Just back from the Magic

[gatordoc]

I'm looking very forward to bringing my snorkel mask to LC in December. I'm excited that there isn't a specific area and that you can go different places. Where did you snorkel that you got to see some good wildlife?

The water is extremely clear, so from the shore you can see the much darker patches that are reef as opposed to the lighter ones that are sand - those dark patches are the ones to target. They have white buoys that indicate how far out you’re allowed to go (I did get yelled at once by a lifeguard for going too far), and the best ones are those where you can snorkel on the far side - way more fish, etc. than on the shore side. Also, the natural current runs from Serenity Bay down to the family beach (and beyond), so if you start at the Serenity Bay end, you can basically drift down by the various reefs, whereas going to the other way requires more active swimming. We ended up drifting all the way down, getting out to walk to the cliffs at the point (which are beautiful!) and then walking back up the beach rather than trying to swim back.

 

[Erica1016]

The water is extremely clear, so from the shore you can see the much darker patches that are reef as opposed to the lighter ones that are sand - those dark patches are the ones to target. They have white buoys that indicate how far out you’re allowed to go (I did get yelled at once by a lifeguard for going too far), and the best ones are those where you can snorkel on the far side - way more fish, etc. than on the shore side. Also, the natural current runs from Serenity Bay down to the family beach (and beyond), so if you start at the Serenity Bay end, you can basically drift down by the various reefs, whereas going to the other way requires more active swimming. We ended up drifting all the way down, getting out to walk to the cliffs at the point (which are beautiful!) and then walking back up the beach rather than trying to swim back.

Thank you, that is exactly the type of advice I was looking for! Going with the current is a great plan!

 

[NC DCL fans]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise!! Did they show the new movie Alien Romulus on your cruise?

 

[gatordoc]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise!! Did they show the new movie Alien Romulus on your cruise?

They did not. I asked the cruise directors, but they both acted like the movie wasn’t even on their radar. They were showing Deadpool & Wolverine (rated R) and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Studios), so I was hopeful, but alas it was not to be.

 

[OKW Lover]

First I want to thank the OP for this thread. I'll be on the Magic very soon. I've been on all the DCL ships but it has been a while since my last sailing on the classic (Magic/Wonder) ships so I've got some relearning to do.

Do you know if Inside Out 2 was playing on board?

I was on the Magic too this month and it was our first time going Concierge as well - it was such an improved experience that have decided we will only cruise Concierge from now on.

I'm curious as to what Concierge is like on the Magic. IIRC, When originally built they had no specific cabins or lounge area. Having sailed in concierge on the Dream, Fantasy and Wish I'm wondering if I would be disappointed in the concierge setup on the Magic.

 

[tidefan]

First I want to thank the OP for this thread. I'll be on the Magic very soon. I've been on all the DCL ships but it has been a while since my last sailing on the classic (Magic/Wonder) ships so I've got some relearning to do.

Do you know if Inside Out 2 was playing on board?


I'm curious as to what Concierge is like on the Magic. IIRC, When originally built they had no specific cabins or lounge area. Having sailed in concierge on the Dream, Fantasy and Wish I'm wondering if I would be disappointed in the concierge setup on the Magic.

Yes, Inside Out 2 was playing, both as a feature one night in the Walt Disney Theater and multiple times in the Buena Vista theater (BTW, the theater on the Magic is SO much better than those on the Wish...)

As to Concierge, I'll let someone else answer that. We've never cruised concierge.

 

[MichelleCanada]

The water is extremely clear, so from the shore you can see the much darker patches that are reef as opposed to the lighter ones that are sand - those dark patches are the ones to target. They have white buoys that indicate how far out you’re allowed to go (I did get yelled at once by a lifeguard for going too far), and the best ones are those where you can snorkel on the far side - way more fish, etc. than on the shore side. Also, the natural current runs from Serenity Bay down to the family beach (and beyond), so if you start at the Serenity Bay end, you can basically drift down by the various reefs, whereas going to the other way requires more active swimming. We ended up drifting all the way down, getting out to walk to the cliffs at the point (which are beautiful!) and then walking back up the beach rather than trying to swim back.

To add to this - we made it to the beach by 9:30 on August 15 at LC. The water was so clear you could see the sand through the water and there were very few people by then. Without snorkel we could see a lot of fish (silver with a black stripe) swimming around us. By 10:30 the beach was busy and definitely as the day went on it was harder to see as much wth all of the bodies moving around. I recommend getting to the beach first thing for any snorkelling - a large stingray swam right past us in the am.

 

[Retiredcruiser]

First I want to thank the OP for this thread. I'll be on the Magic very soon. I've been on all the DCL ships but it has been a while since my last sailing on the classic (Magic/Wonder) ships so I've got some relearning to do.

Do you know if Inside Out 2 was playing on board?


I'm curious as to what Concierge is like on the Magic. IIRC, When originally built they had no specific cabins or lounge area. Having sailed in concierge on the Dream, Fantasy and Wish I'm wondering if I would be disappointed in the concierge setup on the Magic.

We have sailed Concierge on all of the DCL ships and have found the experience on the Magic to be amazing post renovations. The size and the views are currently better than the Dream and Fantasy. Our two favorite CLs are the Wonder and the Magic.

 

[Erica1016]

To add to this - we made it to the beach by 9:30 on August 15 at LC. The water was so clear you could see the sand through the water and there were very few people by then. Without snorkel we could see a lot of fish (silver with a black stripe) swimming around us. By 10:30 the beach was busy and definitely as the day went on it was harder to see as much wth all of the bodies moving around. I recommend getting to the beach first thing for any snorkelling - a large stingray swam right past us in the am.

Great advice as well! Thank you!

 

[jrapps]

Do you happen to remember what movies are playing on the magic now? We'll be on there next week we're really hoping to see Deadpool and wolverine.

 

[MichelleCanada]

Do you happen to remember what movies are playing on the magic now? We'll be on there next week we're really hoping to see Deadpool and wolverine.

We were on the Magic (August 12-17). They showed Deadpool twice I believe. Once at 10:30 pm and once at 11pm. Anyone under 18 had to have an adult with them.

 

[bonnieappetit]

I was on the Magic too this month and it was our first time going Concierge as well - it was such an improved experience that have decided we will only cruise Concierge from now on. Having been on the Wish and the Dream before, I must say I really liked the charm and classic feel of the Magic and prefer it overall. I look forward to booking the Magic again soon!

We are on the Dream for the next few cruises booked and looking forward to comparison with the Magic, but may not be fair comparison as the Dream will have just come out of dry dock enhancements ahead of our November 2024 cruise on it.

We will be on The Magic Concierge late September. Who are the current hosts? Thanks!

 

[bonnieappetit]

First I want to thank the OP for this thread. I'll be on the Magic very soon. I've been on all the DCL ships but it has been a while since my last sailing on the classic (Magic/Wonder) ships so I've got some relearning to do.

Do you know if Inside Out 2 was playing on board?


I'm curious as to what Concierge is like on the Magic. IIRC, When originally built they had no specific cabins or lounge area. Having sailed in concierge on the Dream, Fantasy and Wish I'm wondering if I would be disappointed in the concierge setup on the Magic.

Concierge on The Magic and Wonder are so great! Hard to pick a favorite, but we do love The Wish Concierge lounge too!

 

[gatordoc]

We will be on The Magic Concierge late September. Who are the current hosts? Thanks!

We were not in concierge, but Diogo was one of the hosts (we’ve known him since he started as an assistant server on the Fantasy years ago).

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

We will be on The Magic Concierge late September. Who are the current hosts? Thanks!

Diogo, Elise and Sarah - great team!

 

[bobbiwoz]

We were on the Magic in May and we will be back on it in a few weeks. The Disney Magic is great.

We too! Had the Magic from San Juan to Ft Lauderdale, and we’ll be on a Halloween cruise very soon!

I enjoyed reading this thread!

 

[drew64]

Do you happen to remember what movies are playing on the magic now? We'll be on there next week we're really hoping to see Deadpool and wolverine.

Got off today. It was shown several times, also Inside Out 2, Planet of the Apes latest installment, and some others.

 

[CamColt]

Thanks for the review! We are sailing the Magic next year for the first time since 2012. It was nice hearing about it as I know a lot has changed since then.

 

[auntlynne]

Thanks for the review! We are sailing the Magic next year for the first time since 2012. It was nice hearing about it as I know a lot has changed since then.

My first thought to that was “not much.” Then

Removed one staircase in Atrium
Replaced all beds with fixed size / no splitting into twin option
Outside Beach Blanket Buffet (now Cabanas) you can get soup or bowl of the day, with a variety of toppings. And still, the sandwiches and salads if Daisy’s DeLites.
Buffet has stations, instead of food approached from two lines. Makes skipping ahead to selected options easier.
Rapunzel’s is a very Disney fairytale themed restaurant, with a table visit by the Princess, herself. I miss Carioca’s.

But so much a similar experience. No Captain Thord or Brent, Cruise Director.

 

[JMurray823]

Just back from the Magic 5-night to Castaway and Lookout Cays.

First off, if you were to tell me that this ship is 26 years old, there is no way I would believe it. The Magic is in great shape. I think that the only thing I noticed one day was that there was an A/C Condensation drip in one of the elevator lobbies, but they were on that the next day that I walked through. (Also, they were doing some kind of major work one day in the stairwell next to Cabanas, but not sure what they were doing). At any rate, maintenance on the ship, IMHO, is excellent.

We had an inside room on Deck 5 (our favorite location) and it was fantastic. A/C worked excellent and we had one of the best stewards we've ever had on DCL to be honest. I think that the only thing about the stateroom that I noticed is that it's probably getting close to time to replace the couches, but everything was in working order and spotlessly clean.

Food was hit or miss. On the plus side, Rapunzel's was always good and was also a great place for embarkation lunch. The regular Animator's night (we were also in there for "Let the Magic Begin" night) was also great with the Tuna Steak being one of the best I've had. Palo brunch on this ship, as always, was excellent. IMHO, Palo on the Magic/Wonder is the best setup as it covers the whole back of the ship. Love it. On the other hand, dinner in Lumiere's was a bit of a letdown. The Chateaubriand was surprisingly flavorless. Also, as always, the Pizza just isn't up to par, but I think most people know that.

Only went to one show (Tangled) as this was my 10th and DW's 14th cruise on the Magic, so we've seen Dreams and Twice Charmed too many times to count. (BTW, I miss Villains Tonight). It was good as you would expect.

Great cruise all together. We really enjoyed Lookout Cay. We were fortunate enough to be invited to share one of the Grand Cabanas on Serenity Bay (thanks again to those that invited us! You know who you are ) and it was amazing. Took the cabanas on Castaway and made them next level.

Happy to answer any questions!

We must have been on the same cruise, based on your posting date. It was a great sailing!!