Magic Questions

[cparkerkite]

Good morning everyone. Hope you all are having a great Saturday!

 

We are either going on the Oasis or Carnival Magic in Feb 2018 and I just can't make my mind up! We have only cruised twice, the Dream and the Oasis. The Oasis was our favorite, but we would love to have a suite this time and Carnival's prices are better. So, I was hoping I could ask some questions and get some help from you fine folks? :)

 

Who are we? We will be cruising again with our friends. We are: Me, hubby and 6 yr old daughter, and our friends and their 9 yr old son. We love doing family oriented things and we don't drink. We do love a nice non-alcoholic fruity drink though....yummy! We are also nice, fluffy folks (except for my daughter) and love to eat!!!! :)

 

Now to the questions:

 

1. Cabins. If price was not an issue, would you do a Junior Suite on RC Oasis or a Spa Suite on the Magic and why?

 

2. Pools. Are the pools majorly crowded on the Magic? When we went on the Dream, it was a minor issue with us as they were way over crowded. When we went on the Oasis during spring break, they were not overly crowded at all.

 

3. Shore. Doing the western itinerary, what are some fun things with the Magic's stops that are good for families with little kids?

 

4. Food. Is there a good sandwich spot on the Magic? We ate at Park Cafe on the Oasis almost daily because those sandwiches were that good. I liked the dining room food on Carnival much better than Oasis. I hated the Dream's buffet, but liked the Oasis buffet.

 

5. Entertainment. We love to go to shows and do family friend Comedy shows. How are they on the Magic?

 

6. Weather. Both times we have cruised, we cruised in April. This time we'll go in February. Now I realize the weather can change at any moment...but.... what is the weather typically like then in the Western Caribbean? We loved the weather in April in the Eastern. Perfect every time, no rain except for a sprinkler or two in St. Maarten.

 

7. Movement. The Oasis moved A LOT, I mean A LOT. I was really shocked considering her size. But the Dream was a much smoother cruise. What are you thoughts on the Magic?

 

8. Family Activities and Kids Club. We loved the kid's club on the Oasis and the Dream. Are there lots of family activities on the Magic? Parades, etc.? The kids loved the parades on the Oasis.

 

Thank you so much for any help or advice!

[mrpayroll]

I'll take number 8.....No parades on Magic. Carnival does not do parades. It does have two water slides and a splash pad type area for young kids. Also has the ropes course which was quite fun ( and i am not young ) The comedians do two family oriented shows before the adult shows which are later at night. We have been on both Oasis and Magic. While we preferred the Oasis, we enjoyed the Magic and are booked for it again.

[Micahs Grandad]

Carnival does do a DR Suess parade

[pcvtmom]

Actually, Carnival does the Dr. Seuss parade for kids on many of their ships (including the Magic!). Lots of fun and characters!

[cparkerkite]

Carnival does do a DR Suess parade

 

Yay! thanks! :) My daughter loves Dr. Seuss!

Edited November 5, 2016 by cparkerkite

[cparkerkite]

I'll take number 8.....No parades on Magic. Carnival does not do parades. It does have two water slides and a splash pad type area for young kids. Also has the ropes course which was quite fun ( and i am not young ) The comedians do two family oriented shows before the adult shows which are later at night. We have been on both Oasis and Magic. While we preferred the Oasis, we enjoyed the Magic and are booked for it again.

 

Oh this is great news about the family shows! I saw the ropes course! We will for sure do that! :)

 

Have you done the Western? How was it?

 

Thanks so much!

[berrieh]

Here are the ones I can tackle:

 

2. At peak seasons, they do seem to be crowded. But I've never been on a ship where that wasn't true on a mass market line (RCCL, Disney, NCL, Carnival) at peak time when schools were out. I haven't been on the Oasis, however, so maybe that's common there or maybe you just got lucky. The water park area on the Magic is nice for kids (better than Dream but similar), I've heard. No kids here but families sure seemed to enjoy it! Note: In February, I wouldn't imagine pools would be ridiculously crowded but I've not sailed then.

 

4. There's the deli, and we think it's good. We also like the sandwiches from room service on Carnival. We are sandwich people and eat at the deli (the turkey is my favorite) several times on every Carnival cruise. They aren't imaginative, but they are good, in our experiences. But it's the same deli as the Dream, so did you like it on the Dream? The add-ons the Magic may have (depending on when you sailed Dream) would be Guys (Burgers daily and BBQ at sea days) and Iguana. Everything else is similar to the Dream (both have Italian for lunch, though Magic has the actual restaurant for dinner, both have Tandoor). The Magic will have the American Table menu (some people like, some people hate) which the Dream may not have had on your sailing (or maybe still doesn't? I don't know, haven't sailed it lately). I hate pretty much all buffets, personally, and rarely take anything off of them except the salad bar or dessert bar sparingly maybe, so have little comment there. The Magic has lots of food-to-order venues for lunch and Iguana for breakfast, in addition to the omelet station and dining room.

 

7. I actually find that past a certain point, the larger the ship, the worse the movement can be (at least the TALLER the ship maybe?) because Dream/Magic seem to be a little more movement wise than Conquest class ships. But this could be in my head or could be rougher seas happened or whatever. I would say the Dream and Magic are similar in this area so if you were happy with Dream, you'd be happy with Magic (depending on weather, of course... any ship can rock on some seas).

 

8. Carnival seems to have a lot of kids activities through their clubs, including a Seuss parade and a cute Seuss breakfast (extra charge of $5 pp for breakfast). I'm sure whether kids like one or the other better would come down a lot to the experience that week (what other kids, what particular staff, the particular kids' tastes, etc).

 

I cannot reasonably answer much about suites or too much about family-oriented entertainment or travel, so I hope you get replies.

[crusinpsychRN]

If you put enough sauce on the BBQ it's okay. Ask for double meat at deli. They will toast it if you want. Tuna is good. Chips from room service are usually stale. Get potato salad instead.

[Micahs Grandad]

If you put enough sauce on the BBQ it's okay. Ask for double meat at deli. They will toast it if you want. Tuna is good. Chips from room service are usually stale. Get potato salad instead.

 

Tuna salad from deli is very good.

 

Wish pastrami and corned beef were better.

 

They dont compare to what we are used to from NYC deli's.

[crusinpsychRN]

Tuna salad from deli is very good.

 

Wish pastrami and corned beef were better.

 

They dont compare to what we are used to from NYC deli's.

 

The pastrami and corned beef can be chewy. I only get a half sandwich, that's all I can eat.

[iewe]

Still better than some of the crap in Indiana lol

[coevan]

We couldn't agree more on not being a buffet person. So many awesome dining options, love sitting down and being served.

[xitappers2bx]

I'll start this with... I just cancelled my "dream" cruise on Harmony of the Seas to go on the Magic with my family. For me, it was worth "downgrading" to be able to travel with my parents and one of my sisters' and her family.

 

Good morning everyone. Hope you all are having a great Saturday!

 

We are either going on the Oasis or Carnival Magic in Feb 2018 and I just can't make my mind up! We have only cruised twice, the Dream and the Oasis. The Oasis was our favorite, but we would love to have a suite this time and Carnival's prices are better. So, I was hoping I could ask some questions and get some help from you fine folks? :)

 

Who are we? We will be cruising again with our friends. We are: Me, hubby and 6 yr old daughter, and our friends and their 9 yr old son. We love doing family oriented things and we don't drink. We do love a nice non-alcoholic fruity drink though....yummy! We are also nice, fluffy folks (except for my daughter) and love to eat!!!! :)

 

I also am fluffy, my daughter has been cruising since she was five, so i'll offer my own experience and the changing kid experience too. she's 12 now. I also like family oriented things, and Carnival has very good non-alcoholic drinks, and affordable drinks packages

 

Now to the questions:

 

1. Cabins. If price was not an issue, would you do a Junior Suite on RC Oasis or a Spa Suite on the Magic and why?

 

I would not do a JS on any Royal ship... with the new suite program, the JS is much more expensive, but does not offer the same quality amenities of the higher suites. Perhaps getting one of the bigger suites and splitting it with your friends would be ideal on royal. A spa suite is nice, but suites on Carnival do not offer nearly as much as suites on Royal (well, minus the JS) the bath tub and priority boarding are nice though.

 

2. Pools. Are the pools majorly crowded on the Magic? When we went on the Dream, it was a minor issue with us as they were way over crowded. When we went on the Oasis during spring break, they were not overly crowded at all.

 

I think this depends more on when you go; when we cruise in the summer, regardless of the line, the pools are more busy and there are more chair hogs then when we cruise during the school year

 

3. Shore. Doing the western itinerary, what are some fun things with the Magic's stops that are good for families with little kids?

 

We're doing our first western carib cruise in January on the Magic. We're going to be snorkeling, tubing in the caves, and then probably either a sea lion thing or a ancient ruins type of thing

 

4. Food. Is there a good sandwich spot on the Magic? We ate at Park Cafe on the Oasis almost daily because those sandwiches were that good. I liked the dining room food on Carnival much better than Oasis. I hated the Dream's buffet, but liked the Oasis buffet.

 

I agree with you, the MDR on Royal sucks, but the buffet is outstanding. I think Carnival has improved their buffets though, and they're not as bad as they used to be. I haven't been on the Magic, but it looks like there are some good sandwich spots that are quality.

 

5. Entertainment. We love to go to shows and do family friend Comedy shows. How are they on the Magic?

 

We love the family friendly comedy shows!! The adult ones are hilarious too.

 

6. Weather. Both times we have cruised, we cruised in April. This time we'll go in February. Now I realize the weather can change at any moment...but.... what is the weather typically like then in the Western Caribbean? We loved the weather in April in the Eastern. Perfect every time, no rain except for a sprinkler or two in St. Maarten.

 

The weather will be warmer than up north! I think weather is really one of those things that if you just accept it can happen, then you'll be prepared for whatever happens next. I do believe that the weather is pretty good though.

 

7. Movement. The Oasis moved A LOT, I mean A LOT. I was really shocked considering her size. But the Dream was a much smoother cruise. What are you thoughts on the Magic?

 

The Dream and Magic are sister ships, so imagine that the level of movement would be the same.

 

8. Family Activities and Kids Club. We loved the kid's club on the Oasis and the Dream. Are there lots of family activities on the Magic? Parades, etc.? The kids loved the parades on the Oasis.

 

My daughter hated Royal's kids club, but she has not loved any as much as Holland America's. Generally speaking she loves Camp Carnival, and she has always loved the employees. I hated the parades on Royal, so I don't miss them at all, but there are no parades on Carnival. Lots of family activities. You can do as much or as little together as you want.

 

Thank you so much for any help or advice!

[cparkerkite]

Thank you everyone for your insight! I appreciate it so much!

 

I think we are going to try the Magic! :)

[jakesnana]

Good morning everyone. Hope you all are having a great Saturday!

 

We are either going on the Oasis or Carnival Magic in Feb 2018 and I just can't make my mind up! We have only cruised twice, the Dream and the Oasis. The Oasis was our favorite, but we would love to have a suite this time and Carnival's prices are better. So, I was hoping I could ask some questions and get some help from you fine folks? :)

 

Who are we? We will be cruising again with our friends. We are: Me, hubby and 6 yr old daughter, and our friends and their 9 yr old son. We love doing family oriented things and we don't drink. We do love a nice non-alcoholic fruity drink though....yummy! We are also nice, fluffy folks (except for my daughter) and love to eat!!!! :)

 

Now to the questions:

 

1. Cabins. If price was not an issue, would you do a Junior Suite on RC Oasis or a Spa Suite on the Magic and why?

 

IMHO, the suites on CCL are nothing to right home about due to the lack of perks. Basically, all you are getting is more space. If using the Spa is your thing, then maybe the Spa Suite would be worth it.

 

2. Pools. Are the pools majorly crowded on the Magic? When we went on the Dream, it was a minor issue with us as they were way over crowded. When we went on the Oasis during spring break, they were not overly crowded at all.

 

When we were on the Magic in July the pools were PACKED. There is a water park area with slides which would probably be more fun for the kiddos.

 

3. Shore. Doing the western itinerary, what are some fun things with the Magic's stops that are good for families with little kids?

 

We are doing the Magic to the West. Carib in January. Check out snorkeling in Cozumel, cave tubing in Belize, zip lining in Roatan. These are all fun for kids and we plan on doing them with our grandchildren in Jan.

 

4. Food. Is there a good sandwich spot on the Magic? We ate at Park Cafe on the Oasis almost daily because those sandwiches were that good. I liked the dining room food on Carnival much better than Oasis. I hated the Dream's buffet, but liked the Oasis buffet.

 

Loved the sandwiches at the Deli and the pizza for a quick snack. Don't forget about the Italian restaurant at lunch time. Much more relaxing and civilized than the buffet.

 

5. Entertainment. We love to go to shows and do family friend Comedy shows. How are they on the Magic?

 

Family friendly comedy available almost nightly.

 

6. Weather. Both times we have cruised, we cruised in April. This time we'll go in February. Now I realize the weather can change at any moment...but.... what is the weather typically like then in the Western Caribbean? We loved the weather in April in the Eastern. Perfect every time, no rain except for a sprinkler or two in St. Maarten.

 

We have done this route in Feb and you can expect the seas to be a little choppy on the first night and sea day while you're crossing the gulf, however, I think the Magic handles it better than the Oasis does. The weather itself was gorgeous in Feb.

 

7. Movement. The Oasis moved A LOT, I mean A LOT. I was really shocked considering her size. But the Dream was a much smoother cruise. What are you thoughts on the Magic?

 

Answered above.

 

8. Family Activities and Kids Club. We loved the kid's club on the Oasis and the Dream. Are there lots of family activities on the Magic? Parades, etc.? The kids loved the parades on the Oasis.

 

Grandkids LOVED the kids club, the slides, mini golf, ropes course, Green Eggs and Ham breakfast, Dr. Suess parade, and the 80's night in the atrium. Plenty for them to do and stay busy.

 

Thank you so much for any help or advice!

[cparkerkite]

Thank you all for your help! You guys are great!

[CruzCrazy]

It looks like people have pitched in and answered some or all of your questions already.

 

I'd just like to comment about movement on the Oasis. We sailed Oasis in December a couple of years ago, and I swear I had to check ta few times just to see if the ship was even moving. Most of the time, it felt like we were sitting absolutely still.

 

That just goes to show you that wind currents and sea conditions play a very large role in whether you feel movement on a ship because we had probably our smoothest sailing ever on Oasis.

 

We are saling on Magic in February, and we anticipate it to be very much like the Breeze, which we've sailed twice before, and I imagine it will be very similar to what you experienced on the Dream, with some upgrades and minor differences as other posters have already pointed out.

[cparkerkite]

We are for sure doing the Magic. Finally made that decision. But, I think I am starting to doubt wanting a spa suite cabin. We for sure want a suite because of the tub. Mama wants a tub and it is so much easier with a child. :)

 

I REALLY, REALLY want Spa access so the Spa Suites sounds so appealing. And the location to the Spa and Lido and Kids Club, it seems ideal for us. However, the forward location concerns me a bit as far as movement. Some people say you only feel the extreme movement when you are way low and others say when you are way high. I get the teeder todder explanation... closer to center and down lower less movement.

 

When on the Dream on the 9th deck and mid ship, we felt a little movement, but it was more of when laying in bed you could feel a quick back and forth movement, like you are being rocked and honestly it rocked me to sleep! haaaa! Occasionally I could feel it in the shower, but not a lot.

 

With being that high up and forward is the movement really bad?

 

Then I thought we could book an Ocean Suite and just pay the difference for Spa access, but a lady at Carnival told me you don't get the fluffy slippers or the bed spray and all that Zen jazz. And then I'm closer to the Lanai which I'm not fond of with the hot tubs, noise, smoke from BBQ, etc.

 

So, after all my rambling... which would you do? Spa Suite or Ocean Suite? I am so torn! My hubby is no help....he just says he'll go along with whatever I want to do. God love him! :)

 

Thanks for your help!

Carla

[cparkerkite]

It looks like people have pitched in and answered some or all of your questions already.

 

I'd just like to comment about movement on the Oasis. We sailed Oasis in December a couple of years ago, and I swear I had to check ta few times just to see if the ship was even moving. Most of the time, it felt like we were sitting absolutely still.

 

That just goes to show you that wind currents and sea conditions play a very large role in whether you feel movement on a ship because we had probably our smoothest sailing ever on Oasis.

 

We are saling on Magic in February, and we anticipate it to be very much like the Breeze, which we've sailed twice before, and I imagine it will be very similar to what you experienced on the Dream, with some upgrades and minor differences as other posters have already pointed out.

 

 

Weird isn't it? One night at a show (all the way forward), we could feel the ship go up in the front, roll to the right, go down in the back, roll to the left. Like you were in a circle. My friend couldn't wear heels because she was scared she was going to fall! ha! Perfect weather though. You're right... wind and sea conditions make or break it.

 

What cabin are you going with? Can you let me know how it went? We will also be sailing in February, but in 2018. I'd be interested in how the weather was in February. Our two cruises have only been in April and the weather was perfect.

[Qchell]

Do bear in mind on any Western Caribbean cruise you are getting closer to the equator, which means closer to the sun.

 

Make sure you have really good sunblock. Normally all I need is dry oil spray to prevent myself from burning on cruises. The one W. Caribbean I went on I ended up buying the highest SPF sunblock they had on board and a t-shirt as I was beginning to burn.

 

We are headed out on the Magic again in April for a W. Caribbean and I can assure you, I will be packing full sunblock this time and not dry oil spray!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[coevan]

"Do bear in mind on any Western Caribbean cruise you are getting closer to the equator, which means closer to the sun."

 

not really, most of Mexico, Cayman, and Jamaica are north of 18 degrees, which is north of Puerto Rico

[katiel53]

We had a spa balcony on Dream and it was on deck 11 starboard and it was quiet and comfortable. We only used the Thalasso pool once though. As far as the amenities to the spa suite/balcony, they didn't mean anything to me.

 

I didn't like the scent of the Elemis products and they were tiny bottles as you'd get in a hotel. The slippers were like dollar store slippers but they were nicer on top. I wouldn't spend the money for a spa cabin again.

 

I have stayed in suites on Carnival and there is more space to me, but, other than early boarding, there are no other perks. I don't ever take a bath, so that wasn't a benefit to me, and getting over the side of the tub was difficult when I tried to take a shower. I did, however, like the separate dressing area with the huge closet.

 

I'n sure you will have a great time with either cabin.