Overall we loved the cruise and the ship. We would do this again.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
It took less than 30 minutes to walk through the lines and get on the boat. We were required to to have CDC vaccination cards, proof of negative Covid test (we had a digital copy on our phone), face masks, government ID (we had passports), and Carnival boarding passes which we had printed. We arrived during our boarding time so got in line and moved through the process. Many people arrived before their time and had to stand in a long line and wait for their boarding time so don’t arrive early. They checked birthdates on all documents. Our Covid test originally had the wrong birthdate but we contacted the company and they fixed it. That would have been a problem so check all info.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We ate in the main dining room most breakfasts and all dinners. The food was great with plenty of options and service was exceptional. To reserve a table for breakfast you should use the app, otherwise you wait at the door for seating. We never waited as the app tells you when your table is ready.
Guys burgers were better than expected as were the burritos on the other side of the pool on the same deck (10). Guys Pig and Anchor was great.
Northern Lights and Southern Lights Dining Rooms
5 out of 5
The main dinner room was superb.
RedFrog Pub
2 out of 5
The buffet on the Lido deck (10) was disappointing. The Mongolian BBQ had few options and the sauce had no flavor. The spicy sauce was better. The cakes on the buffet were dry and not flavorful. The soft serve ice cream was good. I did enjoy the yogurt which was prepackaged.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
They had some dance classes that were fun but they need a larger area. They just did those in the middle of deck 5 in a small space.
They had lots of trivia but few other activities. There seemed to be a lack of things to do if you didn’t want trivia or athletic things.
Thalasso Pool
5 out of 5
We loved the spa area. The pool was great and the saunas were nice. This is a great place to relax. We upgraded to a spa room which includes entrance to the Cloud 9 spa area. It was worth it for us.
Slide Entrance
5 out of 5
Slides were fun.
Mini Golf
4 out of 5
The mini golf was fun but they use fake golf balls that were so light the rocking of the boat moved them.
Water Works
4 out of 5
Fun but only half of the water functions were working. Few kids on board so it wasn’t crowded.
Serenity
5 out of 5
We loved this spot.
Ropes Course
5 out of 5
Fun but windy. We did this several times and not ever crowded.
Beach Pool
5 out of 5
With only 65-70% capacity, we always found a spot even though people saved chairs early in the morning.
Fitness Center
5 out of 5
We worked out daily and had everything we needed.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The best entertainment on board was the piano lounge. Louis was exceptional! It was crowded. They should have put him on the main stage each night.
We watched a couple of comedians but we had late dinning and the timing never worked. We didn’t want the late R rated shows.
Encore! Main Lounge
2 out of 5
The shows were mediocre. They did the same thing each night but changed the type of music. One night was country themed and another rock and roll. We were expecting more of a broadway style show. The dancing, choreography, and singing were subpar.
Vibe Nightclub
2 out of 5
This was more of a club vibe than a dance room. We didn’t spend much time as we wanted to dance and that wasn’t happening.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All were exceptional.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This was a Could 9 stateroom which includes access to the spa. It was great. I loved sitting on the balcony and watching the sunrise and watching docking.
Ship tip
Spa classes are trying to sell something so be prepared. We enjoyed several of them so there is the other side.
We were in Aruba Port from 1-9 pm. We did a snorkel adventure which was great but by time we returned it was dark so we didn’t get to tour island. Windy and choppy water but saw fish and sunken battleship.
Bonaire was great for snorkeling. Wonderful weather. We also walked around a self guided tour of historical places close to the ship
We took a tour of the island. Much was closed due to Covid. Lighthouse was nice and they gave us food at a local hotel/restaurant. It was good. We ended up on Governors beach with chairs and umbrellas. Not crowded.
Not much to see on the island. Around the boat there are shops and beaches where most people swam. Crowded. Margaritaville was busy and where the party was.
Glad you enjoyed your cruise. Thank you for taking the time to write a review. A lot of us use the reviews to book our cruises. We stayed in a cloud 9 spa room as well when we were on the Magic. Great ship, my favorite so far.
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