We love Carnival and fully believe that a cruise is by far the best value for a vacation. Food is great for us, service is outstanding, and who wouldn’t want to be somewhere that is 85 degrees and sunny when back home it is -20. :-)
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Delayed embarkation due to ship damage possible from the prior cruise, a chartered “Shiprocked” event. Heard that the water main for the sprinklers was damaged and had to be repaired. We left port about 5 hours late and the captain had to make up time by cruising at 22-23 knots, which made for a very rocky first night and too windy for upper decks.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food was great and I thought the main dining room dinners were outstanding. Slightly smaller entree sizes, but I thought the overall quality was better than prior cruises. And we often ordered 2 appetizers and 2 entrees at no additional charge so a nice way to mix and match.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Due to high winds the ropes course and water slides were closed most of the cruise. But there was still plenty to do instead so everyone was happy.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Evening shows in the Showtime Theater were excellent.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Outstanding as always with Carnival! Very attentive and always called us by our first names.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The Magic is starting to show its age and there was some repairs needed. Could also have been the prior chartered “Shiprocked” cruise passengers as well. But overall a beautiful ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Nice Cloud 9 balcony cabin. However, I think we will likely just do a regular balcony cabin and add on the Thermal Suites package separately.
Ship tip
Make the most of any situation! We were not able to stop at Amber Cove due to high winds and waves, but there is so much to do on the ship you can still have lots of FUN!
Not much in the port, so an excursion is likely your best option. We did the Caves of Wonder and Altos de Chevon and had a blast! Highly recommend that excursion.
We did the Best of Bonaire and found it rather boring. Most of the island is cactus, shrubs, and salt flats. Shopping at the pier was okay but shops closed early. It really is a port for snorkeling or scuba, which I understand is amazing.
No communication at all and very frustrating for some of our first time cruisers. We waiting in the Atrium Lobby and no one said anything about disembarkation order. Our last three Carnival cruises did a far better job of notifying when to disembark. However, once off the ship it was smooth and used facial recognition to speed things up.
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