We chose the Carnival Magic for the itinerary which included the Southern Caribbean islands of Aruba and Bonaire. It hadn't been an issue on previous cruises, but this cruise was short on entertainment during the day. We could only play so many trivia games before deciding to seek a more port-intensive cruise in the future.
Trying to sit by the pool was useless. The passengers were up first thing in the morning to save their chairs and the 30-minute rule was not enforced by the staff. If I were a different person, I would have removed the towels and fiction books (used to make the chair look occupied) and made myself comfortable. No matter how many cruises I go on, I am always amazed at the selfish behavior of Carnival guests.
Dining has become dismal on Carnival. There are no more tablecloths, service is rushed and they don't even offer coffee or tea for dessert. It's become a quick and barebones experience which is not for us. Even the guests were not properly dressed for dinner.
The aft extended balcony is perfect except that we should have selected one that was not directly below the Lido deck. We could hear chairs shifting all night long. It got particularly irritating in the early morning hours.
We selected the scuba excursion for this port. It was our first time diving since we became certified in March 2022. The divemaster was extremely accommodating and helped us set up our equipment properly and maintain our comfort during the dive. Our only previous experience prior to this was in Cozumel. We anticipated going to the well-known reefs by the islands, but this dive was two wreaks in murky water. We loved seeing turtles and other sea life, but the dive was underwhelming. We will be looking forward to Cozumel next time.