MAGIC review June 29 - July 6, 2014

[LambKnuckles]

We are booked for the same itinerary in September... I CAN'T WAIT!!!

 

Loving this review!!!! THANK YOU also for the photos!!!

 

It's our second on the MAGIC and I know I'll still find new places to see on this cruise!!!

[CheckersMidwest]

Sea Day # 1

We went to the Sea Day brunch this morning. We were seated with others at a long table by the window with a water view in the Southern Lights dining room. The food was ok. I probably won't go again. I preferred the French toast, etc in the buffet area.

 

My husband tried to sign up for the Master Mixologist competition, but they put all the names in a hat & pull our 4. Bummer.

 

We tried the Oceanside BBQ for lunch today. They had tacos, quesadillas, hot dogs, sliders, nachos, etc. The line was short & moved fast. Lots of outdoor seating available.

 

 

 

We wandered around and looked at the ship.

 

 

 

This merman was around the pool most days. We thought he might be one of the Photo lab employees, but there was not a photographer around. When I got home and checked in on our facebook page....there he was ! He was part of our group & had posted a pix of this right before the cruise ! I'd missed it because we were already traveling. Small world.

 

 

The chess board is tucked away by the Sportsquare platform area where you get the harnesses for the course.

 

(Continued.......only lets me load 6 photos per post.)

[CheckersMidwest]

This is the Sportsquare area:

 

 

 

My daughter on the ropes course.

 

 

Me during my very short time on the ropes course. I am terrified of heights but really wanted to try it. I made it across the first section to the next platform. I waited there a LONG time. Tiny little kids passed me. It was either go all the way around, or turn around now. I turned around. Back across the platform and in. Done. Remember to wear close toed shoes and you have to be completely dry.

 

 

My son......

 

 

Basketball court. They also played soccer and dodgeball here. There are bleachers to sit and watch to the right.

 

 

Exercise outside.....

[CheckersMidwest]

We grabbed one of the wicker looking padded chairs on the second deck and watched the Hairy Chest contest. It was hysterical. One guy handed out cash (bribery). Great fun.

 

 

At 3:00, we went to the Red Frog Pub for a Bean bag toss. It was 18 & over and teams of 2. There were a lot of teams - like 22 or something !

 

 

My son....

 

 

My husband.....

 

They made it to the 4th round before being disqualified. If you want to play on your own, you can check out bean bags from the bar inside.

 

I went to the Fun Finds Shopping Show. I had attended one a few years ago on the Paradise and got all kinds of free coupon stuff to use. I skipped it last year but since we'd planned a shopping day in Cozumel and had a little time in the other ports, decided to buy the guide for $25. It was separated by port, tear out what ever coupon you need, etc. In the front are coupons to use at any of the locations. There were also a few in the back to use on the ship. What a rip off. I knew better ! The $20 off spa services they talked about during the show?! Coupon says it is only good on specific treatments. The photo of a pretty yellow diamond looking heart necklace worth something like $150 feels like plastic and that yellow center isn't even a stone. Very misleading. I had a coupon for a free bottle of Caribbean spice from Calaloha. The first store 'was out of stock' but would give me a $6 credit toward any purchase. Hmmmm. In Cozumel, they did have the spice. We got a $10 match play coupon for the casino but my husband didn't use it. Live & learn.

 

Cherry On Top Candy store:

 

You can buy the $10 Groove for St Jude Tshirts here earlier in the week. They also take care of Bon Voyage orders placed in advance.

[CheckersMidwest]

Pools were busy....

 

 

But we could always find empty chairs along the sides of the lido deck or on the sides of deck 5.

 

 

Tonight was the first formal night....

 

 

prime rib ?!

 

 

lobster & shrimp

 

 

Spaghetti Carbanara - excellent. Also available at dinner at the Italian restaurant.

[CheckersMidwest]

 

mushrooms....

 

 

 

Caramel apple something...

 

 

Warm melting chocolate cake

 

[oldmedic]

We arrived at port at 10:30, we purchased Faster To The Fun (second cruise with it ) walked through check in, and waited with the platinum, wedding parties, and other Faster To The Fun guests. We waited about 30 minutes and they began boarding. I think we were onboard by 11:20.

 

Our cabins were ready and only a couple of our suitcases were there. This is one of the FTTF perks. We waited hours on the rest of the luggage. It had been sitting on carts by the elevators for a long time. Finally about 2:30 or so, my daughter & I went to get it. We were yelled at by a Carnival employee.....I explained we'd purchased FTTF and these bags should have been in our cabin a long time ago. I was tired of waiting and would be taking them myself. After showing him our sign & sail card to prove we weren't just stealing luggage, he changed his attitude and helped us make 2 trips to get it all to our rooms.

 

We were in rooms 10205 and 10207 on the Lido deck, all the way forward.

 

We had a balcony room:

 

 

 

And the kids had an inside with a picture window....category 4J.

 

 

Here is their door and the door that leads out to the 'secret' deck.

 

Their room was great ! It had so much space ! Much less crowded than ours. Looking at the deck plans, there are wider rooms on the end and more rectangular rooms in the center. Some of them are handicapped but this one was not. Our PVP helped us pick it.

 

It was easy to walk around to the deck when coming into port in the morning. They could see out their window AND other people could see in but there were rarely any others out there. At night, you are required to keep the curtains closed because light coming off the front of the ship bothers navigation. If you forget, the steward will close them when he turns down the bed for the night.

 

I was really skeptical of the 4J room but think we may book them in the future for both cabins. We like the balcony but rarely used it this cruise. The interior window is really almost the same as oceanview (had that on the Paradise) The interior cabins are HALF the price of balconies.

 

This was their window from the secret deck.

 

 

 

how does one access the "secret deck"?

[CheckersMidwest]

After dinner, our daughter went to Club 02 activities, our son went with us to the show - "Grooveline". Afterwards, my husband & I checked out the dance club for 70's & 80's hour. It was packed ! Stayed a little while, then my husband went to the casino while I stopped at the coffee shop for chocolate covered strawberries. Our son went to the comedy club & out with his friends.

 

**I'd pre ordered strawberries for both cabins from Bon voyage. They deliver them around sail away time.

 

I stopped by guest services & used the Faster To The Fun line. I waited a long time while the regular line was helped, probably 20 minutes or longer. This was the only time I had to wait here. I stopped by once to add casino cash to our account - had my eye on a pretty little necklace/bracelet set in the jewelry shop. ;)

 

Our cabin was warm yet the kids' cabin was nice & cool. I mentioned it to the room steward, Gugum, and he called maintenance. They left a little card on the counter that they had been there and it all checked out to their standards. We are use to cool air at home, so might have just been us, but again, the kid's cabin was fine. We didn't sleep very well at night because it was hot.

 

The 8:30 movie out on the Seaside Theater was Monument Men and the 11:30 movie was the Great Gatsby.

 

02 Evening Activity tonight was a "Dress To Impress" party since it was formal night.

 

Photo op spots were all around deck 5. 8x10 were $21.99 and the other sizes varied. I would prefer 5x7 - I don't need a bunch of 8x10's sitting around the house. We didn't take many photos this time.

 

Tomorrow: Sea Day #2

[CheckersMidwest]

oldmedic: There is a door on the right that leads out onto the deck. It is extremely windy when the ship is moving, and if it is too bad, the steward locks the door.

 

The door on the right with the port hole is the one.

 

 

[kuehn1]

We too were on this same cruise! Everyone you will love it..even the iced tea has improved over the years. I know someone asked previously about concerts on big screen during the day. I remember a Kenny Chesney one day. Some one else asked to tv stations. We had NBC, CBS, abc, fox, CNN, discovery, Tom boomerang, Cartoon Network, 2 free movies playing, and all the cruise ship usual channels and pay per view. I was shocked.

Must get and cheese in Madrid. You will have to ask for it. Not on menu. Sooo good. Order from room service the chocolate cake...every night! Reuben's and blt with extra bacon. I was disappointed as I thought the magic had guys hamburgers so that was a big bummer but the burrito bar more than made up for it!

[erewhon]

Thanks for reviewing your cruise and sharing great photos.

[newkscruiser]

Also have upcoming cruise on the magic. Looking forward to the rest of your review.

[adatex]

Awesome review... can't wait for more..! We'll be on Carnival Magic next month.

[karessamom]

:). We will be cruising on her next Aug for our 30th wedding anniversary can't wait!! Makes me want to be on her now!! 2015 here I come!!:)

[CheckersMidwest]

SEA DAY #2

My daughter & I started our day at the spa with massages. She had a 50 minute 'paradise' massage and I had a 75 minute combo which included a massage, exfoliation, foot pressure massage, scalp massage, and a mini facial. Everyone can use the gym facilities. If you want to use the thalassotherapy pool or the heated tile loungers, then you have to pay the $150 fee for the week.

 

Entrance to the spa on deck 12

 

 

All the treadmills were lined up along a window with a view of the water. Several were out of order though.

 

We checked out the Fun Shops on board :

 

 

Cherry On Top Candy Store

 

 

 

[CheckersMidwest]

We watched regular karaoke and spent a little time at the pool. We watched the Miss Carnival competition, which was fun. Turns out the winner is the mother of one of the ladies on our facebook group.

 

 

pool at the back

 

We had lunch at the buffet today.

 

 

 

Hung out in the Red Frog Pub again for some appetizers mid afternoon....

 

[CheckersMidwest]

Time for dinner...... seems like we ate all day, but really we did other stuff too.

 

 

French onion soup

 

 

Shrimp cocktail - my daughter got 2 of these each night. It had 3 shrimps.

 

 

chicken & vegetables

 

 

penne pasta with seafood

 

 

sliced tenderloin ?

 

 

quesadilla ?

[CheckersMidwest]

Dessert....

 

 

 

The Red Frog Pub Caribbean Beach Party was on the lido deck. They had a DJ, dancing, etc.

 

 

 

A little more casino time & the comedy club for my son with his friends

 

 

[CheckersMidwest]

After dinner, our daughter hung out with her 02 friends. Here are a few more pix of 02.

 

 

 

 

The 6:30 movie on the Seaside Theater was Frozen.

 

02 had a Mardi Gras party scheduled for tonight.

 

 

Tomorrow: Mahogany Bay

[EnTnSA]

Reading this is really getting me pumped for our cruise! Thanks!

[CheckersMidwest]

Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Honduras

From our balcony & the secret deck:

 

 

 

 

We were up & headed to the buffet at 7:20. Along with everyone else on the ship. Should have gone a few minutes earlier. I had the usual French toast, bacon, and potatoes.

 

 

 

In advance, I booked a group tour through Victor Bodden. Boddentours.com They have several tours to choose and a lot of add on activities if you want......iguana farm, zip line, tours, etc. You can also book them for private tours.

 

We booked Fun N Sun for $30 each. It included a tour of the island, stops at a few scenic places, time at Victor Bodden's home/Monkey farm, and a couple of hours on the West End at the Bananarama Beach Resort.

 

We received several emails beforehand including a video link on how to get to the check in spot. Private tour operators are not allowed to come inside the Carnival port area to pick you up. They CAN drop you off though right at the complex.

 

If you prefer to take a taxi to the check in point, they have negotiated $10 per car to do so. We walked. It took about 7 minutes or so.

[oldmedic]

oldmedic: There is a door on the right that leads out onto the deck. It is extremely windy when the ship is moving, and if it is too bad, the steward locks the door.

 

The door on the right with the port hole is the one.

 

 

 

sorry, which floor?

[CheckersMidwest]

Walk out into the shopping complex....

 

 

 

On the left is an open building with a red roof. Walk through it & past the taxi's. The taxi guys & Carnival cruise excursion guides ask a million questions. Just tell them you know where you're going & keep walking.

 

To the LEFT is a hill......you can go out into the street & walk up the hill or there are concrete stairs all the way to the left in the corner of the parking lot....

 

 

 

At the top of the stairs, continue to the left through the security guard stand.

 

 

And then down the hill....

 

 

Continued.....wish we could post more than 6 photos at a time !!

[oldmedic]

did the Magic have the new "American" and "feast" menus or are they still using the old menus?

[CheckersMidwest]

oldmedic: We were on the Lido deck, but most of the upper decks have it. Basically, on the deck plans, any deck that has category 4J cabins across the front of the hallway.

 

Once you get down the hill & start to round the corner.....there they all are !

 

 

Watch for traffic at this part ! Look for Guys in Victor Bodden polos. He warned in his email that imposters were sometimes up at the Carnival port area with Bodden shirts but are NOT affiliated with him. Make that journey to the pick up spot ! They were easy to find. I brought my letter confirmation and our name was on their list. There was another family of 4 there so they placed us with them & we were off within 5 minutes. Turns out, they were also from our facebook group.

 

Our van was dirty and the air conditioning was awful. That is my only complaint. A lady I sat by at the beach club later had a private tour booked and were in a car with great air conditioning. Not only did she pay a little more, she also had to pay to use the beach club, which was included in our tour.

 

There is one main road around the island so at one point, we had to back track. Here are some things we saw:

 

 

 

This was our driver's home & family...

 

 

 

School kids closing the gate.