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My spouse & I took a cruise on Carnival Magic in November. Magic is a big, beautiful ship with friendly crew who take great pride in cleaning and buffing her every minute. Our ports of call were Key West, FL then Freeport & Nassau, The Bahamas. We enjoyed Key West's beautiful water, and spent a leisurely day strolling through shops & restaurants. Nassau's crown jewel is The Atlantis Resort -- you have to go there and experience the luxury. We didn't enjoy Freeport at all, as it is very industrial and the landscape is unattractive. We took a taxi to "the market" for $10 round trip per person. The shops in port offered more than the so-called market. We walked around for 15 minutes to give it a chance then hopped into a taxi back to the ship. Not sure why the ships even stop in Freeport.
While our experience on such a large ship was very enjoyable, we did make note of a few challenges. Most of these were anticipated but we decided to make the best of it anyway. We waited in long lines for the dining and the shows. With so many people on board, they quickly figure out the best venue & entertainers and you can be stuck with the left overs. Ex: If you didn't get to the theater or lounge 30-45 min. before show time, you either got a lousy seat or no seat at all. The quality of entertainment ranged from great to not very good at all.
I give Carnival high scores in managing the "reserved" loungers at the pool. Your towel is removed in 40 min. if lounger isn't claimed. The water slide is spectacular & the adult section a welcomed retreat. We had a wonderful couple of days by the pool and the music & drinks were what we longed for in a cruise.
Carnival Magic also gets high scores for their efficiency during embarkation an disembarkation once in Galveston port. We were in our car by 9:30AM. Very efficient!
Considering all of the above, I remain complimentary of Carnival Magic and her crew and highly recommend her to anyone seeking something new. That aside, I believe we'll return to the smaller ships that offer a more intimate setting.
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