We are first time cruisers (mom, dad, 3 teens 15,13,13) who thoroughly enjoyed our spring break trip on the Magic. It was a great family vacation. We did a lot of research in deciding on the Magic. In the end it looked like the best option for family fun. The kids loved the water works, pools, sky course, etc. The adults enjoyed the pools, hot tubs, casino (maybe too much).

Our room steward and dining room staff were outstanding and very friendly. The wait staff knew our names by the second night. One of our 13 y/o has autism and has a limited number of things that he will eat. Starting with our second dinner there were saltine crackers for him when we arrived and chicken nuggets with fries each night. Unfortunately chicken nuggets/strips were not offered anywhere else on the ship which Carnival should rectify since most kids love them and the ship is family oriented. We had a problem with our dinner seating assignment which I complained about but was not changed. We had asked for a table in an out-of-the-way location since our autistic son sometimes makes a fuss at mealtimes which embarrasses our other 2 kids. Our assigned table was a table for 4 with an extra chair on the end located out in the open right next to the waiter's station. I was so upset that I complained to the maitre'd who said he couldn't help us because the ship was fully booked so there were no empty tables. He did give us a bottle of wine but it wasn't worth the couple episodes our son had. I wanted to mention this because I did talk to the Special Needs group at Carnival and specifically asked for a quiet table. Next time I will call a couple days before the cruise to make sure of the table assignment.

FTTF was worth the extra money for the priority em/debarkations. It took 45 minutes from the time we left the Moody Gardens Hotel (highly recommend) until we were sitting in the waiting area with Sign and Sail cards in hand. Amazing! On debarkation day it took the same 45 minutes from the time we left our cabin until we were through customs. Lesson learned - use Carnival transport when leaving so you don't have to wait for your limo. Just hop on the bus when you are done. Read more