Carnival Magic Orientation Orientation is a crucial part of the Carnival Magic experience. It is the first opportunity for guests to familiarize themselves with the ship and all it has to offer. The main purpose of the orientation is to provide guests with important information about the ship's layout, safety procedures, and onboard amenities. One of the main highlights of the orientation is the ship tour. During the tour, guests are guided through the various decks and areas of the ship, including restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and recreational facilities. The tour helps guests get a sense of the ship's size and layout, making it easier for them to navigate throughout their cruise.
As befits a Fun Ship, the place keeps rocking long after nightfall. Dodge the numerous photo backdrops to stroll through Deck 5, which is where the bulk of the entertainment venues are located. Music plays in several lounges, evening sail-aways and glow parties take place on the Lido Deck and the disco goes long into the night. Expect crowds wherever you go.
They are very well enclosed in this large, zoo-like preserve, so I can t imagine any have escaped or significantly impacted the ecosystem, but still. You still get to take in the scene, but it s far less peopled, it s shady because there s a deck above you, and the chairs are much more comfortable.
The tour helps guests get a sense of the ship's size and layout, making it easier for them to navigate throughout their cruise. Along with the tour, the orientation also includes a safety briefing. This is an important part of the orientation, as it provides guests with vital information on what to do in case of an emergency.
Carnival Cruise Review - Carnival Magic 4/2/2023
I'd like to preface this review by stating that we sailed on a kid-friendly cruise ship during spring break without children. Our extended family selected this cruise because it was affordable and doable for everyone, so we decided to tag along. It was either go or don't go, so we decided to accept the possibility of difficulties and spend time with the fam. We tried to mentally prepare, but alas, no amount of deep, cleansing breaths could have prepared us for this experience. The ship was fully booked; 1600 were children, and you noticed. Also, we just went on a honeymoon cruise in October on the Celebrity Equinox for 10 nights in the lower Antilles. I've learned that once you go on a Celebrity cruise, everything else feels like trash (my personal experience), so take this review with a grain of salt.
The purpose of this review is to give as many details as possible to prospective cruisers so they can make an informed decision about whether this ship or cruise line is a good fit for them. Our time is finite, money doesn't grow on trees, and I want my hard-earned money to be spent on something that's worth it. Yours, too. This is the review I wish I'd read before my vacation. Yes, we actually enjoyed our trip. No, we did not complain the entire time and made the most of it, but there were still aspects that were pretty disappointing.
Atmosphere/Cleanliness/Layout:
- Interior design and Materials are dated
- I was absolutely shocked to discover the ship went into service in 2011 because I would have guessed late 90's to early 2000s.
- This ship is jam-packed with as many staterooms as possible. This makes the ship feels very crowded and there are fewer fun things to do, and less lounging/socializing space.
- The carpets in the MDR were heavily stained
- There were two ceiling leaks that I noticed which were blocked by a slippery floor sign and absorbent pads. They were not fixed by the end of the cruise.
- If you have to poop, you better be ready to run almost to the other end of the ship. Also, your stateroom might be closer. The plus side is that I somehow never had to wait in line when I finally got there. Thank God.
- The bathroom stalls in the communal bathrooms barely give you enough knee space, plus they swing in. You basically have to sit back down on the toilet to give yourself enough room to open the door and squeeze out.
- Compared to our recent Celebrity voyage, the employees were lackluster. Guest services seemed beaten down and utterly subdued. MDR staff were okay - overwhelmed but kind. Our housekeeper, Greg, was the bomb. Always had a smile on his face and told us, by name, to have the best day ever.
- The casino staff was mostly okay. There was a gaggle of newbies learning the Craps table, which was fine. I'm always nice to them - if nothing else, you don't want to bring about bad table karma. One on the stick came in and I'm not sure if she felt the others were taking too long to pay out the bets or what, but as she started to move the dice she said something to the effect of, "Let's go, let's go, dice are moving, thedice are getting cold". FFS. Immediately, the shooter rolled a 7. I wish you could have seen our faces. I've never seen so many people cash out at once. I thought people might come back with torches and pitchforks.
- Dewa in the MDR was exceptionally great.
The Hub App
- User Friendly
- Once you get on the ship, the app changes so you can view the ship map, food menus, dining reservations, open hours, and chat with travel companions.
- This makes announcements and updates unreliable in terms of actually getting to you.
- We paid $90 for internet for the duration of the cruise. This is the low-end version of the internet which allows you to use certain social media. You can use it on more than one device, but only one at a time.
- It sucked as I said, so this basically allowed my husband and I to continue our streak on Duolingo for the whole week
- If you were smart enough to turn your phone on airplane mode BEFORE the ship set sail, Carnival didn't have a chance to log you out and restrict you from using iMessage.
- As an alternative to purchasing internet, you can opt to the $5 chat feature (per person for the whole duration of the cruise)
- The chat worked approximately 40% of the time
- We had a large party (27), so we tried to work something out with the Matre D on the first day. We were basically told to get everyone to buy the $5 chat, add each other on the app, and then reserve a table via the app as early as possible every day. They could not give us a standing reservation.
- You cannot reserve a table of more than 10 people via the app, therefore if you have more in your party, you must approach the host and let them know.
Entertainment
- Some of the shows were okay, nothing to write home about. The performers were talented singers and dancers, but the productions were just compilations of random songs. I thought this was bizarre but maybe it's a cruise-ship thing.
- The comedians were painfully bad. I felt secondhand embarrassment for them.
- Joel Lindley
- Most of the jokes weren't that bad - just poorly delivered
- The bad jokes went on for too long. Like, 20 minutes too long.
- After Joel, I didn't think it could get much worse, but this guy came on and surprise surprise - it was much worse. Straight up bad jokes all around.
- He asked, "Who here thinks it's okay to spank your kids?" and since Carnival apparently caters to bottom feeders, most of the crowd erupted in applause and cheers. I left after that.
- Didn't apply since we don't have kids, but.
- Camp Ocean
- Like Daycare
- Teen spot
- 12-14
Pools
- Waterslides
- There were two. Managed by employees during busy hours, at your own risk later, not sure when they closed.
- A tiny deck 10 mid-ship pool surrounded by the Cantina, Guy's Burgers, Cantina bar, and another bar I can't remember the name of.
- Not nearly enough lounge chairs for the amount of people on the ship
- Lines for food wrapped around the pool and in front of the bathrooms which made everything feel very crowded
- A tiny deck 10 aft pool surrounded by not enough chairs, a couple of hot tubs, and the Tides bar.
- I imagine the ship had about 1/3 of the chairs they needed to accommodate the number of people on the ship. Days at sea are so overwhelmingly crowded I almost wanted to go back to my room and watch a movie.
- On most cruise ships (I think), there is a 40-minute rule for the pool decks; if you leave your belongings on a lounge chair and do not come back to it within 40 minutes, pool staff takes your stuff and keeps it somewhere for you to claim later.
- This, for whatever reason, was not enforced at all. On the first day at sea, my whole family, including two kids, sat crammed on the floor of the smoking section (one floor above the pool deck) as there was nowhere else to sit. I walked around the pool at 7 am one of the other days, and every last one of the lounge chairs at and around both pools was "claimed".
- Pardon my French, but it was so bad that I took my sandals off and I was still sliding around in my bare feet.
- I saw more than 5 falls during the cruise.
Bars/Drink Package
- Not as Many Bars as I Expected
- The only outdoor bars are next to the pools which are already overcrowded and chaotic as it is
- We did find the Serenity Lounge on the last day but there is no pool close by. Not sure when Serenity closes.
- We only purchased Bottomless Bubbles (9.95/day/person for soda). Did not include bottled water, but you can always fill up a reusable in the Lido anyway for free.
- Drink prices are consistent with other cruise lines
- You can bring one 12-pack of soda per person (They didn't care how many packs each person had - also we took the soda out of the box, replaced them with beers, and then hot glued the box back together. It worked.)
- You can also bring one bottle of wine in your carry-on. They did not check how many you had. Some of my family members drank the wine beforehand, refilled it with liquor, then sealed it back up somehow. This also worked.
- We decided to go out on a limb and fill up a bunch of clear flask bags with liquor. We tucked them into our snorkel fins in our checked bags. Everything made it through. We also decided that 'Whiskey Fins' is a great band name.
- Cheers! (Alcohol) package is 6 drinks per day to break even and a maximum 15 drinks. It's very hard to get to the break-even point on port days. Our family who did purchase Cheers! and tried very hard to hit 15 drinks were disappointed even on sea days because they refuse to give you more than one drink at once. You have to wait 5 minutes. They tried to ask the waiter to go ahead and bring one anyway 5 minutes later, and to just keep them rolling. However, it takes them anywhere from 20-45 minutes to get the drink to you, so it's no use anyway.
Food
- Lido (Buffet)
- Decent variety of options
- Layout encourages long lines. You can't even get ice water without waiting in line. The only thing at breakfast you do not have to wait in line for is bread and cold cuts. If you're in a hurry to get to an excursion or a lounge chair, you can load a plate up with dry croissants and sliced meats. Yum.
- They are CLOSED from 10:30-12 and 2:30-5, including the salad bar. If you are hungry during one of these times, your options are to wait 25+ minutes in the Guy's Burgers line, or wait 25+ minutes in the Blue Iguana Cantina line.
- They have REAL Splenda instead of fake sweetener. See? A positive!
- There is a separate line for tacos and burritos.
- Chicken, pork, and fish are all delicious
- Pretty good. DIY fixings.
- My mother brought her own bottle of wine to dinner. The waiter (Not Dewa, don't worry) stated that they had to charge us an "uncorking fee". We uncorked it ourselves. Apparently, if a bottle is uncorked in the dining room, there is a $15 fee even if it's your own damn bottle, your own damn bottle opener, and your own damn hands.
- The food was good. There were days when I only found one thing on the menu I thought I'd like, but I liked everything I ordered.
- Portions are consistent with other cruises, maybe larger. You can only have two entrees; if you want a 3rd, there is a ($23?) fee.
- Breakfast in the MDR serves espresso beverages at the same price at the cafe, however, you cannot add any syrup or sweetener except for the sugar on the table. I am convinced on the last day they served me a "latte" with burnt traditional drip coffee and steamed milk. I added in sugar slowly but no amount saved it from its extreme unpalatability. The latte I got from the real cafe was very delicious, though.
Excursions
- Half Moon Cay
- Beach day for us. We were not aware that the buffet line on the island would close at 1 pm because the app was down in the morning. Even so, they kicked us out of the line at 12:50 pm. There's nowhere else on the island to get food. Mass outrage set in and again, I thought people would come back with pitchforks and torches.
- The beach is beautiful - we walked to the end of the beach to find reefs to snorkel. There was a ton of reef, but it was almost completely bleached and dead. Really sad to see.
- No excursion - We walked to Boaby Point and saw some of the healthiest coral I've ever seen. Lots of cool and colorful fish. No turtles, unfortunately, but it was awesome to see a thriving coral reef.
- Walked around port and stopped in Margaritaville for a frozen drink, of course.
- We did the Damajagua Falls with Monkeyland Tour.
- Damajagua Falls was pretty cool. There are three waterslides as you swim through a canyon-ish river.
- MUST have watershoes or tennis shoes. $8 to rent.
- $8 to rent locker - fits two smaller backpacks.
- $55 for your photos
- This was a pretty awesome experience. The monkeys crawl all over you and you can feed them. They're adorable.
- $10 per person for photos.
- They did tell us that the monkeys were not native to the Dominican. I wouldn't do it again or recommend it for this reason. If you've watched The Magic Schoolbus, you know you shouldn't be introducing foreign species into another ecosystem. They are very well enclosed in this large, zoo-like preserve, so I can't imagine any have escaped or significantly impacted the ecosystem, but still.
I think that's it. I realize there are a myriad of negative thoughts regarding my cruise experience. As I said, we chose not to hyper fixate on the negatives, but we did keep track of them so that we can later inform prospective cruisers of possible negative experiences. I won't be booking with Carnival again, but we made the most of it. Everyone has their own experience and I'm sure plenty of people had the time of their life.
Trivia nuts will be pleased, as sea day games begin at 9 a.m. in Ocean Plaza. We particularly enjoyed the extensive array of themed sessions such as Harry Potter and Dr. Seuss. Ocean Plaza is also the space for group games such as Yahtzee, Scattergories, Connect Four, beanbag toss and Trivial Pursuit.
Guests are shown the location of the lifeboats, the assembly stations, and are briefed on the ship's evacuation procedures. This ensures that all guests are aware of how to safely evacuate the ship in the event of an emergency. In addition to the ship tour and safety briefing, the orientation also serves as a platform for guests to meet their fellow cruisers and familiarize themselves with the Carnival Magic's staff. Guests have the opportunity to ask questions and seek assistance from the staff, ensuring that they feel comfortable and well-informed throughout their cruise. Overall, the Carnival Magic orientation sets the stage for a memorable cruise experience. It allows guests to become acquainted with the ship, its amenities, and safety procedures. By providing this information upfront, Carnival Magic ensures that guests have a smooth and enjoyable journey on board..
Reviews for "Unlocking the Mysteries of Carnival Magic: An Orientation for Adventure Seekers"
1. John - ★☆☆☆☆
I was really looking forward to the Carnival magic orientation, but I was extremely disappointed with the experience. The staff seemed unorganized and there was a lack of clear instructions on where to go and what to do. The presentation was also very dull and didn't do a good job of getting me excited about the upcoming cruise. Overall, it was a complete waste of time and I would not recommend attending the orientation.
2. Sarah - ★★☆☆☆
I had high expectations for the Carnival magic orientation, but it fell short of my expectations. The presenter was not engaging and seemed unenthusiastic about the information they were sharing. The whole experience felt rushed, and I didn't feel like I had a good grasp on what to expect during the cruise. The orientation lacked the fun and excitement that I associate with Carnival, and I left feeling underwhelmed.
3. James - ★★☆☆☆
I attended the Carnival magic orientation and found it to be rather chaotic. There were too many people packed into a small room, making it difficult to hear and see what was happening. The presenter did their best to keep things organized, but the lack of space and crowded atmosphere made it hard to fully enjoy the experience. I would have preferred a more intimate and interactive orientation session.
4. Emily - ★☆☆☆☆
The Carnival magic orientation was a huge letdown for me. The presenter seemed to rush through the information and didn't take the time to answer questions or address any concerns. The lack of personal attention made me feel like just another number in the crowd. Additionally, the content of the orientation was very basic and didn't provide any new or exciting information. I expected more from Carnival and was left disappointed.
Carnival Magic Orientation: A Guide to Making the Most of Your Cruise Experience
- Joel Lindley