First Cruise-Wish or Magic?

[lynzi2004]

Ok so lets throw a wrinkle in the plan...lets split the difference. 4 night Merrytime Cruise on the Dream out of Ft. Lauderdale...might this be the the middle of the road?!? (Its also middle on price!) A decent choice that would get us the bigger ship, but a more "normal" cruise itinerary to the Bahamas? Pros and cons to it? We've been to WDW last Christmas and headed to DisneyLAND this Christmas so obviously, I know Disney does Christmas well. But I'm not sure on weather...better in December or May? Any other thing I should consider with these.

As an aside...I'm still weighing all the pros and cons of the other 2 even if I haven't personally commented on each post. My biggest fear with the Magic is that my first cruise was on Carnival's smallest, oldest ship. There were pros and cons to it, but anytime I mentioned a con my sister kept assuring me that ANY cruise ship would be bigger, nicer and newer than what we were on. I know Disney is way better, but I can't get the thought out of my head that cruising on the Magic is going to be dated and I'm going to be left feeling like I did when I got off the Fantasy. But I'm also telling myself that last year we stayed at both Boulder Ridge and the recently remodeled Grand Floridian on a split stay. While the GF was amazing, we had stayed at Boulder Ridge first and were very happy with our accommodations. That being said, I also told DH after our GF stay, that I wouldn't necessarily pick BRV again until it was redone. Thank you all so much for your help! And as I dig through post after post of these similar topics, I'm finding all the info very helpful when trying to decide!

 

[emmabelle]

I've been on the Magic and just did the Wish last month. We had a verandah cabin on both and I really didn't feel like the Wish cabin was that much better. I liked the atrium and the laundry room on the Wish and the many pools, although I wasn't impressed with the adults only section on the Wish. The pool there was a people soup and it was kind of hard getting in and out with the ladder, also it was tight around the bar. The Marvel restaurant and 1923 seemed small, I liked the setup of Animator's Palate better. There were pros and cons to both, but the Wish is a beautiful ship.

 

[pxefig]

Here are my two cents for you to take or leave. The only cruise I have ever been on was a 4 night on Dream in 2011. It was 4 adults in two staterooms with verandahs. My takeaways:
We were only in the room to sleep or change. That's it.
Never made the time to watch the shows or a movie
Never booked any port excursions
Did a tequila tasting and played bingo and had fun at both
Got off at Nassau to buy rum cakes and got right back on the ship to ride AquaDuck a bunch of times
Didn't feel like we even scratched the surface of what there was to do on the ship and we all agreed we had more fun on the cruise than on a Disney Park vacation. We will be taking our kids on the Wish in November as my second cruise ever (it's pretty expensive for a family of six and only now can we finally afford it). I am in the mindset that the ship is the vacation, the ports are extra.
Whatever you decide will be the right decision, if for no other reason than you don't know any different! And what a gift that will be- freedom from expectation! Whatever you choose, you WILL have fun!

 

[Marthasor]

I’m on the Wish as I write this - I vote for the Magic. I’m not impressed with this ship at all. Really bad design. You will get a better ship and better itinerary on the Magic, IMHO.

 

[tidefan]

Personally, our favorite ship is the Magic (followed closely by the Fantasy). One thing to consider is that if you are visiting Castaway Cay, it is much less congested when visiting on the Magic/Wonder than on the Dream/Fantasy/Wish. It is very noticeable if you've been on them all. For that reason, I'd suggest the Magic. Trust me, it is NOT like one of the older Carnival ships... Also, I think that the restaurant setup (Animator's, Rapunzel's, Lumiere's) is our favorite of the 5. Plus the Magic has a Shawarma station!

 

[Karin1984]

Instead of saying dated, say that the Magic is classic. To me, for example looking at the Fantasy or the Magic's atrium it is not that different. Big staircase, chandelier and balconies looking out on the deck below.

It is smaller, but in no way worse, in my opinion.

To me, the Wish is too Disney, too much in your face. Overstimulating and loud. I like the classy, nautical look of the Magic with touches of Disney.

 

[Budzooka]

In full disclosure, I haven’t sailed on the Wish, but I LOVE the Magic. Have sailed Fantasy, Dream, and Magic twice (most recently in July this year). It is in great shape and love how it less crowded. Animators Palate, Tangled, pools, walking deck that have all been mentioned are huge pluses.

I also agree that sailing out of PC shouldn’t be a deal breaker. Yes, it is a better experience, but it shouldn’t be a deciding factor.

I would be on the Magic again in a heartbeat!

 

[maui2k5]

Magic - experience the ship that started it all.