First Cruise Back: Carnival Magic Christmas Cruise

 Like many, we accumulated future cruise credits during the shutdown that we needed to use.   Finding a time that our entire family could travel, however, was a bit of a challenge, but we eventually settled on Christmas break and booked a 7-night cruise on the Carnival Magic.  This year, we would spend Christmas at sea!

Being our first cruise in nearly 2 years, we were super excited to be back on board, but also a little apprehensive about COVID protocols.   There were six of us, my husband and I, our 3 teenage boys, plus our German exchange student.  My in-laws were also joining us.  We were all fully vaccinated, and had rapid antigen tests the day before we left for Port Canaveral.

Embarkation Day:

My son was in a wedding the day before the sailing, so we left that evening and made the 12 hour drive through the night, arriving around 9am.  We made our way to Park Port Canaveral (I had a promo code and we ended up paying just under $70 to park for the week!), got a sweet spot, unloaded, and waited in a comfortable area until our shuttle left for the short trip to the port.  (https://www.parkportcanaveral.com)

Once we arrived, the boarding process was quick and efficient.  We presented our boarding documents, COVID test results, vaccine cards and passports, proceeded through security, then to the check-in desk.  We had hardly sat down in the terminal waiting area before they called our zone to board.   We were on the ship in less than 15 minutes!

Masks were required in the terminal and on the ship in public indoor spaces (but not while seated to eat or drink).  Outside, they were not required.   This sure didn't bother us!  We were just so happy to be cruising again   Other than the mask requirement, things felt very "normal" on board.  The ship was sailing at about 80% capacity.  It felt full, but never felt crowded.  We were always able to find deck chairs near the pools or Serenity deck, and never had a long wait for dinner.    

While we waited for our staterooms to be ready, we watched the video portion of the safety briefing on the Carnival Hub app, then made our way to check in at our muster station, where a crew member demonstrated how to put on a life jacket, and boom - we were done!  This new muster system is one pandemic change that I hope does not go away!   

The Ship:

Carnival Magic is a Dream Class ship, one of the largest prior to the Vista Class and the brand-new XL class.  Guest capacity is 3,690 with 1,367 crew.  We really liked this ship!  It was easy to navigate, had a beautiful atrium, and offered plenty of activities for our teens, as well as quiet spots for the adults to relax.  It was all decked-out (no pun intended!) for the holidays with Christmas trees and décor, a huge gingerbread house village and a train.  There were special Christmas activities and performances, and even some Santa sightings!

We booked a balcony stateroom, Deck 8, starboard aft, for my husband and me, and the boys had an inside cabin directly across the hall (older teens can be booked in a cabin within 4 doors of their parents or guardians).  I'll be posting another blog about inside vs. balcony staterooms complete with virtual tours.  My in-laws had an aft balcony, which was the ideal spot for sail away!

The Itinerary:

This 7-day itinerary included port stops in Costa Maya, Roatan, Belize City and Cozumel, plus 3 sea days.  Day 1 was a sea day, followed by the 4 ports, then 2 more sea days on the back-end.  We love a good balance of sea days and port days, and this itinerary fit the bill perfectly.  Weather in the winter months (November through February) can be hit or miss in the Caribbean, but we were blessed with perfect weather, sunny skies and warm temperatures!

In Costa Maya, we booked Maya Chan, an all-inclusive beach resort 20 minutes from the port.  A driver met us just outside the port and drove us directly to the resort.  We were then escorted in, given a quick tour and taken to our private palapa. There was a buffet of delicious homemade tacos (fish, shrimp, pork, beef and chicken), as well as all the sides and toppings, and all-you-can-drink beverages.  The staff was so friendly and attentive.  Capacity is limited, so reservations are essential and can be booked online in advance (https://costamayabeachresort.com/).  

This was our first visit to Roatan, and we booked a private island tour.  Our lovely driver met us just outside the port, and took us to AJ's Monkey's and Sloths (check them out on Facebook), a small, family-run sanctuary where we had a ball snuggling the sloths and playing with the monkeys.  From there we traveled to West Bay for a visit to the Chocolate Factory, lunch and some beach time.  On our way back to the port, we visited Roatan Rum Company, and enjoyed the amazing panoramic views.

In Belize, we booked a snorkel excursion through Carnival.  Being a tender port, we boarded our own tender for the excursion and were taken directly from the ship to Rendezvous Cay, a tiny spit of land about an hour boat ride from the ship.  If you imagine being stranded on a tropical island, this was it!  White sand dotted with palm trees and palapas, surrounded by brilliant, crystal-clear turquois water.  Conditions were calm and we were able to explore the reef on 3 sides of the barrier island.  This was some of the best snorkeling we have ever done!  Afterwards we were treated to grilled burgers and rum punch.  

In Cozumel, we booked a day at Mr. Sancho's, another all-inclusive beach resort.  We arrived early in port, took a 15 minute taxi ride, and were some of the first guests to arrive.  (I recommend making reservations in advance, as it was sold out on one of our previous trips to Cozumel: https://www.mrsanchos.com/)  All you can eat and drink, beach chairs, hammocks, large swimming pools with swim-up bars, and an aqua park for the kids.  This was a great, relaxing way to spend Christmas Eve!

We enjoyed our final two days at sea, relaxing by the pools, playing putt putt, eating and enjoying the entertainment on board.   On Christmas morning, we gathered together for the Sea Day brunch and a special dinner that evening in the main dining room.   There were many other extended families on board, and there was definitely a festive spirit.

Debarkation Day:

We are always sad on debarkation day, and this was no exception, as we thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas cruise!   We kept our baggage with us and made our way down when our deck was called.  Customs was a breeze because Port Canaveral uses facial recognition technology so passport holders don't even stop in line.  After boarding the shuttle, we were delivered back to our car, and we were on the road before we knew it.  Next stop: Kennedy Space Center! 

In Summary:

Cruising is a great way to spend the holidays!