Carnival Magic Cruise Ship

This article is part of a series showcasing cruise ships on the seven seas. Before we begin, we'll do a quick overview of cruise terms - to help you better understand the ship statistics to be displayed.

Gross Tonnage: Gross tonnage is the standard measurement of size of ship in the cruise industry. Despite the sound of its meaning, a gross tonnage is actually a measure of interior volume of space onboard, rather than actual ship weight. 1 gross ton is equal to 100 cubic feet of interior volume.

Knots: A knot is the standard speed measurement of a cruise ship, or any maritime vessel for that matter. a knot is equal to one nautical mile per hour (a nautical mile being 6076 feet, rather than 5280 for land miles) 1 knot is roughly equivalent to 1.15 mph.

Beam: The width of the ship, measured in feet or meters.

Draft: The height of the ship underneath the water line - how far down the vessel goes into the water.

Guest Capacity - Measured in terms of 2 per stateroom. Maximum capacity is a different measurement which is limited by the number of lifeboat spaces available onboard.

Gross Tonnage: 130,000

Guest Capacity: 3,690

Length: 1,004 ft

Beam: 122 ft

Crew: 1,367

Year Built: 2011

Shipyard: Fincantieri, Monfalcone, Italy

Ship Class: Dream Class

Cost: $740 Million USD

All of Carnival's ships have a unique design in the public spaces of the vessel. Though vessels built in the same ship class have similar deck plans, no two ships in the Carnival fleet have the same interior design. The Carnival Magic, similar to the Dream - was built around a theme of no themes - a new era for Carnival's interior design. This ship, though unique in its onboard spaces and designs has no mentioned theme.

Despite no official name to tie together the theming, the ship is distinctly Carnival and unlike any of the other ships. Step inside the Magic Atrium and you'll see a modern-retro style going on. Light greens, mixed with silver metal and colorful, round LED chandeliers fill the space. Inside the Atrium, you'll find four glass elevators to take you through the main decks of the ship. Forward of the atrium, you'll find the three deck high Showtime theater, aptly named for the type of venue. Here you'll find nightly entertainment to cater to many tastes.

Aft of the Magic Atrium, you'll enter the hat trick casino, the upper magical way promenade (yes, there's both an upper and lower magical way) the lanai, vibe dance club, play it again piano bar and the spotlight lounge. Below the promenade deck, you'll find the two main dining rooms onboard - the Northern lights dining room and Southern lights dining room, both accessible via the lower magical way promenade.

The Carnival Magic added a few enhancements, based on the successful Dream class design. On the lido deck, you'll find the beach pool - themed to look like a tropical beach resort, and the lido market place, complete with several unique dining options. On the second deck of the lido market place, you'll find Cucina del capitano - an italian eatery subsequently introduced onboard the Carnival Breeze. Onboard this ship, you'll also find an expansive Cloud 9 Spa and sport square. Each space onboard is unique and offers a new surprise which really makes exploring the ship a lot of fun.

Stateroom categories range from interior (no windows, though cozy), to ocean view, verandah (balcony) and of course, suites. There are many categories to choose from. Keep in mind, when booking you can either have the ship select the room for you, or you can do it yourself. The ship will often provide free upgraded categories (from my experience) if you let them choose - which is a nice bonus.

However, if you do want to select, you'd want to shoot for a room close to one of the major elevator banks and ideally low and center if you are prone to motion sickness and would like the least vibration. Any room however will suit you well as guest rooms are not located in the very noisy and heavy motion areas. That's reserved for the crew!

This industry is based heavily on seasonality. That is, if you are looking for the lowest-priced cruises, you'll want to shoot for an off-peak voyage. (Generally Fall and Winter Sailings) If your travel schedule is limited and you don't mind paying the extra price tag, sailing during peak times is great. (Summer, Spring Break and Major Holidays)

Keep in mind the cruise fare you pay generally determines the stature of your fellow guests. Pricey cruise? Expect elegant travelers. Cheap cruise? Expect college students and retirees. Of course every sailing does have a good mix and you can always find fellow cruisers with similar tastes in mind, given the number of guests sailing onboard.

Looking for the deck plans? Check out this official page from Carnival

If you are looking for current pricing and availability for a cruise, Carnival's site offers up the latest information at Carnival.com. Keep in mind the ships do relocate often so any specific itinerary for this ship will change with time.

Bon Voyage!