Recent Carnival Magic Cruisers : What shape is she in?

[tattoos]

Don't believe everything you read on these boards.  We sailed on the Magic in May 2019 and booked another cruise on her in April 2020.  It is a beautiful ship with lots of fun things to do for adults and children.  I don't look for flaws on any ship that I sail, I'm too busy having a good time.

 

We had a balcony stateroom on Deck 10 and it couldn't have been more convenient to access the Lido buffet.  Staff members were always cleaning tables, wiping railings down, etc.

 

All the staff members (and officers) smiled and said hello from the dining room to the Lido deck to the casino, etc.  I always ate breakfast at the Lido deck buffet because my family were late risers and every staff member that passed my table stopped to say hello and talk and ask if there was anything they could do for me or get for me.  If a staff member recognized me from the MDR, they went above and beyond in making me comfortable.  I ran out of room on my online survey form recognizing all the nice staff members on this ship.

 

The food is subjective and the only thing I can say is if you can't find something at the buffet you like, try pizza, Guy Fieri burgers, Guy's BBQ, the deli (good hot dogs), Cucina del Capitano (free for lunch), etc.

 

And, if you like layer cakes, please don't miss the assortment of delicious, mouth watering, layer cakes presented only at the buffet for lunch.  OMG, I tried carrot cake, red velvet cake, raspberry champagne cake, hummingbird cake (my favorite).  They were delicious and fresh and a great improvement over those dry cake pops and yucky brownies.  Some had whipped cream frosting, cream cheese frosting, mirror glazes, yum.

 

You did not mention your itinerary so I can't comment.  Our port stops were Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay (beautiful), Aruba and Curacao.  

 

We had a WONDERFUL time on our cruise, don't let the negative comments get to you, you'll love this ship.

 

[khewston]

I was on her 2 years ago.  It has been my least favorite ship.  I was excited to cruise on her because everyone seemed to love her.  My husband, sister and brother-in-law was also on this cruise and we all felt the same way.  While something is not our cup of tea, everyone what their own opinions.  We were on the Conquest a couple of years ago before she went in to be refurbished.  She needed a lot work!  Even with all the cosmetic issues, it was one of our best cruises and we would sail on her again in a heartbeat.  

 

Don't take to heart what everyone is saying, go and have a good time!  Book some spa treatments for her onboard...and a new purse before you go will do Magic!

[grandmarnnurse]

On 10/15/2019 at 5:49 AM, Timmay77 said:

I keep seeing posts about the poor shape the Magic is in. Can anyone confirm this? The daughter and I love going on cruises, but the wife is less than thrilled. I chose this cruise (June 6, 2020) because of the itinerary. Based on the reviews I am seeing, I am considering moving to another ship/cruise. If the Magic really is in bad shape, I do not wish to expose my wife to less than excellent conditions to sour the taste of cruising even more. We are trying to convince her in to booking more! We are still 8 months out from our cruise, so conditions will only get worse........

 

I am seeing rumors that the Magic will go to dry dock September 2020? Is this accurate? Of course it is, AFTER we cruise. LOL. My luck.

 

For those that will say "cruise without her" not an option. We are a tripod, we only stand together. (family joke)

I have the Magic booked for my 50th Anniversary in April 2020 for a B2B (April 5&11), and I have every faith it will be just glorious! I have no worries. I have read so many fabulous reviews, the few negative ones seem to be just petty complaints. I realize the Magic is beginning to show its age, but the price was right, and for this retired couple, that means a lot to us when choosing a ship. The newest ships carry a much bigger rate, so we usually sail them once they are a few years old. And we book only inside cabins, and they look pretty standard fleet wide—-no surprises there. Give me good food, great cocktails, with entertainment thrown in, and I’m happy. So sorry your wife doesn’t share your enthusiasm for cruising. I can’t imagine NOT cruising, and the more the merrier! 😎🛳🏖🌴🍹🍸🍷

[grandmarnnurse]

On 10/15/2019 at 8:47 AM, TNcruising02 said:

I cruised on the Magic in June and had a great cruise.  However, some people pay a lot more attention to certain things, so if your wife is very picky then she might not think everything is in excellent condition.  You may want to sail on one of the newer ships.  While I was fine with everything, I have read trip reports where people have listed a lot of things that bothered them that didn't even cross our minds when we were on the cruise.  

My cabin was very clean every day.  I was able to relax in a nice lounger while not at the ports.  The comedy shows were great.  Food was good.  I liked that they had a wide variety of music playing in different parts of the ship.  If I was travelling with an extremely picky person, I would probably pick one of the newer ships.  My cruise was great though.

Precisely what I said! The few negative reviews seemed to be just petty complaints that wouldn’t even have crossed my mind. As I said, give me good food, great cocktails, and plenty of entertainment, and I’m a happy gal! 😎🛳🌴🏖🍸🍹🍷

[grandmarnnurse]

On 10/15/2019 at 12:50 PM, Palmetto Pilot said:

Is the Magic still having air conditioning problems? Sewer smell on deck 7?

The sewer smell is just an occasional thing that happens almost fleet wide. I found it coming from a vent on deck 10aft by the Tides bar on the Breeze, but once past that area, there was nothing. I would think they vent gases somewhere on all ships.

[grandmarnnurse]

Going to follow along, as I said, I will be on the Magic in April for my 50th Anniversary. But first, I’m on an even older ship in February. The Glory. 

[Jamericannn]

19 hours ago, grandmarnnurse said:

Going to follow along, as I said, I will be on the Magic in April for my 50th Anniversary. But first, I’m on an even older ship in February. The Glory. 

Glory is a great ship even though it’s older. 

[Timmay77]

 

 

 

On 10/16/2019 at 4:09 PM, tattoos said:

Don't believe everything you read on these boards.  We sailed on the Magic in May 2019 and booked another cruise on her in April 2020.  It is a beautiful ship with lots of fun things to do for adults and children.  I don't look for flaws on any ship that I sail, I'm too busy having a good time.

 

We had a balcony stateroom on Deck 10 and it couldn't have been more convenient to access the Lido buffet.  Staff members were always cleaning tables, wiping railings down, etc.

 

All the staff members (and officers) smiled and said hello from the dining room to the Lido deck to the casino, etc.  I always ate breakfast at the Lido deck buffet because my family were late risers and every staff member that passed my table stopped to say hello and talk and ask if there was anything they could do for me or get for me.  If a staff member recognized me from the MDR, they went above and beyond in making me comfortable.  I ran out of room on my online survey form recognizing all the nice staff members on this ship.

 

The food is subjective and the only thing I can say is if you can't find something at the buffet you like, try pizza, Guy Fieri burgers, Guy's BBQ, the deli (good hot dogs), Cucina del Capitano (free for lunch), etc.

 

And, if you like layer cakes, please don't miss the assortment of delicious, mouth watering, layer cakes presented only at the buffet for lunch.  OMG, I tried carrot cake, red velvet cake, raspberry champagne cake, hummingbird cake (my favorite).  They were delicious and fresh and a great improvement over those dry cake pops and yucky brownies.  Some had whipped cream frosting, cream cheese frosting, mirror glazes, yum.

 

You did not mention your itinerary so I can't comment.  Our port stops were Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay (beautiful), Aruba and Curacao.  

 

We had a WONDERFUL time on our cruise, don't let the negative comments get to you, you'll love this ship.

 

 

Thank you for the detailed reply.....

 

Our itinerary is close to yours:

 

2 sea days

Aruba 

Curacao

Amber Cove

La Romana

1 sea day

 

While I am thrilled about Aruba and Curacao, I am less interested in Amber Cove and La Romana. I have an excursion planned for Amber Cove, but I think we will just hit the beach in La Romana for a bit and head back to the ship. I have a few close friends that said both stops were just ok.

On 10/16/2019 at 6:25 PM, grandmarnnurse said:

Precisely what I said! The few negative reviews seemed to be just petty complaints that wouldn’t even have crossed my mind. As I said, give me good food, great cocktails, and plenty of entertainment, and I’m a happy gal! 😎🛳🌴🏖🍸🍹🍷

 

It's not just a few petty complaints, it's pretty wide spread across all online forums, FB, IG, and other forms of social media. I do a lot of car forum stuff, so I know to look past the one off, unhappy people that post. There is so much negative talk about the Magic that I wanted to get straight up information from people that have recently been on the ship, good or bad. Hence the post. Speculation is just a waste of time. If you need info, you go to the horses mouth, recent passengers........

 

[BNBR]

Sailed in June. Interior spaces were fine. Exterior is a rust bucket.  Water works poorly maintained, lots of broken stuff.  Poor maintenance all over outside.  It's not a vacation ruining experience, but the maintenance was disappointing.  Tons of rust all over our balcony area as well. 

[tattoos]

Timmay 77....we have never been to Amber Cove so can't comment.  We have been to LaRomana and was not impressed.  We perused the Carnival shore excursions and the attractive ones were too pricey for our family so we just got off the ship and browsed around the port area where there is nothing much to see.  One main building with a few souvenirs for sale and the rest of the building was alcohol.  There was a beverage kiosk outside and don't remember what else.  What struck me when we exited the ship were the armed security guards standing on the rampart above the dock...a little disconcerting.  The last time we stopped in LaRomana, we stayed on the ship.

 

Curacao is pretty special for us. The few times we have stopped there we have walked out to the taxi stand and went to Mambo Beach near the Blvd. shops.  The taxi ride was $5/person the last time we were there.  It is a beautiful beach which is protected by a rock seawall.  When you approach the beach, you will be on the second level and can either walk down the stairs to the beach or take the elevator down.  We rented chairs ($7/chair) by the tiki hut (very good Blue Hawaiian's).  The snorkeling was great near that seawall, lots of fish.  There are lots of little shops lining the upper deck and restaurants (even a Subway shop).  There are restrooms where you can change before you leave.  Also, plenty of taxis available for the return trip to the ship.  We bring all our towels, etc., to our stateroom and debark again to walk around Curacao.  You walk on the brick path to the RIF Fort and walk thru the Fort to the port area.  There are restaurants and bars inside the fort and a nice ice cream store with plenty of seating in the courtyard.  When you exit through the other side of the fort, there are lots of vendors selling souvenirs and you can proceed to the Queen Emma pontoon bridge and walk across to other stores and restaurants.  The pontoon bridge lights up at night and the atmosphere is great.  I believe the brick and mortar stores close at 6:00 p.m.

 

Aruba has some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen and I live in Florida and have been to some awesome beaches throughout the State.  We went to Eagle beach a few times and liked it but when we stopped at Aruba in May of this year, we took a taxi to Palm Beach and directed our taxi driver to drop us off at the paved walkway between the Hilton and RIU hotels.  It was a short walk to the beach and we found a vendor renting chairs and umbrellas close to the Bugaloe Beach Bar (they have a web site if you're interested) which is on the pier.  This was a perfect location, the beach was beautiful and clean, the water was breathtaking and we were close to the pier which had a restroom (very important when you are old or young).  We walked to the pier and ordered take out food which was delicious and reasonably priced.  I would return to Palm Beach in a heartbeat, just stunning.  There is some shade provided by palm trees next to the walkway which runs the entire length of the beach in front of the hotels.  You can also rent jet skis, etc.

 

Don't worry about negative comments, you will be so happy to be on a cruise that minor faults or inconveniences will not affect your cruise experience on the Magic.  We have sailed on almost every Carnival ship in the fleet and the Magic is one of our favorites because of the atmosphere, interaction with the crew, good food, and great ports of call on this itinerary.

 

 

 

 

[PhillyFan33579]

I have been on Magic several times and looking forward to an 8 day Christmas cruise this December. She is my favorite Carnival ship and we (wife and I) have always had a great time on her. Most of the complaints I have read online and in this thread are things I wouldn’t think twice about.

[Butterbean1000]

Magic is my favorite ship so far.  We sailed her last year and if there were any signs of wear and tear we either didn't notice or it immediately left my mind.  A little wear and tear is not an issue for us.  Dirt and filth are.  I can say there was none.  THAT we would remember.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Butterbean1000

[lucy2mb]

We went to Bermuda on the Magic on Sept. 28th.   Our family of six loved the Magic. We had spa balcony rooms on deck 12 and never smelled any bad odor on the ship.  The food was very good in the dining hall and the service was the best we have ever had.   The Carnival crew has always been friendly but we found this to be one of the friendliest.  We thought the Magic was a very clean, beautiful ship.   I was a little concerned because of a few reviews I had read before we went.  We did not have any problems.  We would definitely sail on her again.  

[bjd2]

We just disembarked on 10/6 from an 8 night cruise to Bermuda. We really enjoyed the cruise. The Magic seemed easy to get around and find things that we enjoyed. There was worn carpeting in places but there were people cleaning almost every surface constantly.

 

We had a suite on deck 7, right near the atrium area. One time it filled with a terrible sewage smell. My husband felt it was coming from the air conditioning vents. I was just about to call maintenance when it subsided. It was bad, but only happened that once. I do have to say that every single morning at about 3am, we were awakened by a clanging sound that got louder and faster for about a minute and stopped. We've never had that happen before, but good luck to anyone who has 7274 upcoming!

 

 

[RobinCruiser]

On 10/16/2019 at 1:09 PM, tattoos said:

I ran out of room on my online survey form recognizing all the nice staff members on this ship.

 

 

Off topic question but how long after you cruised did you get the email survey? I said Sept 29th and have not received any email communications from Carnival at all. I have checked my junk folder. Just wondering... I'd love to give some feedback on some amazing crew we encountered!

[tattoos]

I received my survey a few days after my return.  I would suggest you call Carnival's toll-free number and request one.  Do you regularly receive information/special sale emails from Carnival?  If not, you can sign up on their web site.  Maybe that is why you did not receive a survey??

 

Thanks for taking the time to complete the survey, the recognition from cruisers is very important to the staff.  I never recognize bartenders because they're getting paid to hustle and promote.  The people I recognize are the omelette cooks, cleaning staff, room steward, etc.

[RobinCruiser]

On 10/22/2019 at 12:51 PM, tattoos said:

I received my survey a few days after my return.  I would suggest you call Carnival's toll-free number and request one.  Do you regularly receive information/special sale emails from Carnival?  If not, you can sign up on their web site.  Maybe that is why you did not receive a survey??

 

Thanks for taking the time to complete the survey, the recognition from cruisers is very important to the staff.  I never recognize bartenders because they're getting paid to hustle and promote.  The people I recognize are the omelette cooks, cleaning staff, room steward, etc.

 

Thanks for your reply. I got it sorted... my account had an old email address which is why I never received anything. 🙂

[CorgiCruiser123]

Sailed in July and loved it!  It was only my third carnival cruise (Victory and Elation previously) so I don't have much to compare against.  Seemed to be in great shape to me.  Really enjoyed the Spa.

[jasong38501]

Was on the Magic in September. Other than the rust on the hull and the worn carpeting (which didn't affect my cruise at all) I had two minor complaints.

1- something with the stage was broke so 88 Keys was performed just with singing. Not a big deal but disappointing because it was the only show on the ship I hadn't saw on another Carnival ship. But stuff breaks, no big deal, I moved on.

2- the other issue was a continuing complaint. For some reason the exhaust at Guys burgers did not seem to be working well. It caused lots of smoke on that side of Lido deck and filtered into that side of the Lido Marketplace seating. I learned not to sit on that side but still annoying.

Having thrown those two small issues out, I had an incredible cruise. Magic is a beautiful ship with a great crew. Enjoy your cruise!

[RedIguana]

On 10/16/2019 at 2:29 AM, MasterMason said:

Carnival Magic entered service August, 2010. Ask yourself how old is your family car, and what condition it's in after 9 years of constant continual service by authorized company service personnel. The ship is maintained on a daily basis by dedicated staff, and bought into drydock when mechanical/cosmetic updates are needed.

 

"She's tore up plenty, but she'll fly true".

How did you manage to slip a Firefly reference in a cruise forum? have an upvote good sir.

[crockea]

we just got off the magic yesterday.  had 2 balcony cabins close to the aft elevators.  the sewer smells were overwhelming at times.  no clue how/where the smell was coming from.  didn't ruin our vacation but I would stay away from any rooms in that area.  Our room steward was incredible and kept the room clean at all times so it must have something to do with the ventilation system.  there were bad odors in many areas of the ship.  we just chalked it up to being on an older ship and carried on with our fun.

[grandmarnnurse]

39 minutes ago, crockea said:

we just got off the magic yesterday.  had 2 balcony cabins close to the aft elevators.  the sewer smells were overwhelming at times.  no clue how/where the smell was coming from.  didn't ruin our vacation but I would stay away from any rooms in that area.  Our room steward was incredible and kept the room clean at all times so it must have something to do with the ventilation system.  there were bad odors in many areas of the ship.  we just chalked it up to being on an older ship and carried on with our fun.

We cruised the Breeze in March, and found that the sewer smell came up the floor drain near the aft Tides Bar. That was the ONLY place it was noticed, so I have to figure that it is vented in the aft area of the ships. All sewers, even at home, have to have an outdoor vent, to release gases. Not a pleasant thing to encounter on a cruise, but certainly understandable.

[CallistaSkye]

We sailed on her last October and had a great time! We also had a huge list of staff that we gave kudos to in the survey. The cruise director at the time, Malcolm, was so great. He had a spot on disembarkation skit that we still reference to this day. The room we had was pretty beat up.. it had lots of dings in the wood everywhere and you could tell it was pretty worn. That said, it was clean. We were super annoyed by the lack of plugs, because it meant we had to hot swap devices to charge them which is really annoying. Also the way it was set up, we couldn't charge our phones and put them on our nightstands. But otherwise, the ship itself was great, we felt it was plenty big enough, there was tons to do, and it never felt crowded to us. The food was awesome. We did not notice any weird smells. 

[grandmarnnurse]

11 hours ago, CallistaSkye said:

We sailed on her last October and had a great time! We also had a huge list of staff that we gave kudos to in the survey. The cruise director at the time, Malcolm, was so great. He had a spot on disembarkation skit that we still reference to this day. The room we had was pretty beat up.. it had lots of dings in the wood everywhere and you could tell it was pretty worn. That said, it was clean. We were super annoyed by the lack of plugs, because it meant we had to hot swap devices to charge them which is really annoying. Also the way it was set up, we couldn't charge our phones and put them on our nightstands. But otherwise, the ship itself was great, we felt it was plenty big enough, there was tons to do, and it never felt crowded to us. The food was awesome. We did not notice any weird smells. 

I found a so,Union to the no plugs on nightstand issue. Before my last cruise I picked up an inexpensive battery operated nightlight that shows the time, also. The light does not stay on all night to bother you. You only need to tap it to come on, with a soft glow, the time becomes illuminated. That would be the only reason I kept my phone at bedside on a vacation. We totally unplug on a cruise. Or I should say I totally unplug. My hubby is always unplugged—LOL—as he doesn’t even own a smartphone, just an old flip phone that he leaves home when we cruise. And since that one phone of mine is the only device needing to be charged, there are more than enough plugs for me.

[LMaxwell]

On 10/15/2019 at 5:49 AM, Timmay77 said:

I keep seeing posts about the poor shape the Magic is in. Can anyone confirm this? The daughter and I love going on cruises, but the wife is less than thrilled. I chose this cruise (June 6, 2020) because of the itinerary. Based on the reviews I am seeing, I am considering moving to another ship/cruise. If the Magic really is in bad shape, I do not wish to expose my wife to less than excellent conditions to sour the taste of cruising even more. We are trying to convince her in to booking more! We are still 8 months out from our cruise, so conditions will only get worse........

 

I am seeing rumors that the Magic will go to dry dock September 2020? Is this accurate? Of course it is, AFTER we cruise. LOL. My luck.

 

For those that will say "cruise without her" not an option. We are a tripod, we only stand together. (family joke)

 

I got off the ship 3 week ago.  I'd say overall "Good" condition.  I'd rate the ship a solid B on cleanliness and presentation.  Had a few issues in our room that got resolved and there is some worn carpet in areas, good luck finding an actually hot hottub and there were numerous days where Lanai tubs were shut down and Serenity tubs were shut down for maintenance/repairs.  Overall nothing major or glaring wrong though and condition is much better than the last time I was on Victory in comparison but not up to the standards of cleanliness and presentation set by RCI and MSC.  

Edited October 28, 2019 by LMaxwell