Carnival Cruises Reviews

Thursday 24th May 2012

www.cruise.co.uk - Cruise Deals, Cruises & Cruise Holidays

0800 408 6200

All of these Carnival Cruises reviews are written by REAL cruise passengers are their opinion & we DO NOT moderate or change any of the review. You can agree or disagree by posting up your own comment. You can write your review and we will send you a Fodor's Guide to Cruising for FREE, Get Cheap Cruise Deals 2012

Cruise Reviews
127,221 Opinions Cruise Answers
190,844 Q&As Cruise Photos
14,371 Real Photos Cruise Videos
1,645 Real Videos Shore Excursions Our Cruise
Consultants Cruise Info
Guides Cruise Forum Get a Quote Special Offers Last Minute Cruises Luxury Cruises Tailor Made Cruise River Cruises Family Cruises Free Brochures Make a Payment

Cruise Reviews

Carnival Cruises

Carnival Magic

A New Ship With A Few Snagging Points To Sort Out

Back

A new ship with a few snagging points to sort out	36 of 40 people found this review informative

Reviewed By: Benbrook, Braintree on 8th Dec 2011
Cruise Line: Carnival Cruises	Times cruised before: 1-2
Cruise Ship: Carnival Magic	Sailed: August, 2011
Destination: Mediterranean	Age: 46-55
Cabin: Outside	Occasion: Family holiday

First impressions Arriving in Barcelona the Carnival Magic did look impressive against other vessels in port. We arrived at the embarkation point, with a temperature in the mid 30’s centigrade, to be faced with two queues – one for VIP’s and one for the majority. After waiting for 15 sweaty minutes we were asked for our travel documents where for the next 10 minutes they searched for our names. This was very disconcerting, as we feared that we were not going to have a holiday, but eventually they found our details to check the baggage in. Then off to the next stage where the passengers checked in – this was just as bad with long queues. Eventually being called forward we were made to fill in forms as neither our travel agent or Carnival had highlighted the need to give these details on-line. By this time we were tired, hot and hungry but there was more to come….. we headed up to the ship where we were met by one of the many photographers who proceeded to take a photo of myself, my wife and 10 year old daughter. Overall we found that the check-in was not smooth, stress free or professional. On entering the ship there was no-one to give us directions to our cabin – we just had to find our own way! Carnival failed to give passengers a map of the ship on boarding or alternatively leaving one in the cabin. We eventually picked up some later and Guest Services. Cabin We were fortunate to be upgraded from an inside to an outside cabin (without balcony) as the booking had been made on an allocation on arrival basis. The cabin was spacious with my daughter having her own bed on the floor as opposed to a bunk bed. Having two wash rooms in the cabin was also a bonus with three people sharing a cabin. Being diabetic, my wife had pre-arranged for a sharps box and a cabin with a fridge. The latter caused a small problem in that after initially requesting this to be opened, to store insulin, via Guest Services it required a call two hours late to Room Services to actually get it opened. The rooms were serviced regularly (at least two or three times daily) with a different animal made of towels put in the room each day (to the amusement of my daughter). The room staff were extremely polite and professional and did the ship proud. Service Staff on the whole were very attentive and efficient. At times they may need to be reminded that guests are on holiday and just want to be left alone to relax to unwind from the stress of everyday life! Drinks prices were high considering that they buy tax free and in bulk. For example a can of Boddington’s, before the compulsory 15% service charge was added, worked out at around £3.70. Food Our allocated dining room was the Northern Lights Restaurant on deck 3. After arriving the first night we needed to approach our fourth waiter in the restaurant who eventually knew where our table was located. It was soon apparent that families with children had been allocated tables by the maitre’d that were in disadvantageous positions in terms of view and location in the restaurant – especially when the waiters did a dance to music. Basically families with children were hidden out of the way As the cruise progressed we noticed that more and more families were using The Lido and other facilities in which to dine rather than use their allocated dining areas. A large proportion of the main dishes were served with / or cooked in oil containing garlic which was alright if you like it – we don’t and my wife, who is allergic to garlic, tried to resolve the problem with Guest Services but they were unhelpful! As a result we ate in The Lido some nights to speed up our dining time as well as being able to eat when we wanted. The hot water dispensers in The Lido were not hot enough to brew a cup of tea from a teabag adequately so it required two bags to be used – hotter water would save Carnival money in the extra tea bags they use. Tea made with tepid water is undrinkable. Talking of tea - the afternoon tea with cakes in the Southern Lights Restaurant was very civilised, albeit not very well publicised or used and made a pleasant break away from the hot noisy sun decks. Towards the end of the cruise we noticed the ship had run out of bananas, Frosties (breakfast cereal), chocolate drinks for the kids and even Budweiser beer (Punchliner Comedy Club). Carnival need to review their order levels and/or take on additional supplies at the ports which they visit. For a very quick bite the 24 hour pizza and grill (for burgers and hot dogs) bars below either side of the huge cinema screen are recommended as was the deli bar at the back of the ship. Entertainment This was probably the biggest disappointment. There was no show in the Showtime Theatre on the first night, some nights there was only a 10:30pm show (too late for families with young children) consisting of the ships dance cast and band. There were only three non-ship’s crew acts consisting of an illusionist, a multi instrument performer and a comedian/juggler. One night there were five members of staff doing a very amateurish ‘murder mystery – who done it’ and the last night guests performing as famous singers (10:30 show only). We went to the Punchliner Comedy Club where we watched a ventriloquist who seemed to go down well with the audience which only filled about a quarter of the room. Having a large screen cinema was a good addition to a ship showing films (normally twice each evening). Unfortunately the noise coming from this area during the day, including live bands playing cover versions of American rock classics, was too loud and repetitive. With the speakers pointing in the direction of Serenity Deck there was not much chance of having a truly relaxing time when using these facilities. Activities The three main activities on the top deck were the water park, crazy golf and rope course. Carnival’s safety procedures were carried out meticulously which are to be commended. The water slides were fast and exhilarating even if the water going through them was on the cold side. The rope course, over 8 metres above the deck, was testing to start with until you became accustomed to it – my daughter almost ran around it. The 9 hole crazy golf course (split on two different deck levels) was great fun as a family activity although after only four months the ninth hole was showing wear and tear (the transportation of the ball between the higher and lower deck was not working correctly). Public areas As a beer drinker I eagerly went to the Thirsty Frog pub one evening to try Carnival’s own brew. The pub was sparsely populated (less than 20 people around) only to be presented by a pint which must have been brewed for the American customers. After drinking just half of the pint my wife and I left as I could not drink any more – it was gassy and not very pleasant. The Serenity Deck (adults only) was great to use on days when we were in port. However, on sea days especially, the monitoring of towels left on sun loungers was a big problem. These are supposed to be removed if people do not return for 40 minutes by a steward but they were hardly seen. One morning (sea day) at about 08:15 I went to the area only to find about 1/10th of the sun loungers occupied with the rest having towels on. I was forced to complain in the Spa as no towel stewards could be found on the Serenity Deck. Carnival need to reduce this time to say 15 or 20 minutes for the time which a sun lounger can be left ‘unoccupied’. During the cruise, especially on port days, maintenance took place on the ship including the varnishing of hand rails and painting – these areas were tapped off from the public. Considering the ship was only four months into it’s inaugural cruise it appears that there is a high level of wear and tear on the ship already. A common theme with most cruise ships is the abundance of photographers which they employ and which at times can be very obtrusive. Carnival, as with other operators, print off hundreds of photos - the majority of which seem to be unsold. If they just reduced their prices to a more realistic level they would increase their overall turnover at no additional cost as the photos had already been printed. The additional sales would create happier passengers and healthier profits for Carnival. Visiting the casino on several evening we found the staff very helpful and courteous. In most of the areas we noticed the availability of iced water and cups which was appreciated in the heat. Shore excursions During the trip my family went on three excursions – Rome, Herculaneum and Mount Etna. These were quite expensive for what they included although the guides at Rome and especially Herculaneum were very knowledgeable. Details of these trips could be found in a booklet (no pictures except the cover) which were sparse in detail. For about £60 a limited number of guests could go on an ‘access all areas’ tour of the ship to see the non public areas on the last sea day. Spa / Fitness Club We did not use these as the prices were very expensive even before adding on service charges. Walking through the area it appeared immaculate and had a very calming atmosphere. Kid’s Club My daughter attended this on the majority of days that the family was not on an excursion. She enjoyed the games and made friends easily. On leaving, on the last night, each child was given a small back-pack and pencil case with the Camp Carnival logo on – a nice touch Carnival! Other The Cruise Director made a special point that the ship’s captain had agreed to change course and detour via Stromboli to see the active volcano at night – it was spectacular and worthwhile. However, this appears to be part of the standard route of this cruise as other photos of Stromboli on sale the following day were clearly not taken that evening (sun setting in a different position). Disembarkation was very smooth and I would recommend to those who are offered the ‘self assist’ method to take up the offer.
Quality of Food

Entertainment

Shore Excursions
Herculaneum
Staff
Cabin crew
Children's Facilities

Onboard Activities

Cabins

Overall Rating

36 of 40 people found this review informative

Was this review informative to you?

Report this review

Comment by Hersey, The Vines (09 Dec 11 23:34) about this REVIEW

We were on The Magic for it`s 2nd cruise..not many points covered by Benbrook could we agree on. we are sure had the crew been less attentive that would have made for an even bigger complaint...surprised that no mention was made of the Cruise Directors very smutty comments, especially when travelling with a child.. Do agree the special detour to Stromboli seems to be part of a plan..Not that we have cruised many times..4 in all..we found this Captain to be very lack lustre and did not interact with passengers at all...unless you were a very attractive young lady!!!!! but..with all this said, we thoroughly enjoyed our Magic trip and would cruise Carnival again Vic & Judith Western Australia

Report this comment

Comment by Benbrook, Braintree (11 Dec 11 20:23) about a COMMENT by Hersey (09 Dec 11 23:34)

I look forward to reading your review as others seem to support me on comments that I have made if you read their reviews

Report this comment

Comment by Williams, Cannock (10 Dec 11 13:02) about a COMMENT by Hersey (09 Dec 11 23:34)

Regarding the allergy to Garlic, she should have spoken to the Maitre D who would have organised her menu for her every evening etc. I have life threatning allergies and do this all the time without any oroblems. They organise things for me and I thoroughly enjoy cruising and feel very safe regarding my allergies.

Report this comment

Comment by thelaughincow, Glasgow (09 Dec 11 22:24) about this REVIEW

Did you go cruising just to nitpick or enjoy yourself? What a moaner, get a life

Report this comment

Comment by benbrook, Braintree (05 Jan 12 13:23) about a COMMENT by thelaughincow (09 Dec 11 22:24)

Just got back from a cruise on the Norweigan Jade - what a difference! No hard sell, great entertainment and a Cruise Director who goes the extra mile.

Report this comment