Disney Magic (NOLA) in February-Help!

[jsmla]

I’m not a cruiser and have absolutely no idea what I’m doing I’d like to take our 6 year old granddaughter on the Disney Magic out of New Orleans in February.

What type of cabin do you recommend? I’m not interested in concierge but am open to the others.

is there an area of the ship that is preferable? I guess we’d rather not be on top of the engines, right?

We are 100% going for the Disney experience-dressing up, characters and princesses. She’s also extremely social and would probably enjoy the kids club. Do folks go and never leave the ship? We both have passports.

So many more questions to come, I’m just so lost!

 

[CarolynFH]

We love verandah cabins. The DCL oceanview cabins are nice because the windows are so large, but there’s nothing like sitting on the verandah and watching the ocean go by!

We book a cabin that’s midship because it’s more stable so less rocking and rolling. Also, the lower the deck, the more stable, too. Location helps to avoid seasickness.

And yes, people do cruise without getting off the ship! In January we’re sailing the Magic from Galveston and plan to stay on the ship on one of our two port days but will disembark on the other because we want to visit some Mayan ruins. If it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t get off the ship there, either.

 

[o&smom]

So many options for rooms! We usually stay on deck two near the aft elevators. We love this location because it is an elevator ride up to Cabanas, and one or two flights of stairs to the main restaurants. We have stayed in ocean view, inside, veranda and concierge. All have been great. A lot will depend on your budget. I would play around with rooms on the web sight to get an idea of pricing differences. Ask away with any other questions!

 

[otten]

My very favourite area to stay on the classic ships is deck 6 mid. You are right in the middle of the ship with easy access to the recreation on the top deck and everything on decks 3-4 plus easy proximity to the club on 5. We find we rarely need to use the elevators when we stay in this part of the ship.

 

[auntlynne]

My first thought was New Orleans in February? When’s Mardi Gras? It is Feb 13, 2024. Before you book the cruise, make sure you can get a hotel.

I typically follow the cabin location rule of ”have cabins above, below, beside and across from you.” That’s about noise from the ship and work area doors (and public areas on decks above you).

Then I consider who’s traveling. One of my favorite areas on the Magic is Deck 5 forward. It has a small number of cabins, without the long hallways. Makes it feel cozy. It’s near the forward elevators, close to the Buena Vista Theater for movies. Then there’s the kids’ clubs and the midship elevator. Keep walking down a roomy corridor (with big windows) to the aft elevator to head up to Cabanas buffet or the pool deck. I think the aft (rear) area cabins on Deck 5 would be similarly useful.

That gives you the choice of inside, oceanview or Verandah cabins.

We have stayed in the “sideways” inside cabins a few times. They are the lowest price, but offer seemingly more usable floor space (same size as other insides). They have a single bathroom instead of the split bath of the rest of the shop.

Most recently on the Magic, we were assigned a cabin (booked a guarantee oceanview cabin - you don’t pick your room - you know this when booking). We ended up in Cabin 2022. We would purposely pick it on a future cruise. We sailed 8 nights and had no noise or motion issues. Very convenient to elevators (and stairs - easy to go up one flight and walk to 2 of the main dining rooms (MDRs).

The Navigator’s Verandah (Cat 7) could be fun with a kid. It has a balcony, but it is a special one, being more enclosed. Some people love them for this; others want the balcony to be more open, with a bigger view of the sea.

Motion sickness can happen wherever your cabin is, if you are prone to it. The more I sail, I have been able to forgo pills, patches, and bands. And now, if I get queasy, the weather is definitely rough and nowhere on the ship is okay.

All regular (non-Concierge category) cabins are roughly the same size - which is smaller than most hotels. But you are probably in them mostly for sleeping.

 

[auntlynne]

Inside sideways:

(I found these photos online - and noticed the photographer/ cruiser’s name was a man I recently sailed with on a Norwegian cruise last month. It is a small world, indeed! They were from England; I am from Alabama - we were cruising to Canada).

 

[auntlynne]

Oceanview


Source: Fodor’s

 

[auntlynne]

Navigator’s Verandah. The room looks like the oceanview.

 

[jsmla]

Thanks for the replies!

We live an hour from NOLA so won’t need a hotel.

I have zero experience with Disney cruises or choosing a cabin. I’m pretty sure I want at least a porthole (claustrophobia). I’d also prefer a quieter stateroom and would prioritize that over easier access to activities.

I feel like this is last minute. Is there any way to see if activities are booked up?

 

[auntlynne]

Thanks for the replies!

We live an hour from NOLA so won’t need a hotel.

I have zero experience with Disney cruises or choosing a cabin. I’m pretty sure I want at least a porthole (claustrophobia). I’d also prefer a quieter stateroom and would prioritize that over easier access to activities.

I feel like this is last minute. Is there any way to see if activities are booked up?

Finding excursion info is the hard part. But possibly you are not too close to sail date.

Sometimes a group of cruisers can tell you what is showing as available.

Are you looking for anything specifically?

…I hear you on the noise. Quiet with a good location is even better. I look at Disney Magic Deck plans in Disneycruiselineblog:

https://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp.../09/DCL-Deck-Plans-Magic-Wonder-2023-July.pdf

Decks 6 and 7 offer a lot of cabins that should be better for lack of noise. I pointed out oceanview and Navigator’s Verandah on this plan:



Cruising a pretty easy vacation. It’s not as complicated as going to WDW! And you don’t have to mess with flying and hotels - how lucky.

Hope it all works out for you.

I usually book on the website. Calling DCL is easy - or even an in-person or online Travel Agent can be the way to go (they sometimes give you onboard credit or gifts. And they don’t charge you a fee.)

You’ve done a big part of planning already - picking the ship, port, and date.

 

[mmouse37]

Deck 2 ocean view cabins midship are my favorite. We don't need a verandah but I prefer having natural light. Deck 2 is quiet, convenient to many things and just a great area of the ship. After is noiser so we prefer mid-ship to more forward.

MJ

 

[supergirl04]

I’ve sailed out of New Orleans on the Magic. We had an ocean view on deck 2. Loved it. Quite the majority of the time. Only heard music one night, and it didn’t interfere with our sleep.

 

[DLgeeks]

We're on the Feb 21 cruise out of New Orleans next year - this ship isn't super full so far, so you will likely have pretty good options with booking activities. Pretty much any room that isn't right over the aft engines is likely to be relatively quiet - most folks go for midship if your worried about the motion.

 

[happycamper47]

Pretty much any room that isn't right over the aft engines is likely to be relatively quiet - most folks go for midship if your worried about the motion.

Even the aft cabins aren't bad, except when docking and the thrusters are being used.

 

[jsmla]

We're on the Feb 21 cruise out of New Orleans next year - this ship isn't super full so far, so you will likely have pretty good options with booking activities. Pretty much any room that isn't right over the aft engines is likely to be relatively quiet - most folks go for midship if your worried about the motion.

Thanks! I booked a midship verandah stateroom on Deck 7. I hope it’s okay!