 room, but most were held in Camp Carnival on the 11th deck right off the Lido Deck area above Pizza and Burgers. Even though we were on School Vacation week, we knew that the schools in Texas were not, so we were hoping for the right amount of kids. And it was perfect. Her group always had about 15 kids in it... a perfect size for her to make friends but not be overwhelmed.

 

When we arrived at Camp Carnival, there was only one other person there. We signed her up quickly and we were told there would be an Easter Egg Hunt at 7PM then a Family Easter Party at 7:30PM. Since this was Allison's 9th cruise, she had been to many Camp Carnival first night Dance parties and could not wait to go tonight!! :eek:

[Catrin]

We continued to explore.. and her eyes of course went right to Water Works!! That Slide!!! That Water Bucket!!! We knew she would be spending a good amount of her week HERE!!

[/size]

Part of our errands was to go to Guest Services to have our Sail and Sign cards punched for our Lanyards. A big Platinum benefit for us has always been the Platimum and Diamond line at Guest Services. But this cruise, it was not that much of a benefit as many times there was never a line!! Once again, remarkable service.

 

We returned to our room.. to find that a few pieces of luggage had arrived. We met our Room Steward Devon, from Jamaica. Devon did a nice job all week. We had a few issues with our laundry, in which his attitude was not the friendliest, but besides that minor issue, he was pleasant. Not the best Room Steward we have had, but he did his job and we were grateful for a clean room, made beds and clean towels daily!!

 

After unpacking, Steve and Allison had bathing suits... and it was POOL time! The good thing about being on so many cruises, is we really do not need to find our way around the ship. We totally take advantage of our early arrival by having an early lunch, and finding a way to relax right away!!

 

Steve got his first bucket of beer. What is with that crazy Texas law about Beer in port? He got a bucket of cans, which is the only time that you can on the ship. This is all they offer until the ship sails.

The cheers program while an option, was not for us. It would really not be cost effective for the $100 cost a day for us, so we opted just to pay as we went.

 

Here comes our first DRAMA ... or MY first Drama of our Cruise!! I was sitting on the bench over the Lido Deck pool.. enjoying the sun, talking to Steve and Allison, taking pictures..... Steve says.. hey Cath, can you hand me a beer? I leaned over and PLOP!!! Right into the pool goes my Iphone!!! OH NO!!! We take it out within a second.... but I just KNEW it was dead. But I needed to react immediately if I had any chance. I thought to myself "GET IT IN RICE!!!" So I went back down to Guest Services to ask if there was any way I could speak to someone from the kitchen to see if I could get a bag of rice. By this time, the screen was blank and it would not turn on or off. I walk up to Guest Services and I say... "I have a strange request and I hope you can help me.... my phone just fell in the pool". The girl says .. "Do you want me to put it in rice?" and she bends down and picks up a baggie of rice!! She takes my phone, puts my room # on it and says... come get it in a few days. This usually works!!

 

So my poor dead phone.. which I would use for pictures and music at the gym was dead.[/color]

Edited May 7, 2014 by Catrin

[happymoes]

Loving your review!!

[Catrin]

The pool... we loved the area surrounding the pool. The two "huts" in the shad with seats were a great place to hang out. We loved there was a space just to wade your feet.... or sit in shallow water. We loved this entire Lido area, actually. Very different feel from the Conquest Class stadium steating. The Magic had an area for sun lovers, for shade needers, and for people who wanted a little of both!!

 

There was a DJ playing all afternoon. Sure it would have been nice to have a calypso band, but the DJ was just fine.

 

 

Pool time was over.... and we went back to the room to finish unpacking. The rest of the luggage had arrived and we figured out where we were going to put everything. Plenty of space in the bathroom, but lacking in space in other areas such as the drawers under the couch. Also, because of Allison's size, they had to give us another life vest, so we had five to store instead of four.

 

What types of things did we bring on board to make our lives easier?

Musts... Mesh Pop - Up laundry basket for dirty clothes, Beach Bag, Water Bottle, Tervis Tumblers, Hair Conditioner, Medicines, Kindle, Ipad, Belkin Charger, Lanyards, and Pens.

 

We found Matthew in the room already taking a nap. Is it me or do 15 year old boys sleep 20 hours a day?

 

At 3:30, it was time for the Safety Drill. This was as easy as it gets. We met on Deck 5 of the main showroom. We sat down comfortably while they gathered everyone and went through the entire lifeboat procedures and inventory of passengers. This took about a half hour - 45 minutes in total. Completely painless and an important part of cruising.

 

Then it was time for the Sailaway Party!!! Like clockwork, the ship started moving as we pulled away from Galveston. Our cruise had officially begun! We went up to Deck 11 to watch and wave. Something about leaving port, for a family adventure .. knowing that we have a full week with little stress, no blackberry, no cooking.... is an amazing feeling!

 

This was officially the BEST DAY EVER!!

 

Catrin

[Catrin]

We had fun at the Deck party..... the first chance to meet the Entertainment Staff on the ship!!

 

The DJ played the predictable line dance songs... Electric Slide, Cha -Cha slide, Cupid Shuffle.. songs we hear ONLY on cruise ships... but songs to signify we are on vacation!! There was a lot of dancing and a lot of laughing. The crowds were starting to thin out, however.. as many people were still unpacking and getting ready for dinner.

 

Dinner

We once again chose Early Seating dinner. This 6pm dining time has always worked for our family. We enjoy having the same serving team each night and we enjoy knowing exactly where to go, etc. This cruise was no exception. We had previously asked for a table of four "near the center of action". We had a booth for four, on the lower level of the aft dining room. Perfect!!

 

We met our dining staff, Mladen, Sylvia, and the other young man who looked like Michael Phelps.... (his name will come to me!). We really liked them all. We did not have a "Head Waiter". They were all assistant waiters, but Mladen assumed the role of head waiter. Service was good all week and we enjoyed them as a team. Sometimes we could tell they were overwhelmed and one night, they were having a difficult night. But most nights, it was great!!

Rant time.... the booth behind us, which was served by our team as well showed up LATE every single night. Sometimes 45 minutes late!!! Please ... if you are assigned Early or Late time, please do whatever you can to come on time! If you cannot, than Anytime dining may be for you. It is great to have an option! Everytime this family was late, you could tell that our Serving teams flow was knocked off course. I actually felt bad for them. ok.. rant over!!

 

They do take pictures each night. After the second or third night, we just said no thank you... did not want them to waste the paper!!

 

Dinner the first night is a good one. The chicken appetizer is a favorite of Allison's, so we ordered her two for her dinner. Matt gets shrimp cocktail and plain pasta with cheese at every dinner, so we let our team know this. Steve and I both had the Brisket and it was very good. The beef dishes were actually very good all week.

 

We usually ended dinner around 7:20pm. We realized that because of the timing, we would miss the Camp Carnival Easter Egg Hunt. We did however, catch the end of it as we lined up for the Camp Carnival Easter party at the Disco at 7:30. Because of the timing, we missed the Welcome Aboard show.... which was also at 7:30. But the Welcome Aboard show was played over and over again on the cabin TV!!

 

The Camp Carnival Easter party was special this cruise. Not only did they have candy, but they also served fruit and goldfish! Because we just had dinner, it was nothing that we wanted.... although GOLDFISH appeals to ALL 9 year olds!! They also had tons of Candy and the kids could fill up bags! The dance party was similar to many we have attended. The kids AND parents dance, with a kids vs. parent dance off. They also meet the counselors and get to see other kids. While we cannot wait for the day when we do not have to go to this party, it IS a lot of fun for the kids... and we love to see Allison so happy!

 

After dinner, Matthew attended Club 02 orientation and quickly made a small group of 6 friends. These 6 or 7 kids hung out with each other all week and had a wonderful time.

 

After the party, we explored for a little bit.. absorbing the night scene... and eventually ended up on the Lido Deck at night. They were playing Despicable Me 2... serving popcorn, and signing out blankets. What a great relaxing scene. We had an Ice Cream cone..... and decided that our very busy day was over. What a great first day.

 

Day 2 Coming - Day AT Sea.... relaxation to the max!!

 

Catrin

[nybumpkin]

We found Matthew in the room already taking a nap. Is it me or do 15 year old boys sleep 20 hours a day?

Catrin

Catrin - Speaking as a mom of three boys (almost 23, 18 and 14) - yes, they will sleep as much as you let them.:p Many times on weekends my sons will sleep past 10 and a nap in the afternoon isn't out of the question (or, at least, vegging in front of some type of screen;)). Enjoying your review - we did a Galveston cruise in 2010 and really had a great time.

[Catrin]

Day at Sea - Monday April 21st

 

Rise and Shine!

I woke up very early on this day.... ready to make the most of our Day at Sea. I love the days where we have no plans. Just a day to relax, read a bit, play in the pool (or not), and socialize with other cruisers.

 

My day started at the Gym. The Magic gym consists of the usual treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, etc. There was no wait when I arrived, but there were indeed people waiting for me to finish. Working without music is difficult, so I suffered through 30 minutes!! It is vacation afterall!! So, I went back to the room to find everyone was still sleeping!

 

Once we all got up and dressed, it was Breakfast time on the Lido Deck. The Omelet line in all three areas was HUGE, so this day, we decided on cereal, fruit, juice, bacon and waffles or pancakes. Typical breakfast fare.... and just perfectly fine. I wish I had chosen this day to go to the dining room, however.... because we never did end up making it there.

 

At 10am, I brought Allison to Camp Carnival... with a plan on picking her up at noon. After this, I had to venture to the Carnival Fun Shops for a $10.00 watch. Now that I did not have my Iphone, I had no sense of time!! Those $10 watches are just that. Cheap watches. But for a week long cruise, it worked out just fine!!

I then went on the Lido Deck, or one deck above... to read for a bit. I sat in one of the couches in the shade. So perfect.. and a great place to people watch and relax. The Big Screen was broadcasting the Shore Excursion talk LIVE.. so no need to go to the big showroom... just watch it from the Lido Deck!!

 

At noon, I picked up Allison at Camp. She was loving it already!! Being 9, she has a bit more freedom... allowed to sign herself out for scavenger hunts, but I still pick her up each night. We managed to find Steve taking a nap on the Lido Deck .. soaking in the sun. We went back to the room (this is when our room is SO convenient) and got Allison in her bathing suit. We got some lunch.. basics.. pizza, salad, key lime pie.... No line for Pizza again!!

 

Steve and Allison then spent the afternoon in the pool .... a familiar site and really their favorite thing to do....

 

and I went down to Deck 5 Promenade for a couple games of Trivia. I walked in at the end of Country Songs trivia. I think I was the only passenger who did not know a single country song!!! The next game was Movie Quote Trivia. I was sitting by myself, when a group of six seniors invited me to join their table.. how nice!! These three couples, all from Texas were in their 70's.... and were having a blast. We played as a team.... and we came in 2nd place!!

 

The next game was 1970's music. Music trivia is my thing. I have played online for years, and really know the 70's and 80's best. The game played 20 clips and you had to name the artist and song. Well, on my team.... the group only knew ONE song.. and I knew the rest... except for one artist. My score was 39 of 40 and our team WON!!

 

So... to add to my collection.... a Magic 24Kt Gold Plastic Ship on a Stick. It joins the others I have at home.. Yes, one from each of my previous 13 cruises. (On our first, they offered Champagne as Trivia prizes!).

[isaiahsnana]

Loving your review! I have been on the Magic twice and can't wait to go again with more family!

[Catrin]

Loving your review! I have been on the Magic twice and can't wait to go again with more family!

 

 

Thank you.. and thank you to all who have commented so far.

 

I will be back tomorrow for hopefully another day or two in my review!

 

Please let me know if I can answer any questions.... I do have a copy of all the Fun Times for the cruise.

 

Catrin

[TheGirlNextDoor]

I loved the huts at the pool with the shallow area/wading area. My kids could swim and I could be right there but in the shade. I am very fair so the sun is not my friend.

[minniegidget]

This is a great review so far. I will be on the Magic at the end of Aug. Can't wait. Right now we are flying in the day before but I just called my sister and said "Well we have Friday off why dont we fly in two days before?" She liked the idea and is going to see what her husband has to say.

[Catrin]

I will have more tonight!!!

Coming up... Elegant night, Roatan and Non-Belize!!

 

Catrin

 

 

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[bobmal99]

I am also really enjoying your review.

Your daughter is adorable, but your

son seems to not want his picture taken.

 

I may have to consider Gavelston for future

cruises. I usually go out of Miami, or Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.

[CheckersMidwest]

Do you happen to have the Weekly schedule for club 02 ? The flyer they give out at orientation?

 

Thanks !

[Havinsnest]

Loving your review.

 

So glad you had a great Texas experience. As a native Texan I can assure you that it's the way we are made. :D

[Catrin]

Do you happen to have the Weekly schedule for club 02 ? The flyer they give out at orientation?

 

Thanks !

 

I am sorry... I just went through everything. We did not keep the Club 02 schedule. I will tell you that most of the time, they did not even follow the schedule. The kids pretty much hang out there. At that age, they do not do much.. they walk in groups, talk in groups, eat in groups and chill out in groups. That being said.. he had a blast!

[Catrin]

I am also really enjoying your review.

Your daughter is adorable, but your

son seems to not want his picture taken.

 

I may have to consider Gavelston for future

cruises. I usually go out of Miami, or Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

Well, he IS 15!! haha....

 

Some good pics coming up... he actually smiles!!

.....and you SHOULD consider Galveston...it really is a great place and we cannot wait to go back to the area to explore.

 

Catrin

[Catrin]

After pool and trivia time.... it was NAP time!

Allison begged to go to Night Owls at Camp Carnival from 10pm - Midnight and we told her OK, as long as she rested for an hour or two before dinner. So, we went back to the room, ordered some treats from room service - chocolate cake, cookies and milk, veggie stix. It came in less than 15 minutes. We closed the curtains, and she rested, eventually napping, while I read my book. We both needed it!!

 

Something about a nap in the middle of the day on vacation is the best!! Steve and Matt came back too and we all had quiet time until it was time to get ready for formal night!! .... ugg... make that Elegant night!

 

I ironed using the laundry room and was surprised there was no line! We got dressed and took some pictures and went down to Deck 5 to meet the Captain. We were amazed how many people opted out of elegant night on this cruise. While many were dressed up, there were many who were happy just to have dinner on the Lido Deck. It is called choice.... but we always felt that dinner was part of the experience! Actually one little girl at Camp Carnival asked her mom "Mom can we eat in the big room tonight...and the Mom said... no, we are not eating there on this cruise." Wow.

 

Here we are... dressed up! Pretty simple this year.... elegant, but not formal.

 

 

We met the Captain and the Cruise Director James Dunn as well as the other staff. We introduced ourselves and thanked them for an amazing time so far. I then told James Dunn how special this cruise was already.. because of the people. We told him and assistant CD Louis we were from Rhode Island.. and every time we saw them from that point, we were simply known as "hey! Rhode Island!".

 

Dinner was great this night. Lobster, Prime Rib, Spaghetti Carbonara, etc. Plus "Thats Amore" sung by the dining room staff. Why would anyone want to miss that?

 

Catrin

[Catrin]

After dinner.. we dropped off Allison at Camp Carnival for the night... and we signed her up for Night Owls.

Night Owls is a program for the 2-11 group - a party from 10pm until Midnight. The cost is $13.00. They play games, dance, have snacks and have a LOT of fun. At the end, each child gets a backpack with an Owl Stuffed Animal and a prize such as a flashlight pen, or nightlight. We like this program, because midnight is LATE.. but not 3am late, which is a party they offer later in the week. Plus, with another sea day tomorrow, we knew that we could chose to sleep late and not worry about being over tired for an excursion.

 

While Allison was having a blast, Steve and I went bar hopping!! First we went to the Piano Bar with Steve.... we usually love the Piano Bar.. but while he was GOOD, we knew this cruise, this was not going to be our hangout spot. We love good rock and roll and he was more into soft pop music and R&B.

Then we watched Superstar Live Karaoke for a while. Until someone went up who really wanted to steal the show went up and was so BAD that it hurt our ears.

Then, we actually went into the Disco and danced for a few songs! It was 70's night!! Celebration! Freak Out!! Lots of Fun.... but well, Steve has very little patience for Disco!

 

Then we heard something.... something that immediately caught our attention... was that Neil Young? Acoustic Guitar? WHO IS THAT???? Yes.. it was coming from the Red Frog Pub!!! We finally found "Our People!" ... and this is where we would be for the next five nights!! We listened to both Robbie and Bradley all week playing their sets. Both are talented men who are very entertaining. We hung out here until 11:30 or so... then we ventured back to the Lido deck for some PIZZA (no lines!) and we picked up Allison at 11:45.

 

Matthew finally showed up a little after midnight. Where were you Matt? "Around". What did you do? "Hang out". With who?? "Friends". Are you having a good time? "YES!!" All that matters.

 

What a great day at sea. All the things we love to do. Relaxation.. good people, good food, good kids. ... and just think.. we have another one tomorrow!!

 

Catrin

[Catrin]

Sorry to be taking so long!! Hopefully I can complete a few more sections tonight. Thanks to whoever is reading!!

 

 

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[love-lee]

Thank you for taking the time to right this review!! We will be on the magic in July. Loving your review.

 

 

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[Catrin]

Thank you for taking the time to right this review!! We will be on the magic in July. Loving your review.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Thank you! Sometimes I think that no one is reading it!! or people are just bored. It is more of a Diary than a real review... but hopefully someone will get some ideas from it.

[Rudyard]

Thank you! Sometimes I think that no one is reading it!! or people are just bored. It is more of a Diary than a real review... but hopefully someone will get some ideas from it.

 

I'm reading it! Magic is on the short list of ships I's like to sail on eventually. Love the review so far. :)