Not our best cruise (Carnival Pride) but not our worst (Carnival Glory). Looking forward to the Carnival Spirit in October and the Mardi Gras in 2024. Despite the speed pumps we still like Carnival.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Carnival at Port Canaveral has this down to a fine science. We were on-board in 25 minutes after srriving.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
MDR was very slow and the food quality was inconsistent. Example on first elegant night the prime rib was very poor. On the second elegant night it was quite good. Italian Restaurant was 5 stars. Blue Iguana was 5 stars. Guys was 3 stars (Carnival what happened, buns were stale/old and every thing was overcooked). Deli, same as Guys. Lido at breakfast was 4 stars but was 2 stars for lunch/dinner. Pig & Anchor was 2.5 stars. Pizza was 4 stars. We did not eat at the Steakhouse or the Sea Shack.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Hit tubs were good. We loved the Triva. We had no problem find deck loungers on deck 5. Our table mates said they had much trouble on decks 10/11.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Flick andcthe Country Western were only ok. The American Rock show was stellar. The Magic Rock Band were 5 stars as was Soul of Violin. Our issue was the cruise director Rico. We sre experienced cruisers and know that a good director interfaces with the public as he needs to but the real work is behind the scenes. Rico likes to hear himself talk and that we have all come to see him. Example, when the Rock Band is putting on a killer performance in Oceans Plaza and he comes on to the dance floor doing funky solo dance moves all he does is detract from their excellent performance. Also we don't need to hear 'Chow..Chow. I said Chow..Chow. ok bye' after every single announcements.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
MDR main server was clearly over worked. He had 2 assistants but we often didn't see them so he was having to do everything himself. I give him 5 stars for effort but when dinner is at 6pm and the entree is not served till 7:15 most nights he is overwhelmed and orders got confused and missed. Our room steward was good. The rest of the crew is the Carnival crew we have come to know and love over the years.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The Magic is Dream class and is showing her age. She is in need of an update. This is not to imply that she was dirty or anything. In fact the crew was always cleaning. But many of the deck loungers were clearly stsrting to be worn out as were some, but not all, deck furniture. In the Lido many of the booths had tears in the vinyl covering.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Typical Carnival balcony cabin. Again starting to show wear and tear. Example our bathroom mirror was cracked and had water damage behind it. Steward kept it clean. A/C worked fine.
Ship tip
Enjoy yourself and don't let the negatives overwhelm the positive because there are far far more positives.
Decent Carnival tour. Interestingly they used 2 busses for this tour and our bus bypassed the glass blowing stop. Also we could not see the Chapel because they started services when we got there.
Only got to see half this island. For the first time in 10 cruises we used an outside tour company because the Carnival tour was sold out. NEVER again. We had issues meeting up with the first tour guide (like we didn't) so we found another local vendor. That driver became sick and they had to cut the tour short. However what we did see was good and the guide was very knowledgeable.
Took the tour by golf cart. Not worth it. As a travel photographer we only made 3 stops and basically spent 2 hours just driving by places in a caravan of 10 golf carts making any photography impossible. Also don't let 4 drunk ladies drive a cart. However the cruise port was very nice and the Port beaches look very nice.
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