If you’ve ever sailed on a cruise ship, you know it can be quite addicting. Think about it – everything is included, you don’t have to come up with creative ideas to keep the kids entertained for at least a few days, and there is no meal prepping/planning or dishes to clean! Who wouldn’t want to experience that again and again? It really is the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to vacationing; that’s the upside. The downside is these days there are so many great cruise lines to pick from! Many have stepped up their game to be family friendly and Carnival is no different, as they have also taken several leaps in that direction.
Photo by Andy Newman/Carnival Cruise Lines
On the fabulous morning of the inaugural sailing out of Port Canaveral, I had the opportunity to preview the new Carnival Magic with my little munchkin. We also witnessed the maritime exchange, welcoming the ship to the port, and sample some of the food! The Magic is one of the largest of their fleet and spent five years in Galveston, TX before recently making its way over to its new home in Port Canaveral. This first trip was to be a quick 3-day voyage, but its future itineraries will consist of weeklong trips to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Carnival has been sailing out of Port Canaveral for 26 years and they look forward to many, many more. They currently have 24 ships to choose from, of which several have been revamped under their Funship 2.0 program. Some of the upgrades include new bars, clubs, and activities for the kids. The Magic debuted in 2011, but in February of this year it underwent a multi-million dollar renovation in just two weeks to add all of the new amenities. Our last cruise on a different Carnival ship, just a few years ago, was less than desirable. It could’ve been a fluke. We encountered a great staff, but the ship was very outdated, the food was blah, the entertainment was blah and super cheesy, and we vowed not to ever sail on Carnival again. To be honest, I was skeptical to see what the Magic had in store, but after this preview, I would definitely give them another chance to have a fun, family adventure!
In order to develop these better cruise experiences, Carnival has made some celebrity partnerships and I could see there was a lot of time and energy invested into improving what they can offer their guests. Carnival has been known as the “Fun Ship” for adults for years, but is now able to cater to the whole family. You can find lots of kid-centered activities at the new Camp Ocean, for ages 2 through 11. There are limited times for little munchkins under 2 and fees do apply, but that is a bonus in comparison to some other cruise lines that do not permit little ones on board. Carnival has also partnered with Seuss Enterprises to bring kids fun experiences, like a Green Eggs and Ham character meet and greet breakfast! Or if they love Dr. Seuss, for a small fee, you can have a Cat in the Hat cabin transformation. Do your kids like to stay up late? Maybe you’re visiting from a different time zone? No worries, they have that covered too with their Night Owls party, every night from 10 pm – 1 am. Although a fee is charged for some activities (mostly for the 2 and under crowd), it won’t break the bank, as it’s comparable to what you’d probably pay a babysitter at home. The tweens and teens also have dedicated areas and activities, but no one can go wrong with the mini water park on board. Carnival WaterWorks sits on the top deck and honestly looks amazing!
Photo by Andy Newman/Carnival Cruise Lines
Fun for the grown-ups continues and includes the opening of the Alchemy Bar, which is one of the three new bars on board the ship. It’s designed as an old pharmacy-style bar for handcrafted drinks. Additional treats are the various spa services. The food choices are also vast and tasty. After a huge success with Guy Fieri’s Burger Joint on the Carnival fleet, they have now added the Pig & Anchor. Guy’s smokehouse BBQ style food consists of plenty of meats and sides to choose from. The Pig & Anchor is a nice change of pace from the standard buffet and 24-hour pizza commonly found on all cruise lines. The food is good, including some of the sauces that have a nice kick. The location is a little strange, as it’s off on the outside of the deck. It sits near 2 whirlpools by the entrance to the casino and several clubs. (I was secretly hoping for an appearance by Guy Fieri himself but that didn’t happen.) Another hitch on the location is that because it’s near the casino, if you’d like to sit inside but are sensitive to the smell of cigarette smoke, you will most likely still pick up on the smell. Your best bet for getting to the Pig & Anchor is to walk on the outside of the deck or all the way to the back of another deck above or below, so you can catch the stairs or elevator furthest from the casino area. They also have local online gambling available, including selected best websites offering bingo, if you don’t like the physical casino space or vibe, itself.
If you depend greatly on the elevators to get up and down the ship, a word of advice, leave any large strollers at home. Keep in mind that everything is “fun” sized on a ship, even the bathrooms! So, if you must bring a stroller, opt for something small and easily portable. I couldn’t find my tiny stroller, but it was a great opportunity to test out the mobility of my double, for the few hours we were able to tour the ship. Another easy option is to leave yours at home completely and rent one while on board. It turns out my giant stroller didn’t fit through some areas of the ship, so babywearing was the solution for me! My munchkin enjoyed her time hanging out on the Magic with me; she even made some friends with the staff and was treated to her first “Happy Birthday” song by the cruise director!
As I watched all the passengers getting ready to set sail, with their drinks in hand, it made me nostalgic of previous cruises and made it a little more difficult to leave. I’m sure my son wouldn’t have appreciated that, as he would’ve been stuck at school! However, if you’re ready to book that cruise, Carnival has several affordable options. So grab your daily Cruise Activity Schedule, have a blast, and Bon Voyage!
Vanessa Morales is currently a full-time mom to a very busy toddler. She and her husband share a love of traveling and enjoy sharing those adventures and different cultures with their son. She also loves to bake and always looks forward to trying new recipes.All photos © modernmami™, except where noted
Disclosure: I was invited to a preview event aboard the Carnival Magic in order to facilitate this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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