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Just off Magic 11/4..thoughts and suggestions..

csoud68

By csoud68,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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csoud68 Great Review Rare

csoud68

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Had a fun trip this week on the magic and here are random thoughts..

 

1. Faster to the fun is worth every penny..we bypassed 200 people and went to the front on embarkation.

Also, if you have a guest services question you get a special line..i bypassed 25 people once and 30 another time. saved me 75 min of vacation time..priority debarkation too. A neccessity if you have an early flight..you wont make your flight without it.

 

2. Bubbles package probably is a bad choice..its $60..you also pay tax when in american port..you have to drink almost 4 cans a day to come out..

 

you get about 9 ounces with very little ice and they keep the can. That can sits there in the heat going flat to top off the next persons drink..yuck..i had one good coke all week.

 

3..i suggest you go to Deck 12 and use the FREE spa locker rooms..same level as gym..marbled shower, double sinks, much better bathrooms, lockers and sauna..extremely nice and best kept secret on ship..i never took a shower in the room..i will miss that..cloud 9 special priviledges are on deck 14 and 15 and is alrogether different.

 

4. if you want peace and quiet go to the taste bar as early as 7 am for breakfast on deck 5 in ocean plaza..cereal, eggs, grits, oatmeal, oj, water and coffee..heck i had the guy make me toast every day. I avoided the lido all week..wonderful..

 

5. 4 stops is too many..gives you only sunday and fri as sea days..guys pig and anchor was great but is only open on seadays..

 

6. Sports fans wont miss any action..between the casino and red frog pub you will be entertained.

 

7..you are screwed if you need wheelchair assistance to board or debark since you have to be pushed on or off by a rep..again, faster to the fun is mandatory if u need assistance boarding..leaving the ship is different..

 

8..dining room is hit or miss..a,$20 upgrade to steak or lobster is a nice choice. Service was slow..

 

Any questions, fire away..

Edited by csoud68
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Drazil65

Drazil65

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Glad you had a good trip and discovered many of the things that make for a stress free and happy cruise. FTTF is a must and we have it for our next 2 trips on Magic (our fav ship and will be sad when she leaves PC as it is our port of choice to drive to).

 

DH and DS always use the showers to dress in the mornings (if we all need to be up and out at same time) and at for dinner, they have all that space and it leaves the cabin to myself. I can leisurely get showered, do my hair and get dressed all alone in the cabin without anyone else waiting.

 

We use the Ocean Plaza mini breakfast just about every morning unless we do the sit down in the dining room for brunch on sea days. We order room service early to have our carafe of coffee and a small bite on the balcony to watch the sun rise but by 8:00 we are dressed and ready to grab something else. It works perfectly as no lines.

 

We enjoy the options of 4 ports BUT as we have been to most islands many times over we do not get off for every port, sometimes it is nice to just hang back without the crowds. The best thing about a cruise is you do what YOU want .

 

I will add that on any ship the ideal deck to stay on is somewhere in the middle )like deck 7 on the Magic) as it is halfway up and halfway down to everything, NEVER take the elevators if you are an able bodied person....ship elevators are a waste of time and most people on a cruise could use the exercise. It also helps in learning to navigate the ship by actually walking it!

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tugtraveller

tugtraveller

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I have a question about the Bubbles package since my husband is a big drinker of Coke Zeros.

 

In the main dining room or lido buffet, you are saying he cannot get a can? They will just pour it over ice into a glass? Also, how easy or hard is it to get refills from your server, or at the buffet?

 

What would you reccomend instead? Would it be better to just have him bring 12 cans in his, and then I bring him an additional 12 cans in mine? On a 7-day cruise that would only give him about 3 cans a day-- which I don't think is enough. He's not a coffee drinker, and he can easily polish off 3 cans of Coke Zero just with his breakfast. Sea days I can see him going through a LOT of sodas! If you bring a large insulated cup, would the bar fill it up with Coke Zero if you have the Carnival Bubbles package?

 

I would really appreciate any suggestions on this, as this will be our first cruise in over 20+ years, before my husband became a coke-aholic. haha. I blame his work!

 

Thanks!

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csoud68 Great Review Rare

csoud68

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I have a question about the Bubbles package since my husband is a big drinker of Coke Zeros.

 

In the main dining room or lido buffet, you are saying he cannot get a can? They will just pour it over ice into a glass? Also, how easy or hard is it to get refills from your server, or at the buffet?

 

What would you reccomend instead? Would it be better to just have him bring 12 cans in his, and then I bring him an additional 12 cans in mine? On a 7-day cruise that would only give him about 3 cans a day-- which I don't think is enough. He's not a coffee drinker, and he can easily polish off 3 cans of Coke Zero just with his breakfast. Sea days I can see him going through a LOT of sodas! If you bring a large insulated cup, would the bar fill it up with Coke Zero if you have the Carnival Bubbles package?

 

I would really appreciate any suggestions on this, as this will be our first cruise in over 20+ years, before my husband became a coke-aholic. haha. I blame his work!

 

Thanks!

yes, he can get a fresh can in mdr...he can ask to keep the can at the other places but they already would've poured the last bit of a previous can in the glass..

 

Another thing, the ice they give you melts fast and waters down the taste.

 

I suggest you take the 24 cans and just purchase the additional ones since you get a fresh can when you pay full price..$2.25 plus tax and tip..

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kctwinmommy Great Review Rare

kctwinmommy

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I will be the Bubbles package because of the convinence. So I can grab a drink at any bar and not have to go back to the cabin and get a can.

 

I agree! I have done the BB for that reason. And if the soda gets warm or flat, I get another one. I've also asked for little ice in my glass. I do that in a restaurant as well. I don't like ice in my soda for the obvious reason that it melts and waters it down.

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vamartha

vamartha

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I was on this cruise too. How did you like Halloween?

 

We always take our own sodas and have never bought the BB program or Cheers. Amazingly I didn't even have to open my carry on with the sodas in it, ran it through the machine and we were off to the FTTF check in desk without even a question. We do take stainless insulated bottles (Corkcicle is my preferred brand, works fantastic with Lido ice, still had plenty of ice left in the bottle after every night even with the heat and humidity).

 

And while I didn't use the Spa Deck showers on this cruise, I did on the Dream and if you have more than two in your cabin, they can be a lifesaver! Totally agree with you on this!

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Bobbysjack

Bobbysjack

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Will be on Magic in December. We were thinking about the FTTF so we can bypass the people. However, it's about $80 USD per cabin (and there are two cabins in my party) and the fact that I need to the exchange back to CDN, that's about $100 (or more) in CDN!

 

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Forums mobile app

 

 

 

In my opinion, FTTF is still worth the money!

 

 

Carnival Paradise - 2/20/16

Carnival Elation - 10/17/16

Carnival Magic - 1/14/17

Carnival Paradise - 10/9/17

Carnival Victory - 1/29/18

Carnival Horizon - 4/15/18

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kctwinmommy Great Review Rare

kctwinmommy

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Also the variety of pop. Like I can have Coke one time and then Sprite another time. And mix pop and juice to make my own cocktail lol

 

True! I usually drink a Sprite in the evening. So I don't need an entire 12-pack for a 7 night cruise. As I said, I just like it in that I can get as many as I want, and usually I end up getting a few for someone else in my group.

 

We get it for our son as well. He usually doesn't drink soda, although he is a little more now that he's older. But he would drink the pineapple juice. And since they serve it in those tall, skinny glasses, he would drink like 2 or 3 at dinner alone. I do like that juice is included in the BB as well. On RCI they aren't, so there was no reason for our son to have it on that cruise.

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sanmarcosman

sanmarcosman

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I also noticed what seemed to be a lower class crowd. I was more amazed every day.

Do you live in NOVA and accustomed to socializing in Georgetown? These things make a difference. I used to party at The Tombs in G'town and never regretted not rubbing elbows with Lee Radizwill and her sister Jackie Kennedy.

 

Carnival is fun and never pretentious which is why I go back again and again and this is from a man who crossed in first on the QE2 in the 80s.

 

Cunard might be a better fit for you.

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momof3cruisers

momof3cruisers

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I have a question about the Bubbles package since my husband is a big drinker of Coke Zeros.

 

In the main dining room or lido buffet, you are saying he cannot get a can? They will just pour it over ice into a glass? Also, how easy or hard is it to get refills from your server, or at the buffet?

 

What would you reccomend instead? Would it be better to just have him bring 12 cans in his, and then I bring him an additional 12 cans in mine? On a 7-day cruise that would only give him about 3 cans a day-- which I don't think is enough. He's not a coffee drinker, and he can easily polish off 3 cans of Coke Zero just with his breakfast. Sea days I can see him going through a LOT of sodas! If you bring a large insulated cup, would the bar fill it up with Coke Zero if you have the Carnival Bubbles package?

 

I would really appreciate any suggestions on this, as this will be our first cruise in over 20+ years, before my husband became a coke-aholic. haha. I blame his work!

 

Thanks!

I think the soda is fine. Yes, once in awhile you may get one that is a little flat, but then just get another one. In the MDR, our waiters usually leave the rest of the can for my kids and we have no problem getting refills. Also, they will indeed fill your insulated tumbler but I think you need to go to a bar with a soda gun for that. Mostly the bars that are outside have those. I bring my 24 oz Tervis with me everywhere and they always fill it for me. Inside, I just pour what they give me into my mug so that it stays colder.
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csoud68 Great Review Rare

csoud68

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Do you live in NOVA and accustomed to socializing in Georgetown? These things make a difference. I used to party at The Tombs in G'town and never regretted not rubbing elbows with Lee Radizwill and her sister Jackie Kennedy.

 

Carnival is fun and never pretentious which is why I go back again and again and this is from a man who crossed in first on the QE2 in the 80s.

 

Cunard might be a better fit for you.

no..I don't rub elbows in georgetown..I guess you had to be there too see it..

 

A couple examples...a guy was escorted off in grand turk for punching a woman in the face..some tables in the mdr were constantly acting up as if they were at home..overall, just a basic lack of respect for others in most cases..

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BurritoToes

BurritoToes

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We were on this cruise also. While I agree that some of the guests acted like they had never been out of the house before, I think this speaks more to society in general than just carnival cruisers. If you get 4000 people together, you are bound to have some bad apples. Overall, we still had a great cruise.

 

We saw a lady that we ran into several times in the spa getting led out of the port in handcuffs and leg shackles. Really wish I knew what she did!

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