Fun First Cruise

Item: Carnival Magic
Rating: 3.8
Author: mjreynolds817

Carnival Magic Cruise Review to Caribbean - Bahamas

mjreynolds817

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 29

Overall rating:

3.8 out of 5

Verified Review

5 Night Bahamas (Norfolk Roundtrip)

Sail date: October 10, 2022

Ship: Carnival Magic

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8424

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

We chose this particular cruise because of the price and the port being so close to home. We were a little nervous, as we hadn't heard great things about Carnival. But we had a blast! We are so ready to go again!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

It went very smoothly.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

We ate at the steakhouse on our first night. The food was ho-hum...honestly I expected better. My surf and turf was a tad overcooked and the sides weren't anything special.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Played trivia several times, bingo once, Deal or No Deal was fun (the host was hilarious!) and the Love and Marriage show was a hoot!

Entertainment

5 out of 5

We didn't go to any shows but the music in Ocean Plaza was enjoyable.

Children's Programs

No kids

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Our cabin steward, Wisnu, (he likes to be called Whiskey) was wonderful. He knew the answer to any question we had, our room was kept spotless, and we loved the towel animals! My absolute favorite employee was our casino waiter, Made. He learned my name on the first order and never forgot it. He never let my drink go empty, even when the casino was slammed. I wish every employee had his attitude and attention to detail.

Ship Quality

1 out of 5

Since this was our first cruise we were a little overwhelmed at first with the size of the ship, but after a day or two we were okay. The ship was very clean, and there was always someone cleaning something.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

We were happy with the overall size, comfort, and cleanliness of our cabin.

Ship tip

Try to be early on, and last off. The embarkation and debarkation for us was smooth by doing this. Others had a lot of complaints.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Norfolk, Virginia

4 out of 5

Bimini, Bahamas

3 out of 5

The debarkation was terrible. Took us over an hour to debark, then another hour waiting in line for the shuttle. We ended up walking instead. Tried to rent a golf cart, at first there were none available, and the prices were way higher than we saw online. Went to a bar nearby and ordered two drinks. $41! The drinks were watered down, and the rude bartender never came back with my change. Went back to the golf cart place, they had one available, for a lower price this time. The island is in terrible shape. It was so sad to see the houses that had been decimated by the hurricane just rotting away, and the people who lived there clearly didn't want us there. People who went to the resort said it was beautiful but we just found the rest of the island (the non-resort part) very sad and dirty.

Thumbs Up 0

Freeport, Grand Bahama Island

4 out of 5

Our excursion was canceled due to weather so we just shopped at the area right at the port. It was nice and the vendors were friendly.

Thumbs Up 1

Disembarkation

4 out of 5

We were part of the last group to disembark so by the time we were called most of the elevators and stairs were clear. Customs was a breeze.

Traveler Photos

Not great. Overcooked and bland. I was sad.

Beautiful sunrise. Wish I could wake up to this every day!

Beautiful little slice of beach we found

9 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe 4 months ago

Thanks for sharing

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Gwbigdog 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing

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CurlyCruiserYAY 2 years ago

Woohoo 🚢

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Ramsey1986 2 years ago

I’m glad you enjoyed a fun first cruise experience on the Carnival Magic. With so many people cruising it is best to try it with an open mind and see if it is something that you enjoy. We can’t think of a better way to vacation that allows you so many ways to customize your trip according to what you enjoy most. Thank you for taking the time to share your review and pictures. Welcome to the world of cruising. It can be very addictive. 😎

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byhisgrace 2 years ago

Thanks for your review

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WhippetMum 2 years ago

Thanks for your feedback

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javawoody 2 years ago

Glad you enjoyed your first cruise

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AuntPinkie 2 years ago

Appreciate your feedback. Glad you enjoyed your Carnival adventure.

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lsbs 2 years ago

Glad that you had a blast.

Thumbs Up 1

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