Excellent

Carnival Magic Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

lshaggard

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 68

Overall rating:

4.5 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 29, 2017

Ship: Carnival Magic

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 6473

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

My husband and I had cruised one other time, but 17 years ago. This was one of the best family vacations we have had and would definitely do it again. It was a perfect fit for our family. It had all the activities we were looking for and the ports we were interested in seeing. There was something for every member of our family. The staff was amazing and they worked so hard to ensure we were having a great time and great service. Every one we encountered on board was helpful and always greeted us with a smile. We utilized a lot of food,entertainment and shopping venues and all the staff we encountered were so friendly and accommodating. I'm not sure how anyone that takes a cruise can say they got bored. We are a family that likes to go and see, and this was a great vacation for us. Again, I can't say enough good things about Trainna, Jay, Nicolae, Raunak, and Aleksandar. (and the girls at the coffee bar, sorry I don't remember their names). They helped make out trip!!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

We were surprised, being first time cruisers as a family, how quickly an efficiently embarkation was. We left our hotel by shuttle around 11:30 and were on board enjoying lunch by 1:00.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

We thought the food choices and quality of the food was excellent. Loved Guys burgers and BBQ. Even thought the lines looked long, really never waited long. The staff was great at keeping the line moving without making you feel rushed. The main dinning room was great. We had anytime dining and it worked well for our family. Never waited more than 10 minutes and that was only on 2 nights. Walked right in the other evenings. Trianna was excellent! we requested his section for the whole week. I can't say enough about how he made our dining experience so great. From wine suggestions, dessert choices, to just plain fun, he was awesome. He even helped my children (age 14 and 10) plan a secret birthday celebration for Dad the last night of the cruise.He even posed for pics with my son. All the staff in the main dining room were fantastic. Loved the alchemy bar and the ocean lounge!!!

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Kids loved all the choices. Loved trivia, especially 80's trivia with Dr.E. Spent a lot of time at the outdoor game area, kids loved it. Pools were nice and even though appeared on the small side, never felt over crowded. Same for the hot tubes.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

We really enjoyed the stage shows, pleasantly surprised on how good they were. Favorites: Flick, Hasbro game show. Loved all the music. My kids would look at the itinerary each day and follow the music from lounge to lounge. Loved Son of a Gun! I can't say enough about Dr. E!!!! Loved him. My son even has pics with him. The deck parties were awesome! KIds loved them! I think we went to them all. Took in a dive in movie. Great option and set up! Even went to the kids rated comedy show. Really enjoyed it.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Our room steward, Jay, was excellent. He always greeted us with smiles and made suggestions in order to utilize the most of our space. My daughter even left him notes about all the towel animals and he would always leave her notes in return. She loved it! Trainna was our waiter in the dining room and he was excellent (see above comments) The staff at the alchemy was phenomenal!!! We loved it, even the kids!. Had the cheers package. They went out of their way to make each night special even for the kids! Nicholae, Raunak and Aleksandar were amazing. I can't say enough good things about them! They even made "special" drinks for the kids and included them in the fun. They went out of their way to get to know your family. They really made the trip great, my son got special pics with them as well. It was one of our favorite places to hang out and listen to music, mainly in part to those 3 guys. Again, can't say enough great thjings about them. Then in the morning, I would go to the coffee bar and Raunak would make sure we had our cofffee and tea in the morning. The girls in the coffee bar were so sweet and always greeted you with huge smiles. It was one of my daughters favorite places (milkshakes!) Loved Dr E!!!!!! From his info sessions to the deck parties, he was fantastic!

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Was surprised there weren't more shops on board.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Was surprised at how much storage you really had if you utilized the space properly. Was expecting it to be more difficult for 4. Loved the balcony, would get one again.