I read some reviews prior to booking this cruise and they were all over the board. This is my 15th cruise, and I’ve cruised with 6 different lines. The Carnival Magic is my favorite ship thus far, and I’ll explain why in the overview.
Transportation:
I was traveling with two girlfriends and my 85 year old father in law and his girlfriend. We flew into Houston George Bush Airport and grabbed a yellow cab to Galveston. The fare was $133 plus tip and there are plenty of vans to accommodate up to 6 people. Transfers on Carnival are $80 rt and $60 rt from Houston Hobby Airport. Galveston Limo offers scheduled service for $50 ow pp. It’s about a 90 minute drive from Bush airport.
Hotel:
We stayed at the Quality Inn and Suites on the Seawall in Galveston. They offer a free breakfast, wi-fi, and parking, and prices ranged from $60-$120 a night. There are plenty of restaurants and shopping within walking distance of this hotel. We rented a car from Enterprise the following day and walked the downtown area known as “The Strand”. From there we took the Ferry Ride in hopes of seeing dolphins, and we weren’t disappointed. Check out Galveston.com for things to do and enjoy a relaxing day or two in this charming gulf coast city before boarding your cruise. We happened to arrive just before Mardi Gras and it was fun to drive the neighborhoods and see beautiful old homes and shops that were decorated for the festive event.
Galveston Home ready for Mardi Gras
Carnival Magic
Boarding time was 12:30pm, but we arrived at noon and were able to check in and board the ship early. There were no lines and we went straight to the lido deck for lunch.
Food:
The food options were plentiful, and I think we tried them all. My favorite was the pasta bar at Cucina Del Capitano. There is a $12 service charge for a menu option dinner, but lunch is free. You can select the type of pasta, sauce, and toppings and they will prepare it and bring it to you at your table. Very yummy. Pam liked the Indian food, Gene liked the Deli sandwiches and Panini’s. Liz enjoyed the salad bar, and Jan preferred the buffet. The Mongolian grill was very good, as well as the pizza, and there was a tasty BBQ offered during sea days on the lanai deck.
We booked the cruise a month before sailing and early dinners were N/A, so we requested the same waiters and time for our anytime dining and it worked very well for us. Lobster is still on the menu along with some of my other favorites, prime rib, chateaubriand, fillet mignon, and panko breaded shrimp. The famous chocolate melting cake is offered every night, and espresso is free with dessert.
Entertainment:
We set sail on Superbowl Sunday and were happy to see that the game could be watched at the Seaside Theater, Showtime Theater, bars, and in our staterooms. Perfect superbowl food and appetizers were provided as well.
My favorite show was Destination Unknown on Wednesday night starring illusionist Jason Byrne and the Carnival Magic singers and Dancers. I think a young boy in the audience summed it up at the end of the show when he shouted out, “Awesome!”
The welcome aboard show gave us a taste of comedians Just June, and John Wesley Austin and we saw several acts in the Punchliner Comedy club which offered 5 shows a night. Two family shows and 3 adult only shows. Midweek, new comedians Mutzie and Tommy Drake arrived on board to bring different styles and more laughs for the audience. It’s a good idea to arrive 20 to 30 minutes early as each show becomes standing room only.
We enjoyed the 70’s show “The Groove Line” and the interactive sports related show “Win”, and Marcus Anthony had the crowd dancing in the aisles with sweet soul music on Friday night. We sang with Imani in the Piano Bar, but couldn’t quite stay awake long enough to go dancing in the Vibe nightclub.
Karaoke was offered several times a day at the ocean plaza on the Promenade deck which could be good or bad depending on who was on stage. This was the first time I’ve seen it in an open venue and the jury is still out as to whether this is a good idea.
MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICAEveryone was anxious to visit our first port of call, but we decided to stay aboard for a couple hours longer and try out the water slides and kick back in the hammocks on the Serenity deck while there were no crowds. This was a good move as we were able to walk off the ship without any lines or waiting. We grabbed a taxi, did a little shopping and hung out at Doctor’s Cave Beach. Admission is $5 and the drinks aren’t cheap, but the water is clear and warm and we were able to get slow but free wireless internet. A block or two away at the Flamingos shop next to food 4 less, I paid $3 for faster internet and caught up with family and friends back home.
This man feeds the tarpons twice a day at the Paradise Bar and Grill.GRAND CAYMAN
We walked and shopped andgot some nice photos of the cool caribbean buildings before grabbing a taxi out to cemetery beach for some good snorkeling. From there we flagged the local bus (van) and headed to a beach with food and drinks. The taxi is $5pp, and the bus is $2pp and runs every 10 minutes, so it is pretty easy to get around. Grand Cayman is very clean and upscale with no signs of poverty. There were huge tenders to take us ashore, and we didn’t have any problem with lines.
Cemetary Beach offers shade and good snorkeling.COZUMEL MEXICO
Carnival has a nice new pier with lots of shops and some restaurants. Taxis have regulated prices for different zones and 7 of us shared a ride out to Paradise Beach Resort for $28. For only $2 you can get a chair by the beautiful big pool or hang out at the beach under an umbrella or palm tree. For $12 more you can enjoy the water toys which include a trampoline, kayaks, and snorkels. This is a great spot and good price and I would recommend it to anyone.
Overview:
Aside from the wonderful shower massage, the thing I liked best about the ship is the ability to escape the crowd. Deck 5 has a full walk around deck and I was able to walk a mile every morning and only pass a handful of people. There are two very large hot tubs on each side of this deck and I never shared my hot tub with more than four other people. There is a café on deck five with fresh waffles and a limited breakfast and I never saw a line there. You could enjoy a peaceful breakfast on the lanai and never know that you are sharing the ship with 3600 other people. Of course you could order room service and get that same feeling as long as you were in a balcony cabin which I highly recommend. This ship truly has something for everyone and I was very impressed.
Disembarkation
It took about an hour to get through customs and get a cab. Many of the cabbies had worked into the wee hours of the morning for Mardi Gras and were unavailable for the ships’ passengers. The taxi driver assured me that there are normally plenty of drivers.
Princess and Disney will set sail from Galveston in September giving passengers more options. I think this is a good alternative for west coast folks who are tired of the Mexico itinerary and don’t want to travel to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale to get to the Caribbean. It’s certainly convenient for the local Texans who make up over half of the passengers on these sailings.
