Overall had a very inexpensive, relaxing, enjoyable cruise. Cruise was free as part of Casino deal (except taxes and fees). Because of that, and because we also got free drinks in casino and $1,000 in FunPlay as part of Cruise deal, we decided not to book any excursions or spend much money on the cruise. Just wanted to relax and enjoy a nice quiet vacation. Was able to do that and more. All snags we ran into were really to be expected since we were cruising during the height of the covid surge. Considering everything, crew did a great job and we had an amazing cruise.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Got to the port at assigned time. Had to wait because there was a delay and no one got to board the ship until around Noon. Not a big deal for us since we had 11:30 check-in but would have been a bit annoyed if we had picked an earlier time. Once the doors opened it was super fast.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food was just okay most of the time. Truffle fries at the Deli were great when fresh, but got stale fries one day. Not excited about MDR menu so are in the buffet most nights. Filled my belly I guess. Always wondered why they have such great deserts during lunch time and not dinner time in the buffet. Enjoyed Guys Pig and Anchor fur lunch one day. Blue Iquana tacos had bones in the chicken. Guys burgers were alright but I’m not really a burger lover. Breakfast burritos were tasty. Pizza was always decent. Liked the wine we tried in MDR. Drinks in casino were sometimes poured warm from cans into a cup with ice. Made the soda go flat quick and was not really enjoyable but quenched my thirst I guess.I am glad they have Pepsi products now and not Come.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Didn’t really use pools or hot tubs because water was cool. Never go to fitness center. Enjoyed a bit of time shopping but was disappointed that there are limited shops on the Magic for the size of ship. Water slides looked fun but, again, cold in January. But everything looked great and would probably enjoy if cruising a different time of year. Did enjoy the movies on deck at night.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
No Theater shows during this cruise since performers were under quarantine. I didn’t really miss it that much since I’ve felt Carnival show singers are not the greatest anyway. Our cruise director for the first several days was just a full-in as the original CD was under quarantine. He (Andy) came out mid-way through the sailing and What A Difference! Had way more fun on deck activities and at deck parties once he showed up. Deal or No Deal was a waste of time and money and had very small cash prizes. Live music was always available at different locations on the ship. Love the violinists! The piano bar singer was really bad in my opinion and I was really hoping to have a fun night or two there. Only saw one comedian and one other variety show act, they were only okay. I will say I never made it to the LATE night comedy shows and that is usually when I see the best acts, so that was probably my bad. But this was my first Premier Cruise and there were late night events in the casino every night. It was a lot of fun. I won $475 in fun play on a dodge the bill game. My mom got $1,000 fun play from the original cruise offer, won $500 for coming in 15th place in a Premier players poker tournament which was free for her to enter. She never spent a penny of her own money in the casino because she spent Carnivals funplay money and won and lost on it all week. She ended up leaving with an extra $1,500 cash even after buying several pieces of fine jewelry on board with her winnings. However, I will say the Premier Player casino host was not very engaging.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Happy with service from waiters, stewards, etc. Had gifts in our room every night as part of Premier Cruise. Really nice touch. Guest services were not the friendliest, but seems like they deal with a lot of BS. Drink servers in casino were on point in the evenings, but tougher to get drinks during the day. We had free drinks in casino with our cruise offer, so definitely was happy that we were able to take advantage. On previous cruises, drink service has been slower. The fill-in CD sucked, but our original CD was great once he got out of quarantine. As previously stated the Premier Player casino host was lacking some enthusiasm. Seems like she could have done a much better job getting guests excited and involved in the Premier Casino events. Instead we typically sat around and continued to play slots while waiting to see if our own name got called to play one of the games to win funplay.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
When we arrived at our room at 1:30 the key was not there. Went to guest services to wait in a long line and was finally given a key. But when we got to our room, it was clearly dirty from previous guests. Got reassigned a comparable room on another deck and no problems after that. Everything seemed very clean and well maintained. Liked the layout but I’m always surprised how many times I still go in the wrong direction to get somewhere before I finally get the hang of it.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
No issues here once we had our cabin reassigned because our original cabin was not ready. Disappointed in the guest services for not knowing that we had been changed rooms, but our stewards from old and née room coordinated together to make sure our luggage and pre-Cruise purchases made it to our room. Room was cleaned every day at a time of our convenience (morning or afternoon) and our steward greeted us every time we stepped in the hall. Always asked if there was anything else we needed and how our day was.
Ship tip
If cruising in January, it can be cooler on deck. If chilly on one side of ship, try moving over to other side as the sun may be shining brightly and may be much warmer over there!
We did get to port here, but had no open shops or workers on the island. Ship crew did provide very limited services (drinks and food). No shore excursions available. It was also a chilly, overcast and rainy day. Luckily, it was warmer in the water than out of it and we had our own snorkel gear. Enjoyed a few hours of snorkeling and saw plenty of fish, then back to the ship for us. Luckily made it to the tender and under cover right before it down poured (though that only lasted a few minutes).
Loved this port. It was such a beautiful warm sunny day. The pool is right at the port, huge, and free! Sooo much fun. Great drinks, fun atmosphere, amazing views. Also really nice shopping I’m the port, zip lining available without excursion needed. Really no need to leave the port area or spend much or any money at all.
Appreciate your detailed review. Especially liked the information about your Casino perks and prizes. Congratulations to you and your Mom! Sorry your room was ready but happy to hear you got a better one. Glad you enjoyed your cruise!
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