We were a family of 3 cruising in a Suite and Balcony cabins. We cruise often, but only 2nd Carnival Cruise. We read so many nightmare reviews, that we weren’t sure what to expect. We enjoyed the cruise immensely. All food was delicious, just poor selections in self serve area of buffet ( breakfast and lunch) , but what they had tasted fine. We never eat dinner in the buffet, as we enjoy sit down service. Ship layout is odd, poor flow
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We often leave from New York as we live here and it’s convenient. It is usually hit or miss. This day was very crowded and a bit disorganized, but all is good when you’re going on vacation.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
MDR had very good quality food with attentive wait staff. The Buffet selection in the self serve area is sub par; not many selections. With that being said, the Deli and Mongolian wok in the Lido buffet are excellent. The sweets are excellent also.
Guy’s burgers, Lobster shack, Blue Iguana cantina, pizza & pig and Anchor are all delicious.
The Steakhouse was a delicious meal as was the Italian restaurant.
Swirls
5 out of 5
It’s all you can eat soft serve ice cream …. Can’t go wrong!!!
Prime Steakhouse
5 out of 5
Beautiful atmosphere. Very good food. Attentive wait staff.
Cucina Del Capitano
5 out of 5
Very delicious Italian food at Sea. Nice atmosphere.
Carnival Deli
5 out of 5
Great selection of sandwiches. Open until 11pm
Coffee Bar
5 out of 5
Great staff. Delicious specialty coffees. They also give you a frequent buyer card that they punch out for a free coffee. 7th coffee was free.
Guy's Burger Joint
5 out of 5
Best burger at sea!!! Juicy not dry.
BlueIguana Cantina
5 out of 5
Delicious
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The ship has several hot tubs. The pools are small for the number of passengers but nice water slide.
There is mini golf and a ropes course.
A very nice fitness center.
Casino has a nice selection of popular games. They also have separate smoking ( deck 5) and non smoking ( deck 4) Casinos. This was a plus for us.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The best performers were Magic and Music; they were fantastic!!!! The stage shows were entertaining but not Broadway quality by all means. We didn’t go into a night club.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All staff was pleasant and accommodating. They were attentive to our needs…. but we are not demanding at all. Room steward George was lovely. They are only cleaning the rooms 1 time a day. All personnel we had contact with went above and beyond to be sure we had a great experience.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Ship is clean but showing age with some rusty areas around the ship and on our balcony.
Layout was difficult to navigate, as there is not a logical flow. Lots of dead ends and no walk through areas.
Kept very clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Ship tip
Definitely eat at the Sea day brunch. Visit Monkeyland and Dominican Flavors in DR. Bring cash for shops at Half Moon Cay. Relax and enjoy the food. Try a specialty dining venue.
Very pretty mountains. Friendly people, no “begging” as others have reported at this port. Enjoyed Monkeyland and Dominican-flavors with Runners Adventures. Shout out to our guide Saturnino and driver Juan B.
Lots of playful little interactive monkeys and delicious coffee, cocoa and Mama Juana!!
Highly recommend.
Nice port. Rocky shore line at beach… but crystal clear water.
Enjoyed Rainbow calypso tour of area. Saw salt flats, flamingos, wild horses and donkeys. Driver brought us to local area for rum punch and different foods. I enjoyed the conch fritters. Our guide said the locals depend on tourism as this makes up almost 70% of the Islands income.
New York is my home! Love being so close to three cruise terminals ( Bayonne and Red Hook Brooklyn) Love the accessibility. We get there early so we can be on the ship as soon as we can and start enjoying our vacation ASAP.
I’m glad you enjoyed your cruise on the Carnival Magic. Half Moon Cay is our favorite place. Thank you for taking the time to share your very good and detailed review.
😎🚢☀️🩴🏝🪸🐠🌺
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