My boyfriend and I took a spring break cruise the last week of March 2013. This was my first cruise, his second (his prior cruise was on Carnival as well). Prior to the trip, I read what seemed like hundreds of reviews to make sure we were prepared and had everything we needed, and knew what to do/not to do on the ship. The reviews also provided us with a variety of general tips, and I feel that, because we were so prepared, that only enhanced our cruising experience. So, although this might be lengthy, we hope to provide the same info and tips that might help future cruisers on the Magic.

Now, the most important thing to remember throughout this review is that we had an AMAZING time. No trip is perfect, and when you have a boat with 4,000 people, there will be some issues, but we would go back on the Magic in a heartbeat. If you are in doubt, book the trip. You won't regret it!

For those of you who are first time cruisers, let me just tell you that you will probably pack too much (I did). On my next cruise, I'll bring a nicer outfit for dinner every night, a couple pair of shorts and a couple tank tops. All you'll wear the rest of the time is swimsuits and coverups, so a bunch of extra clothes aren't necessary at all. Extra items that we brought that were helpful were: extension cord (there is one outlet in the bathroom and one by the mirror in the room. We used the extra outlets for an iPod docking station, hair dryer, straightener, etc...), Rum Runners to sneak our booze on (These are AMAZING!!!! They saved us hundreds of dollars on drinks and we didn't feel too guilty because we bought at least a couple drinks a day in addition to to the liquor we brought on board), 2 Tervis tumblers/lids/straws for our drinks, a shot glass, a backpack, and a 12x12x12 cooler. If you are like me and bring too much stuff, don't worry-there is TONS of storage space in your room! Read more