Has anyone here been on the Carnival Magic? We are thinking of trying it in January because the price seems so affordable (2500 for our family of 4 in a cove balcony room). We have only cruises with DCL, so we are a little nervous to try something new.
Have not tried the Magic yet but I've seen her name appear among the well liked ships of Carnival like Vista, Breeze, Sunshine, Dream and Conquest (and probably Horizon since it's like the Vista).
I recommend that you get as much information as possible in order to get to know Carnival and the way it works, that way, you will be able to "place your expectations where they need to be". Some things you'll like more on DCL, some you might end up liking more on Carnival.
Main differences:
-DCL replaces everything that has a scratch. They will replace wallpaper that has a black mark on it.
Carnival may wait a bit longer to replace stuff (although I have to say that I have noticed they were giving much more TLC to the Vista than the Victory). That being said, when there was problems in our cabins (even some I had not notice), they were very proactive in repairing it ASAP. Just don't expect to see "brand new" everywhere.
-No rotational dining or themed dining room (if you like themes, there is a Dr. Seuss Breakfast and the decorations are cute!) but DH and I agree that the included food is much better on Carnival. And when the ship is Fun Ship 2.0 you get even more choices!
-Specialty dining --Cucina del capitano, Jiji Asian Kitchen, Fahrenheit 555 and Chef's table-- is just as good as Palo/Remy but more affordable (lower rates per person).
-More events/parties that are for adults.
-More sales (if you like to shop or buying souvenirs, you are going to love the last day on the ship because they have a lot of sales on that day).
-Non Disney musical revues
-Comedy shows every night or almost every night.
-Carnival have Hasbro game events and a library filled with books and board games that you can play.
-Less characters on the Carnival ship but there is a Towel Elephant, Dr. Seuss Characters and Mr & Mrs Potatohead, they announce it on the Fun Times.
-There is a casino. You might have to go through them in order to go from one place to another. As long as you don't have asthma, it shouldn't be a problem.
-They don't announce your name when you get on the ship.
-On certain ship, Carnival has more sport activities/equipment than the DCL ships.
-Unless you get a Cloud 9 Spa room (so you get Elemis products), Carnival shampoo and shower gel aren't great. I'd recommend to bring your own.