Carnival Magic Review

4.0 / 5.0
1,506 reviews

Not impressed this time around `

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Magic
User Avatar
akinsinger1101
2-5 Cruises • Age 30s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Nov 2018
Cabin: Spa Balcony

This is my honest review of my most recent cruise on the Carnival Magic- Cozumel Plus- from November 25th- December 2nd 2018. This was the 2nd cruise I’ve ever been on with Carnival, the first was in 2015 when we cruised on the Fantasy out of Charleston. I looked forward to this cruise, as we had an excellent time on our first cruise, and we wanted to take my brother-in-law on his first cruise as well. We flew into Fort Lauderdale a few nights early, and had an 11:30am boarding time. We did receive an email about a week out stating we would be pushed back an hour to 12:30 due to one gangway being down, so we adhered to our new boarding time, and took an Uber to the port. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the porters who took our bags, and went to stand in line. There was a lady directing the crowds, who told us “I think you need to go up front if you’re getting in line to board, this line isn’t moving, I think it’s for something else.” Of course, thinking she knew what she was doing, we proceeded to the front where we were promptly turned away and put back to where we started. This is where the fun starts. We were informed there were still passengers on the ship, and they couldn’t let us on. We stood in the sun, no shade, for nearly 2 hours before finally making it inside to security, mind you it was 85 degrees, we had on no sunscreen, we had nothing to drink, and there were no bathrooms. Thank God I didn’t have any children with me, because that’s certainly not a situation I’d want my kids in.

We finally boarded the ship and our room was indeed ready on deck 12, the spa deck, so we went to the room and sat on the balcony for a bit until it was time to leave port. Our room was plenty big, clean, and as expected. I only had three complaints about the room, which I’ll go into further. 1st, our bathroom flooded every time you’d shower. I don’t know if it’s because we were on deck 12 so everything below us drained first, and ours backed up or what, but we always flooded. Some nights when we were getting ready for dinner, we wouldn’t have any water whatsoever, couldn’t wash your hands, shower, or flush the toilet for some time. 2nd the balcony on deck 12 has no roof, now that’s not my complaint, I knew of this, however, something from the top was leaking constantly onto our balcony. I’m not positive if it was condensation from the spa pool or what, but we were always getting soaked sitting out there. Lastly, our neighbors were constantly fighting to the point where not only could we hear it, but the couple (our brother-in-law) beside us could hear it too. I understand that this is not the fault of Carnival, however, when I reported it to Guest Services, I was basically told “Well, we can’t do anything. Next time call when they’re actually fighting and we will send up security.” That to me seemed like they cared more about not irritating them than helping us out.

Next, I’ll talk a little about the food. The last cruise we went on had far less options for dining that this one, however, there was never a line. On the Magic, we would stand in line for a good 30 minutes at the breakfast buffet every single morning, regardless of the time. There were only 2 lines to get food for everyone on the boat, unless you wanted an omelet, then plan on an hour in line. Same was true about the 24 hour pizza and deli in the back of the boat. The wait to get food was a minimum of 30 minutes, regardless of when you went down. To me, this just seemed excessive. I understand there are a lot of people on the boat, but I almost wish I would’ve went on an older ship with less people to avoid this issue. The dining room staff was awesome! They are always very entertaining, and they truly care about whether or not you like your food, if you’re full, etc. The food, on the other hand, seemed to be hit and skip. One night it would be mind-blowing, the next it would be very bland, and taste as if there wasn’t even any salt and pepper on it. We did not try any of the specialty dining on this particular cruise.

Cabin Review

Spa Balcony

Cabin 8P

. Our room was plenty big, clean, and as expected. I only had three complaints about the room, which I’ll go into further. 1st, our bathroom flooded every time you’d shower. I don’t know if it’s because we were on deck 12 so everything below us drained first, and ours backed up or what, but we always flooded. Some nights when we were getting ready for dinner, we wouldn’t have any water whatsoever, couldn’t wash your hands, shower, or flush the toilet for some time. 2nd the balcony on deck 12 has no roof, now that’s not my complaint, I knew of this, however, something from the top was leaking constantly onto our balcony. I’m not positive if it was condensation from the spa pool or what, but we were always getting soaked sitting out there. Lastly, our neighbors were constantly fighting to the point where not only could we hear it, but the couple (our brother-in-law) beside us could hear it too. I understand that this is not the fault of Carnival, however, when I reported it to Guest Services, I was basically told “Well, we can’t do anything. Next time call when they’re actually fighting and we will send up security.” That to me seemed like they cared more about not irritating them than helping us out. Our room steward, Francisco, was very nice, and we always returned to a clean room in the evening.

Port Reviews

Grand Cayman (Georgetown)

We loved it here! We took a Taxi down to Calico Jacks, not through the cruise line, and really enjoyed our time there. It was $6/PERSON each way to get there, then $20 to rent a set of beach chairs with an umbrella. I felt very safe, the food was great, drinks were awesome, and we had a great time in the water!

Belize City

I wish we didn't have to stop here. There is no beach here, at least not close by. They drop you off at a shopping plaza, you're ran in by water taxi, who by the way try to talk you into tips and what not (I don't mind tipping for good service, but don't pressure me into doing so). Once on the island, everyone had something to hand us, coupons, flyers, invitations, etc. and shop owners were like hawks standing over you while you looked. I didn't really feel safe here, and we were only in port long enough to grab a souvenir and leave.

2 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find a Carnival Magic Cruise from $334

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.