Just back from amazing sailing on the Magic!

[geegee14]

Sorry. My reply about Dogan quoted all funny.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Sorry. My reply about Dogan quoted all funny.

No problem, I could read what you wrote!

 

[dreamer17555]

Thank you for your report! Ended up switching from a SWDAS to a MDAS and this review makes me feel really hopeful about our sailing!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Thank you for your report! Ended up switching from a SWDAS to a MDAS and this review makes me feel really hopeful about our sailing!

I just saw your post on the other thread and reacted that I think you won't regret your decision. MDAS was incredible and a big highlight for us. You're saving so much by switching ships, consider tacking on a few extra days in Miami so you still get a week. We really ended up enjoying Miami, despite our paranoia about getting Covid in our noses LOL!

 

[bethy]

DH and I just debarked from the Magic yesterday. The cruise was awesome and amazing and beautiful in almost every way. I will be doing a full trip report soon, but I know not everyone reads those, and some are sailing soon and will not have time to read, so here are some main points. Keep in mind this is two adults traveling together without any kids, so sorry, we have no perspective what this cruise was like for children or adults with children.

The bad (short list)
- approximately 100 people were denied boarding (this number is an approximation from many different but similar numbers heard from various servers and discussion between passengers, and from what we saw on the Inspire status boards). Safe to say, the number wasn't zero. It was so stressful waiting for our test results (and in the planning stages knowing that testing and possibly being denied boarding is a thing), and my heart goes out to those who tested positive. I hope all experience mild or no symptoms and that they enjoy another cruise really soon!
- the coffee, blech! It was equally horrid on the Fantasy two years ago, and DCL really needs to up their game in the coffee arena. Other cruise lines provide perfectly potable free coffee, what's up with this, DCL?! Yes, Cove Cafe brews are delicious, but for what we pay to sail with Disney, we shouldn't be forced to pay for drinkable coffee.
- The internet/app are absolutely atrocious. I could have maybe enjoyed the app but I kept getting kicked off for no reason, had to log in multiple times, take many trips to Guest Services for things like tips and our placeholder. I also don't enjoy that now I don't have a record of things like the names of that guitarist/singer we enjoyed in the Promenade Lounge or the Pianist in Keys, or the magician we missed. The cost for internet and the way one burns through it requiring additional purchase is ridiculous. Internet service is a necessity, not a luxury, for many people including my DH, they need to make it accessible!
- Merchandise- well this is one of those good/bad situations. The good is their merchandise is gorgeous and we wanted all of it. The bad - lots of items not available in most popular sizes (which were the sizes we needed.) I don't know how much this is to "blame" on DCL vs global supply issues right now, so I was hesitant to even mention this. We would have come home with a few more items had they been available in our size.

The AWESOME
EVERYTHING ELSE!!
-I can't say enough great things about the cast members in every single part of the ship!
-The entertainment was astonishingly outstanding, especially in the context of the global situation. We gotta hand it to DCL for being able to maintain the level of excellence in entertainment. Special shout-outs to the theater shows (Tangled and Dreams), the guitarist and the couple who entertained at the Cove Pool, and ALL of the Marvel Day at Sea Cast of Characters who truly made magic happen, especially the USO show and the Heros Unite deck show.
-Our Dining Service Team- Head Server Dogan, Server Melroy and Assistant Server Thiago were amazing at every meal, Viktor and Igor at Palo brunch!!
-Food!! So much great food!! Exceptions - COFFEE (previously excoriated but it's so bad it bears repeating), and Mickey Waffles in dining room were stale (we know we could have asked for new ones, but there was so much else to eat, didn't need to bother) and not available in Cabanas the times we went.
-Tastings! We did 3 and all were excellent. Champagne tasting embarkation day with Sommelier Matija, Mixology on Sea Day with Colin, and Mojito and Caiprinha on Castaway Cay with Glennys. All so great, so glad we did them (we have no experience with previous mixology classes so for us this was a first. It would have been better if could have participated more but Colin was so knowledgeable and entertaining we didn't miss it)
-Guest Services - sadly we had to go there a lot, especially for assistance with the app, they were always delightful and right on top of knowing exactly how to fix our problem.
-The ship is stunning and gorgeous. She could use a few updates in some areas (for example, Lumiere's reminded us of a diner in Astoria Queens in 1995), but DCL keeps her spotless and lovely.
- Couple's Swedish Massage at a cabana on Castaway was fabulous. We had Kathy and Niri and would request them again in a heart beat!
-Palo brunch - if you're wondering if it's still worth it without the buffet...YES! Don't miss the flatbread or the desserts. The panna cotta was one of the best desserts we've ever tasted, and definitely one of the best things we ate this week.
-Characters - they are everywhere and they are accessible and interactive. No, you can't hug them, but we saw them everywhere and had some of the best conversations/interactions ever. We love it when they dress as other characters; we get such a kick out of Stitch in his pirate gear and Chip and Dale in their Thor and Loki costumes, for example.
-People - you know, the other guests! We love the people we met, so many others like us, this is one of the best aspects of the DCL experience in our opinion.
-Double dip at Castaway Cay - would seek this out on another cruise. On our first DCL sailing on the Fantasy 2 years ago, we were so looking forward to CC, but couldn't dock due to strong currents. CC is definitely worth the hype and we are so happy we were able to experience it twice this time!
-Sailing out of Miami - what a treat Miami is! Miami beach is a national treasure, and the sailaway is stunning! We were worried that we would miss out on the special Disney feeling you get at PC, but we'd sail out of Miami again any day!

Please feel free to ask questions I will do my best to answer, and please watch for my trip report, which I will be starting soon!

Thank you for sharing!!! I miss the Magic and Wonder soooo much. This review made me very happy. I do totally agree with the coffee issue though. I have tote Starbucks VIA packets around the ship. That shouldn't be necessary in this day and age when most everyone appreciates decent coffee!

 

[bethy]

Thank you for your report! Ended up switching from a SWDAS to a MDAS and this review makes me feel really hopeful about our sailing!

The Magic and Wonder are tied for my favorite ships ever! We are trying to schedule a Spring 2023 cruise right now and are trying so hard to make it be on a classic ship.

 

[CMontheseas]

There's an adorable deck show (I think this was shown only once) with the Disney characters dressed as Marvel Characters for Example Mickey as Captain America and Daisy as Scarlet Witch. ADORABLE!

Wow!!! Daisy was dressed as Scarlet Witch :O She's usually dressed up as Black Widow but this would be such an exciting change - do you have any photos or video of it?

 

[Birklej]

A little off topic but we are looking at 2023 Jan/Feb should I assume the 5 and 6 night from Miami will be mdas?

 

[Birklej]

A little off topic but we are looking at 2023 Jan/Feb should I assume the 5 and 6 night from Miami will be mdas?

Next year it's the dream that has this itinerary and we really would want the mdas.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Hate to think about this but Whathappens next if denied due to Covid… ?Future credit ?

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Thanks for the report! Quick question about MDAS - were there many guests in costume that day?

 

[JimJoonie]

I'm not sure exactly what you want to know, but I can tell you what our experience was. We didn't have any suitcases, we had stuff we could carry on the plane. If you have suitcases you have the option to put them outside your stateroom door the last night by a certain time with luggage tags provided by DCL, and they will take them off the ship for you and place them at the port where you retrieve them when you walk off. Or you have the option to carry them off yourself. Walk offs started around 7:30 I believe. There are 2 breakfast seatings, dependent upon your dinner seating. You go to the restuarant you dine at the last night at either 6:45 (early seating) or 8:00 (late seating). I believe Cabanas is also open with limited selections but we hate the coffee at Cabanas but find it a little more palatable at the restaurants, and since they seemed to be promoting the sit-down breakfast, and we were not in a rush, that is what we opted to do. We arrived at Animators Palate with our carry-ons and personal items at around 7:45. They opened the restaurant and started late seating at around 7:50. They asked us to leave our bags outside (since capacity is so greatly reduced there's plenty of room for everyone's bags). We had a nice breakfast and were out of there at around 8:40 or so. We used the restroom 1 last time and simply walked off the ship at around 8:45 or 8:50 with no line. There are groups of luggage to be retrieved at this point, down in the terminal before the customs line. There was somewhat of a line to go through customs, maybe 20-30 minutes or so? We had to show our passports and reveal our faces for the inspector. We were done with the process before 9:15 I'd say. It was a smooth process. I hope this answers your question. If there's anything specific you want to know that I didn't cover here, please ask!

This was perfect. Thank you "iloveeeyore". I was trying to figure out how different the process might be. I was wondering if we were assigned a time to disembark. This has also given me the information needed to adjust my flight.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Thank you for sharing!!! I miss the Magic and Wonder soooo much. This review made me very happy. I do totally agree with the coffee issue though. I have tote Starbucks VIA packets around the ship. That shouldn't be necessary in this day and age when most everyone appreciates decent coffee!

We also LOVED the Magic bit I think we both agree we slightly preferred the Fantasy. The Magic was surprisingly so much smaller at least in feeling, and we aren't sure if that's partly because of the low passenger count. We thought that might have made it feel bigger, though, you know with more empty space. I forgot about the Starbucks VIA packs. We should have done that! Next time!

The Magic and Wonder are tied for my favorite ships ever! We are trying to schedule a Spring 2023 cruise right now and are trying so hard to make it be on a classic ship.

We have now done one in each class and we really would love to do all 4, well, all 5, eventually. We slightly favor the Fantasy...don't know why. Maybe because it was our first, perhaps because the atrium feels a little more grand? The one I'm most eager to try next I think is the Wonder as I have heard such amazing things and I know we'd love Tiana's and the NOLA themed lounge.

We are also "dreaming" of Spring, 2023! There's a 7 night Dream EC that is calling...or a 5 or 7 night Wonder Baja/Mexico that we are tossing around. If we do that one, we'd try to combine a few days in Disneyland, which we have never done together (I have been there in my youth on day trips as part of bigger LA-area trips).

Wow!!! Daisy was dressed as Scarlet Witch :O She's usually dressed up as Black Widow but this would be such an exciting change - do you have any photos or video of it?

Hmmm, now I'm thinking you may be right? Maybe she was Black Widow? To be fair, the characters were more "Marvel bounding" than cosplaying. And to be even fairer, at the time we enjoyed this show, we had just finished up our Mixology class with Colin the Alchemist, so forgive me if my details are a little fuzzy. Readers, judge for yourselves, let me know what you think!





This is the one that makes me second-guess, but TBH we are not at all familiar with the comics...

A little off topic but we are looking at 2023 Jan/Feb should I assume the 5 and 6 night from Miami will be mdas?

I would think the event would follow the itinerary and not the ship, but don't know for sure. I also don't remember exactly when they announced the MDAS schedule, but it was a while after we selected the cruise. We were originally scheduled for 2021, which was canceled, and we rescheduled ours for a year later under the assumption it would be MDAS, so we got lucky. I feel like they will announce sometime this spring?

Next year it's the dream that has this itinerary and we really would want the mdas.

Yeah, I wouldn't place a bet on it, but I think this is reasonable to think it would probably be on the Dream.

Hate to think about this but Whathappens next if denied due to Covid… ?Future credit ?

You get a full refund. You have the option to take in refund to credit card OR apply the amount to another cruise. My understanding is they want you to tell them then and there, so we had already decided we'd go with another cruise.

Thanks for the report! Quick question about MDAS - were there many guests in costume that day?

You are welcome. And YES! There were SO MANY guests in costumes. Some were quite serious, full cosplay get-ups that were incredible, and others were t-shirts or dresses with a favorite character or Marvel bounding types of situations. Later in the night as we were heading up to deck 9 to watch the deck show, we crossed paths with the real Spiderman. I didn't even recognize him because I thought he was another guest in costume. That's how many there were!

This was perfect. Thank you "iloveeeyore". I was trying to figure out how different the process might be. I was wondering if we were assigned a time to disembark. This has also given me the information needed to adjust my flight.

Glad to help! I hope you have an amazing cruise!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Well, if you still want to get away from those things, DCL is your cruiseline, LOL. And if you're in the mood to treat yourself to a really special coffee treat, Cove Cafe will suit. One good thing that arose from the coffee disaster is that DH and I remembered how much we enjoy a nice spot of tea. We drank more tea this cruise than in the last 5 years, easily! Enjoy your retirement!

Curious if you ever tried the room service coffee. I agree that the coffee in Cabanas and the dining rooms is unforgivably bad, but we really enjoyed the stuff they brought for room service every morning.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Curious if you ever tried the room service coffee. I agree that the coffee in Cabanas and the dining rooms is unforgivably bad, but we really enjoyed the stuff they brought for room service every morning.

No, we did not try this! I had heard this suggestion before but had entirely forgotten about it. This tip goes on my list of must-dos for next time. Thank you so much for the reminder!!

 

[Birklej]

Ugh see my TA thinks mdas will stay on the magic because of the crew. But lm looking at the itinerary for the magic next year and no castaway =( and such a range in dates. But a 7 day mdas would be amazing if that magic cruise turns into one.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Ugh see my TA thinks mdas will stay on the magic because of the crew. But lm looking at the itinerary for the magic next year and no castaway =( and such a range in dates. But a 7 day mdas would be amazing if that magic cruise turns into one.

I thought the MDAS and the SWDAS were extras that were added to entice guests on board for the less popular itineraries during the off season. It makes sense what your TA said about the crew, except that they move around, don't they? I suppose it will all be revealed soon. Wish I could help more, but your guess is as good as mine. I don't know how long these events have been around and if there's any historical precendent that might offer a clue?

 

[sharktums]

Oh, I thought of a question, what 'show' are they doing in Animators Palette?

 

[iloveeeyore]

Oh, I thought of a question, what 'show' are they doing in Animators Palette?

It was draw your own character, and they put it in the show. The difference since Covid is that you don't get your drawing back, so get a photo of it, if you care.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

You are welcome. And YES! There were SO MANY guests in costumes. Some were quite serious, full cosplay get-ups that were incredible, and others were t-shirts or dresses with a favorite character or Marvel bounding types of situations. Later in the night as we were heading up to deck 9 to watch the deck show, we crossed paths with the real Spiderman. I didn't even recognize him because I thought he was another guest in costume. That's how many there were!

Thank you SO much! I want to do a costume for our sailing next week but needed to know if I would be the odd one out