Back from Carnival Magic July 9th, Never Again!

[MelissaMcC]

You are contradicting yourself because that is what you did in your review.

 

 

I am not the OP [emoji6]

I was asking a specific poster why they said that one should not compare one line against another when clearly that is what we all do.

 

 

You seem like you had your mind made up when you got on the ship.

 

I always find this response funny. No one books and pays for a cruise under the impression it will be a bad experience. That's ludicrous and a defensive response.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited October 10, 2016 by MelissaMcC

[CCLCruiser4321]

Terrible buffet? Not saying it's great it's definitely not the best on either line but at least ccl has actual food like fish, chicken etc. Rccl takes soup from last night and they turn it into pasta sauce for the buffet. Lol have you been on rccl. I know neither line is perfect but I was told that rccl food was soooooo much better for so many years after actually experiencing it no one can tell me it's better it's not even a matter of opinion. Keep in mind not saying ccl is amazing either because it's not

 

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[MelissaMcC]

Anyway, I only replied to this thread because I felt it was unfair that this poster who shared their experience (which was much like mine) is being told it's their own fault, they are lying or exaggerating and no one cares and they should just go back to Royal.

 

After my bad experience and subsequent research and exposure to these type of responses, I've decided to just go back to Royal as suggested.

 

I'll be leaving this thread too but wishing you all happy cruises and no bad experiences that you best not share with anyone [emoji8]

 

 

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[Jimmy Geegitz]

I thought you gave your honest opinion. You had quite a few likes. I personally like Carnival. But prefer Princess. I agree Royal is a bit better but not worth the extra money. I also agree carnival buffet food is not the best quality but not terrible either. Carnival does blow Royal away with Guys Burgers (for free) over Royals pay for burger place. Princess has the best food to us. Also we have never encountered any poor service or bad attitudes from employees on any cruiseline.

[jimbo5544]

Anyway, I only replied to this thread because I felt it was unfair that this poster who shared their experience (which was much like mine) is being told it's their own fault, they are lying or exaggerating and no one cares and they should just go back to Royal.

 

After my bad experience and subsequent research and exposure to these type of responses, I've decided to just go back to Royal as suggested.

 

I'll be leaving this thread too but wishing you all happy cruises and no bad experiences that you best not share with anyone [emoji8]

 

 

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People do get defensive on "their" cruise line. It is not just here but have seen it on most cruise line threads. It is what it is. While I respect your decision, my advice (either now or in the future) is to grow a thick skin and let the bad roll off. My experience over the10 years or so I have been here is to do just that. At any rate, as I said before...which ever way you go, happy cruising.

 

 

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Edited October 10, 2016 by jimbo5544

[bunnyette]

I have cruised on 4 different lines, and I find differences on those lines, but all lines have been clean and have a good crew. I chose to rotate and enjoy what each line has to offer. I usually chose because of the ports and just because I like certain things about each line. To me one is not better then the other, only minor differences. So enjoy whatever line you want, if you find one you don't like don't go again, variety is the spice of life.

 

 

That's why I rotate, other cruise lines go to some more exotic ports, but for the Caribbean, I like the price & atmosphere on Carnival. I usually rotate between cruise lines too.

 

 

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[meester_jamie]

there was a security breech which was said to be a Bomb threat at first and even the bomb squad came out.

 

In my opinion Port Canaveral is the best port there is.

 

Staff and lack of knowing anything when asked and lack of friendliness.

 

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.

 

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.

 

i believe Carnival Magic has bed bugs

 

Entertainment was just ok, nothing special. 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 , My prayers are with the family.

 

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.

 

Happy cruising!

 

4,500 people and only have 2 swimming pools

great food

comedy shows were also very funny and we enjoyed them

several elderly folks complaining

nap in a hammock

 

sorry to hear about your husband illness... and of course a dead passenger always puts a bit of a damper on festivities... :(

 

but it seems a bit crowded to only have 2 pools... are there slides?

I am glad to hear the Comedy was funny...

 

hmm... really "elderly folks complaining" ... lol...... that is sort of my comedy.. poking at elderly folks complaining ... lol

 

I hope I can find fun in the hammock... are the hammocks big enough for 2?

 

thanks for your review.. as always.. I take what I want out of it.. and make the best of the rest........... I just found out there isn't a sushi bar. ... darn..

 

[Melissalcsw]

For friendlier responses, post your comments on the Royal board -- I imagine many fellow "Royalists" will likely fall all over each other agreeing with you! :rolleyes:

 

 

 

You win!! [emoji1360]

 

 

 

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[blainesterrr]

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!

 

 

Omg you need to learn to go to the MDR for dinner and not eat at the buffet!! But okay go back to bougie RC!

[maktiller]

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!

 

We usually cruise with carnival and we tried royal in November and are going back to carnival. Sounds like your cruise was very pleasant to say never again. I thought the food on royal was very bad in the mdr to where we had to eat from the buffet to find something decent. The food options on carnival are so much better. But everyone has their opinions. You might as well never have posted your review as no loyal carnival fan will care. Your issue with embarkation was not the fault of carnival. We had a day from hell on our royal embarkation day. People waited in line for three hours in the sun because there were too many ships in Miami that day and we got stuck with a make shift tents set up in a parking lot. We never left port till 7:00 and no compensation from royal. Things happen. Sorry your husband got sick and hopefully you went to guest services to determine it for sure was bed bugs?! Before stating you think it was?!

Again. You sound like you enjoyed a LOT about this cruise to title it never again!

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I wonder if the OP will ever see the last few replies as she has not posted on the Cruise Critic boards since July 19th.

 

Bill

[drgramm]

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.

 

Surprised she didn't have a black light and scan the room.

[jimbo5544]

I wonder if the OP will ever see the last few replies as she has not posted on the Cruise Critic boards since July 19th.

 

 

 

Bill

 

 

 

I love ancient post resurrection.

 

 

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[Crusingdiva62]

After reading this entire post. OP something in the milk isn't clean in her review? I think she came on wanting to prove to her Brother in law carnival sucks. If everyone you come across is mean to you it may mean you need a little self reflection. Bye [emoji112] don't let the back door hit you....

 

 

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[nascarcruiser]

Bye Felicia

[riclop]

Totally agree with the buffet being LOUSY.

[hard_eight]

I have yet to found a single louse.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I love ancient post resurrection.

 

 

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you must be over the moon Jimbo.:p

 

A little more than a week and it'll be a year since the OP has posted on CC.:eek:

 

Bill

[hard_eight]

[jimbo5544]

you must be over the moon Jimbo.:p

 

 

 

A little more than a week and it'll be a year since the OP has posted on CC.:eek:

 

 

 

Bill

 

 

 

According to my wife I mostly live in a different universe.

 

 

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[Retired_to_Cruise]

We were on the Magic for a B2B on the weeks of April 21st and April 28th. It sounds like you were not happy with things you encountered on that ship. We, on the other hand, had nothing but good experiences. The crew was attentive, efficient, and very friendly. When walking around the ship, there was always a lots of smiles and hellos from many of the crew members we encountered. Remember, they do not always have to be the first one to smile and say hello.

 

We thought that the skip was very clean and well maintained. Food service areas were always clean and well stocked. Yes, sometimes one side or the other of the Lido Buffet is closed, but this is usually what happens when changeover from breakfast to lunch or lunch to dinner is happening. How else would it be done? And this can also happen at dinner because the vast majority of people eat in the MDR, so why have all the food on all the stations. It would be a waste and twice as much food would get stale. (Think cost!)

 

I know for a fact that the Serenity deck on the Magic has a rather large bar and lots of chairs, loungers, and clamshells. What more would you want? Both pools were open during the day (port days and sea days), unless there was an accident of some kind. For example, on one occasion a lady who probably should not have been trying to get into the pool fell and cut herself. She promptly went to the edge of the pool to wash the blood off. The crew around the pool noticed this and cleared the pool immediately and shut it down for complete draining, scrubbing and refill.

 

In terms of bed bugs, we never had a problem. Itchy every night but only one bite is not bedbugs. You would be covered with bites every single morning. The first sign of bedbugs is red, itchy bite marks on the skin, usually on the arms or shoulders. And, everyone in the room would be affected. One bite on one person in one week does not a bedbug infestation make. Chances are your body may not have liked the detergent that the sheets are washed in or some of the cleaning products that were used to clean the room.

 

Sorry that you had a bad experience, but things happen, and many things in life do not live up to expectations. For us, 26 Carnival Cruises have met and exceeded our expectations. Have there been bumps in the road, yes, but it is usually related to passenger issues, not crew issues or ship issues. Is Carnival perfect? Absolutely not, but they usually fix the problems when they are made aware of the problems.

Edited July 11, 2017 by Retired_to_Cruise

[meanjean80]

I've got to remember to look at original thread dates before I open them (rolls eyes).

 

That said, as someone who is sailing the Magic in a few (not short enough weeks) as part of a party of 9, including 3 'newbies' I did start reading the thread.

 

Where the OP (and anyone who posts a review) loses me is in the hyperbole. Lots of "nevers", "worsts", "awfuls" generally are off putting to anyone. For example, although I am a frequent Carnival traveler, I am not a cheerleader. I've never had a bad cruise, but I can admit there are things I don't particularly care for. As an example, I've said (frequently) that I do not care for most of Carnival's big stage shows. The reason being? I live in NYC and get to see Broadway shows a few times a year, and I find anything Vegas style, heavy on electronic staging but low on live musicians, to be not my type of thing. I instead find my way to the piano bar, the lobby, the live rock and roll band, or the comedy shows, and am perfectly happy. To each their own.

 

 

However, if I wrote in the manner of the original poster, my statement would be "OMG the entertainment sux, Carnival doesn't have a live band like Royal does, all the shows were terrible, I can't believe I paid for this..yes, the piano bar guy was pretty good and I liked the comedians and the rock band in the lounge was awesome but I will never sail Carnival again" then it comes across quite differently. Essentially it's the same message: I don't like the main stage shows but I enjoy the smaller acts in the other venues. But does not inspire the same counter-reaction.

[Bsw0619]

Late review - April 2017 Carnival Magic

I actually really enjoyed Carnival Magic aside from a few small things here and there. The crew on this ship were extremely nice and friendly and far exceeded my expectations. Some of the positives - Amazing food! Love Guys Burgers and Guys Bar-B-Que, the breakfast options were always delicious and esp Blue Iguana with the burritos. The activities were a ton of fun and I loved the energy with the sailaway party, it really got us pumped and excited for Mexico. The Dive-In movies were great and we really enjoyed ourselves. The shows on the Magic were awesome and we always looked forward to the shows.. I could really go on. As for some of the Neg (there weren't many) Because of the amount of people on the ship most of the places to eat were slammed..however, I was surprised at how fast the lines moved.. the staff did an amazing job with everyone being served so quickly. Another issue was how difficult it was to find chairs.. but I know this isn't something that can really be helped much. Overall we really enjoyed Carnival Magic. We've been on two Carnival cruises so far but Carnival Pride is our favorite. Next year we have two more Carnival cruises planned - one on the Conquest and one on the pride. We really like Carnival and haven't thought seriously about trying another line. The only thing we wished would be available in 2018 that is not is Canadian Cruises - we were told that none will be planned for 2018.

[Anyislandwilldo]

We have always cruise with Carnival and will continue to do so. The staff is always friendly, the ship is always clean and we always have a great time!

[breadlady]

The problem I have with the OP is her claim to having bedbugs. If she did not have this checked and verified ( and it sounds like she didn't) this just automatically ruins a company's reputation. Unsubstantiated claims can be so harmful.