Carnival Sunshine Cruise Review

 Carnival Sunshine Cruise Review

January 19, 2014

Just The Facts
Ship:  Carnival Sunshine
Ship Captain: Carmelo Marino   
Cruise Director: Jaime Dee
Ports: New Orleans, LA, Montego Bay, Jamaica; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico
Weather:  Good all week

This is my 38th Carnival cruise, 2nd time on the Carnival Sunshine, and 84th cruise overall. I am cruising as a solo.

Day Zero--Saturday--Travel

I left the ranch about 9:20 am and headed south using some wonderful Texas backroads along the way. The weather was good and I arrived in Gonzales, Louisiana about 5:30 pm. to stay overnight at the new LaQuinta.  I visited the new Cabela’s store just up the street...it’s a huge store with museum, aquarium, and more...a very interesting sporting goods operation.

Day One--Sunday--Embarkation

Mississippi River Bridge upon departure from NOLA

I left Gonzales about 8:45 am for the easy one hour drive to NOLA and the cruise terminal arriving before 10:00 am.  I parked at the official port of NOLA Julia Street Terminal.  It is pricey @ $16.00 a day, but it has a baggage drop, covered parking, and it’s just an elevator ride down to cruise check-in area. They have a very nice VIP area for check-in area and I was processed and waiting by 10:30 and hoping for an 11:00 am boarding.  Just as I hoped by 11:00 they began announcements and soon began boarding suites, platinum & diamond guests. There were a lot in these categories, but it went well, followed by the FTTF guests.  I went strait to my cabin and it was ready and waiting for me.  I unloaded my carry on bag and was on my way to the JiJi’s grill (Mongolian on other Carnival ships) for lunch.  Even though I did not rush I was the first through the line, the Grill is a bit harder to find on the Sunshine being located in the Havana Bar area, so early guests had not discovered it.  It was very good as expected.  I then did a desert sampler plate from the Lido buffet area and returned to my table in the Havana Bar and enjoy my very filling lunch.  After lunch I returned to my cabin and very soon my bag arrived...in the parking garage I asked the porter to attach the extra VIP labels that I knew they have as the printed Priority Tags are sometimes overlooked.  I was very pleased to have had a wonderful lunch, my baggage, and unpacked in my cabin by 1:00 pm. A perfect embarkation.  I then took advantage of my wifi hotspot to catch up on mail and internet.  I discovered that I had some extra OBC that I had not expected and decided to purchase the ‘Cheers’ drink card, especially since I am sailing solo and would only have to pay for one package.  I was off to the lobby to get it then had a Funship special in the Lobby bar and people watch.  I was back at the cabin before the scheduled afternoon safety drill and I was able to watch the cabin TV for the NFL playoff games.  We sailed away after 5:00 and I went to the Alchemy Bar for some early cocktails.  Comedian Lance Montalto came by before his ‘family show’ to say hello.  I readied for dinner and made Lance’s first Adult comedy show at 7:45 then strait to dinner at 8:15 in the Sunrise dining room.  Matre’D Ken arranged an excellent table in the center of the dining room and the table mates seem nice although two were an hour late.  It is traditional Carnival menu items tonight and I had the Creme of Sun-ripened Tomato Soup, Linguine as a starter, the Fried Shrimp with Plum Sauce, and two desserts: the Creme Brulee & the Black Forest Gateau Cake.  The shops don’t open until we are out of the Mississippi River, but the casino and bars are doing a brisk business.  There were two Welcome Aboard Shows, but having previously attended I walked the deck then retired soon after to get some last minute internet time and rest. 

Day Two--Monday--at Sea

Steak and Eggs

Very calm in the Gulf of Mexico and I had a very good nights sleep.  Nice and sunny today and quickly warming.  I went down to the MDR for the Sea Day Brunch, this has replaced the Punchliner’s Brunch and is an improvement: they open earlier, kept the better brunch menu, and eliminated the comedians.  I ordered a Bloody Mary, a very nice fruit plate, and the Steak & Eggs.  All very good.  Although familiar with the ship I had a nice walk about.  I did notice that they have moved some trivia out of the Ocean Plaza and into the Red Frog Pub, I think this is a smart move.  There are many more guests on deck enjoying the outdoors than there were on the Sunshine transatlantic.  It is an overall younger crowd.  I enjoyed a cocktail in the lobby bar and swapped some stories with Lance then had a late lunch at the Taste Bar on deck five.  I had a nice salad that they prepare and Egg Drop soup.  I noticed in the afternoon they had also had Karaoke in the Red Frog, it was packed and guests were having fun.  I never saw that many in there during the transatlantic, a better use of space and I’m sure they are selling more drinks.  I had a visit with entertainer Will Marion, I did not expect him to be on board so that was a pleasant surprise.  There was a beautiful sunset this evening easily viewable from my starboard side balcony a nice bonus while dressing for this evenings elegant night.  I went up to the Alchemy Bar for a few cocktails then to the Liquid Lounge to see the production show Latin Nights.  They had a technical glitch about half way through the show and since I’ve seen the show I bailed and went to the Red Frog Pub to see Will Marion.  I was glad I did as Will has progressed so much as a performer...he is a real asset for Carnival.  Tonight was Captain’s night menu and as usual great selections from the menu.  I ordered the White Stuffed Mushroom, Roasted Pumpkin Soup, the Spaghetti Carbonara, the Prime Rib, and Cherries Jubilee.  Of course Lobster was on the menu and a popular item.  Dinner was very good and enjoyable, Ken sang a song as well as the waiters.  After dinner I took a walk around deck and the ship was hopping.  Adam Coe was in the Red Frog, The Rock & Roll Time Machine was in the Ocean Plaza, Gary was in the Piano Bar, and Tony Esposito was in the comedy club with late shows.  All great performers, it really is amazing the talent on the ship.  I was very worried about the small venues on Sunshine, but the guests were evenly split among the venues so it worked very well.  A great day on the Carnival Sunshine.

Day Three--Tuesday—at Sea

Diamond Guest Brunch

Another good nights sleep and very smooth seas as we are entering the Caribbean.  I have a brunch invitation at 11:30 so I went up to Lido Buffet for a light breakfast.  I notice that the Canadian bacon is no more, but they do now have ham, interesting, more American I suppose.  This morning I am working on a project I need to complete for the Texas Scottish Festival. I took a break when they came to clean the cabin and had a Bloody Mary at the Lobby Bar.  We have one of the new ‘Morning Glory’ cocktail parties on the Sunshine in a few weeks so I’m trying all the bars and bartenders to see who makes the best.  Someone has to do it!  At 11:30 am I met the seven other Diamond guests and we had Brunch with Captain Marino and Caroline the Guest Services Director in the Sunrise Dining Room.  I had the Tomato Soup starter and the Steak & Eggs breakfast again followed by the Banana Creme Pie. It was gracious for Carnival to have a function for us and it was nice meeting the Captain and seeing Stephanie again.  Thanks Carnival. The Facebook group had a cocktail party scheduled for 2:00 pm in the Piano bar, but it was moved to the Limelight Lounge as the Piano Bar was far too small for the 60+ people.  Luckily that lounge was available and nice of Carnival to give them a full hour 2:30-3:30.  Back to work in the cabin then a cocktail at the Alchemy Bar.  I then went to see Lance Montalto’s comedy show in the Limelight lounge, it was again a packed house.  Lance treated me to dinner in the Bonsai Sushi on deck four, it was the only specialty restaurant I had not visited on the Sunshine. We had The Boat a combination of sushi, shrimp, salmon, etc. for two. We also had Soup and Sake.  Very interesting meal and I enjoyed the sushi.  I had a Tiramisu martini for dessert from the lobby bar.  Cornelius one of my favorites from the Alchemy was also there as the bartenders put on a flair show as a part of the big Mardi Gras Party in the lobby area.

Day Four--Wednesday--Montego Bay, Jamaica

Ray about to jump from the Secret Falls

Again calm seas and a good nights sleep.  Since it’s a port day the breakfast venues opened early and I went up to Havana Bar and had a wonderful omelette.  Then down to the Lobby Bar for a Bloody Mary while waiting for us to complete our docking in MoBay.  I’m joining a private tour today with 8 others to the Secret Falls.  We found our tour operator, Liberty Tours, in the designated area and were soon on our way.  Our driver was Ricardo and he did an excellent job keeping us informed and entertained.  We made a stop at Discovery Bay, passed by Rose Hall, Dunn’s River Falls, and Ocho Rios on our way to the private property were the Secret Falls and Blue Hole are located.  It was a very beautiful location where the river comes down from the mountains.  We had two guides on the river and falls and they helped show you where to step as we climbed up and down the rocks and trails. There were several dive or jumping locations and then we passed through a small hole into the rocks below and behind the big waterfall.  Amazing and I did fit (barely) through and then swam through the waterfall. We then went upriver enjoying smaller falls and swimming holes before given the opportunity to jump off the big waterfall.  There were three brave souls in our group of Jamericans that made the big jump including myself.  I admit it was a bit scary, but I’m glad I did it, not everyday you can jump from a waterfall. This was a big adventure for an old man.  I do highly recommend water shoes.  We then stopped at a group of souvenir and tourist shops before going  to Scotchies for lunch.  Our group of new friends and fellow adventurers enjoyed Jerk Chicken, Red Beans & Rice, and Festival. It was very good.  We then began our long drive back to Mo-bay, but had to make a restroom stop at the Scotchies in Iron Bay so I got some jerk pork for the road.  We got back just before sail away so we had a full day on the excursion  After cleaning up it was soon time for an apéritif at the Alchemy Bar.  Miro actually concocted a nice cherry flavored drink we called the Cherry Kiss, it is wonderful.  Dinner was good, I ordered both the Tom Kai Guy and Potato Soup, the wonderful Bowtie Pasta with Turkey, the Beef Stroganoff entree, and Bitter & Blanc and Tiramisu for dessert.  Ken noticed my soup comparison and said a new Soup chef had just come on board.  The Tom Ka Gai was good, but different than before, the Potato soup was also good, but the pasta was by far he best dish tonight.  Very long and tiring day today so I retired after dinner.

Day Five--Thursday--Georgetown, Grand Cayman

Carnival Sunshine from the Grand Cayman tender

Another good nights sleep and calm Caribbean seas.  We were already anchored off Grand Cayman when I awoke and tenders began about 7:00 am.  Looks like a partly cloudy day today and my plan is to stay onboard.  I went to the MDR for breakfast and ordered the Eggs Benedict, Potatoes, Bacon, Tomato juice, Bloody Mary, and Leche Caliente. It was very good.  My leg muscles are very sore today after climbing up and down in the river yesterday so I hit the hot tub this morning and had a restful easy morning.  I had the Mongolian Grill today for lunch as most guests are off the ship although the Guy’s Burgers makes the grill less busy than on ships that do not have a Guy’s. As usual a lot of senior crew was there as well...they know the place to eat on port days.  This afternoon I worked on some projects until they delivered a tray of canapés to the cabin so I took a break to walk the deck...more guests have returned and taking advantage of the nice weather.  We sailed about 3:45 pm and the VIFP party was held at 4:30 in the Liquid Lounge.  Jamie Dee, the CD, makes the party exciting.  I had a nice visit with new friends and with Butch who will be our CD next month.  Afterward it was back to the cabin to get ready for our second Elegant Night. The feature entertainer tonight was Magician Bobby Borgia.  I had cocktails at the Lobby Bar before dinner and then made the walk back to the Sunrise on my still sore legs.  For dinner I ordered the Eggplant, Bing Cherry Soup, Escargot, Chateaubriand and Cheesecake for dessert.  Most of the venues again had good entertainment scheduled, but I had a ‘Deal Closer’ at the Alchemy Bar as my nightcap and retired by 11:15.  A fun lazy day.

Day Six--Friday--Cozumel, Mexico

Cornelius pouring a Martini Sampler

A partly cloudy day as we approach Cozumel.  We did not arrive until 10:00 am so I had plenty of time for a very nice relaxed breakfast in the Sunrise dining room.  The Carnival Magic is docked next to us. I left the ship about 10:45 and headed to San Miguel by taxi ($8).  I went to Woody’s Sports Bar owned by our friends Nelly and Pepe and used their Wifi for a couple of hours.  Lunch there was very good, I had  the Chicken Quesadillas.  I visited the Farmacia and had a quick Mango/Banana Margarita at Wet Wendy’s before heading back to the ship about 3:30 pm.  Just relaxing this afternoon and my balcony faces the Magic so I had a great view of their pier runners and her sailing away.  Our late arrivals caught a bit of rain before we sailed a little after 5:00 pm.  I had my special cocktail at the Alchemy and went to the production show: Studio VIP in the Liquid Lounge, it was very entertaining.  Dinner was good tonight, I ordered the Creme of Mushroom Soup, Oysters Rockefeller, the Pasta, and the Filet Mignon & Short Rib combination.  The beef dish is one of their better meat dishes IMHO.  Ken sang again for us and the wait team did the song: What Did the Fox Say?  New and very clever.  Following dinner I had another ‘Deal Closer’ at the Alchemy Bar as my nightcap. 

Day Seven--Saturday--at Sea

Will Marion in Sunshine Lobby

It was rocky early in the night at sea, but I had a very good nights sleep.  This morning I was updating email and making some bookings online with the final minutes I have left on my internet package (240 Minutes for $89.00 ($0.37/min)).  I enjoyed a good breakfast at the Sea Day Brunch, I ordered the Steak & Eggs again and it was prepared very well.  After brunch I reviewed my ship account, they have two kiosks that will print your statement for you and save a trip to Guest Services.  Unfortunately they do not have an interactive TV system.  The morning was very nice, sunny and calm until about 1:00 pm when we hit that cold front that had covered the states.  Very soon it was a light rain and VERY windy.  I did go and get a Guy’s Burger, but took it to the cabin to eat, too cool outside and the indoor spaces were quickly filling.  After a bit of work in the cabin I went to the Lobby Bar in time to see a full musical set by Will Marion, who was originally to play in the Lido pool area.  He had the place rockin’.  Didn’t need an apertif this evening as I had some unique cocktails by the great Lobby Bar bartenders during Will’s show.  The production Show was: Epic Rock, perhaps the best show of the week.  Dinner was off to me and perhaps not noticed so much by others.  I ordered the Grilled Chicken Breast on Fettuccine as starter and two entrees: Panko Crusted Jumbo Shrimp and Roasted Prime Rib of Beef, in that order, shrimp then followed by beef. The waiter gave my shrimp entree to the person on my left (who had ordered the Mac & Cheese) and gave me my Prime Rib.  She had already started eating before she realized it wasn’t what she had ordered.  We got through it, but when they remove the charger there was a large child's hand print gravy stain right in front of me.  That’s not appealing.  I also asked the cocktail server to bring two Drambuie’s for dessert, he did remember to come by and said, “would you like your Sambuca’s now?”  I specifically reminded him that it was Drambuie I wanted.  He of course still brought Sambuca and wanted me to settle for them.  Of course the whole point is that it was January 25 the Scottish Bard Robert Burns’ birthday and you toast him as they do all over the world with a Scottish drink.  Sambuca would not do.  He did finally bring Drambuie.  For dessert I had the Grand Manier Souffle.  Following dinner I went to my favorite bar, The Alchemy, for two wonderful Deal Closers.  I would have only had one, but when informed that I was one shy of the Cheers limit, I order the second just so I could say I did it once on the cruise.  I had not come close on the previous six days.  Since we are well into the Mississippi River I had wifi from my personal hotspot so checked some late email and arrange some items to pack for the following morning.

Debarkation

We arrived back in NOLA just very early.  I was up early as I had not really started packing. I began to pack about 6:30 then went to Lido for my final omelette. They were calling self-debark guests by the time I made it back to the cabin so I finished packing and headed to deck three about 7:45 am. They had the casual inspection at Customs and I was soon to the elevator and at 4B my parking area and car by 8:20 am.  There was a light mist so the indoor parking did come in very handy.  I was soon on Interstate 10 heading to Texas and arrived at friends in Alvin about 2:30 pm to rest for my next adventure on the Triumph the following day.

Crew / Staff

I found the crew to be very good.  I was able to meet many ships officers through the Diamond reception and VIFP party. The ship is in very capable hands.  My cabin steward team was excellent, our MDR waiters were only adequate.  The bartenders were all great.  Bar servers very good. I especially enjoyed Ioana, Miro, & Cornelius in the Alchemy Bar.  Ken Byrne is awesome as both singer and Matre’D.  I enjoyed getting to know Caroline the GS Manager better, that’s a tough job.  I look forward to seeing the crew again next month.

Food / Drink

I found the food overall to be very good. Soups were excellent.  One new minor change in the MDR is that the bread is on your table and not served.  The major change and a point I listed as 'needs improvement' in previous cruise is that the set dining is now located in the Sunrise Dining Room.  Much better, thanks Ken and Carnival.  I really didn’t get an opportunity to eat at all the many venues this trip, but I did get to most of my favorites.  Very pleased with food quality as were all the guests that I spoke to during the week.  I purchased the ‘Cheers’ program ($49.95 + 15% per day), but discovered that it can be purchased on 2nd day...I would do that if I get it again. 

Cabin

I had cabin 10115 a category 8S Spa Balcony on deck 10.  It is decorated in the new Caribbean lighter colors that began with the Carnival Breeze roll out.  Very nice and this is only one of two ships as of now that has the new colors. My cabin steward, Alexander, did a very good job.  The cabin is the usual layout with sliding glass door at balcony, full couch, three closets (a bit smaller), nice table, bed stands with lamps (mentioned as these are going away in some new categories), push button safe, mini refrigerator, and stool at dresser/desk.  It does have the premium spa items such as nicer branded bath towels, Serenity beach/deck towels, nicer Serenity plush robes, and spa toiletries.  Only negative was that the set-back deck 11 balconies overlooked most of the balcony, so no privacy.  A cabin further forward would eliminate that situation.  I did enjoy the Spa location more than I thought I would usually be staying far aft on cruises.

Cruise Highlights

Jumping off a waterfall in Jamaica.
Alchemy Bar
Omelette Station & Mongolian Grill.
Lobby Bar

Special thanks to John Jenkins of Arkansas for some great Photos

Another Fantastic FUN Cruise!!

Carnival Magic Inaugural Texas Cruise

Carnival Magic U.S. Inaugural
Cruise Review 11.14.2011

Just the Facts:
Cruise: Carnival Magic Inaugural Texas Cruise
Date: November 14-19, 2011
Captain: Giovanni Cutugno
Cruise Director: James Charlton
Special Guest: John Heald
Ports: Galveston, Texas - Progreso, Mexico - Cozumel, Mexico

This was my 27th Carnival cruise, 68th overall, and 2nd cruise on the NEW Carnival Magic. I’m traveling with the dear wife (DW) and group of regular cruise friends on this cruise.

Day 1- Monday- 11/14/11- Embarkation- Galveston
Another easy start for this cruise as again I am already on board ship. I had breakfast in the MDR (main dining room) and hoped to sit with TA’s and get their impressions of the ship. They had questions for me as well since I was on the transatlantic. I was worried that they would not be able to debark all the travel agents that had stayed overnight, but they got them all off by 9:00 am. Now housekeeping and the staff had to prepare for another group of passengers who will be boarding. I must say that they did a wonderful job. I saw several groups of US Coast Guard finalizing inspections and got to hear announcement that were made for the crew. John Heald even thanked all the crew on behalf of the CEO for the great work they had done on inaugural Sunday. He also bragged on the successful health inspection, they received a perfect 100%. Amazing. They announced that boarding would begin at 11:00 am for our cruise. I got settled into our new cabin and by the time I went down to Guest Services to get my new card the ‘group’ and dear wife were boarding so we all made the lobby at the same time. Everyone had lunch and then we all met in the Red Frog Pub for afternoon drinks. Five (it may have been six) of the 102 oz. Tubes of Thirsty Frog soon put everyone in a very good mood. Will Marion, (photo left) one of the entertainers who plays in the Red Frog, was quickly adopted by the girls as our entertainer. He is good and plays a lot of Southern Rock and popular music. I took the DW on a tour of the new Carnival Magic, her first thought was that after the publicity it lacked the expected ‘wow’ factor. Upon returning to the cabin a gift of Chocolate Covered Strawberries and White Chocolate from the Hotel Director was left as a B2B gift. They used to do B2B gifts in the past, but not in past few years, so this was very nice. Boat drill was about 4:30 pm and went very well. Soon the Galveston Bay dolphins escorted the Magic out of the harbor and into the Gulf of Mexico. Some cabin time to rest and prepare for dinner was sorely needed by this time. We have two great 10-top tables located in the center of the Southern Lights Dining room. Thanks to Senior Maître D' Ken Byrnes who helped me arrange them for the group. For dinner I ordered the Creme of Sun Dried Tomato Soup, Green Salad, the Sweet & Sour Shrimp with Plum Sauce as an entree and Crème Brulee for dessert. After dinner some went to the Casino, some to the Welcome Show, some to the Piano Bar, and some to the cabin to rest. A great first day among cruise friends.

Day 2- Tuesday- 11/15/11- at Sea
A nice morning with clear skies. I was up very early and took care of some business with Guest Services, no lines early in the day. I went early to the dining room and I got a private table so I changed my usual first morning cruise routine and ordered eggs to order. They were perfect: three eggs over medium with sides of baked apple, toast, bacon, potatoes, and corned beef hash. I then met others in the group on Lido deck for a fun morning on the Twister and Drain Pipe slides. There were many more passengers, including children already using the Water Works than on the previous cruise. For lunch we did the Salad Bar located on Promenade deck. BTW--They have the best pico de gallo I have ever found on a cruise ship. Texans will love it. At 1:00 pm we had our Friends of Chris P meeting, (photo right) our own little private cocktail party, in the Piano Bar. We requested the best cocktail server on the ship, Marusya (I discovered her on the previous cruise) and she was great. The party was fantastic with premium cocktails and duck farts flowing. We also had a special guest, Senior Cruise Director & Blogger Mr. John Heald (photo above left) who entertained with some stories and posed for photos with the group. Following the party it was off to the Red Frog Pub to meet Facebook friends and a few more tubes of Tasty Frog beer (photo left). JH came by there as well and meeting new people was fun. The rest of the afternoon was spent on Lido deck acting goofy and listening to our new adopted entertainer: Will. One of our group won the slot tournament this afternoon, always a good thing. Something very unusual happened on the ship at the beginning of early seating dinner, our favorite Matre’D Ken was attacked by a disgruntled waiter and will be taking time off his duties for the rest of the cruise. We will hopefully have the same arrangements and catch up with Ken in March when the group again sails on the Magic. For dinner I had: the Stuffed White Mushrooms, Roasted Pumpkin Soup, and the Prime Rib with Baked Potato. The production show tonight was The Groove Line and the Punchliner Comedy club was also busy. Our group again split up between the casino, shows, and clubs. A fun first day at sea.

Day 3- Wednesday- 11/16/11- Progreso, Mexico
After we boarded the ship on Monday we received a letter from the Captain stating that because of the aft thruster problems that we could not call at our scheduled port of Costa Maya. We would be doing an overnight call at Progreso so that a tug could assist in docking and that the divers could make further repairs. Not happy about this as Progreso is in the Gulf and not near as pretty as the Caribbean port of Costa Maya. I lost our only Caribbean call on the transatlantic as well. Since we were in no hurry to go ashore I had a casual breakfast in the MDR and visited with friends on the aft Lido deck. We made plans to meet in town later in the day. DW used the aft pool and I relaxed until lunch. We ate at Cucina del Capitano and it was good as always. After lunch we took the shuttle into town an met at my favorite place in town: Le Saint Bonnet (photo left) on the Malecon. Almost everyone was there by the time we arrived, a group of about fifteen friends. This is a good place to HQ as from here you can shop or go to the beach. We had a nice afternoon drinking margaritas, eating some Mexican food, and enjoying the great breeze off of the water. Even enjoyed a nice massage ($10 for 45 minutes). We have never been able to stay late before and they brought in a female Cubano torch singer so it was a fun time. Especially for the girls who became the backup singers and dancers for the singer (yup, photo right). We returned to the ship in the evening and the ship was very pretty lit up in the night. We arrived back in time for a late snack in the Lido Buffet. They did open the casino so many went there as well as the late production show: Destination: Unknown. I had a much better seat for this show than on the previous cruise and we enjoyed it very much. Later I went to the Piano Bar to enjoy Ron Pass or more correctly watch the others enjoy Ron. A very good people watching place.

Day 4- Thursday- 11/17/11- Progreso, Mexico
Everyone in our group as well as most of the ship stayed on board although we were still docked in Progreso. I had my usual MDR breakfast then met others on Lido deck aft. This is the usual meeting place for our group as it above our cabins located one deck below on Vista deck aft. Some swimming and Bloody Mary’s seemed to be the plan for the morning. The pool was nice this morning although a little cool for me. This afternoon we had some ship time including some more time in the Water Works and the slides...great fun. We had an early sail away with the help of a tug from Progreso. Ships normally dock with the aft towards the pier in Progreso and we were the opposite so that we could be towed out easier. Obvious that the thrusters still do not work, but interesting to watch since the tug was just below our aft balconies. The rest of the day was really just one long party. We started with one our infamous aft balcony parties with lot's of snacks, beer, champagne, rum, and just about any cocktail one would want. This group travels well. The next stop was the Past Guest Party in the Show Time lounge (photo above left). The cocktail servers did a very good job in maintaining the party for us. Cruise Director James did a good job and everyone had a good time. Next stop was the Red Frog Pub (photo right) where the guys again began drinking the tubes of Thirsty Frog, but the gals's changed to Tiramisu Martinis. Our friend John Heald even came by and ordered another tube for the gang. A fun time for both our group and new friend made in the pub (at some point we had to give away some alcohol). The MDR was out of the question this evening so we ate in the Lido Marketplace. I understand the pork chops were very good. I retired after dinner and the group went about their usual fun ship activities. Marcus Monroe was the entertainer this evening and they also had a Caribbean Beach Party.

Day 5- Friday- 11/18/11- Cozumel
A very nice day with a nice cool breeze. There were seven ships in Cozumel so there will be a lot of tourists today. Finally after 20+ days on the Magic we will be in a Caribbean port even though three ports were promised. I started the day with a dining room breakfast then met the group for an early planned start in Cozumel. We hired a van for the day ($25 pp) and so 14 of us were off for Buccano’s Beach Club located in the hotel zone north of San Miguel. We were there just after 9:00 am and had the swimming pool (photo left), facilities, and beautiful beach (photo right), to ourselves for quite a while. It is a very beautiful place with a great view and very good food. About 12:30 as it became busier we decided to head into San Miguel and our now favorite bar: Wet Wendy’s. They were very busy, but very accommodating and got us a large table in the shade (photo bottom left). We used this as a HQ and some did some shopping while I went to Antonio’s barber shop to see Martin and get a haircut. I rejoined the group for a Mango Margarita and a Drunken Sailor cocktail. It’s always good to see Chad and Klara the owners. The service, drinks, and food were great. Note: Bucanno’s may now charge an admission, we didn’t as it was included in our $25, but one person came late and was charged $10 and I was told that is the new policy. I have been here many times and had never been charged in the past. It’s already an expensive taxi ride and so I no longer recommend the trip if there is an admission. The food is great, but it’s not inexpensive and although this is not bargain resort, I do consider it gouging. Also the food and drink bill was not split so it was very difficult for everyone to pay their share. At Wet Wendy’s everyone received a bill with their name on it and it was easily paid. Now that Paradise Beach has a swimming pool that may be our choice in March or one of the all inclusive spots. Sail away from Cozumel was interesting with so many ships leaving especially since the Carnival Conquest, my former 'home' ship was also in port. I guess that will be a regular Friday thing with the Conquest now sailing out of NOLA and the Magic out of Galveston. They did use a tug to get us off the pier. After sail away we went to see comedian John Wesley Austin in the Punchliner Comedy Club. He has a Texas/Country style of comedy and should be popular on this cruise. Dinner was very good, I ordered the Broccoli Soup, Escargot, Penne Pasta, Chateaubriand, Butter Pecan Ice Creme, and Fruit Plate. After dinner the group again did their thing: casino, shows, and clubs. The production show this evening was Win!. A fun day, but a beautiful day in Cozumel with friends makes it very special!!

Day 6- Saturday- 11/19/11- at Sea
Today is a beautiful day at sea, the best of the past 20+ days. I had a very nice dining room breakfast and was joined by several friends, a nice surprise. After breakfast most in the group were on aft Lido deck for some Swimming, Bellini’s, and Bloody Mary’s. I even hit the hot tub early before the crowds arrived, then swam in the pool and enjoyed the Bloody Marys. This was a fun morning. Most met for lunch in Cucina del Capitano, best lunch on the Magic in my opinion. The afternoon was full of activities: Water Park, Groove for St. Jude’s Walk, music in various venues, sales in the shops, the Sports deck, and more. All passengers and the group were busy on this beautiful day. At 5:00 pm they held the Farewell party in the Spotlight Lounge. They offer complementary drinks, but don't really publicize the party although it was overly full this cruise. Word of mouth & groups filled it. Marusya really took care of us at this party and the bonus was that Will was the entertainer! He also posed for a photo with some of the group (photo left). Not sure what he thinks of us. Tonight we went to the early set in the Piano Bar before dinner to enjoy Ron Pass one final time. The girls all ordered special Tirimasu Martinis from Anton the Bartender (photo lower right). Having been to the Piano Bar many times over 20+ days I can say that Anton is perfect for that venue. He is entertaining in his own right and is really a good fit with Ron Pass. Dinner was very good, I had my favorite Panko Shrimp entree, but many the group raved over the new Didja menu Macaroni with Bacon entree. Marcus Anthony was one of the entertainers this evening as well as the Carnival Legends Show, but after dinner I headed back to the cabin to pack and put out our bags. We decided not to do self assist debarkation as we have two large bags and there are now so many people doing self assist that it gets very busy and confusing, especially in the designated waiting area. By checking our bags we can just wait in the cabin or public area until we are called to debark. BTW-always check to see that your bags were picked up, mine were not initially, but a few calls finally got them taken.

Debarkation- Sunday- Galveston, Texas
We arrived in Galveston well before 6:00 am. I was up early and watched the ship be turned around by a tug and then towed to the dock. The thrusters are definitely not fixed. Soon we were tied up and they began debark for self assist guests very early. We went up to the Lido Marketplace for breakfast while we waited for our zone to be called and just as we finished breakfast they called zones 1-2-3. It was only 7:00 am and they are already calling zones. We went down to the cabin, got our bag and headed for the lobby. We left the ship, found our checked bags, and proceeded to US Customs. All went well and soon we were walking over to EZ Cruise parking and on the road. We actually crossed the bridge and were off the island before 8:00 am. Amazingly easy debarkation.

Ship
The Carnival Magic is the newest and largest in the Carnival fleet. The ship is 1002 feet in length and weighs in at 130,000 tons. My two favorites of the much publicized new improvements are the Cucina del Capitano and the Red Frog Pub. The Water Works and Piano Bar are also great.

Crew
The staff and crew for the most part are very good at their jobs and very friendly. I think many were somewhat stressed after the big Sunday extravaganza though. They have been trained very well. Again my stateroom attendant was fantastic.

Cabin
We had cabin 9473 an 8D balcony on Vista deck. I selected this cabin as it is next to the aft cabins that many in our group like to book. It’s also very easy to go up one deck to the aft Lido area and Lido Marketplace. It is a standard balcony configuration with a full couch. The safe has a button keypad and card swipe, there is a hair dryer, flat screen TV, two electrical plugs on the vanity/desk, robes, three section wardrobe, small stocked refrigerator, and vanity stool. The carpets and furniture were freshly cleaned because there were smokers in the cabin for the preceding 16 day cruise. The fact that I spoke with the steward well before moving in helped him get it cleaned. So the odd one night in a different cabin actually worked well, it gave him time to really clean it and we did not notice the smoke after the first day. On December 1st smoking will not be allowed in cabins so hopefully this won’t happen to future cruisers. One disappointment is that the balconies are smaller than on a Conquest class ship.

Food
We had second or late seating for dinner and as a group had two very nice tables in center area of the Southern Lights dining room. A fantastic location to see Ken sing and the waiters dance. Unfortunately Ken was unable to work other than the first night. We are the last ship in the Carnival fleet to go to the new ‘Didja’ menus. Overall the food was very good. The comfort food additions such as meat loaf, macaroni & cheese, and fried chicken are interesting. Read my Magic Transatlantic review for more detail on food.

Personal Comments
Although our group had a lot of FUN, I felt that this cruise was just a ‘half bubble off plumb’ all week. There were again problems with the aft thrusters, new crew members, change of ports, fight in dining room, electrical power (the AC went off every night) & I suspect there are engine problems other than the thrusters, and IMHO perhaps a tired crew. It was still a great cruise, but of course our group can make a party out of an armpit.

Cruise Highlights
The Snoozemates group who have sailed together many times was the highlight. All are experienced cruisers who know how to have fun on a cruise. Senior Cruise Director John Heald stopping by our private party was nice. Will Marion, the entertainer was great. Our Red Frog Pub parties were the talk of the ship. Cozumel was wonderful as always.

Overall another great Cruise!!

~~ Photos by Friends - click them to enlarge ~~