Carnival Magic Review
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I just got off the Magic after a wonderful 7 night cruise out of Galveston with my BFF, and we had the time of our lives! Hubby & I had pretty much written off Carnival, because we preferred Royal Caribbean and NCL, based on our last few cruises. But my parents cruised the Magic out of Galveston twice recently and raved about it so much that I was willing to give it a try with my 1st time cruising buddy. I'm glad I gave Carnival another go, because next to Disney, I think this is my new favorite ship!
Embarkation was a bit delayed on the day of our cruise, and I'm not sure why, but by the time they let us board, our cabin was ready, so that was nice.
I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't a sit-down restaurant available for lunch, because that's something I look forward to the first day on other cruises, so we made our way to the Lido deck for fresh burgers, since I avoid buffets like the plague. The burgers were fresh, hot and yummy.
Cabin Review
Cove Balcony
Our cabin was very pleasant. We were in a Cove Balcony on deck 2 mid (2302). There was plenty of storage, but I would prefer if they would have 2 normal closets with side to side rods for hanging clothes. One of our closets had a front to back rod, which was awkward. I would suggest you bring extra wire hangers to place more in the other closet. There's also a closet with large shelves, and there are more shelves & a few small drawers in the vanity area. There was room to put luggage under the bed, and the sofa had 2 large drawers underneath, so there was plenty of storage. I would also suggest a hanging plastic shoe holder to put on the bathroom door for your toiletries. That gets them out of the way so you don't have to jam them all on the small glass shelves in the bathroom or waste valuable space on the desk/vanity. Magnetic hooks are a big help too for hanging bathing suits, hats and towels on the walls of the cabin.
The balcony was a little wider than expected, with plenty of room for 2 chairs and a small table. This cabin has a large glass window and a glass door that swings open. I had read reviews stating that passengers slam the cove doors morning & night, but that was not a problem our cruise. We gently closed ours to be considerate of our neighbors, and we never heard anyone slam theirs. Our balcony had metal dividers between us and our neighbors, and the life boats were directly above us, so we felt very private and secluded. We loved being so close to the water and saw so many flying fish! It was great! I had read reviews of the Coves that stated noise from the Galley above can be a problem, so I purposefully booked this one, away from the Galley, and it was very quiet and a perfect location for us, between the mid and forward elevators.
WARNING: The beds on the Magic are very hard. My parents warned me about this, so we brought the thickest twin foam pads we could find at Wal-mart, and our cabin steward gladly re-made the beds for us with the pads on them, and thank goodness! I would not have been able to sleep otherwise. The pads were a life-saver. We deflated them down in Space bags to bring on board and used an electric pump for inflatable mattresses to deflate them back into the Space bags. Worked like a dream!
Port Reviews
Galveston
The Houston area is my home, so we didn't do anything in Galveston, but this is a great port for cruising. It's very organized. EZ park provides good service & online discounts.
If you're staying overnight, the Hilton Galveston is great. We stay there at least once each summer. There's a swim-up bar at the pool & it's right across the street from the seawall and beach.
For good food, visit Nick's on the Seawall and Shrimp N Stuff on Avenue O for affordable delicious food the locals love.
Freeport
The port area is pretty small and boring. Book an excursion or just walk around a while and then return to the ship for a day of quiet, relaxing fun while everyone else is gone!
We've been to Taino Beach before, and it was beautiful but crowded. I would go back, but this was the 1st time I wanted to experience the ship on a port day, and I'm glad I did.
Nassau
I love Nassau. It's one of my favorite ports. The people are friendly, and the beaches are amazing! There's good shopping in town too.
This time in Nassau, we walked downtown to the ice cream parlor & caught the #10 city bus to the Melia hotel. ($1.25 per person each way) For $35 per person we got a day pass, which entitled us to use all of the facilities at this amazing resort. We had a fantastic time! The beach is calm and clear, and there were plenty of lounge chairs on the beach and around the many pool areas. I can't wait to return to Nassau ASAP just to stay a few days at that resort. When it was time to leave, we crossed the street to the bus stop and caught the #10 again back to town. It couldn't have been any easier. What a great day!