Jesse1179

Congratulations on your marriage! What a wonderful way to celebrate and I'm glad to hear you had such a great time :)

 

 

 

I was wondering if you ever saw or visited the Tandoor food station? According to Carnival this is on this ship, but I know from past experience it's only on some days. We sailed 6 years ago on the Splendor and just loved this. Did you see or sample it?

Saw Tandoor but didn't get to try it. Kind of regret that but there are SO many places to eat! Sorry I can't provide any info!

And again, thank you all for the well wishes!! :)

Boarded the Magic in Galveston on the 3rd and they confiscated my 6 pack of 5 hour energy because it was in plastic bottles. They're pretty serious about it. I wasn't even thinking about the plastic bottles and I volunteered the information to them that I had it when they were checking my wine. It would have gotten on board if I hadn't told them about it.

I'm so glad I've had accommodating room stewards in all of my experiences. I try not to be too demanding and never had an issue. I asked my steward on the Magic sailing the same time as you for a pillow and he got it without hesitation, even asked if I didn't need another one. I wish your experience was like mine. :(

I had a few questions regarding the Magic aft extended balconies, as well as some concerns after reading some things on here. I just want to clarify a few things for anyone who has the same questions/concerns:

First off, our room was Deck 6, room 6472. We were right next to the aft wrap. The aft wrap balcony was absolutely huge! I was jealous when I looked over!! Now as far as the balcony size of our room and the other room next to us, there was a considerable size difference. I'd read on here that the balcony next to the aft wrap was bigger, but talking to Carnival, they were all the same size. Not true. Our balcony had 2 chairs (one that lounged back) plus one long longe chair. Same on the aft extended next to us. I noticed that on our balcony, the chairs could all be positioned next to each other and not be in front of the balcony door. The room next to us looked more cluttered because the balcony was more narrow. It wasn't a deal breaker if I'd have booked it myself, but I was happy with that little extra room

Now these balconies were very long...you could easily position the long chair so you can lay out facing the water and it fit fine. This was a huge plus. However, we had a chance to visit an aft wrap on a higher deck (deck 9 I think) and to our surprise, the balcony was VERY narrow. It was so narrow that I'd the balcony door was open, you couldn't pass between the door and the balcony, you'd have to close the door, then you could pass through. Now that would have made me mad if I'd booked that room. I'm all for the privacy of a higher aft balcony room but I'd sacrifice it for a wider balcony on a lower deck.

One of my two main concerns was the movement of the ship. I get sea sick and so does my wife. We took our meds every day, and I'm happy to say we did not get sick once. I'm always worried about being sick on a cruise and this was a true surprise to me. I think the rocking helped me sleep in a couple of mornings as well too. A warning about deck 6 though...its above a nightclub so there was thumping from the music. Also, the thrusters vibrate quite a bit when the ship is maneuvering into port. Neither bothered me (although the thrusters woke me up when we docked in Honduras...kinda startled me), but if you are a light sleeper, it might be an issue.

The other main concern was room temperature. When I got in the room, I turned the thermostat to the coolest setting. We brought a small fan and kept it on the whole time on the desk. We also used an old sail and sign card so the lights and AC didn't shut off while we were out of the room, and our room steward never touched the thermostat, the fan or removed the card (thanks, Haru!). I have to say that the room stayed COLD!! A couple nights it was almost too cold for me, and I love sleeping in a cold room. We took the advice from Cruise Critic members and kept our balcony curtain closed most of the time, but even with the curtain left open a couple of times, the room remained comfortable even during the hottest part of the day. I can't speak for other rooms on our deck or other decks, but take my word for it, the room temperature was more than adequate.

That's all I got. If there is anything you'd like to know specifically, feel free to ask. I'll answer to the best of my ability.

Side note: I was confused about whether or not there was a sofa, and I was happy to find there was a sofa in the room!!

Not good Natty. My two fears were a hot room and seasickness in the aft room. Thankfully neither were a problem!

Sailed the Magic last week, had an aft extended balcony on deck 6 and am pleased to report that the temperature was COLD!! First, we brought a fan and left it on constantly. Then I put an old S&S card in the electric slot so the AC didn't shut off. Turned it to the coolest setting immediately, kept the balcony curtain closed most of the time and the room never got close to being warm. Evenings had to be around 65 degrees easily. It was wonderful!

I missed it the last two days they were open but I saw lots of people with it!

Since it's such a hot topic, I wanted to give my thoughts on the new menu and dining room setup. The most important part of dining is the food, and I'd have to say I prefer the old menu hands down. Now the food was good, but I feel like the old me u had more selections and more things I liked. But I definitely did not leave the MDR hungry, ever! The Ox tongue was very good, the lasagna was very good, the ravioli wasn't very good...in short, we enjoyed the food but have definitely had better with the old menus.

As far as the setup, I personally was a fan of no table cloths. The water being right there on the table was an added bonus, and we really missed that on formal nights. The bread baskets were good but there was one bread with cranberries that I loved, but they only had one piece in each basket, and it disappeared after the second night. I just went with a different carb selection lol

Service was above and beyond as always. Our wait staff knew after the first night that I wanted two scoops of vanilla ice cream with dessert. When my wife didn't like the ravioli, he happily took her plate and replaced it with something better. We always got what we ordered, and it was never too long of a process to finish our meal.

The food was never hot, but it was certainly warm enough to us. We aren't hard to please, so all of this is from a couple of Cajuns who live a simple life and appreciate things more than most people. What really put my appreciation over the top was watching how busy the galley was during the Chef's Table. You never really understand how hard these folks work until you see it in action.

can you tell me if what I've heard is true: on first sail night you get a free bottle of wine if you dine in one of the specialty restarants? Thinking Cucina del capitano for the first night in October - thanks for the review - we can't wait!

I know they do a free bottle of wine if you book the first OR second night in the steakhouse. Not sure about Cucina.

We were in 6472, right next to the aft wrap. The smell was definitely in the hallway but never noticed it inside the room. Hope you don't have any issues!!

Sounds like a lovely spot! I was afraid of staying all the way aft but it was wonderful. The view on Honduras from the balcony was worth the price of the cabin! I'm glad another port can experience the Magic but I'm so sad to see her leaving Galveston!!

Thank you guys for the positive feedback and the well wishes. Our honeymoon was everything we wanted and more.

The cruise director Schwartz was ok. He was a bit odd over the speaker but "may the Schwartz be with you" kinda grew on me. I don't usually have much interaction with the CDs so I can't offer too much on him.

More thoughts since we've returned home:

Roatan: Absolutely gorgeous! First time here and I hope to come back. We had some rain but it cleared up around 1pm or so. We did some swimming at the port beach, had a drink, ate and shopped. The wife didn't sleep much the night before so we got back on the ship early and had a nap. The view from our aft balcony was breathtaking. Everything here is very expensive but I'd love to come back here one day. Loved this port stop. (Side note: at this point we are ready to get home. We both miss our daughter terribly!!)

Chef's Table: This was the first time we tried this and we were very impressed! All the positive reviews were spot on! We will definitely do it again and we recommend this to anyone who loves food and wants to explore their culinary tastes. This event was in such high demand, they had to do three sessions. Make sure you book ASAP!

Random thoughts: There were quite a few kids on this trip as our sailing was sold out. Nothing too terrible, but if you get annoyed at kids filling hot tubs and running around the ship, you'd have been annoyed at times on this sailing.

The casino was fun. We don't play too much but did enjoy the casino daily. My wife smokes so we went there most times to smoke. It got really bad at peak times with smokers but otherwise not too bad. We started going outside at about day 5 for her to smoke.

Staff and ship were top notch, as expected. We did notice some minor construction (beautification) going on, but it was minor and took place on port days so it didn't bother us. Mostly replacing tiles.

The hallway where we stayed did smell like sewage all cruise long. I've heard about this but it was the first time I ever noticed it. It wasn't overpowering but it was definitely noticeable.

Entertainment was really good. Same magic show as 2013 but still enjoyed it. The legends show was entertaining as always. The solo guitarist in Red Frog was phenomenal, as was the band playing on stage near the Alchemy bar.

I'll add to this as I think of more, but I'll be happy to answer questions about this amazing ship and cruise

We were told this was a new thing on the Magic. We do Chef's Table on Friday

My wife and I are currently honeymooning on the Magic. I sailed this ship before and fell in love, and this is my wife's first time in her. What we think so far:

Embarkation and FttF: Very friendly and helpful staff at the Galveston port. Never had a problem here. FttF is worth it already for the quick boarding (we were on before 11:30 am) and not having to wait in line at guest services.

Ship: Everything post-dry Dock seems to be open. No signs of last minute renovations. The ship looks beautiful, and we have enjoyed our stay so far! We are staying aft and did notice a sewage smell in the hallway but it's not terrible.

Aft balcony: Here is where my concerns came in. I heard you can feel the motion more in the aft, and there were rough seas on the Magic's trip home on Saturday. I'm happy to say we are having great weather, good sea conditions and no motion sickness. Another worry was the room temperature. I worried for nothing. The room got cold last night, with the AC cranked to the lowest setting and a fan running. Very nice. It's also very nice during the day but we keep the balcony curtain closed. We booked a room on the 6th deck next to an aft wrap (those are HUGE balconies!) and we noticed that our balcony is larger than the next cabin over, so keep that in mind if you are thinking aft balcony. Also, there is indeed a sofa in the room. You can feel the thrusters and hear a light thumping from the music at night but it didn't bother us one bit, we slept like a baby!

Guys Burger Joint: We both had high expectations and this place delivered! Fresh, greasy, full of flavor...as Guy would say, "Out of bounds!"

Guys BBQ: I wasn't sure I wanted to wait in line for this, but we decided to and I'm so glad we did!! I tried all the meats, and they were all delicious! The Mac and Cheese was the best side item, the rest were mediocre at best. Might have to give it another try...just to be sure!!

MDR Dining: We always did late dining, but went with early dining this time. We like this MUCH better! We are done with dinner at a decent time and don't crawl straight into bed after eating. Great service, not the best I've had but exceeds expectations.

Passengers: Our cruise is sold out, but there's plenty of room and nothing feels too crowded. A few kids running about but I don't let that bother me. We've sat with good people for dinner and breakfast.

Grooveline: Ok show, no complaints from us. Good music, good dancing. We don't expect a lot out of the entertainment so we are never really disappointed in it.

Cozumel: Windy but beautiful weather. 7 ships in port so it was crowded but not too bad. We ate at Pancho's Backyard, that is our favorite spot at this stop. Didn't get out much and went back on the ship early to relax.

Belize: Again, FttF paid off! We let the initial crowd die down and were on the tender quickly. First time in Belize and we aren't really impressed. I have to admit that we didn't book an excursion and I'm sure we would have enjoyed it a whole lot more had we done so. People here look like they get mad if you don't buy from them. Oh well, we are at the Wet Lizard having drinks and lunch.

That's all for now! I'd be happy to answer any questions when I check back in! WYWH!!!

I personally prefer the ice cream in the MDR over the machines. I don't know what makes it better to me, but I love it!

Magic is still out of Galveston. We leave on her this Sunday!

Any time! :-)

No tips other than I had a mid ship balcony on the Magic and loved it! We leave Sunday April 3rd on Magic and have an aft extended balcony. I'm just a tad nervous about the motion and getting sick. I'm sure it'll be fine but I hope the location doesn't ruin my honeymoon!

11 days til the Magic!!!

It's awesome! The chef meets you and takes you on a tour of the kitchen with champagne and appetizers and then to the dining room. There are six courses, so pace yourself! The chef reviews each one. There is wine non-stop, white or red, and time between courses to chat with the other folks. It was very nice. The Chef said there'd be a new Chef's Table menu in May when the Vista is launched, but the tomato soup, the Wagyu beef, and the crab stack were standouts.

Thank you so much! I have not read a single bad review of this experience so I'm VERY excited to try this! Love trying new foods!!

Eggs Benedict are my favorite too! Will definitely get the sauce on the side next time

Thanks for taking the time to review! We are doing Chef's Table on the Magic on April 3rd. Our first time doing it...can you do a little review on your experience? Thanks again!!

Perfect, thanks! I would like to know ahead so I can plan on what movie(s) the wife and I will catch! Happy sailing to all!!

Will be on the Magic April 3rd and wondering if anyone knows what movies will be on the big screen. I did a search and nothing turned up. Thanks in advance!