Last Minute Cruise on Magic?

[BelleWannabe4]

I just accepted a new job and will have 2 weeks of "funemployment" before starting. It's also been cold here so I of course looked at Disney cruises...oops. There is a GTY rate for the Magic cruise out of Miami 1/16-20 that goes to Key West and CC, which looks amazing. It would be me and my husband, so just adults. Booking on such short notice, I have a few questions that I'm hoping the cruise experts on here can help me out with:

1) We're not planning to book any excursions or Palo, but is there anything else I would miss out on by booking so late?

2) To get the best rate, we would stay in an interior room. I've always had a porthole before. Are there any concerns about having an interior that I'm not thinking of? It's only 4 nights so I don't think it would be a problem for me.

3) Any ideas for how to spend the day post-cruise in Miami? The only non-stop flights are at 7 pm, so we will be there all day. I was thinking about renting a car and going to the beach or the everglades, but I would love any other suggestions.

4) I've never been on one of the smaller ships. I've loved the Rainforest Room on the Fantasy. Is it worth it on the Magic? It looks like the room is indoors on the deck plans.

5) Am I crazy for booking a cruise 13 days out?? Flights are shockingly well priced and I'm able to get at least one way on points.

Thanks in advance for any advice and for putting up with my long post! I'm an over planner so a spontaneous vacation freaks me out a little bit

 

[Lulu27]

I look forward to seeing the replies! I've never cruised out of Miami or on the Magic, so I can't speak to that. I will say that my husband and I booked a cruise 9 days out when we had to cancel our previously scheduled trip due to forest fires in the area we had planned to visit. It was fabulous! I was able to book Palo, Remy, and 3 tastings even at that late date (probably because people are canceling their slots as they firm up their plans). I say go for it!

 

[Geomom]

5. You are not crazy! If I were in your situation I'd do it! I'm also a 'planner', so this is the type of trip you just have to accept is more for relaxation/fun vs. having everything scheduled. Since you've never been on the Magic, you'll get to enjoy shows/restaurants that are on that ship only. We've only been on the smaller ships and loved them both!

1. You will likely be stuck with late dining--so if you prefer main dining, that could be put in the negative column. Being a planner...I take all these 'imaginary' vacations...I do 'what if' we ever did a last minute cruise at a great rate and were stuck with late dining...then we'd get some food from room service or pool deck at our normal dinner and just have appetizers/dessert in the MDR's. The other thing would be if you wanted tix for the Frozen or Princess gatherings. Also any pre-bookable beverage tastings will likely be full.

Sorry that I can't reply on the others...our 2 cruises were out of Vancouver and Copenhagen! Also haven't ventured into the spas or Palo. Also, DD18 and I are a bit claustrophobic, so we can't do insides...we 'need' to see out a window!

 

[jrabbit]

since the timing and pricing works out for you then GO FOR IT. The one time we booked a "Last Minute Cruise" - the cruise price was ok and the flight costs were incredibly great, the cruise was awesome. I think that the "Last Minute" bookings bring back some of the fun and wonder of cruising. Booking 18 months out, planning, waiting, knowing whats coming ... that can be tiring! Last minute does not give you any time to "over think it". You just get to pack and go!! Our last minute cruise was one of the more fun ones we've been on (20+)

1. I don't think that you will miss anything. There are still the nightly shows and the shows in the nightclubs in the evenings. And plenty of activities throughout the day.

Have you been to Key West before? If not I would suggest booking the Old Towne Trolley independently of the ship. You exited the ship and walked to the ticket booth and bought our tickets. It is a hop on / off tour of the island. We also visited the Hemingway house and Truman's Little White House (we bought these as a package online before leaving home). Key Lime Pie is a good treat in KW.

2. After our first two cruises we moved to porthole rooms ... but for only 4 nights ... an interior room will be just fine. Bring a night light or leave the TV on overnight tuned to the View from the Bridge channel (so you know if it is night or day time )

3. If you want to go to the Everglades - I would suggest the Shark Island area (west) vs. the Flamingo area (south). Take the bus tour - it goes all the way out to the observation towers. Plenty to see and much short drive times than down through Homestead

4. Size Matters and the Magic and Wonder are Fantastic (note: I am NOT looking forward to the new ships being even larger than the Dream / Fantasy). I usually feel less crowded on the classic ships. Unless you really love the rain forest room that overlooks the ocean ... or Mickey's mid ship detective agency ... or mini golf ... or the Aqua Duck ... on demand movies in your stateroom (if that's important - stay home and buy a bunch of DVD's and save a ton of money) ...and maybe a few other things. The Walt Disney Theater shows will be different than what you've seen, so you should enjoy those. The common spaces are still very nice on the smaller ships. Your stateroom will be larger than the corresponding staterooms on the Dream class ships. The crew will quite likely be friendlier (fewer guests per crew ... or so it seems). The Magic has the Aqua Dunk and Twist and Spout - you should give both a try!! And she also has Rapunzel's Royal Table as an MDR. Lots of Fun. One night (night of the Tangled stage show) O'Gills turns into the Snuggly Duckling - LOTS OF FUN!!

5. No NOT Crazy just fortunate that the stars have aligned nicely for you You will probably have Late Dinner Seating. That's not our favorite, but after the WDT show, we head to Keys and get a drink, they usually provide snacks like mixed nuts or "fishy crackers", and enjoy the music then head to dinner.

GO FOR IT and have a GREAT Trip!!

 

[wherespluto]

Have fun! We just got back from the Magic on 12/28 and last night booked a quick Dream 3 day on 1/18 for our 10th anniversary.

When I checked in last night for ours there were a lot of things like mixologys and such still available. Late dinner and port arrival time would be the biggest things. If there is anything else you want but is sold out I would always check with guest services when you get onboard and you may have luck then.

 

[wherespluto]

since the timing and pricing works out for you then GO FOR IT. The one time we booked a "Last Minute Cruise" - the cruise price was ok and the flight costs were incredibly great, the cruise was awesome. I think that the "Last Minute" bookings bring back some of the fun and wonder of cruising. Booking 18 months out, planning, waiting, knowing whats coming ... that can be tiring! Last minute does not give you any time to "over think it". You just get to pack and go!! Our last minute cruise was one of the more fun ones we've been on (20+)

1. I don't think that you will miss anything. There are still the nightly shows and the shows in the nightclubs in the evenings. And plenty of activities throughout the day.

Have you been to Key West before? If not I would suggest booking the Old Towne Trolley independently of the ship. You exited the ship and walked to the ticket booth and bought our tickets. It is a hop on / off tour of the island. We also visited the Hemingway house and Truman's Little White House (we bought these as a package online before leaving home). Key Lime Pie is a good treat in KW.

2. After our first two cruises we moved to porthole rooms ... but for only 4 nights ... an interior room will be just fine. Bring a night light or leave the TV on overnight tuned to the View from the Bridge channel (so you know if it is night or day time )

3. If you want to go to the Everglades - I would suggest the Shark Island area (west) vs. the Flamingo area (south). Take the bus tour - it goes all the way out to the observation towers. Plenty to see and much short drive times than down through Homestead

4. Size Matters and the Magic and Wonder are Fantastic (note: I am NOT looking forward to the new ships being even larger than the Dream / Fantasy). I usually feel less crowded on the classic ships. Unless you really love the rain forest room that overlooks the ocean ... or Mickey's mid ship detective agency ... or mini golf ... or the Aqua Duck ... on demand movies in your stateroom (if that's important - stay home and buy a bunch of DVD's and save a ton of money) ...and maybe a few other things. The Walt Disney Theater shows will be different than what you've seen, so you should enjoy those. The common spaces are still very nice on the smaller ships. Your stateroom will be larger than the corresponding staterooms on the Dream class ships. The crew will quite likely be friendlier (fewer guests per crew ... or so it seems). The Magic has the Aqua Dunk and Twist and Spout - you should give both a try!! And she also has Rapunzel's Royal Table as an MDR. Lots of Fun. One night (night of the Tangled stage show) O'Gills turns into the Snuggly Duckling - LOTS OF FUN!!

5. No NOT Crazy just fortunate that the stars have aligned nicely for you You will probably have Late Dinner Seating. That's not our favorite, but after the WDT show, we head to Keys and get a drink, they usually provide snacks like mixed nuts or "fishy crackers", and enjoy the music then head to dinner.

GO FOR IT and have a GREAT Trip!!

One thing they have recently upgraded on the Magic is they do now have the on demand movies.

 

[kiford]

5) Am I crazy for booking a cruise 13 days out?? Flights are shockingly well priced and I'm able to get at least one way on points.

I am very much a planner when it comes to vacations but I long for the day when I can retire and actually consider doing this. Not too long now (2-3 years) but it seems like forever away when this is one of the things I really want to be able to do ("There's space? Good price? Flights are good? Give me an hour to pack and we're there!").

For such a short cruise, I wouldn't personally worry about booking things. Just take it easy and enjoy. See what's available on the first day or day of the activity.

While we like all of the ships, the Magic is our favourite. There are some more things on the larger ships but I just find them too big for my personal taste and the rooms on the Magic are larger than those on the bigger ships (seems counter-intuitive to me but I believe that that they're making them larger on the newer larger ships).

 

[dcassetta]

I just accepted a new job and will have 2 weeks of "funemployment" before starting. It's also been cold here so I of course looked at Disney cruises...oops. There is a GTY rate for the Magic cruise out of Miami 1/16-20 that goes to Key West and CC, which looks amazing. It would be me and my husband, so just adults. Booking on such short notice, I have a few questions that I'm hoping the cruise experts on here can help me out with:

1) We're not planning to book any excursions or Palo, but is there anything else I would miss out on by booking so late?

2) To get the best rate, we would stay in an interior room. I've always had a porthole before. Are there any concerns about having an interior that I'm not thinking of? It's only 4 nights so I don't think it would be a problem for me.

3) Any ideas for how to spend the day post-cruise in Miami? The only non-stop flights are at 7 pm, so we will be there all day. I was thinking about renting a car and going to the beach or the everglades, but I would love any other suggestions.

4) I've never been on one of the smaller ships. I've loved the Rainforest Room on the Fantasy. Is it worth it on the Magic? It looks like the room is indoors on the deck plans.

5) Am I crazy for booking a cruise 13 days out?? Flights are shockingly well priced and I'm able to get at least one way on points.

Thanks in advance for any advice and for putting up with my long post! I'm an over planner so a spontaneous vacation freaks me out a little bit

We're on this cruise and you should join in!

1. Perhaps tastings, but I would guess there will be some available to book on board.

2. No issues and maybe you will get a little pixie dust!

3. Love the Everglades, but perhaps have an alternate plan in case the shut down continues. South Beach is cool and great for a day visit.

4. I do not book the Rain Forest on the classics. There is a sauna in the locker room if you would just like a steam.

5. Not crazy!!

 

[Sunshine2U]

Oh wow, go for it! Movies, shows and Castaway require no reservations. I hear you can usually pick up some reservations once you board but no big deal if you don't. Make the reservation then plenty of time to figure out Miami.

 

[LNMom]

In Miami—leave plenty of time to return car and get through security. I always find MIA to be crazy. Traffic is crazy as well, so leave plenty of time for driving around.

1) on south beach— rent bikes and bike from s beach along boardwalk to Fontainebleau hotel which is an iconic, historic property (have a cocktail??).
Many great restaurants on s beach. So many celebrity chefs; Stop for lunch. I like walking around Lincoln road mall.
Incidentally, On the weekends there’s a fabulous drag queen show & brunch at a place on ocean ave-when in Rome, right?
You could also ride the other way to joes stone crabs.
PS-there’s a great place for tacos called Bodega. Great happy hour-go through the meat locker door or the port-a-potty door to access the bar in back for happy hour specials.

2) visit vizcaya. Totally fascinating. Have lunch in coral gables (a Cuban friend from Miami loves Havana Harry’s; I love Versailles on Calle Ocho for Cuban, but it’s heavy food you may not want before a flight). Have a cocktail at the Biltmore Hotel in coral gables, another iconic spot.
You are close to the airport from here.

3) we have a half day in Miami coming up on our way to Spain. We are going to the Venetian pool in coral gables, then dinner at Havana Harry’s. All with the kids. Perhaps a quick run through the Merrick place mall near Havana Harry’s

Happy Sailing!!

 

[FSU Girl]

I say go for it. I booked a list minute cruise on the Magic that went over Christmas, I think I booked a month out. I was able to switch to the main dining from late and get Palo dinner. When you get on the ship you can also look at what you can sign up for that shows as sold out online. The Magic is a great ship. I've been on the Dream and Magic and I do think I prefer the bigger newer ships, but I still had a fantastic time on the Magic and didn't really notice the size or age. When you're at Castaway Cay you'll notice how empty the beaches are since you'll have a lot less people on the ship than the bigger ones. Have a great time!

 

[Lynne G]

Go for it. I booked the 1/11 cruise 3 weeks ago. Yep, waitlisted for early dining, but my adult DS and I do not mind late dining. Most of the excursions were available, but most of the popular ones were not. If we really wanted one, we would try to book when we get in the ship. Also, Palo was not available either, but on a short 5 night cruise, we are going to try when on the ship too, but not that disappointed if cannot get a reservation. The big character meet was also not available, nor Groot, but the NY one was. I don’t care, we will enjoy the ship.

And we have cruised in the Dream and Fantasy, but never have left from a Miami port.

Have fun, we will sadly be leaving when you board.

 

[pascalspal]

I will be on the sailing you're looking at! I say go for it! You can just enjoy the ship and relax! MDR food is great and you might just be able to snag a Palo reservation on board. Surely there will be spa appts available if that is something you're interested in too.

 

[BelleWannabe4]

Thank you all so much for your replies and advice! We booked it and leave for Miami in 11 days (eek!). I’m excited to cruise on the Magic, and have never been to Miami or Key West. Thanks for all of the helpful suggestions! I think we will probably rent a car to store our luggage and drive to the Everglades or South Beach - we can play that by ear depending on the weather and the government.

We did get the second dining, but I prefer that. We live in Denver, so early dining would feel more like a late lunch at least on the first day. I checked us in and our port arrival time isn't until 1 pm. We would have liked an earlier time but not the end of the world. I did snag a champagne tasting and noticed there were several other tastings still available. Palo brunch was fully booked as well. We're going to check out the Rainforest Room during the spa open hours and decide if that's something we're interested in.

I’ll let you all know how it goes! I really can't wait for some warm weather and beautiful sandy beaches! Now off to research the Magic

 

[xavier2001]

Is it one of the Marvel Day at Sea cruises, we are going on the Magic the following week. You may have trouble getting tickets for the Meet and Greets if it is but as 2 adults that's probably not a huge deal. Enjoy!!

 

[xavier2001]

And you'll likely be able to book a Palo brunch once on board, they hold several reservations back.

 

[BelleWannabe4]

Is it one of the Marvel Day at Sea cruises, we are going on the Magic the following week. You may have trouble getting tickets for the Meet and Greets if it is but as 2 adults that's probably not a huge deal. Enjoy!!

I think it's just a "regular" cruise. I've never seen any of the Marvel movies except for Black Panther (oops?) so even if it is, characters will not be high on our list.

We'll see about the Palo brunch though...it is tempting!

 

[Dug720]

Is it one of the Marvel Day at Sea cruises, we are going on the Magic the following week. You may have trouble getting tickets for the Meet and Greets if it is but as 2 adults that's probably not a huge deal. Enjoy!!

You haven't met a lot of adults I know. LOL. They'd be more all about the Marvel meet & greets than their kids.

 

[mickeymom22]

Go for it! We just returned from a cruise on the Magic and loved it! Have fun and charge up for your next adventure!

 

[xavier2001]

You haven't met a lot of adults I know. LOL. They'd be more all about the Marvel meet & greets than their kids.

Ours is a Marvel day, I was excited bc my husband is a big Marvel buff (both the comics and movies). He said he could care less about the meet and greets though. I went ahead and got tickets hoping that he changes his mind and his inner child comes out .