GAPearl's "MAGIC"al Birthday Cruise! Complete Magic picture review-6/14/15 sailing.

[gapearl]

Cherry On Top. You can buy all kinds of candies and snacks in here, as well as roses, bottles of wine and champagne, and a few gifts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[blueangel74]

Yes, please do! Y'all have fun on your Halloween cruise.

 

 

We will. Loving the review. Seeing the pictures of Magic is getting me more excited for the cruise.

[gapearl]

More Cherry On Top pictures. This stuff ain't cheap in here.

 

 

 

 

 

[gapearl]

Sorry for the delay in between posts. I spent 2 hours earlier resizing my pictures for this post, SAVED THEM, but a photobucket glitch has made them all large again and I'm having to resize them all AGAIN so they're not so big on here. :mad::mad::mad: Bear with me.

[gapearl]

Even more from Cherry On Top. So many goodies in there!

 

 

 

 

 

I bought a bag of sour funnel candy for $8. It lasted me the rest of the week.

 

[gapearl]

After wandering around the ship and playing photographer for a while I went back to my room and ordered a grilled cheese sandwich from room service and took a quick nap. I set my alarm for 6:30 pm to start getting dressed for dinner and told JJ to be ready at 8 pm.

 

These goodies were in my room as part of my platinum gift.

 

 

This year's platinum gift is a chess set.

 

 

 

Looks like we've made it around the worst of the storm.

 

 

JJ was looking at the Fun Times and asked if George Lopez was on the boat already because she was wondering where they were hiding him. LOL LOL LOL I had to explain to her that he's the spokesperson for the comedy club and they use his name and face for advertising, but sorry he's not here. She was a little disappointed. LOL CJ didn't feel like coming to the MDR again and continued to rest. JJ and my mom were ready on time, but the main one demanding be ready on time (me) wasn't ready until 8:15.

 

I'm on my second bottle of wine tonight. This was a really good choice.

 

 

Another new dress on me.

 

 

[gapearl]

There was a short line for dinner and we were given a pager. It only took about 10 minutes to get seated and we were at a large table in Arnel's section once again. We had some nice dining companions to chat with, including a grandmother and her teenager granddaughter and a dating couple my age. Tonight was our first elegant night. About 98% of passengers were dressed up and looked very nice. However there was that 2% that weren't dressed appropriately and the hostesses didn't seem to care. There were quite a few people in jeans and I saw a couple of families in shorts and flip flops. While waiting for our table, one lady said her teenage son was turned away at the hostess stand on deck 4 and she seemed upset they weren't enforcing the rule on deck 3 as well. I could care less what anyone wears to dinner on what night. I'm just saying this to say there's a lot of inconsistency and they don't seem to follow their policies sometimes. One hostess is enforcing the rule, the other is not. Oh well. *shrugs shoulders*

 

Tonight's dinner menu.

 

 

My favorite appetizer #1- the vegetable spring rolls.

 

 

My favorite appetizer #2- the strawberry bisque.

 

 

JJ's alligator fritters.

 

 

My mom ordered the fruit cocktail again for her appetizer tonight, as well as every other night.

 

For my entree, I had the grilled chicken breast off the every day menu with a side of vegetables and mashed potatoes.

 

 

My mom's ribs.

 

Edited June 26, 2015 by gapearl

[gapearl]

JJ's lobster.

 

 

Tonght's dessert menu.

 

 

JJ's apple puff pastry.

 

 

My mom's orange sherbert.

 

 

Mine!

 

 

Our waiters sang That's Amore for us.

 

[gapearl]

After dinner, I went back to the cabin to refresh my wine and found a strange man lying in my bed. haha

 

 

Best towel ani...err...creature ever.

 

 

I went to the 10:15 pm show of The Grooveline in the Showtime Theater. It was a good show and featured music from the 60's and 70's. Normally I don't make it through a full Carnival production show, but this one kept my attention the whole show and at no point was I wanting to leave early. The lead female vocalist had an incredible voice.

 

 

 

 

After that I headed to The Spotlight Lounge for the comedy show at 11:30 pm. I made it there about 20 minutes early and got a good seat up front. Tonight's comedian was John Wessling and he was really funny. I also enjoyed The Punchliner comedy host Eric all week. He celebrated his birthday this week as well. Eric gave out a free drink at the beginning of each show. Keep reading the review to see if I managed to get one.

 

 

Before the show began I noticed there was a family in front of me that had their teenage son with them, and a member of the entertainment staff came over and asked how old he was. The dad and the staff member talked for a minute and eventually he said the boy could stay. Again, no consistency with their policies. I know teenagers these days see much worse on tv and the Internet than what is said at these shows. But why bring kids into what is labeled as an adult environment? Why can't us grown ups have an hour to enjoy ourselves on the ship with no kids around? If you make an exception for one, then you make an exception for all and it becomes a habit. Next thing you know you have kids in Serenity, the casino, the nightclub, etc. I'm not a parent and don't pretend to know how to be one, but it seems the attitude that the rules don't apply to me is what's leading so many young people to have such a sense of entitlement these days. Ok, I'm done with that.

[gapearl]

After the comedy show, I headed to the Vibe Nightclub for some socializing and dancing. It was packed again tonight.

 

 

A few minutes after I arrived the DJ played the Shots song and the drink servers came around with trays of these.

 

 

A girl who I had talked to in the gym earlier was standing next to me with her husband and a couple of friends ordering a round, so I told her I wanted to join them. I offered one to this cute, quiet guy standing on the other side of me. At first he said no, but then he changed his mind. Yo, a girl is offering to buy you a drink, you don't say no to that! My little group had a nice cheers with our flashing shot glasses.

 

The Vibe drink menu.

 

 

Later I ordered the patron ablaze.

 

 

Me with comedian John Wessling. Hey man, my eyes are up here!

 

 

I swear he wasn't being a typical man, but was telling my how nice my dress looked. Whoever had my camera just snapped that picture at exactly the right time. LOL

 

[gapearl]

The club started to empty out around 2:30 am. The DJ was great and played a balanced mix of popular R & B, hip hop, top 40, and Latin music. Me and this girl didn't care we were the only ones on the dance floor when practically everyone left. Turn down for what!

 

 

 

 

Before bed, I headed up to the lido for a slice of pizza and turned in at 3 am. By now Bill was in the past like a bad ex-boyfriend and we've got smooth sailing ahead. I'm ready for a sunny sea day tomorrow!

 

Edited June 26, 2015 by gapearl

[no1volman]

After the comedy show, I headed to the Vibe Nightclub for some socializing and dancing. It was packed again tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few minutes after I arrived the DJ played the Shots song and the drink servers came around with trays of these.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A girl who I had talked to in the gym earlier was standing next to me with her husband and a couple of friends ordering a round, so I told her I wanted to join them. I offered one to this cute, quiet guy standing on the other side of me. At first he said no, but then he changed his mind. Yo, a girl is offering to buy you a drink, you don't say no to that! My little group had a nice cheers with our flashing shot glasses.

 

 

 

The Vibe drink menu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later I ordered the patron ablaze.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me with comedian John Wessling. Hey man, my eyes are up here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I swear he wasn't being a typical man, but was telling my how nice my dress looked. Whoever had my camera just snapped that picture at exactly the right time. LOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

We just got off the Fascination this morning and John was one of our comedians for the week. He's hilarious in the adult shows. We took our 13 year old daughter to one of his PG rated shows and he wasn't as funny. You could tell he struggled to keep it clean.

[anewmac]

LOVE the dress.. and Im laughing at the comedian, he was on our Breeze cruise also.

 

and I think you win Towel animal of the year! That is an awesome one!

[gapearl]

congrats Vicki! You made the review.

 

Next stop: Hollywood! :cool:

 

I was on the Imagination during Isaac & that's immediately what I thought of while reading this! Oh my was that an eventful trip :eek: Things flying off our desk. Folks sick in public areas of the ship. In 5 cruises that's the only time I've experienced even a bit of sea sickness. I actually did a ship to shore call to my mom one night asking her to send a helicopter to rescue me! Ha! Stuck at sea with a closed POM. 2 missed flights home. I still think it was my best, most adventure-filled cruise to date!

 

Loving this review Kim!!! Thanks for writing it!

 

Wow that sounds like quite an adventure! I've cruised many times during peak hurricane season (Sept & Oct) and never had an issue, and now I encounter one at the very beginning of hurricane season this year. We still got lucky we didn't miss any ports. I can't imagine being stuck out at sea for 2 extra days. :eek:

[gapearl]

And know I'm going to enjoy! Thank you for the time and effort -- and a

BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! silver

 

I'm glad you're enjoying the review. Thanks for the birthday well wishes!

 

Oh gosh Kim, I just busted out laughing about your mom being scared and calling on Jesus, because on our very first cruise we went thru hurricane rina and I called on Jesus for two days lol. My hubby said to tell you that That's what they make ambien for.lol. Also we will be flying from Memphis( my home town) to Atl then to mia for the vista cruise ( whoop whoop, I get to sail with Kim!!!!)

 

My mom was like Please Jesus, let the waters be STILLLLL like a river.

 

I thought we were about to go into praise and worship. LOL I'm scared of ambien. I've heard too many horror stories and don't want to end up sleep driving through the Taco Bell drive thru at 2 am. That's cool you're also from Memphis! I'll bring the selfie stick on Vista so we can take one together! :p

[gapearl]

Hi all!

 

gapearl ~ really enjoying your review!:D You sure got some good selfies, makes me wish I had taken mine out of the box on my recent trip. You can get so much more background in the picture & it doesn't look like whatever's coming out of your head!;)

 

~ Jo ~ :)

 

Hi Jo! Yes take out that selfie stick and have some fun with it!. You do get much better shots. I took terrible selfies until I bought it.

 

Kim!! Just jumping in to say I am loving your review!!!

 

Awwww thank you so much!

[gapearl]

Loving your review. I love the Magic, been on her twice and planning a third trip. Your face during the Tropical Storm Bill video was priceless. And I'll admit, I laughed out loud of your description of your mom praying to Jesus during the storm. Not laughing AT her... Laughing WITH her :) I bet your personality and demeanor would calm and entertain even the most nervous and stoic of flight passengers.

 

I have a question, would you happen to know if they shut the storm doors on the cove balconies during all that rocking and rolling during the storm?

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review!

 

It's ok, I was laughing on the inside at my mom a little myself. lol No if anything I like to mess with the passengers. Passenger- Hi, it's my first flight! Me- Oh cool, it's the captain's first flight too, you're not the only one! That really gets them! :p I'm not sure about the cove balconies. Maybe someone else will be able to jump in and answer that for you. Stick around girl, I still have a lot more to cover.

 

Happy Belated Birthday!!! You are so adorable. I LOVE your video/movie!!!! Eagerly awaiting the review...

 

Thank you so much! A lot more is coming, I'm just getting started. :D

[gapearl]

Right now it's just my mom and me. I doubt everyone else will come being its over Thanksgiving. I hope they get better DJ's on ALL ships. I'm excited to see what the club on MSC is like. A friend of mine is going to start working in management on Royal Caribbean this week, so who knows if I'll venture over there too!

 

You gotta let me know how you like MSC. I haven't heard the best reviews about them. When is that cruise? I'm looking forward to trying Royal again. I really had fun when I was on the Navigator. We've gotta end up on a ship together again! :)

 

This is such an adorable review! I loved the part about your mom quoting scripture and calling on Jesus. So adorable! Yes, it is very hard to work out when the ship is rockin' and rollin'! But the pictures you got that day are GREAT!

 

I'm looking forward to my cruise with great anticipation!

 

Thanks for reading and for all the nice words! I'm glad I'm keeping y'all so entertained.

[gapearl]

OMG Awesome review I am so enjoying it!!!! Love how adventurous you are. Live life to the fullest i say!

 

Yes, you have to! Thanks for following along!

 

Loving your review, she is a beautiful ship and sailing on her in 10 days!

 

Woo-hoo! Have a great cruise!

[gapearl]

Love your reviews! I hope to run across you on a ship someday. If so, I hope to be included in a selfie stick picture!

 

Maybe we will someday. You will absolutely get a selfie stick picture! :D

 

Our first cruise sailed out of Mobile, AL when Tropical Storm Faye was coming ashore. That night, I was so sick. So sick that DH called the infirmary about midnight to see what could be done. I was already thinking, "This is going to my first and my last."

 

The next morning hubby was up before me. When I got up and he came back to the room, he told me to get ready and come up on the Lido deck. "You can't even tell we're moving," he said. I trusted him (we were celebrating our 20th anniversary so I figured he could be trusted ;)) and could not believe the difference!

 

We've now been on five cruises with two more booked. I've had a few other days that I didn't feel the best while cruising but not enough to make me give it up!

 

BTW, I'm loving your review!

 

That's a great story. This cruise had a lot of first timers and I'm hoping that everyone saying never again on day 1 had a change of heart like you by day 7. There have been times I've felt a little swaying but nothing ever this bad. Thanks so much for reading!

 

PS- I cruised out of Mobile also once upon a time.

[jt1436]

really enjoying your review we are on the magic in October our last cruise with carnival was 7 years ago I have a question if you don't mind you say 98% were dressed for elegant night were many of the men in tuxes my husband doesn't want to look out of place if most men don't wear tuxes he would be happy in trousers and shirt with no tie bit im not sure about this either looking foreward to rest of your review.we will be in Memphis for a few days before the cruise thanks in advance joan

[Teemoi]

Hey Kim,

I so agree with you! It wouldn't kill them to not be able attend the adult only events and areas! It shows a lack of instilling discipline on the parent's part!

I'm totally enjoying your review by the way!!! :D

[Darkingnj]

Hi Kim,

 

Happy Belated Birthday! Always enjoy reading your reviews...Thanks!

[INCHARGE]

Have you ever wondered what it's like to sail through a tropical storm?

 

[YOUTUBE]N8Wjzm0DF-A[/YOUTUBE]

 

Boy oh boy, the ship was a rocking, and I'm telling you, it was not because of the honeymooners. It was bad. Really bad. Terribly bad. Unbelievably bad. It was as bad as Vanilla Ice's rapping and Kim Zolciak's singing. Yeah, THAT bad. I swear at any minute I thought we were going to end up like Poseidon upside down.

 

 

It was crazy windy out there.

 

 

Hey Kim! This review is "off the chain!" I am cracking up at your comparisons! I loved the one about loving something more than " Kanye loves Kanye."

 

Ok....you know I love the outfits you wear, and all I can say is that you are on your game as usual. I was laughing to myself thinking, "Leave it to Kim to be dressed so cute in a cute sundress, with a cute bag, even through tropical storm Bill!" If you had to ever be rescued at sea, you would surely be looking good for it, ok??? Lol.

 

I am waiting to see this beautiful dress that you wore for your birthday! Since I have a preview email description of what you brought for that special night, I want to see how you hooked it up.

 

When you first told me about the selfie stick, I brought one for my trip I just took to New York. It was great for scanning the crowds in Times Square and at the top on the the One World building. I was able to scan the city more evenly up there when holding the phone on that stick. Thanks for the introduction to this stick.

 

Waiting for your next installment. :)

 

My daughter and I enjoyed meeting you in Atlanta. I will let you know when I come back to the area in August to see if you are in town again. Take care, my 2nd daughter.

Momma G.

[skittl1321]

really enjoying your review we are on the magic in October our last cruise with carnival was 7 years ago I have a question if you don't mind you say 98% were dressed for elegant night were many of the men in tuxes my husband doesn't want to look out of place if most men don't wear tuxes he would be happy in trousers and shirt with no tie bit im not sure about this either looking foreward to rest of your review.we will be in Memphis for a few days before the cruise thanks in advance joan

 

I'm sure some people wear them, but I have never seen a tux on a Carnival ship, and my cruise from Texas was a lot more casual than my other two even. Some men will wear suits, some sport coats, some shirt/tie, some just a polo shirt. You husband will be just fine in trousers and a shirt with no tie, but if you want, convince him to wear a tie :)

 

If men had to wear tuxes, women need to be dressing in much fancier apparel too. I'm glad we can wear a nice cocktail dress and not a gown!