Just back from amazing sailing on the Magic!

[iloveeeyore]

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!

 

[MainStreetFireman]

Looking forward to reliving our trip by reading your report, my sweet!

 

[Disgal1115]

Thank you for this! We head out in a few weeks! How was the weather? Is it swimsuit weather or a bit too chilly?

 

[JimJoonie]

Any chance you could provide a quick overview of the disembarkation process?

 

[Pixarfans]

I would love more MDAS details. What kind of activities on that day? When was the USO show? We did SWDAS 2 years ago and loved.

 

[sharktums]

Thanks for the report!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Thank you for this! We head out in a few weeks! How was the weather? Is it swimsuit weather or a bit too chilly?

You're welcome!

We felt very lucky with the weather! Of course it can be hit or miss this time of year. We arrived in Miami on Saturday before a Monday sailing. Saturday was very lovely, with temperatures in the low 70's. It was a beach day and the water was swimmable for us (we are from the Northeast, used to New Jersey beaches). Sunday started overcast and cool, not a great beach day but perfect for walking around and enjoying the architecture and sights of Miami Beach. This was the day of the winter storm that slammed the Southeast, and around 1 in the afternoon, there was a deluge that lasted about an hour and then slowed to a drizzle or mist the rest of the day with very cool temperatures. That was the last rain we saw all week! Embarkation day was gorgeous but a little breezy. Our first day at CC was very windy at Serenity Bay in the morning but lovely elsewhere on the island and the breeze died down by 10:30. We fully enjoyed the beaches after that. Sea Day was just warm enough, second CC day Naussau day were PERFECT for swimming/sun bathing. Seas were the calmest I have experienced on any cruise for the entire week. I wish you equally great weather!

Any chance you could provide a quick overview of the disembarkation process?

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!

 

[tvguy]

Sounds like Disney needs to update their WiFi/Internet if they are going to stay paperless.
LOL on the coffee. Not sure about how I will feel now that I am recently retired, but coffee and cell phones were things I looked to get away from on a cruise. Those are things I associate with WORK.

 

[iloveeeyore]

I would love more MDAS details. What kind of activities on that day? When was the USO show? We did SWDAS 2 years ago and loved.

This is what I hate about not having a paper Navigator!! It's hard to remember the details of the offerings! The headliners were offered a few times during the day. We had Palo Brunch and a Mixology tasting and were still able to see all the main things. There were several Marvel movies playing in the Theaters and on Funnel Vision and stateroom TVs. Characters were roaming all over the place, especially in the atrium. There was quite a bit of interaction, even though you can't get really close. The characters play off each other, like Thor and Loki, which is really fun to watch. They start appearing early, maybe 8am? There are a few meet and greets you can schedule after check-in, with Black Panther and Iron Man (together) and another with Groot. There was an intro to the Marvel Universe class, like a 30 minute refresher course on some of the main characters and how they were formed, what their powers are. There was a little stage show featuring Doctor Strange in the Walt Disney Theater that was excellent. The USO show in Fathoms was a Captain America inspired stage show with singing and dancing,songs from the 1940s about 30 minutes long, excellent!! Captain America appears at the end, very cool to see. 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! There's a special dinner menu. There is a deck show (2x) on deck 9 called Heroes Unite that includes most of the Marvel characters and fireworks and it was truly spectacular, not-to-be-missed! There are various trivia and family games, there was a great superfan face-off and little Marvel touches throughout the ship all day. There were so many animation opportunities to learn how to draw characters. We did a Spiderman one, I wish we had had time to do more!

MDAS was spectacularly done and truly one of the highlights of this cruise. We are so impressed that DCL could pull if off in this fashion considering the times we are in. We're so glad we chose this sailing, in part for this reason. We did SWDAS 2 years ago and enjoyed it. MDAS to us, anyway, was a whole other level of MARVEL-ous!

Thanks for the report!

You're welcome!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Sounds like Disney needs to update their WiFi/Internet if they are going to stay paperless.
LOL on the coffee. Not sure about how I will feel now that I am recently retired, but coffee and cell phones were things I looked to get away from on a cruise. Those are things I associate with WORK.

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!

 

[tvguy]

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!

I did have a few cups of coffee on the Magic from the dining rooms and buffet. At the time people were complaining because Disney was using Nescafe.
My wife and I worked in TV newsrooms for 42+ years. If you are picky about coffee, don't drink TV newsroom coffee.

 

[iloveeeyore]

I did have a few cups of coffee on the Magic from the dining rooms and buffet. At the time people were complaining because Disney was using Nescafe.
My wife and I worked in TV newsrooms for 42+ years. If you are picky about coffee, don't drink TV newsroom coffee.

The funny thing is...I'm not terribly picky about coffee. I am an addict, so as long as I get my fix, I rarely complain! DCL is just THAT BAD! It's not Nescafe anymore, though I'm betting that would have been better. I will take your advice about newsroom coffee, I shall avoid. Thanks for the heads-up, LOL.

 

[MainStreetFireman]

Sounds like Disney needs to update their WiFi/Internet if they are going to stay paperless.
LOL on the coffee. Not sure about how I will feel now that I am recently retired, but coffee and cell phones were things I looked to get away from on a cruise. Those are things I associate with WORK.

I love/hate the connectivity of the Internet. Being the POA and HCP for my elderly mom, I get great comfort knowing that I can help her in a pinch no matter where I am. Unfortunately, for my work, responding in a timely manner to opportunities being offered a week in advance is the difference between making a living and being irrelevant. I don't like it. But it's the rules of my game.

The very first place we were directed to after boarding was the Navigator app / Internet class in Fathoms. As soon as the CM asked anyone if they were having any problems, 75% of the room raised their hands.

If you SCHEDULE a troubleshooting seminar in your guests itinerary as they walk on the ship, then you KNOW that your Internet is a problem. Just unacceptable in so many ways.

 

[geegee14]

Thank you for sharing about your trip. I just got so excited when you mentioned Dogan because he was our head server a few years ago on the Dream. He was amazing with our youngest who was 15 months. Totally doted on him. We requested to be in his area on subsequent cruises, but he was always on another ship. We are scheduled on the Magic coming up so hope he is still there!

 

[jtruth33]

Just got off the Magic as well, +1 on your report spot on. The cast members, MDAS, Castaway Cay, and the shows were phenomenal! After hours was a blast too, even with the masking.

The free coffee is swill. I'm not overly picky either but its downright awful.

Agreed on the internet too, charging by the GB is dated by about 10 years. Modern apps arent designed for that.

 

[Disgal1115]

You're welcome!

We felt very lucky with the weather! Of course it can be hit or miss this time of year. We arrived in Miami on Saturday before a Monday sailing. Saturday was very lovely, with temperatures in the low 70's. It was a beach day and the water was swimmable for us (we are from the Northeast, used to New Jersey beaches). Sunday started overcast and cool, not a great beach day but perfect for walking around and enjoying the architecture and sights of Miami Beach. This was the day of the winter storm that slammed the Southeast, and around 1 in the afternoon, there was a deluge that lasted about an hour and then slowed to a drizzle or mist the rest of the day with very cool temperatures. That was the last rain we saw all week! Embarkation day was gorgeous but a little breezy. Our first day at CC was very windy at Serenity Bay in the morning but lovely elsewhere on the island and the breeze died down by 10:30. We fully enjoyed the beaches after that. Sea Day was just warm enough, second CC day Naussau day were PERFECT for swimming/sun bathing. Seas were the calmest I have experienced on any cruise for the entire week. I wish you equally great weather!



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!

So glad you all had nice weather! That’s amazing! How many nights was your cruise? Is there any type of formal night?

 

[MainStreetFireman]

Dina's full trip report (already in progress) can be found at:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...-al-second-january-2022-5-night-mdas.3868408/

 

[iloveeeyore]

If you SCHEDULE a troubleshooting seminar in your guests itinerary as they walk on the ship, then you KNOW that your Internet is a problem. Just unacceptable in so many ways.

EXACTLY! And the troubleshooting seminar was useless! I STILL needed to visit Guest Services multiple times to get back on. Thank goodness they were so accessible, helpful and kind!

Thank you for sharing about your trip. I just got so excited when you mentioned Dogan because he was our head server a few years ago on the Dream. He was amazing with our youngest who was 15 months. Totally doted on him. We requested to be in his area on subsequent cruises, but he was always on another ship. We are scheduled on the Magic coming up so hope he is still there!

This was the first time I've ever been on the cruise that the Head Server actually had any noticeable presence or impact. I wasn't sure if it was because of the low number of passengers, or because Dogan was really that great? We actually had conversations with other cast members who have experience working with him, and all spoke very highly without prompting, so I'm leaning toward he's just that great!

Just got off the Magic as well, +1 on your report spot on. The cast members, MDAS, Castaway Cay, and the shows were phenomenal! After hours was a blast too, even with the masking.

The free coffee is swill. I'm not overly picky either but its downright awful.

Agreed on the internet too, charging by the GB is dated by about 10 years. Modern apps arent designed for that.

We didn't do much after hours because we were really beat after dinner most nights. I'm sure whatever was offered was great, and we would try to experience more of it next cruise! I really wanted to see the comedian for adults only but we collapsed that night, LOL. Your comment about internet, "dated by about 10 years," so true! Exactly what DH said!

 

[iloveeeyore]

So glad you all had nice weather! That’s amazing! How many nights was your cruise? Is there any type of formal night?

5 nights, no formal night. Cruise casual the whole time, I believe.

 

[geegee14]

EXACTLY! And the troubleshooting seminar was useless! I STILL needed to visit Guest Services multiple times to get back on. Thank goodness they were so accessible, helpful and kind!



This was the first time I've ever been on the cruise that the Head Server actually had any noticeable presence or impact. I wasn't sure if it was because of the low number of passengers, or because Dogan was really that great? We actually had conversations with other cast members who have experience working with him, and all spoke very highly without prompting, so I'm leaning toward he's just that great!



We didn't do much after hours because we were really beat after dinner most nights. I'm sure whatever was offered was great, and we would try to experience more of it next cruise! I really wanted to see the comedian for adults only but we collapsed that night, LOL. Your comment about internet, "dated by about 10 years," so true! Exactly what DH said!
[/QUOTE

He really is that great! Every night he brought my little guy the smallest little silver fork you’ve ever seen. He would cut all the kids food. I thought maybe it was because we were concierge…but I have to say my youngest is quite the charmer so he got lots of attention that trip from everyone. One day at the dining room for lunch a server walked by, saw his smile, and came back with the cutest hat made out of a cloth napkin. Really miss these cruises.