Back from Carnival Magic July 9th, Never Again!

[CalifGirl67]

We normally cruise on Royal but decided to try Carnival, needless to say we will NEVER go on Carnival again!

 

To start the cruise off our shuttle couldn't enter the port other then driving around in circles because there was a security beach which was said to be a Bomb threat at first and even the bomb squad came out. After we could finally get into the terminal everyone was told to wait outside then we were guided up to another area were we had to wait for a couple hours until they secured the area, after this ordeal we were then told it wasn't a bomb but a can of something that was spraying in a suit case. Better safe then sorry. Once this was over then we could go inside and get ready to board the ship. In my opinion Port Canaveral is the best port there is.

So once on board we went to our cabin and put our other bag in and headed to eat at the buffet as we waited to leave the port.

 

1st issue Staff and lack of knowing anything when asked and lack of friendliness. This ship had the worst staff I have ever encountered on a cruise. They never smiled,spoke or new anything if you asked them a question. Some were even rude. The only staff member we encountered that was very friendly was our room guy, he was awesome all the time. Spoke to us by name and had a friendly attitude.

 

2nd issue Pools, For a ship that hold 4,500 people and only have 2 swimming pools is ridiculous and what makes it worse is that only 1 pool was ever open at a time. I was only able to enjoy the pool 1 day when in a port because it was not crowded.

 

3rd Issue FOOD, the food at breakfast was the best and made to order omelettes were awesome, best meal of the day everyday. Guy's Burger Joint,Blue Iguana & BBQ place also had great food as well as the 24 hr pizza. We ate all these places several times and they were really good.We also ate at the steak house on wed night for our 20th anniv and it was very good. Now for the buffet, the food was lousy in my opinion with the exception of the desserts and the sandwich bar that had pastrami and corned beef, in fact that is what I hate most the time after trying the other food 1st. I also enjoyed the ice cream machine daily. The buffet was not opened long enough if you wanted it and then only one side would be open at times and you would have to walk a long distance just to get food if you wanted it. Terrible buffet all around except breakfast.

 

4th issue, I believe Carnival Magic has bed bugs because every night when we went to bed and got under the sheets I was always really itchy like something was crawling on me but I couldn't see anything when we looked. On the last night I actually got bit by something and ended up sleeping on top of the covers so the ship is not very clean.

We stayed on the 11th deck in a spa room and had access to the spa which was great, very relaxing and enjoyable. We stayed in 11242 and it was quite noisy at times, kids running up and down the hallway,noise from deck above etc. We were still able to sleep, just a lot of noise.Room was nothing fancy, pretty plain and basic.

 

Entertainment was just ok, nothing special. We did enjoy a few dive in movies and Dr. E was great. The comedy shows were also very funny and we enjoyed them as well. Party's on deck were also ok, I overheard several elderly folks complaining about the type and sound of the music and about it being way to loud. The entertainment staff were friendly.

 

Sadly there was a medical emergency with a passenger suffering a heart attack and dying(At least thats what we were told by several crew members) which caused the itenerary to be changed and the Honduras port being skipped and went to key west fl instead. The ship was diverted near miami to get the ill patient medical care. My prayers are with the family.

 

So we went to Key West Fl, Belize, Cozumel & Costa Maya, We had already been to Cozumel but still enjoyed it as well as the other ports. Really liked Key West and would like to go back there. The ports were the best part of the cruise, other then that the cruise was pretty boring. No adult area other then if you want to nap in a hammock or chair and use a jacuzzi, that is Magic's "adult" area.

 

And to top it all off, my hubby got sick on thursday afternoon and was up all night puking his gut out, not sure if it was from the food or what caused this. I know he wasn't sea sick so the food may of been the issue. Not sure because i was fine the entire time.

 

After being on 3 Royal ships, there is NO comparison with Carnival. I would never go on another carnival ship nor would I ever recommend one to anyone I know. You really do get what you pay for and Royal is in a class all its own. My brother is a Carnival cruiser and he bragged to me about how good they are but now I know for myself, not worth bragging about.Anyway, this is my small review, Happy cruising!

Edited July 17, 2016 by CalifGirl67
Typo

[evandbob]

Thanks for your comments and review. Enjoy Royal! Try Celebrity and Disney too!

[Scurvy Seadog]

Well...bye! :cool:

[ryano]

Well...bye! :cool:

 

This ^

 

I stopped reading when you slammed the crew. Not my experience at all.

Edited July 17, 2016 by ryano

[stobe1]

Adios!

[jimbo5544]

We normally cruise on Royal but decided to try Carnival, needless to say we will NEVER go on Carnival again!

 

 

 

To start the cruise off our shuttle couldn't enter the port other then driving around in circles because there was a security beach which was said to be a Bomb threat at first and even the bomb squad came out. After we could finally get into the terminal everyone was told to wait outside then we were guided up to another area were we had to wait for a couple hours until they secured the area, after this ordeal we were then told it wasn't a bomb but a can of something that was spraying in a suit case. Better safe then sorry. Once this was over then we could go inside and get ready to board the ship. In my opinion Port Canaveral is the best port there is.

 

So once on board we went to our cabin and put our other bag in and headed to eat at the buffet as we waited to leave the port.

 

 

 

1st issue Staff and lack of knowing anything when asked and lack of friendliness. This ship had the worst staff I have ever encountered on a cruise. They never smiled,spoke or new anything if you asked them a question. Some were even rude. The only staff member we encountered that was very friendly was our room guy, he was awesome all the time. Spoke to us by name and had a friendly attitude.

 

 

 

2nd issue Pools, For a ship that hold 4,500 people and only have 2 swimming pools is ridiculous and what makes it worse is that only 1 pool was ever open at a time. I was only able to enjoy the pool 1 day when in a port because it was not crowded.

 

 

 

3rd Issue FOOD, the food at breakfast was the best and made to order omelettes were awesome, best meal of the day everyday. Guy's Burger Joint,Blue Iguana & BBQ place also had great food as well as the 24 hr pizza. We ate all these places several times and they were really good.We also ate at the steak house on wed night for our 20th anniv and it was very good. Now for the buffet, the food was lousy in my opinion with the exception of the desserts and the sandwich bar that had pastrami and corned beef, in fact that is what I hate most the time after trying the other food 1st. I also enjoyed the ice cream machine daily. The buffet was not opened long enough if you wanted it and then only one side would be open at times and you would have to walk a long distance just to get food if you wanted it. Terrible buffet all around except breakfast.

 

 

 

4th issue, I believe Carnival Magic has bed bugs because every night when we went to bed and got under the sheets I was always really itchy like something was crawling on me but I couldn't see anything when we looked. On the last night I actually got bit by something and ended up sleeping on top of the covers so the ship is not very clean.

 

We stayed on the 11th deck in a spa room and had access to the spa which was great, very relaxing and enjoyable. We stayed in 11242 and it was quite noisy at times, kids running up and down the hallway,noise from deck above etc. We were still able to sleep, just a lot of noise.Room was nothing fancy, pretty plain and basic.

 

 

 

Entertainment was just ok, nothing special. We did enjoy a few dive in movies and Dr. E was great. The comedy shows were also very funny and we enjoyed them as well. Party's on deck were also ok, I overheard several elderly folks complaining about the type and sound of the music and about it being way to loud. The entertainment staff were friendly.

 

 

 

Sadly there was a medical emergency with a passenger suffering a heart attack and dying(At least thats what we were told by several crew members) which caused the itenerary to be changed and the Honduras port being skipped and went to key west fl instead. The ship was diverted near miami to get the ill patient medical care. My prayers are with the family.

 

 

 

So we went to Key West Fl, Belize, Cozumel & Costa Maya, We had already been to Cozumel but still enjoyed it as well as the other ports. Really liked Key West and would like to go back there. The ports were the best part of the cruise, other then that the cruise was pretty boring. No adult area other then if you want to nap in a hammock or chair and use a jacuzzi, that is Magic's "adult" area.

 

 

 

After being on 3 Royal ships, there is NO comparison with Carnival. I would never go on another carnival ship nor would i ever recommend one to anyone I know, You really do get what you pay for and royal is in a class all its on. My brother is a Carnival cruiser and he bragged to me about how good they are but now I know for myself, not worth bragging about.Anyway, this is my small review, Happy cruising!

 

 

Wow, I am so confused.....shuttles drive around in circles for hours and you call it the best part ever. I have never, never in 33 Carnival cruises had a rude and unfriendly staff, amazing you did. Then we move on to pools. Again in 33 cruises, never seen only one pool open at a time...but you did.

 

Food, again I am confused. You loved the buffet breakfast, Guys and Blue Iguana place, BBQ and pizza and then except from dessert and the deli it was lousy and then say "in fact that is what I hate most the time after I try the other food first". Triple huh????

 

The buffet was not open long enough??? How long is it open on Royal ships..../. asking to the other side is a pretty big inconvenience...the nerve.... WHat was it you were looking for in Serenity? Did they remove the lounge chairs since I was last on? Enjoy double sided buffets on Royal... Happy cruising.

[cruizinisthebest]

Didn't know Magic went to Key West.

 

Well anyway, can't wait to board the Magic next month. Enjoy Royal. Adios.

[ryano]

Wow, I am so confused.....shuttles drive around in circles for hours and you call it the best part ever. I have never, never in 33 Carnival cruises had a rude and unfriendly staff, amazing you did. Then we move on to pools. Again in 33 cruises, never seen only one pool open at a time...but you did.

 

Food, again I am confused. You loved the buffet breakfast, Guys and Blue Iguana place, BBQ and pizza and then except from dessert and the deli it was lousy and then say "in fact that is what I hate most the time after I try the other food first". Triple huh????

 

The buffet was not open long enough??? How long is it open on Royal ships..../. asking to the other side is a pretty big inconvenience...the nerve.... WHat was it you were looking for in Serenity? Did they remove the lounge chairs since I was last on? Enjoy double sided buffets on Royal... Happy cruising.

 

I have never encountered a more friendlier crew than on Magic which is why I stopped reading this "review". Besides "never again" threads make me shake my head. They are almost always made by people who likely went on the cruise looking to have a miserable time.

 

Carnival Magic rocks

[NHNEV2003]

Bye.....

[CalifGirl67]

Sorry I confused you Jimbo, I guess my wording was not that good. WHat I meant to say was. I enjoyed the breakfast buffet and the made to order omelettes as well as the small eateries such as Guy's Burgers etc. I also said the deli and dessert bar food was good and what I ate of the buffet, the rest was lousy. Please read!

You also didn't read correct info, it says "Best Port" not "Best Part".

And to answer your question, on Royal the buffets are all open at the same time not half open part of the time! And on Royal the serenity deck has its own bar,pools,jacuzzi and an area all its own. On magic its just a couple jacuzzi's and chairs/hammocks. A joke in my opinion.

If you like Carnival, thats ok.... I don't!

Edited July 18, 2016 by CalifGirl67

[pcvtmom]

I think you already had your mind made up before you got on the ship. Carnival is definitely not for you! Twenty-three Carnival cruises for me and I've NEVER seen unfriendly staff. I think the part about bed bugs is also ridiculous. Cleanliness is the only thing I've ever experienced on Carnival ships.

Edited July 18, 2016 by pcvtmom

[astrofan4ever]

On a 7 day cruise and no one on staff was ever friendly to you? I think at some point you need to look in the mirror and ask why.

 

and the bugs in your bed, that you allowed bite you night after night... really?

[Sixtytwo]

Well, I can join the party and say that we have never had a bad experience with staff on Carnival! Carnival is not an upscale cruise line so I don't expect 5-star food. I think for what I pay for it, the food is great and I do have options if I don't find one is particularly good. Sorry the OP had such a terrible time on his/her first Carnival cruise.

 

Now, I can only imagine, based on comments in the OP's lengthy post, how the crew she complains about were treated BEFORE she determined them to be so "unfriendly"! I can only imagine...

[jimbo5544]

Sorry I confused you Jimbo, I guess my wording was not that good. WHat I meant to say was. I enjoyed the breakfast buffet and the made to order omelettes as well as the small eateries such as Guy's Burgers etc. I also said the deli and dessert bar food was good and what I ate of the buffet, the rest was lousy. Please read!

You also didn't read correct info, it says "Best Port" not "Best Part".

And to answer your question, on Royal the buffets are all open at the same time not half open part of the time! And on Royal the serenity deck has its own bar,pools,jacuzzi and an area all its own. On magic its just a couple jacuzzi's and chairs/hammocks. A joke in my opinion.

If you like Carnival, thats ok.... I don't!

 

I was not able to pick up that you did not like Carnival, wait a minute let's see: bed bugs, not clean, food poisoning, it's a joke, rude staff, the rest was lousy. Think I got it (did I miss any???). BTW, there is a bar in Serenity,but it was probably, lousy, dirty had bugs, gave you food poisoning, manned by rude staff, had noisy kids nearby and is nothing special. Might want to check out the rest of the comments on your assessment also..... As I said, Happy Cruising!!!;)

[cruisinpips]

Sorry I confused you Jimbo, I guess my wording was not that good. WHat I meant to say was. I enjoyed the breakfast buffet and the made to order omelettes as well as the small eateries such as Guy's Burgers etc. I also said the deli and dessert bar food was good and what I ate of the buffet, the rest was lousy. Please read!

You also didn't read correct info, it says "Best Port" not "Best Part".

And to answer your question, on Royal the buffets are all open at the same time not half open part of the time! And on Royal the serenity deck has its own bar,pools,jacuzzi and an area all its own. On magic its just a couple jacuzzi's and chairs/hammocks. A joke in my opinion.

If you like Carnival, thats ok.... I don't!

 

WRONG about buffets on RCI, I have cruised RCI many times, and on LOS, FOS, Allure, all have had at least one half of buffet closed at different imes, and they direct you to the side thats open. How do you expect them to change between meals, clean, restock, etc...????

We have cruised Magic 3 times, and never found anything but wonderful staff. We like Carnival and RCI, and enjoy both, and look forward to many more on each line. :D:D

[riclop]

We normally cruise on Royal but decided to try Carnival, needless to say we will NEVER go on Carnival again!

 

To start the cruise off our shuttle couldn't enter the port other then driving around in circles because there was a security beach which was said to be a Bomb threat at first and even the bomb squad came out. After we could finally get into the terminal everyone was told to wait outside then we were guided up to another area were we had to wait for a couple hours until they secured the area, after this ordeal we were then told it wasn't a bomb but a can of something that was spraying in a suit case. Better safe then sorry. Once this was over then we could go inside and get ready to board the ship. In my opinion Port Canaveral is the best port there is.

So once on board we went to our cabin and put our other bag in and headed to eat at the buffet as we waited to leave the port.

 

1st issue Staff and lack of knowing anything when asked and lack of friendliness. This ship had the worst staff I have ever encountered on a cruise. They never smiled,spoke or new anything if you asked them a question. Some were even rude. The only staff member we encountered that was very friendly was our room guy, he was awesome all the time. Spoke to us by name and had a friendly attitude.

 

2nd issue Pools, For a ship that hold 4,500 people and only have 2 swimming pools is ridiculous and what makes it worse is that only 1 pool was ever open at a time. I was only able to enjoy the pool 1 day when in a port because it was not crowded.

 

3rd Issue FOOD, the food at breakfast was the best and made to order omelettes were awesome, best meal of the day everyday. Guy's Burger Joint,Blue Iguana & BBQ place also had great food as well as the 24 hr pizza. We ate all these places several times and they were really good.We also ate at the steak house on wed night for our 20th anniv and it was very good. Now for the buffet, the food was lousy in my opinion with the exception of the desserts and the sandwich bar that had pastrami and corned beef, in fact that is what I hate most the time after trying the other food 1st. I also enjoyed the ice cream machine daily. The buffet was not opened long enough if you wanted it and then only one side would be open at times and you would have to walk a long distance just to get food if you wanted it. Terrible buffet all around except breakfast.

 

4th issue, I believe Carnival Magic has bed bugs because every night when we went to bed and got under the sheets I was always really itchy like something was crawling on me but I couldn't see anything when we looked. On the last night I actually got bit by something and ended up sleeping on top of the covers so the ship is not very clean.

We stayed on the 11th deck in a spa room and had access to the spa which was great, very relaxing and enjoyable. We stayed in 11242 and it was quite noisy at times, kids running up and down the hallway,noise from deck above etc. We were still able to sleep, just a lot of noise.Room was nothing fancy, pretty plain and basic.

 

Entertainment was just ok, nothing special. We did enjoy a few dive in movies and Dr. E was great. The comedy shows were also very funny and we enjoyed them as well. Party's on deck were also ok, I overheard several elderly folks complaining about the type and sound of the music and about it being way to loud. The entertainment staff were friendly.

 

Sadly there was a medical emergency with a passenger suffering a heart attack and dying(At least thats what we were told by several crew members) which caused the itenerary to be changed and the Honduras port being skipped and went to key west fl instead. The ship was diverted near miami to get the ill patient medical care. My prayers are with the family.

 

So we went to Key West Fl, Belize, Cozumel & Costa Maya, We had already been to Cozumel but still enjoyed it as well as the other ports. Really liked Key West and would like to go back there. The ports were the best part of the cruise, other then that the cruise was pretty boring. No adult area other then if you want to nap in a hammock or chair and use a jacuzzi, that is Magic's "adult" area.

 

And to top it all off, my hubby got sick on thursday afternoon and was up all night puking his gut out, not sure if it was from the food or what caused this. I know he wasn't sea sick so the food may of been the issue. Not sure because i was fine the entire time.

 

After being on 3 Royal ships, there is NO comparison with Carnival. I would never go on another carnival ship nor would I ever recommend one to anyone I know. You really do get what you pay for and Royal is in a class all its own. My brother is a Carnival cruiser and he bragged to me about how good they are but now I know for myself, not worth bragging about.Anyway, this is my small review, Happy cruising!

 

See you later.

[jimbo5544]

WRONG about buffets on RCI, I have cruised RCI many times, and on LOS, FOS, Allure, all have had at least one half of buffet closed at different imes, and they direct you to the side thats open. How do you expect them to change between meals, clean, restock, etc...????

We have cruised Magic 3 times, and never found anything but wonderful staff. We like Carnival and RCI, and enjoy both, and look forward to many more on each line. :D:D

 

Snagged! Thanks for the correction

[hknowles35]

Knew from the first line "Normally cruise on Royal" what this post was gonna be about. Sounds like they were looking for issues. Love Carnival, NEVER had a bad experience!! Two words - Bye Felicia!!

[PNGfan]

My cruise on Magic a few years ago was miserable!! I ended up with a nasty nasty cold. However my room steward arranged for me to get food sent from the main dining room because they didn't want me to get other passengers ill. Once we got to Coaumel I saw a doc got a shot and felt better the last 3 days of the cruise. The staff went above and beyond to make me comfortable. Nope I can't say anything negative about the Magic... I need to plan another trip on her soon.

[richfret]

You have the right to express your opinion and you did so. I may not agree (which I don't) but that's what makes Cruise Critic what it is, a place to exchange viewpoints. I was on the Magic on a May 7 cruise and had a very good cruise. The crew that I dealt was very friendly and helpful. That may not have been the case with those who served you.

 

In any event, thank for your comments. Will review future replies to see if others agree with you.

[elliair]

To the OP:

 

I get your complaints and they are legit. You are the one who experienced what you did. I didn't care for our Legend cruise to Alaska. Love the scenery and we will be back next year on a cruise to Alaska - just not on Carnival. We experienced the same thing you did with the food situation. We also ate brunch in the MDR (without a screaming bloody murder kid who frequented the MDR). They sat us at a table on the aft end of the ship which the table shook the whole time and roared. We ordered the steak and eggs and the steak so so tough even the knife couldn't cut it. Being platinum we have priority debarkation, but we along with Diamond and FTTF were held back from debarking first. The ones who had Carnival excursions were let off first in Juneau. The CD lied through her teeth with us. So, I hear your complaint and I don't blame you. We're sticking with Princess.

[jimbo5544]

To the OP:

 

I get your complaints and they are legit. You are the one who experienced what you did. I didn't care for our Legend cruise to Alaska. Love the scenery and we will be back next year on a cruise to Alaska - just not on Carnival. We experienced the same thing you did with the food situation. We also ate brunch in the MDR (without a screaming bloody murder kid who frequented the MDR). They sat us at a table on the aft end of the ship which the table shook the whole time and roared. We ordered the steak and eggs and the steak so so tough even the knife couldn't cut it. Being platinum we have priority debarkation, but we along with Diamond and FTTF were held back from debarking first. The ones who had Carnival excursions were let off first in Juneau. The CD lied through her teeth with us. So, I hear your complaint and I don't blame you. We're sticking with Princess.

There must be a full moon tonight....:confused: Other than the fact you both had issues (if that's it, I stand down), I see nothing in common with the two posts...

[CalifGirl67]

Thank you elliair! Wow, the comments on my post are so rude! SO I guess because I didn't like my carnival cruise I am lying about my experience? How rude of you folks that "Love" carnival to act this way because my experience was terrible! We each have our own opinions about a cruise and your rude comments just shows the type of person(s) you are.

I said our room steward was the nicest but the other crew were not very friendly as I stated. Yes I do believe they had bed bugs in my room because I itched every night and then ended up with a bite that wasn't there before going to bed. In my opinion the food sucked with the exception of those places I did eat that was decent food.

Again, too each there own but I will stick with Royal!

[LSUcajunmom]

OP's post reads as a complete contradiction of every point made. Sorry, but heading out on my 16th cruise, 14th on Carnival, 1 on Royal. Enough said!

Edited July 18, 2016 by LSUcajunmom

[BeachChik]

Sorry I confused you Jimbo, I guess my wording was not that good. WHat I meant to say was. I enjoyed the breakfast buffet and the made to order omelettes as well as the small eateries such as Guy's Burgers etc. I also said the deli and dessert bar food was good and what I ate of the buffet, the rest was lousy. Please read!

You also didn't read correct info, it says "Best Port" not "Best Part".

And to answer your question, on Royal the buffets are all open at the same time not half open part of the time! And on Royal the serenity deck has its own bar,pools,jacuzzi and an area all its own. On magic its just a couple jacuzzi's and chairs/hammocks. A joke in my opinion.

If you like Carnival, thats ok.... I don't!

 

Some things are subjective like food or how the staff is. But to complain about the adults area, something you should have researched in advance if it was important to you, to me shows you just want to complain.

 

And if you did have bed bugs you should have spoke up. But they are not caused by the ship not being clean. As with hotel rooms, they are typically brought in by other guests.

 

I've sailed both lines and imo there are pluses and negatives to each.

Edited July 18, 2016 by BeachChik