Carnival Magic Review

4.0 / 5.0
1,506 reviews

Had a great time

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Magic
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Kimz39
2-5 Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

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Value for Money
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Additional details

Sail Date: Jul 2018
Cabin: Deluxe Ocean View
St Thomas port
St Thomas
Ox tongue
San Juan
Pool area
Grand Turk
Water spout
Drinks

We picked this cruise as we were interested in St Thomas, San Juan, and Gran Turk. All of these islands were wonderful. The ship was great, it didn't seem overly large, was easy to get around and figure out where to go. There were plenty of activities throughout the day and evening with the ability to do as much or as little as you like. Most importantly, the ship was clean. Crew members could constantly be seen cleaning. There are only 2 rather small pools which were usually quite full but you could get in to cool off. Many hot tubs which we did not go in. The food was much better than expected which was a plus. Many choices to choose from in the dining room. We did the Your Time and never waited more than 5 minutes except on the first elegant night. Not sure exactly why, perhaps everyone who had been going to the buffet on other nights were all going to the dining room this night. They handed out beepers, which allowed you to wait where you wanted. They could not provide a time for how long the wait would be but it turned out to be about 40 minutes so it wasn't bad. The rooms were as expected. We had a window but no balcony. The nice thing was 2 sinks and showers (only 1 toilet) but that allowed showers twice as fast. Even with the 2 bathrooms, there was plenty of room. 4 large closets and room to store the suitcases under the bed. Plenty of chairs around the pool and the upper deck. The 2 days at sea we got chairs on deck 11. You could still hear everything going on at the pool but could also hold conversations. One of the island days we sat by the pool when we got back and the music was very loud. Plenty of shade too. We got up early to get chairs the 1st sea day around 8am and didn't need to. By 10 am there was still plenty of open chairs and still more that were stacked that they hadn't put out yet. Overall a great ship, great customer service and beautiful ports. Make sure to go to the Lip Sync battle - this was the best show. The comedians were also very good. Only downside was the wifi. We purchased plans and connectivity was very limited. The only time we could really get on was early morning, before 9am while most people were sleeping. The rest of the day it was rare to connect. Embarkation was quick and easy. Make sure you pick your arrival time. I don't think it took more than 15 minutes from the time we got in line til the time we were on the ship. Disembarkation took a bit longer but that was expected. We also did the Cheers program. You had a limit of 15 alcohol drinks a day. Most days we did not use them all. I think we broke even but may have saved some money had not purchased it. Especially on island days, just think about how much you really plan to drink.

Cabin Review

Deluxe Ocean View

Cabin 6M

Cabin was nice, clean, extra towels were provided every day which was nice. Barely saw our cabin maid but she took good care every day and made sure we had no issues. 4 large closets, drawers, mini fridge, safe, sofa. 2 sinks and showers was nice. Bed was comfortable. Temperature for the most part was ok but did get warm at times.

Port Reviews

Amber Cove (Puerto Plata)

We did the Amber Cover Adventures jump and slide the waterfalls. We booked it outside of Carnival (cheaper and more waterfalls) although Carnival I believe will match prices. Not exactly sure how it works, I heard about this after the fact. ACA was very organized and guarantees you will be back on time. The waterfalls were amazing. The highest jump was 35 feet. Scary but do it! It's a once in a lifetime and oh so worth it. We were all a little leary but this was a wonderful excursion.

San Juan

San Juan is a beautiful city. With narrow cobblestone streets. We took a taxi up to El Morro Fort, $18 for 6 of us, after waiting over 30 minutes for a trolley that never came - don't waste your time, jump in a taxi! Toured the fort than made our way back down toward port. It's not a far walk at all and down hill going back. Stopped in some stores. I wish we had stopped to eat but we didn't.

Grand Turk

We hung out on the beach right at the port. There are lots of chairs, the green umbrellas are free for cruise passengers, the others are about $25, still a good deal. I suggest to get off as soon as you can and grab the free ones. There is also a pool by Margaritaville with music and activities which is also nice, maybe better. I wasn't overly impressed with the beach. Very crowded as it seems most people just hang out. The waters edge is very rocky. It was nice but I'm sorry we didn't explore this island a little more.

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