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A Review of the Magic - 9/28/14 - Enter at your own Risk!

cmcsharon

By cmcsharon,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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cmcsharon

cmcsharon

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Interesting timing on the shuttle cancellation. We just returned on 10/12 to find a bit of congestion with parking lot shuttles. The driver informed us that the port authority had, with little prior notification, more than quadrupled port access fees for parking lot shuttles, while maintaining level fees for taxis. Apparently, the port authority has just purchased its own parking lot and is using its (Authority) leverage to pressure the competition.

 

 

 

Port Authority...mafia...it's semantics! :D

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enidcruiser

enidcruiser

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Oh Gosh, sorry but a little late to this party but just had to comment. As an Okie transplanted to Texas the comment "what's wrong with the air" just put me in spasms cause I feel that way every day. Enjoying this whole write up and having lived in Chula Vista where the heat beats you down, I understand the dismay your daughter felt.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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ch27088

ch27088

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I don’t usually write reviews. I probably shouldn’t. I’m already starting to feel giddy from the power…………..…CARNIVAL…feel the WRATH of my WORDS! …all you private EXCURSION VENDORS…….tremble at my MIGHT!

 

Yeah…I can tell already…this isn’t going to end well.

 

Let me start with a quick public service announcement…Carnival Haters and Complainers…there’s nothing to see here. Move along.

 

For those of you that are already tired of me…here’s the Cliff Notes version:

Faster to the Fun – Worth it

Cove Balcony – My kind of place

Cabin and Ship Air Conditioning – Nice and cool…no complaints

Food – Plenty and tasty…again, no complaints

Cheers Program – I’m a light drinker but I got it anyway…would do it again

Galveston Port – Easy

Carnival Magic – Perfect!

 

That’s it for the quick recap. If you’re along for the ride for the long version…I’m guessing…insomnia? Or, you’re a relative and feel obligated. (Hi Mom!)

 

Here goes…it’s been 4 years since my last cruise………and…….…I can still smell the fresh paint. The linens had never been slept on…….. :o wrong story.

 

Let's start again...on this trip it’s…me, my 21 year old son…and, my 18 year old daughter…along with an assorted number of minions (I mean…relatives) totaling 8, all traveling from Northern California. Hubby doesn’t like to cruise…so he stayed home. (Just in case you’re wondering…not liking to cruise is not considered…”reasonable”…grounds for divorce…I checked.) We were cruising in celebration of my daughter’s graduation from high school…and, it’s the Western Caribbean itinerary of Montego Bay - Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

 

Chapter 1 – Planning (How to properly pack a Cap & Gown, Shuttle Shock and Locked Up Abroad!)

I booked the cruise about 6 months out on an ES rate, using the gnome people (you know, the one’s that want you to go - you smell…or, something like that)…I don’t really like using mythical creatures as go betweens…but…those gnomes had some great extra perks…and, they came through. (Score one for the pointy hat freaks!)

 

I started doing some cruise research on cruise critic around June or July and kept coming up with these references to a crazy mom that made her daughter wear her graduation cap & gown on the ship. This became my new, go to, threat for my daughter…don’t make me pack your Cap & Gown! (Worked like a charm!)

 

This was also my first experience traveling with my children when they were both considered “legal” adults. (Oh my!) When I asked them what they’d want to do in the ports…my son was quick to respond with…explore the seedy underbellies of third world countries.

 

Great. Time to increase the travel budget…I’m now booking port excursions! And then I made it perfectly clear that none of us are going to be featured on the Locked Up Abroad reality show. Repeat after me….…Locked Up Abroad = Muy No Bueno! There will be NO underbellies on this trip!

 

The one thing I didn’t look into before booking this cruise…was Galveston. Galveston is an island. (Who knew?) Galveston is a long way from the airport. Galveston has some sort of Shuttle mafia or something going on………you, shiny new CHEAPER shuttle services try and come into our turf…we’re going to cut you off at the knees. Yeah…didn’t know about this part. If you’re coming in a day or two early…just be aware. I ended up booking a great deal for the 8 of us to take us from the airport to the hotel in Galveston. Pick us up the morning of the cruise at the hotel and take us to the ship. And then, pick us up at the ship at the end of the cruise and take us back to the airport. Great price…really nice people…I was pleased. But wait…just FIVE days before we leave…you guessed it…the mafia! I get a cryptic email…sorry to inform you, as of today we are no longer in business. Are you kidding me…now I’m looking over my shoulder and checking under the sheets for a horse head.

 

I quickly call the minions and tell them to book the return transfers through Carnival…I’ll figure something else out for the trip in (thank you Sam’s Limo…as I begrudgingly pay the increased mafia price)…and, we’ll just have to figure something out about how to get to the ship…the morning of the cruise…once we’re in Galveston (which is an island…who knew?).

 

Sorry for the recurring, who knew – theme about Galveston. It was an issue with the minions. Apparently, I failed to mention that Galveston was, in fact, an island! (Am I the only one with Google?) And…it’s not like the minions had to swim there with their luggage strapped on their backs…we got to the “island”…via freeway! Just saying.

 

Next up (not sure when)…Chapter 2 – To Galveston we go (Freak Storm, Humidity and a lot of Y’Alls)

 

Okay, I'm subscribing to this review, just too funny!!!

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ch27088

ch27088

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Okay I'm about pee in my pants here at the office reading your review. I love your writing style and I'm at the part where your son is about ready to lose it while at the Guest Services Desk.

 

By the way, I'm from Sacramento. Use to live in Elk Grove and worked at UC Davis. I'm now here in the South and miss Sacramento so much.

 

Thanks for taking us along on your trip! LMHO, SMH!!!

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mark290

mark290

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But……….she’s still just an 18 year old girl. On our first sea day we sat down in the lounge chairs on deck 5 overlooking the water and I was appalled at the comments we could overhear from some men on the balconies above us. We were the only ones out there…so, it’s not like it wasn’t obviously directed at her. And…I know they weren’t talking about me…or those comments would’ve been saying…how did a full grown albino manatee get all the way up onto deck 5…and, how did it squeeze itself into a lounge chair?! Unfortunately, after only about 10 minutes, she was done with it and it resulted in her spending most of her time on sea days in the cabin or out on our balcony, if she wasn’t with one of us.

 

 

Next up…Chapter 4...And then there’s Jamaica (Yea mon, Insane Cab Drivers and 6’ Wooden statues of…um…something that rhymes with ‘weenis’)

 

Don't you think it is a little hypocritical to get offended by the comments you overheard from men on their balconies when you report with amusement that your son was giggling out loud at the expense of people that were simply inexperienced cruisers. It's funny when your son laughs at people who's only offense was asking a customer service person at guest services a question.

 

Maybe if the big Texan or the woman looking for her luggage post a review they will state how offended they were when a young man was giggling to the point of tears at their inexperience, while his mother looked on.

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cmcsharon

cmcsharon

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Don't you think it is a little hypocritical to get offended by the comments you overheard from men on their balconies when you report with amusement that your son was giggling out loud at the expense of people that were simply inexperienced cruisers. It's funny when your son laughs at people who's only offense was asking a customer service person at guest services a question.

 

Maybe if the big Texan or the woman looking for her luggage post a review they will state how offended they were when a young man was giggling to the point of tears at their inexperience, while his mother looked on.

 

 

 

Point taken...yes indeed, I am a hypocrite. Please feel free to bypass the rest of my ramblings. Sorry for the offense.

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Rudyard

Rudyard

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Oh Gosh, sorry but a little late to this party but just had to comment. As an Okie transplanted to Texas the comment "what's wrong with the air" just put me in spasms cause I feel that way every day. Enjoying this whole write up and having lived in Chula Vista where the heat beats you down, I understand the dismay your daughter felt.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

A friend of mine from Dallas describes it as trying to breath through a wet wash cloth :D

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ch27088

ch27088

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Don't you think it is a little hypocritical to get offended by the comments you overheard from men on their balconies when you report with amusement that your son was giggling out loud at the expense of people that were simply inexperienced cruisers. It's funny when your son laughs at people who's only offense was asking a customer service person at guest services a question.

 

Maybe if the big Texan or the woman looking for her luggage post a review they will state how offended they were when a young man was giggling to the point of tears at their inexperience, while his mother looked on.

 

I say she should be hypocritical when it comes to GROWN MEN talking about a young girl (18 or not). If the guys want to talk, they should have kept their mouths shut and said it to themselves. If you feel offended, which apparently you do, why read the post. She said in the beginning, if it's not your style, don't follow! Geez!

 

Now on to the review, so I can continue to laugh!

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WiCruiseDreamer

WiCruiseDreamer

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Unfortunately, I, at first would be sympathetic with both of them, but most likely should have laughed myself.

 

I work in customer service, have for more years than I wish to count, and consumers can be a great form of humor. However, there is a difference between being sympathetic with a confused guest, and angry with someone that is making rude comments. They do not even compare.

 

Op, please continue with this review. It had been fun to read and those that take offense, they can just read something else.

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ch27088

ch27088

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Unfortunately, I, at first would be sympathetic with both of them, but most likely should have laughed myself.

 

I work in customer service, have for more years than I wish to count, and consumers can be a great form of humor. However, there is a difference between being sympathetic with a confused guest, and angry with someone that is making rude comments. They do not even compare.

 

Op, please continue with this review. It had been fun to read and those that take offense, they can just read something else.

 

I totally agree with you as well! On with the review.

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windsor26

windsor26

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Don't you think it is a little hypocritical to get offended by the comments you overheard from men on their balconies when you report with amusement that your son was giggling out loud at the expense of people that were simply inexperienced cruisers. It's funny when your son laughs at people who's only offense was asking a customer service person at guest services a question.

 

Maybe if the big Texan or the woman looking for her luggage post a review they will state how offended they were when a young man was giggling to the point of tears at their inexperience, while his mother looked on.

 

 

No No No you did not read carefully enough

 

They were TRYING to stop laughing so as NOT TO OFFEND and managed together with other guests They were NOT hipocrytical

 

The OFFENSIVE remarks to the daughter were meant to b e heard

 

As said do not bother to keep reading this magnificent review

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cmcsharon

cmcsharon

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Thank you all again for your kind comments and continued support. I really appreciate it!

 

On to Grand Cayman…Chapter 5…

 

As with Jamaica, all the minions had previously been to the Cayman Islands…and yet, I’m the one designated to plan the activities…the one who’s never been there! And, unlike Jamaica, this time all the minions would be joining us on whatever activity is planned. I asked for ideas from the minions on what we should do on this island and was told…we HAVE to go to Stingray City.

 

Okay…sounds good…that’s a cute name for a city on an island. (You can probably already tell where this is heading.) So…I start to do my research on the ‘city’. I have my questions…how far of a cab ride is it from the port? What will we do there…shopping…lunch…is there a beach we can go to?

 

And then…very quickly...reality sets in. Stingray City isn’t a city at all…it’s an adventure. And not just any adventure…think Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom…type of adventure! (Now you too can’t get that theme music out of your head…you’re welcome.)

 

So…here’s the premise of Stingray City. You’re going to get on a boat. The boat is going to head straight out into the open ocean for a long time until there’s no sign of land anywhere. Then, a large sand bar is going to magically appear. You’re going to get off the boat and climb onto this magical sand bar. And then…any number of WILD stingrays are going to approach to ‘frolic’ with you.

 

Are those minions INSANE??!! I’ve seen the movie Open Water…and…I loved the Crocodile Hunter.

 

After verifying my husband knew where the life insurance policy was filed…along with the instructions on how to set the clock on the microwave…I proceed to reserve 8 spots on a Stingray City, Snorkel and Starfish excursion with Native Way Watersports for $40 per person.

 

Here’s something I don’t understand about cruising…why do all the port days have to be one right after the other? Would it be so hard to move one of those sea days from the beginning to in between a couple of port days? Doesn’t Carnival know how hard it is to get teenagers/20 something’s moving early in the morning on multiple days in a row…on vacation?

 

So, after our blissfully pleasant day in Jamaica (well, for some of us!)…we’re all finishing dinner and discussing the plan for the next day, Grand Cayman. The minions want to know where and when we’ll meet. I share the news that we’ll be arriving in Grand Cayman at the excruciatingly early time (well, for my kids anyway) of 7:00am. And, our instructions from Native Way are to check in at the port terminal before 8:15am.

 

Grand Cayman is a tender port and we’ve all been through the tender process before. You get in line to get a tender ticket, you sit and wait until your tender ticket number is called…and then you get in line to get on the tender. The kids and I have FTTF so we have priority…so, I “encourage” the minions to get on as early a tender as possible.

 

Finally…the morning arrives! I had thought ahead and pre-ordered room service since I knew it would be a challenge to get my daughter out of bed. I figured I would coax her out with citrus segments and cinnamon crunch cereal. (I was going to just move on…but…I can’t resist elaborating on the citrus segments…because you’d never know how amused the minions and I were with our citrus segments. We even liked saying it…I can’t wait to order my citrus segments from room service! You can go up to the Lido breakfast buffet and find an entire tray of grapefruit halves…and, in another area of the buffet, find a huge bowl of cut up grapefruit and orange pieces. But…if you order citrus segments from room service…it’s as if they’ve taken the grapefruit half, and very carefully removed just 3 of the triangular sections. And then, did the same with a half of an orange…except, you only get 2 sections of the orange. You’d literally have to order 6 servings of citrus segments to have the equivalent of a half of a grapefruit! But...it’s laid out very pretty…and, it comes with a bright green leaf for a garnish.)

 

While the kids get ready, I pack up the bag with the Carnival beach towels, the SPF 1000 sunscreen and the underwater camera. Let’s talk cameras for a minute. I love photos…I love taking them…I love looking at them…I love pointing at them when my kids complain about the boring childhood they had…that’s you in Hawaii…that’s you at Disneyland…that’s you in Alaska. Cameras are my friend!

 

I used this trip as an opportunity to upgrade my camera equipment. I had an old, large DSLR camera and I upgraded to a new mirrorless system, the Sony A6000 (which I love). I also purchased a point and shoot underwater camera, a Panasonic Lumix. I spent a lot of time learning the intricacies of my new Sony…changing the lenses, trying out different modes, learning the functions of the dials, etc. For the point and shoot, I took it out of the box…charged the battery…pointed it at the dog…and shot. Thus ended the training.

 

Two of the minions on this trip are certified divers so one of them brought along her Olympus underwater camera and the other diver brought along a Fuji underwater camera he had borrowed.

 

Around 7:45am, the kids were finally ready. I was anxious to try out the FTTF sticker on my card and claim our place at the front of the tender line. We step into the hallway and over to the stairs…and…there’s no one. No line…no one! We walk down the two flights of stairs…and still no line. We walk right off the ship and onto the tender. (It was probably for the best…that kind of power would go right to my head.) We wait a few minutes for the tender to fill and then away we go. (Again, easy!)

 

Fromtender.jpg

The Carnival Magic and a Royal Caribbean ship from the tender.

 

At the other side, we step off the tender and start walking up the pier…and…uh oh…I can hear the minions shouting before I even see them. “It’s about time! We were all on the 7:05am tender!” Fortunately…it’s all just in fun…though inside, I’m thinking…the stakes are high for this excursion. I need to redeem myself over this error in judgment.

 

They walk me over to Eldon with Native Way and the kids and I get checked in. We just have to wait a few minutes more for a few additional people and then Eldon is leading us through the port and out to our transportation. As we’re walking, we pass sleek shiny new air-conditioned bus after sleek shiny new air-conditioned bus…all the way to the very end where our bus is waiting. Our bus is not sleek. Our bus is not new or shiny. Our bus is definitely not air-conditioned…at least not the cool kind…it’s the open window kind.

 

We climb on the bus and it appears we have more people than seats…and that’s when Eldon points out the jump seats. (Is that what they’re called? Additional seats that fold out, blocking the aisle way.) I immediately start sweating…and, it’s not from of a lack of air-conditioning. I have an irrational fear of these types of buses (these would NEVER be allowed in California)…because I feel like I’m trapped. Which is ridiculous…because I’m sitting next to giant open windows! It’s not as bad this time because I’m nearer to the front. (The only other time this happened I was closer to the back on a bus in the Bahamas. We were going to Atlantis and our driver decided to take us on a more scenic route…where we got the extra special scenic view of a drug deal gone bad…complete with lovely ‘figure drawings’…in chalk…on the pavement.) On this bus I’ll only have to trample one row of people to get to that door…my apologies to the minions seated in front of me!

 

Eldon gets the bus moving and we head for the Yacht Club. He points out places of interest and we pass by some beautiful mansions. One of the minions turns to my son and says…when you become wealthy, buy one of these mansions and invite us all…and he laughs and says okay. About a minute later, a stranger’s voice comes from the very back of the bus and says…I’d like an invite too! And, we all start laughing. You’ve got to love cruise people!

 

We arrive at our destination and all pile out onto the dock. I can see that there are already quite a few people on board the two-level boat. All the seats on the top level are already taken and most of the seats in the shade on the bottom level are full. But, there’s still lots of room at the back. The couple in front of me steps up to the check in person, gives them her name and she directs them to board. And then I step up and give my name. She tells me that we’re going with Chris…he steps up and we follow him to a very large 40+ foot single level boat right next to the other boat.

 

Chris helps each of us on to the boat and when the last minion is on, he jumps back on to the deck…grabs the line tying the boat to the deck…and, jumps back on the boat. We all start looking at each other…thinking, is this for real? Especially after looking back at the full boat next to us…and finally one of the minions turns to Chris and says…is it just us? Chris responds with…yes it is…you’ve got the whole boat!

 

boat.jpg

On the boat!

 

The boat ride out of Grand Cayman is amazing. There is a lush green vegetation along the area leaving the boat dock and the iguanas thrive on it…so they’re everywhere. (My apologies to that bizarre office building SIM game…but…if any iguana population is going to claim sovereign territory…it’s going to happen here!)

 

It’s a 30 minute ride out to the sand bar and the colors of the water…the blues and the greens…are just spectacular. Chris keeps us entertained and shares his knowledge of the area and also about the stingrays. And…before you know it…we’re here!

 

We all start climbing out of the boat and the water is crystal clear and warm and the sand is so soft. I step off the ladder onto the sand and a minion follows right behind me…but, I hear her groan a little bit and it looks like she does some sort of involuntary shudder. So I immediately ask if she’s okay…and her response is…………..we’re in a fish toilet.

 

I must not have heard that right so I say…excuse me? And she says it again…we’re in a fish toilet. And then goes on to say…these things are peeing and pooping in here! And, we both can’t help but start laughing and I say…but, it’s the ocean. And she responds with…I know…it’s a GIANT fish toilet!

 

I have to stop laughing because Chris already has a large stingray in his arms and is about to hand it off to my daughter, as she’s about to be the first one to get to interact with these creatures. Myself and the two other minions with cameras line up and we immediately turn into stingray paparazzi…look over here, lift your head, smile this way…who are you wearing…which we continue to do so that every one of us gets pictures with these incredible creatures.

 

Here’s my daughter with a stingray.

 

A4Kelsey.jpg

 

And, my son.

 

A5Matt.jpg

 

And…a minion.

 

Denise-Stingray2.jpg

 

Even my beautiful Mom (aka Grandma Minion) got in with the stingrays!

 

A6Mom.jpg

 

With help from Chris we got to hold them, kiss them, feed them, take pictures with them and just interact with them…it was an amazing, incredible experience.

 

(It wasn’t until I got home and was going through the pictures that I realized I didn’t have a picture of ‘Fish Toilet’ minion holding or kissing a stingray. And, every picture I did have of her, when a stingray was being brought near her…has her face all scrunched up. You could see in her face exactly what she was thinking…this thing is peeing on me!)

 

About midway through the stingray paparazzi session I noticed one minion banging on her camera. The Olympus was dead. We were down one underwater camera.

 

After a little more time with these amazing creatures it was time to head back on the boat and move to our next location…the coral garden.

 

Next up…Grand Cayman…part 2.

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cmcsharon

cmcsharon

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We interrupt our Grand Cayman continuation for a brief public service announcement.

 

For this announcement, we have to go back to Galveston briefly. The goal is to spare others from an equally embarrassing encounter.

 

I had explained earlier that I selected the hotel, the Four Points Sheraton, for the night before our cruise, because of its location. I thought the pier would be a fun place for all of us to hang out, and there’s also Murdoch’s, a great souvenir store situated over the ocean…with a huge back porch and rows of white Adirondack chairs to sit in and watch the waves and the lights from the pier, along with many other shops and restaurants within easy walking distance from the hotel.

 

One day, while eating my lunch at my desk at work, I decided to do some research about the pier…ticket prices, types of rides, etc.

 

Here’s the tip I have for you…remember to type in the FULL name of the pier in any search engines…including the word ‘Galveston’ first……Galveston Pleasure Pier.

 

Forgetting to type in the ‘Galveston’ part…might also get you embarrassingly hauled into to Security to be lectured on why we don’t use company equipment to access ‘those’ types of sites!

 

Honestly…Mr. Security…I’m going on vacation and I was doing some research about the area…it’s really just an amusement park (I think he’s believing me)…on an island (this is good…he’s starting to nod his head)…in Texas…(and....…I’ve lost him!). What is it about us Californians that we can’t associate islands with Texas!

 

But seriously…who named that place?! ‘Pleasure Pier’…oh my! :eek:

 

We now return you to your regularly scheduled wait for Grand Cayman…part 2.

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