Never Again
Carnival Magic Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern
7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: October 07, 2018
Ship: Carnival Magic
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 9367
Traveled as: Family (young children)
Reviewed: 6 years ago
Review summary
I've sailed with Carnival, and many other lines, for several years and they just keep getting worse. If only we had the days back when cruising was truly something special. I realize that Carnival want to keep costs in check and ticket prices low in order to cater to the masses, but they've taken that approach too far. Sorry Carnival, we've had some good times in past but I doubt that we will cross paths again after this cruise. The food has become mediocre at best, with the absolute lowest quality of meats being served. I have to wonder if the steaks came off a cow or a camel. The drinks seemed like they were watered down even more than usual. The entertainment was amateurish with the exception of a couple of the comics. The cruise director and "Fun Team" - not so fun. The ports of call, albeit this is our opinion, were uninspiring. Carnival need to up their game on all of these, but what has left the worst impression on us was the service. I can excuse the above items - after all, you get what you pay for - but the quality of the crew and related service was inexcusable. One of our dining room waiters seemed completely disinterested in her job, was slow, and not at all personable. The bar waiters on deck were pretty much the same, regardless of how much "additional gratuity" was extended. My one interaction with back office staff, pre-cruise, was somewhat rude and argumentative. Worst of all were the bartenders, and I won't mince words here, that were just plain ignorant. Both my wife and I had similar experiences in having bartenders that were lazy, indifferent to our existence, lacking all social skills, and completely devoid of any manners whatsoever. How hard is it to train your staff to acknowledge your guests, use such common manners as "thank you" or "your welcome", and not make the guest feel like they're imposing on them (let alone make them feel appreciated). This kind of guest experience is what will keep us from booking Carnival in the future. The awful service can't be blamed on keeping operating costs down but only can be attributed to poor management. As you can see, there was very little that we liked about this experience, but I can say there were a couple individuals that exemplified what cruise service should be. One of our dining room waiters can be commended as well as our cabin stewards. They were the only shining lights in an otherwise, waste of money. Many factors went into deciding on this cruise and "value" was certainly among them. To do it again, I would far rather spend a few hundred dollars more, try another line, and hope that we would come back with a positive impression. My advice would be to steer clear of this cruise, and maybe Carnival in general.Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Spend a few dollars more to get a true cruise experience on another line. Never had such terrible service.
Ports of call
Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic
Disembarkation
17 Comments
AlnEve 6 years ago
mystang 6 years ago
crosst 6 years ago
carnival163 6 years ago