Carnival Magic July 2-7 Musings and Observations

[Open Mind23]

This was our first cruise with Carnival since 2014, and our first one a boat from the Dream Class, so I thought I'd post some observations for the benefit of anyone going anytime soon on a Carnival Cruise:

 

1. First of all, a Carnival Cruise is still FUN, FUN, FUN, so any observations that seem negative should not negate the fact that the entire family had a real blast and would go again in a heartbeat. With that out of the way...

 

2. Newer Ships: Of course, the facilities are nicer on a newer ship. That being said, the larger ships seem a touch more impersonal (like never seeing the same person twice during the cruise) and the lines are longer. I honestly think I prefer the older and smaller ships. The facilities may not be quite as nice, but they feel more 'cozy' to me, for lack of a better word.

 

3. Cruise Elegant: I know some people complain about two Cruise Elegant nights on one cruise. I can tell you that I noticed very few people dressed up for the second Cruise Elegant night. I myself had forgotten about it being the second Elegant night and walked in the main dining room with shorts and a collared shirt with no problem at all. A prediction: the second Cruise Elegant Nights will eventually be phased out at some point by Carnival, if this cruise was any indication.

 

4. Carnival Hub: I would highly recommend getting the $5 chat feature, especially on a larger boat like the Magic. It was an invaluable tool in keeping track of our tween daughter, and it allowed us to allow her more leeway to come and go as she pleased.

 

5. The Shows: If there was one disappointment, I feel the shows are not as good as they used to be. It seems the amount they spend on production has been cut from what I remember. It was somewhat made up for by the highly entertaining cruise director, Dr. Rev. E.

 

6: Sail Away Party: This was the best Sail Away Party by far. Dr. Rev. E has a ton of energy. It lasted a long time.

 

7. Excursions: This is a great cruise to go on if you do not like spending money on excursions. All three ports (Nassau, Amber Cove, Grand Turk) either have a beach, a giant pool or both within walking distance of the ship.

 

All in all, another great cruise from Carnival!

[bury me at sea]

Thanks for your report. I know what you mean about just feeling more comfortable on a particular class of ships. The Dream class is my sweet spot so I'm glad you enjoyed your time on the Magic.

[ddlb]

Thanks so much - question - we will be at those ports when the Conquest will be docked - 7,352 people - how crowded were the ports for you?

[Open Mind23]

Thanks so much - question - we will be at those ports when the Conquest will be docked - 7,352 people - how crowded were the ports for you?

 

Amber Cove: I was surprised the pool at Amber Cove was not crowded at all. That being said, it was an overcast day with a little bit of rain, so I am not sure how much the sparse attendance at the pool was influenced by the lack of sun vs. how much the attendance was influenced by people wanting to take excursions instead of going to the pool.

 

Grand Turk: Very crowded but very fun!!! If you want to have an umbrella by the Margaritaville pool, I suggest you get off the boat as early as possible. We got off the boat about a half hour to 45 minutes after docking and got the very last umbrella. They are free but there are a limited number of them by the poolside.

 

There are many more umbrellas by the beach, which I did not go on because we went to the beach at Nassau and because I was told the Grand Turk beach right by the port is man-made and not so great. I can tell you that the small beach was absolutely packed and once again you should get off the boat early if you want to get a spot.

 

Note: Only our ship the Magic was docked at Grand Turk. I have heard on some days there may be two ships, but hopefully not with a ship of your size.

 

Nassau: Junkenoo Beach, a short walk from the cruise port, was the same as always, so no need to get off the boat early. If one area is crowded, you can always walk down a ways to get a less crowded spot.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions, I would be happy to help.

[EBFURR]

We just booked a cruise on Magic for next year and I appreciate your observations. From our experience and perspective from our Royal cruises:

 

2. Newer Ships: Of course, the facilities are nicer on a newer ship. That being said, the larger ships seem a touch more impersonal (like never seeing the same person twice during the cruise) and the lines are longer. I honestly think I prefer the older and smaller ships. The facilities may not be quite as nice, but they feel more 'cozy' to me, for lack of a better word.

We feel the same way about Royal's new versus older ships. As a matter of fact, one of the reasons that we are moving toward Carnival is that even their newer ships seem to be a little more "conventional" than the new mega behemoths ***** RC. We tend to like the older vessels as well.

3. Cruise Elegant: I know some people complain about two Cruise Elegant nights on one cruise. I can tell you that I noticed very few people dressed up for the second Cruise Elegant night. I myself had forgotten about it being the second Elegant night and walked in the main dining room with shorts and a collared shirt with no problem at all. A prediction: the second Cruise Elegant Nights will eventually be phased out at some point by Carnival, if this cruise was any indication.

 

 

We have been thinking the same thing for a few years now. This is also a trend on RC. We tend to skip the second one and go to the steakhouse or the like where I can wear my khakis and golf shirt. I think the reason that they keep it going is for the photo revenue but that must be shrinking as well. We used to love playing dress up but not so much anymore.

 

 

4. Carnival Hub: I would highly recommend getting the $5 chat feature, especially on a larger boat like the Magic. It was an invaluable tool in keeping track of our tween daughter, and it allowed us to allow her more leeway to come and go as she pleased.

We did not get chat (not sure it was even around) but love the Hub. We used it a lot for seeing when events started, menus, etc. We may try it if I can get wifey to carry her phone around. It would have been great when we had teens with us.

[Clarea]

Appreciate the feedback.

[reerun25]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[Florings]

Thanks for your comments. Glad you had a good time!

 

I'm one of those that still enjoys the elegant evenings - both of them! My husband wears a dark suit with long sleeved shirt and tie both nights. I wear a floor length gown the first elegant night and a cocktail dress the 2nd.

 

It's one of the few times we get to dress up, so we both enjoy it still.

 

First time on the Magic coming up for us in September and can hardly wait!

[EastCoastlove]

Great review, thanks for sharing.

 

I'm a first timer planning a family cruise for next summer. I came across this site the other day while doing some online research. I'm a bit overwhelmed and don't even have all the cruise lingo down so sometimes I don't even know what I'm reading. :)

 

I see a cruise I'm interested in that goes to the eastern Caribbean in late June 2018 on the Magic. My boys will be 18 and 13 at the time of the cruise so I'm looking a ship that will have lots of fun and excitement for them. This being one of the bigger newer ships I think they will enjoy that.

 

I need to do a little more research on the Magic and also figure out how to get the best price/perks. I figure starting this early in my search is to my advantage.

 

Your review was very helpful!

[Open Mind23]

Great review, thanks for sharing.

 

I'm a first timer planning a family cruise for next summer. I came across this site the other day while doing some online research. I'm a bit overwhelmed and don't even have all the cruise lingo down so sometimes I don't even know what I'm reading. :)

 

I see a cruise I'm interested in that goes to the eastern Caribbean in late June 2018 on the Magic. My boys will be 18 and 13 at the time of the cruise so I'm looking a ship that will have lots of fun and excitement for them. This being one of the bigger newer ships I think they will enjoy that.

 

I need to do a little more research on the Magic and also figure out how to get the best price/perks. I figure starting this early in my search is to my advantage.

 

Your review was very helpful!

 

My daughter is 12 and she did use the Circle C 'Tweens' club, and it did look like a very cool place to socialize and meet other kids, but she is a little shy with kids she does not know, so she did not spend much time there, so she met other friends in the swimming pool.

 

But I can imagine these cruises are blast for teenagers, be it Carnival or any other cruise line. A great chance to meet a whole bunch of new friends and have a great time. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to go when I was a teenager. Are your sons outgoing? I think they'll have a blast.

[EastCoastlove]

My daughter is 12 and she did use the Circle C 'Tweens' club, and it did look like a very cool place to socialize and meet other kids, but she is a little shy with kids she does not know, so she did not spend much time there, so she met other friends in the swimming pool.

 

But I can imagine these cruises are blast for teenagers, be it Carnival or any other cruise line. A great chance to meet a whole bunch of new friends and have a great time. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to go when I was a teenager. Are your sons outgoing? I think they'll have a blast.

Yes, my kids are athletic and love anything video games. I did see this ship has an arcade and a basketball court along with many other teen friendly things. I'm getting excited!

[Open Mind23]

Yes, my kids are athletic and love anything video games. I did see this ship has an arcade and a basketball court along with many other teen friendly things. I'm getting excited!

 

Yes, I really liked the athletic area and so did my daughter who shot some hoops with my dad. The video arcades are about $1.25 per one play.

[lvetocruise2012]

Great review! Were both pools crowded on sea days?

 

 

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[easyboy]

Thank you for your review.

[Keith1010]

Glad you enjoyed the cruise and thank you for the review.

Keith

[fozzy1975]

Great review! Were both pools crowded on sea days?

 

 

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Packed like sardines! Standing room only! My suggestion do like we did! Get up at the crack of dawn get in the pool and claim your spot for the day! No joke!!

[lvetocruise2012]

Packed like sardines! Standing room only! My suggestion do like we did! Get up at the crack of dawn get in the pool and claim your spot for the day! No joke!!

 

 

 

Great advice!

 

 

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[SkyMaster]

I'll be sailing "Magic" later this year, so I appreciate your review. The BIG shows have always been a highlight for me on a cruise, and I too, have noticed that they have REALLY slipped lately. What shows were presented on your cruise?

Once again, THANKS for posting.

 

"SKY"

[Open Mind23]

I'll be sailing "Magic" later this year, so I appreciate your review. The BIG shows have always been a highlight for me on a cruise, and I too, have noticed that they have REALLY slipped lately. What shows were presented on your cruise?

Once again, THANKS for posting.

 

"SKY"

 

I only saw two shows. Opening Night was the Cruise Director Dr. Reverend E., then some of the show performers doing some songs. Much of the audience started to walk out when the show performers were on (which I find rude and would never do, but it does show that a lot of people did not like it).

 

The second night was 'Country Road' or something like that. I did not see that because I am not a big country music fan, so I cannot rate it one way or another.

 

The last night was a Rock N' Roll retro show. I thought it was pretty good, but not spectacular. At least I did not enjoy it as some of the past shows Carnival used to do.

 

The other nights I believe were audience driven shows (game shows with audience members), which I did not attend. That's not really my thing.

 

Also, I did see one of the comedians perform at the comedy club, a country guy from Georgia. I saw the PG show only and it was pretty good, but I did not laugh as much as some other comedians I have seen on Carnival Cruises before. Unlike in past cruises, I did not see a sampling of the comedians on the opening night show.

 

Maybe someone else who saw the other shows could pipe in about what they saw, especially if they saw any of the other nights that I missed.