Carnival Magic Review
First time cruising Carnival after four Disney Cruises with a preschooler
Rating by category
Additional details
We have been on four Disney cruises (Disney Magic pre and post renovation), Disney Wonder, and Disney Dream. We wanted to try a different cruise line to see if Disney was worth the extra money. We wanted to take a cruise out of Galveston or Houston because we could drive to the port. We have a preschooler who loves water slides, which is why we chose the Carnival Magic. The Waterworks 2.0 section of the ship ended up being a major highlight. We loved it. While I did not love this cruise the way I loved our Disney cruises, we would go back on this ship because of the value. We had a fun vacation and would do it again.
We have only had balcony rooms on our Disney cruises. However, this time, we were trying to cruise as cheaply as possible. So, we chose an inside cabin on 7 aft. I really liked the location on the ship. We were close to the aft stairs and only three flights up was the Lido Deck with the pools and buffet area. It was close to a laundry room (which you actually needed quarters to operate $3 wash/$3 dry). We had the king bed configuration with a bunk bed above one side of the bed. The one issue with this configuration is that we bumped heads quite a bit on the bunk bed because part of the king was under the bunk. While the room was much smaller than our balcony rooms, we were totally fine with it. The bed is raised enough that you can fit your luggage easily under it. Because Disney has the split bathrooms, we actually felt the bathroom was bigger on Carnival. Disney is nice because they have the small bathtub for when you are traveling with young children. We definitely needed it when we started cruising with our then toddler. Now, the preschooler will tolerate a quick shower, so it's not as necessary.
For those wondering if Disney is worth the extra price, it really depends on what you want out of your experience. I definitely did not feel the excitement on Carnival that I did on Disney. Disney service goes far beyond what we experienced on Carnival. They are the master of the attention to detail and Carnival just does not compare in this category. That being said, there were a few things that we enjoyed more on Carnival than Disney.
Cabin Review
Interior
It was our first interior cabin after staying in balcony cabins. Although small, it was well-organized and seemed to make the most out of the space. Plenty of storage space for clothes and luggage. There were not enough hangers, but our room steward brought in extra plastic ones. We had a king bed configuration with one bunk bed. The bunk bed was half over one side of the king bed, which was a bit of an issue. There is a fridge, but is filled with Carnival alcohol. So, it was pretty much worthless for us to put milk for my preschooler in it. The bathroom was small, but fine. There was plenty of room for us to put our toiletries in it. I really liked the location on the ship.