Discover the top 5 things to love about Carnival Magic
Several people told me that Carnival Magic was the Walmart of cruising, and they didn’t think I would like it. Although it was different than the other cruise lines I have traveled on this past year, I had the absolute best time, and with a Casino Deal, I would do it again! I had the most fun. I think a lot of this has to do with your attitude. I went with my friend Mary, whom we call the “Fun Friend”. The entire cruise for Mary and me was $500, and I flew to Fort Lauderdale for free using Southwest Points. You can read about that here.
Things I liked about Carnival Magic
We had a great balcony room. If all else fails, you can enjoy the view from your balcony.
The Spa!!!! We bought the thermal pass for the Cloud 9 spa for the 6 days we were on board. Some days we visited twice. I spent a lot of time in here! It was amazing. I heard the pools got crazy with people, but even though the spa was busy, it was serene.
The people - we met the nicest people. We weren’t crazy about the menu the last night in the dining room, but liked our tablemates so much we didn’t want to miss saying farewell to them.
The photographers - We didn’t do any of the shows, but we made our entertainment. Every night after dinner, we would take photos with their crew. The photographers sometimes had crazy ideas - sometimes it was ours, but regardless it was fun.
Lunch food options. I enjoyed Guys Burgers, Blue Iguana (tacos and burritos), and Cucina del Capitano (free at lunch).
Things I didn’t care for:
The coffee - I even tried specialty coffees, and it was never right. I did find the dining room coffee was better than the buffet coffee, but it still didn’t give me the kick I wanted. When our friend picked us up at the cruise port, we stopped twice from Miami to Ft Lauderdale to get coffee!
Our balcony stained my feet a rust color - I feel like this is petty on my end, but I don’t have many cons!
Which airport to fly into?
I prefer to fly to Ft Lauderdale vs. Miami. The airport is not nearly as busy. However, I fly to both depending on the price.
Looking for a great place to stay in Miami pre- or post-cruise?
I like to stay at the Hyatt Regency Miami or the Hyatt Centric South Beach. If you fly into Ft Lauderdale, it is an easy Uber/Lyft ride to the Miami Cruise terminal. I stay at the Hyatt Place Dania Beach.
