Overall this was a really good cruise. I will highlight the positives and also speak to a few negatives. Let's start with who we are. We traveled in a group of six that included myself and husband (early 50's) and two son's, ages 17 and 21 and my parents who are in their late 70's. This was our 7th cruise - 6 of which were all Carnival and 2nd time on the Magic. My parents have been on about 15 cruises. So far we have traveled out of Galveston, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and San Juan and this was our first experience with Port Canaveral. One of the positive experiences we had on this trip was the embarkation experience. It was incredibly easy, fast and well organized. We had a boarding time slot of 11:30 and arrived early at 11 and were quickly checked in and allowed on the ship. Piece of cake! Muster drill was also organized well and an easy, good experience. Unfortunately, this was the longest it ever took to get our luggage. Normally I have our luggage and have totally unpacked before muster and sail away. This time - we did not get our luggage until we came back from early dining at 6 pm. Not a big deal, just not what I was used to. We were on the Veranda Deck in room 8366. In terms of location, it was easy to get from our room to the lido deck buffet and to the Casino. The room was a typical balcony and was quiet for the most part. The worst part of our room, and this was a first for me, was it was too hot. We had the air cranked down to no avail. At the end of the cruise, we had propulsion/speed issues and I completely believe there were mechanical issues the whole time. I believe this because of the ship temperatures. Not only was our room hot - but there were hot spots all over the ship. Most noticeably, there were areas of the casino I would not play slots due to the heat as well as areas in the lido buffet that were just to warm. We also had issues with the bathroom light turning on - again - a first for me on Carnival. Regarding entertainment - we really enjoyed the evening shows. The singers were all talented and great performers. We also enjoyed the piano bar with Jonathan and the comedy club. It is very hard to get a seat in the comedy club so get there at least 15 minutes early - sometimes more than that. I also felt the food quality was good - we ate in the main dining room, Cucina Del Capitano, the Lido buffet, Guy's Burgers and Pig and Anchor, Tandoori Grill, and the Mongolian Walk. No complaints from us -- all good! I especially liked the new cakes they have at the Lido dessert area and they did have a really good bitter and blanc that was slightly different than the last time I had it on a cruise. Overall service was good. We really liked our dining room attendant, Saw, and our room steward, Sue. Both were so pleasant and hard working. I did feel like I did not see as many people cleaning the ship throughout the day as I was used too. The early hours cleaning was the same, but I noticed the railings on the stairs always felt grimy during the day.

Regarding the ports - we really enjoyed them all and lucked out and had great weather. We booked a tour on Cozumel and experienced a tour of the island, tours of a chocolate factory and a tequila factory and spent time at Playa Palancar Beach. I really enjoyed this beach and liked it better than Paradise or Nacci Coccum. In Roatan, we also had a tour and saw the island, did some shopping, stopped at Bodden's Monkey Business and played with the monkeys, birds and sloths, and then spent time at Paradise Beach Hotel, another fantastic beach day. In Belize, we went cave tubing and had lunch and walked through the rain forest, and in Costa Maya, we went to Chachobben Ruins and had a Mayan experience lunch. All wonderful! we also bought a day pass to the spa and enjoyed the steam rooms and whirlpool. Overall, this was a really good cruise and my only complaints are the hot cabin and I purchased the value WiFi plan that was a waste of time. WiFi did not work at all - don't buy it. The entertainment, food and ports certainly made it a worthwhile and fun cruise but I do think the Magic will need dry dock again sooner than later.