Live B2B2B2B From the Carnival Magic 11/26-12/22

[jam19872016]

The Grinch is stealing Christmas over here.

 

[jam19872016]

Table ready at 703.

 

 

[jam19872016]

+2.8 I guess. I dint think I'm going to get an accurate reading until I move to a room with less vibration. 

 

Steps are moving along nicely. 

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by jam19872016

[jam19872016]

Calamari and appetizer portion of crawfish fettuccine 734

 

 

[jam19872016]

The calamari were a little too salty for my liking but the addition of the peppers was good. Not too chewy and a good marinara sauce, just needed less salt.

 

The pasta was good I'd like to order a full one, just not sure I'm hungry enough for a full portion of pasts tonight. It's quite good though.

 

Salmon and lobster 805.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by jam19872016

[jam19872016]

Salmon was good. I miss the everyday salmon but the new salmon offerings are a huge improvement.

 

The lobster I had low expectations for and it met them. Overcooked, tiny, no real flavor. I got it because I wasn't really hungry but now I am and wish I had ordered a real dish.

 

Creme Brule 822.

 

[jam19872016]

I'm not a big crème brule fan but this was one of the better ones I've ordered. 

 

Overall it was a good meal.

 

Dinner service continues to run longer than I would prefer. The waitstaff were friendly and personable, I just need it to move a little quicker. If I was not still excited for the new menus, I would have given up by this point and just gone to the buffet or deli (for hot sandwiches only).

 

The lido has been slammed at dinner every night when I have walked through to try and get pictures. I don't ever recall seeing the buffet so busy and it really makes me wonder how the dining room can be so busy with the buffet also getting hammered. I wonder if they are underutilizing the assigned dining rooms?

[jam19872016]

I need to be heading to the piano bar to stake out a seat but I need to let my phone charge or it won't make it very long tonight. I suspect everyone who enjoys the piano man will be there excited to finally have one on the schedule and I will be shut out, but I will just have to take that chance.

 

The ship is rocking a little this evening. Nothing major, it's just the first time I have felt it this cruise. There is rain in the forecast the rest of the cruise and I wonder if we are heading into bad weather. I've got my motion pills ready just in case.

[jam19872016]

Got a seat in no man's land.

 

 

Just kidding they left the overhead speakers on and it's playing louder than the piano man. Found a spot to squish into up front.

 

 

Lean on me 🎶 

[jam19872016]

Football check.

 

[jam19872016]

Crowd has mostly cleared but he's very entertaining!

 

 

 

Girls just wanna have fun 🎶 

[jam19872016]

And just like that we are full again 

 

 

This is why I'm hot 🎶 

[jam19872016]

Refilled the bar and returned for the adult set.

 

 

That's water...need a hydration break.

 

Oh no.....

 

Sweet Caroline 🎶 

[jam19872016]

Think he's almost done...early close but I think I'm about done anyway 

 

 

Chicken fried 🎶 

[bg2310]

3 hours ago, jam19872016 said:

I'm not a big crème brule fan but this was one of the better ones I've ordered. 

 

Overall it was a good meal.

 

Dinner service continues to run longer than I would prefer. The waitstaff were friendly and personable, I just need it to move a little quicker. If I was not still excited for the new menus, I would have given up by this point and just gone to the buffet or deli (for hot sandwiches only).

 

The lido has been slammed at dinner every night when I have walked through to try and get pictures. I don't ever recall seeing the buffet so busy and it really makes me wonder how the dining room can be so busy with the buffet also getting hammered. I wonder if they are underutilizing the assigned dining rooms?

Perhaps it's time to start phasing out assigned dining times and get with the times then if people aren't using it, or at the very least use only a portion of one of the MDRs for it instead of an entire one as I believe it is currently?

 

Maybe I'm wrong, and I'm not sure from your experience if this is just atypical and not the norm, but for me personally YTD is just way more convenient and easy. And I know many people would agree.

 

Doesn't mean completely do away with traditional assigned dining, but if it's underutilized it shouldn't have the same amount of space dedicated as one that is much more utilized like YTD for dinner in the MDR.

[jam19872016]

10 minutes ago, bg2310 said:

Perhaps it's time to start phasing out assigned dining times and get with the times then if people aren't using it, or at the very least use only a portion of one of the MDRs for it instead of an entire one as I believe it is currently?

 

Maybe I'm wrong, and I'm not sure from your experience if this is just atypical and not the norm, but for me personally YTD is just way more convenient and easy. And I know many people would agree.

 

Doesn't mean completely do away with traditional assigned dining, but if it's underutilized it shouldn't have the same amount of space dedicated as one that is much more utilized like YTD for dinner in the MDR.

I agree. I think choice is good and I know a lot of people do like traditional dining but I think a lot of people also prefer the flexibility of no set dining time and they should adjust the seating based on the popularity of each dining time.

 

Right now each choice has it's own dining room, and traditional has the larger room and I find it unlikely that is the majority choice. Far too many blue cards on Carnival for that to be the case.

[jam19872016]

Bad food choices happening 

 

[bg2310]

27 minutes ago, jam19872016 said:

I agree. I think choice is good and I know a lot of people do like traditional dining but I think a lot of people also prefer the flexibility of no set dining time and they should adjust the seating based on the popularity of each dining time.

 

Right now each choice has it's own dining room, and traditional has the larger room and I find it unlikely that is the majority choice. Far too many blue cards on Carnival for that to be the case.

 

Yea, doesn't make any sense to me to use a larger space for something that is used likely far less than one that is more. Meanwhile, the staff in one have too many things to handle at once with all the traffic, while the staff in the other likely have to find things to do during the service, or at least actually have the time to work their other duties.

 

Choice is good for sure. Hopefully, if it gets to be that bad the powers that be at least utilize the larger space for the dining option that is most popular.

 

Anyway, thanks for your posts and sharing your vacation with us. I will embark Valor on Monday, so this has me very excited for my own cruise! 

 

I will not pay for WiFi as I want to be off my device and basically turned off to the world while at sea, so won't be able to follow while gone, but cheers and I hope the rest of your trip goes awesome.

 

Smooth sailing! 

[jam19872016]

6 minutes ago, bg2310 said:

 

Yea, doesn't make any sense to me to use a larger space for something that is used likely far less than one that is more. Meanwhile, the staff in one have too many things to handle at once with all the traffic, while the staff in the other likely have to find things to do during the service, or at least actually have the time to work their other duties.

 

Choice is good for sure. Hopefully, if it gets to be that bad the powers that be at least utilize the larger space for the dining option that is most popular.

 

Anyway, thanks for your posts and sharing your vacation with us. I will embark Valor on Monday, so this has me very excited for my own cruise! 

 

I will not pay for WiFi as I want to be off my device and basically turned off to the world while at sea, so won't be able to follow while gone, but cheers and I hope the rest of your trip goes awesome.

 

Smooth sailing! 

Thank you and enjoy your cruise! Valor is the only ship in Conquest class I have not sailed, and I am eyeing it in 2025 to finally complete the class.

 

Despite the struggles, Carnival does YTD better than any cruise line I have sailed by a very, very, very wide margin. The exception being NCL, which does not offer traditional dining so I can't really count them because they have eliminated choice.

 

 

[jam19872016]

Man! I have really missed the piano bar experience. It really is a HUGE part of my nightly entertainment. I am so glad we have an entertainer again! 

 

I am wrapping up for the evening. Crew drills tomorrow, so my ability to sleep in will be decided based on what time those begin so I need to try and get some sleep.

 

Thanks for following along, good night everyone.

[exlondoner]

2 hours ago, jam19872016 said:

Bad food choices happening 

 

Eeeek that looks horrible. Perhaps it is the plating…

[exlondoner]

2 hours ago, jam19872016 said:

I agree. I think choice is good and I know a lot of people do like traditional dining but I think a lot of people also prefer the flexibility of no set dining time and they should adjust the seating based on the popularity of each dining time.

 

Right now each choice has its anown dining room, and traditional has the larger room and I find it unlikely that is the majority choice. Far too many blue cards on Carnival for that to be the case.

Can’t you sneak a look in the other dining room and see how full it is on a couple of nights?

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

Can’t you sneak a look in the other dining room and see how full it is on a couple of nights?

And while you are there, check on cruet compliance.

[five.]

18 hours ago, chryso said:

Is it just a trick of the photograph or is that straw unusually thick?

It's a candy straw, so yea it's edible and thicker than normal. For my spiked milk shakes at least one of the times, the shake was too thick for that straw to be usable. But I brought my own milk shake straw, so I was ready.

[JandPB]

1 hour ago, five. said:

It's a candy straw, so yea it's edible and thicker than normal. For my spiked milk shakes at least one of the times, the shake was too thick for that straw to be usable. But I brought my own milk shake straw, so I was ready.

We pack our own stainless and/or silicone straws. So much easier than using the slimy candy straws.