Wonderful cruise!!

Carnival Magic Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

TylerD85

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 65

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5

7 Night Western Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: May 19, 2018

Ship: Carnival Magic

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 2425

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

We found out a few things, we are APA and snorkeling people. If you like to snorkel, buy one from Amazon before the ship. Every port has a place to snorkel and you won’t overpay to rent one or buy one. The ship sells a full face one for $49. The Spa rooms with the pool, saunas, steam rooms etc are well worth it! We are booking a Cloud 9 Spa Cabin next cruise. Also, don’t overspend early in the cruise. Most spa and high ticket items in fun shops will go on sale later in the cruise. This was a fantastic trip and our expectations were exceeded. My wife and I are Millenials and we were blown away. Of course there’s long lines for certain things and deck chairs get taken early on sunny days, but keep in mind everyone else wants to have a good time and you’ll be fine. Also, the slides were fun!! Loved them! The outdoor movies at night were fantastic. The screen was great and sound was wonderful. We watched one our first sea day. It really was a great way to end the day and they play a wide variety all cruise and different times. I can’t stress enough the Italian restaurant at night or the day, best kept secret on board. Also, Deck 5 continental breakfast too. That whole deck was so quiet in the morning. Cookie was the cruise director and I give him a 10 stars out of 5. I just found out he’s only going to be there for 5 more weeks.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

We got to the port about 40 minutes early. We were able to go into the late and early arrival line and sailed right through. It was not a problem at all.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

My wife and I are not meat eaters, only rated four stars because we wished they would have alternated th vegetarian dish in the main dining room. It was an Indian dish all 7 nights. Lines were long for specialty walk up places like theWok and Guys, but that’s to be expected. Often you could time Guys right and not wait long at all. Wonderful French fries! The Indian walk up in the aft of the ship was terrific!

Cucina Del Capitano

5 out of 5

Best kept secret. We would have had dinner here the first sea day and later in ththe Cruise. We only pre booked for Thursday evening.

Tandoor

5 out of 5

Only complaint was putting ALL the food out at 1130 and not being able to eat it until 12. The food was wonderful here and had a great variety!! Never crowded.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

So much to do! The app was wonderful in choosing what interested you daily and ths it also alerted you when each event was 15 minutes out.

Fitness Center

3 out of 5

Staff and classes were tip top! Great crew, but several cardio machines were down. Not cool at all. They also offer a free stretch and light workout class from 7-8. From 730-8 they do at work.

Spa

5 out of 5

Loved the spa. Don’t even book treatments until they start cutting prices on port days and later in the cruise. Do take the initial spa tour and book the Aroma therapy rooms. It was well worth the $219.

Serenity

4 out of 5

Tons of options on this ship. Do get there early or you’ll be very limited on seating.

Aroma Steam Bath

5 out of 5

Incredibly hot but a wonderful treat. This was my favorite.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Wait staff was great, all cleaning crews were super nice. No complaints. The spa staff were fri badly too, early on they always want to sell something, but they were very personable.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Great design and somebody always cleaning. Use the elevator maps an the map on the app to learn the lay of the ship early on.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ship tip

There is SO much to do, do not try to do everything. Favorite things on board the ship you want to do and let it alert you. Lines will be long for some food places, take advantage of the free pasta bar at the Italian place and Deck 5 breakfast. Both were very chill, the captain often went to deck 5 breakfast early on. If you’re cool with the buffet food and not the specialty places you’ll be set.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

5 out of 5

If you want a relaxing day, you must prebook an excursion. Wife and I found one in Trip Advisor, National Beach Club. Was AMAZING! $110 got us cab fare to and from, 20 minute massage, chairs on the water, and a wait staff that was very pleasant and never had to seek out. There were two local ladies standing by to cook whatever you wanted from the kitchen and everything was all inclusive. They limit the amount of people at this beach club and it was so peaceful! Would definitely do it again. Well worth the money.

Thumbs Up 9

Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

5 out of 5

Viator has a Zip n Dip, wow! Great zip lines and monkey farm. I’d choose a different beach break, look for the more private spots.

Thumbs Up 3

Belize City, Belize

5 out of 5

Booked a cave tubing tour when we got there. This was amazing! The guides love their country and did most of the work. The water in Belize is breathtaking.

Thumbs Up 14

Cozumel, Mexico Did not visit port

Rained ya out.

Thumbs Up 0