Carnival Magic Review

Poor Room Selection, Overall Great Cruise

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Magic
User Avatar
Kaytikat
First Time Cruiser • Age 40s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Aug 2015
Cabin: Balcony

This was my first time cruising and my husband and I went by ourselves on the Carnival magic on a 7 day cruise from Galveston to the Western Caribbean. We took advantage of Faster to the Fun (Well worth the price not to wait in horrible lines during embarkation, at guest services and fast debarkation at the end to avoid terrible traffic). The service was fantastic and the entertainment was top notch. The ship was overwhelmed with unattended children at all hours of the day and night which was irritating. Often an activity would be marked 18+ but parents would still tow their children along despite options for child care. We took refuge frequently in the Serenity Deck and on three occasions there witnessed parents ejected for bringing their children their as well despite the 21+ markings everywhere.

I understand the menu was new. The food is hit or miss. Either it is amazing or it is terrible, very few in between dishes in my book. I really looked forward to trying the melting cake but found I must be in the minority as I could not palate it. I was however a fan of the Cucina del Capitana's wonderful staff, food and entertainments. By far the best dining experience on the entire ship.

We enjoyed many of the activities and shows, and did not find the smokers in the casino to be much of a concern as they preferred to congregate on the deck under my balcony but more on that in a bit. I was prepared to be mobbed by photographers at every turn but found that a polite no thank you turned them away easily without further probing easily enough.

Cabin Review

Balcony

Cabin 8B

The cabin was the real sore spot to our cruise. The stateroom itself was well appointed, spacious and served our every need for size and need. The location however left much to be desired. Originally we had chosen a location on a different deck but there was a snafu with the booking year and Carnival corrected it for us but had to transfer our room. We would up right in front of the atrium elevators on the sixth floor portside. This also left us directly above the smoking areas on the lanai deck.

Nights I wished to retire early were nearly impossible because every party (Mardi Gras party for example) that occurred in the atrium loudly echoed through my stateroom making it impossible to rest or relax. The constant ding of the elevators, the loud laughter and commentary since people do not regulate their voices until they are farther down the hallway all led to a less than restful experience. We tried to escape to the balcony only to find ourselves deluged with cigarette smoke at all hours. Frankly for the price we paid for a balcony that we could not use I am very frustrated and upset with Carnival for allowing smoking under balcony rooms. Why not at the very back of the ship where smoke would simply blow away? Why at all?

This location also left us to deal with loud clusters of teenagers in the middle of the night who snuck on to the lanai deck unattended to shriek and giggle and disturb our rest even when the atrium was finally quiet. I would choose a balcony stateroom again but higher in the ship and absolutely farther down the ship away from the atrium.

1 Helpful Vote
previous reviewnext review

Find a Carnival Magic Cruise from $329

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.