This was my 6th cruise, and I have to say that it was one of the best! I went on this cruise with my husband for our anniversary. We drove to Texas City the day before the cruise and then we drove to Galveston the morning of embarkation. I booked our parking online at Galveston Park and Cruise, and it is definitely a great option. We parked and walked right across the street to the Pier. We dropped off our luggage and walked right up to the front of the line to check in. Once we were checked in, we waited about 30 minutes to board. The Faster the Fun passes were all sold out, but even without the pass, we were on the ship eating lunch by 12:00. Speaking of lunch, we went to the Wok grill and had a great first lunch. After lunch, we walked around the ship and then we were able to go to our room by 1:30 pm to drop off our carry-on luggage. The Magic is a beautiful ship! We booked an interior room on the Empress deck, and it was perfect for the two of us. Our room steward was so attentive and helpful. She kept my cooler full of ice each day, and she always had a smile on her face.

We had the late dinner seating in the Southern Lights dining room, and we loved everything about our experience there. Mimi N. was our waitress, and she is awesome! The food was delicious and the service was superior! My favorites included the chocolate melting cake (of course), the prime rib, and the seafood pasta. I was surprised that almost half of our dinner companions chose not to eat in the dining room every night, as it is one of the things I enjoy most about the cruise. For lunch, we ate in the Italian restaurant a few times, and it is DELICIOUS! In fact, I don't think we ate anything that wasn't great. The made to order omelettes for breakfast are so yummy, and the pizza is pretty good too!

Some of our favorite things on the ship: Serenity deck for catching some rays, Dive in movies at night, the comedy club, and listening to the bands. The Carnival Dancer/Singer shows were ok, but I really preferred the comedy shows. On our next cruise, I think I will book the any time dining, so I can catch more of the comedy shows. We also spent quite a bit of time (and money) in the casino. The smoke is not as bad as what I had imagined after reading these reviews, but it would be nice if the smokers were only allowed to smoke on the top deck. My husband walked away a winner, but I managed to put my winnings back in the slot machine. Read more