While the 130,000-ton, 4300-passenger  Carnival Magic is a sister ship of Carnival Dream, when she enters service in May, 2011 cruisers will find innovative features including a pub serving the cruise line’s private label beer, Thirsty Frog Red.   Additional new facilities and services include an authentic Italian trattoria and additional sports activities such as rope climbing and outdoor weight lifting.

Red Frog Pub

Carnival’s first pub, the Red Frog Pub, will offer  a laid-back Caribbean vibe with island-inspired drinks, including ThirstyFrog Red, a private-label draught beer brewed especially for Carnival Magic. Located on Promenade Deck 5, the 100-seat indoor/outdoor pub is a convivial place where passengers can snack on conch salad, grouper fingers, firecracker Jamaican chicken wings, and other Caribbean favorites. RedFrog Pub will also offer tastings of top-rated rums of the Caribbean and a collection of the region’s best beers.

Italian Trattoria

Cucina del Capitano (“The Captain’s Kitchen”) — An homage to Carnival’s rich Italian lineage – all of the line’s captains are Italian and many Carnival ships, including Carnival Magic, are built in Italy – Cucina del Capitano is a dinner-time option with made-to-order Italian favorites including pastas, risotto and fresh-from-the-oven Italian specialties – many served family style – complemented by a wine list specializing in Italian vintages. Many of the dishes and recipes were hand-selected by Carnival’s captains. Framed archival photographs, many from the captains’ personal collections, table arrangements that invite conversation, wood-beam ceilings, and ornate wrought ironwork recreate the ambiance of a cozy Italian home, while warm, attentive service makes diners feel like they’re part of the family.

Sports Square

Taking Carnival’s popular outdoor recreation areas to an entirely new level is SportsSquare, which features the cruise industry’s first ropes course where thrill-seeking guests can traverse across nets suspended above Spa Deck 12 and offering spectacular views to the sea nearly 150 feet below. Surrounded by an eighth-mile jogging track, the expansive SportsSquare complex also includes the first outdoor weightlifting area on a cruise ship, along with Carnival’s first two-level miniature golf course, a Vita exercise course, a lighted multi-purpose court for  basketball, volleyball and soccer, along with ping pong and foosball tables. A full bar with a large flat-screen display is available for those who just want to relax and check out the sports action in the area or on TV.  Carnival Magic’s other top-deck amenities include the splash-tastic WaterWorks aqua park that will offer even more thrills with an exhilarating “Twister” spiral water slide, as well as the new Aqua Play splash park designed for youngsters and their families, featuring a gigantic, 500-gallon “dump bucket” and a host of other wet ’n wild features.

To see animated drawings of the new Carnival Magic, click CARNIVAL MAGIC.

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One thing the newest cruise ships all have in common is an enormous investment in kids programs and activities designed to capture the attention of vacationing families.   Ranging from faux surfing “Flow Riders” to water slides and pricey affiliations with famous TV characters — Royal Caribbean collaborates with Dream Works, Norwegian with Nickelodeon – those of us who critique these new behemoths have a lot to write about.

One thing it’s easy to overlook is whether cruising children actually like all this stuff.

So to keep it real, I interviewed an experienced kid cruiser, Jay, for his input after actually trying out some of the newest bells and whistles that adult writers like me find so impressive.

When I asked how many cruises he’s been on, 12-year-old Jay countered “before or after I was born?”   As I said, he’s an experienced cruiser.    The answer is seven, including Pride of America (Hawaii), Norwegian Pearl (Alaska) and in the Caribbean, Celebrity Solstice, Liberty of the Seas, Norwegian Sky ,Caribbean Princess and the latest activity-filled behemoth Norwegian Epic.

Norwegian Epic

While my review of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic was fairly positive, especially about the innovative kids activities, Jay felt differently.   I was an observer and reporter while he participated.

Regarding one of Norwegian Epic’s most notable features, the deck top water slides, Jay said,  “I got stuck in the water slide and it was scary.  That’s never happened to me before at any water park.   And, the deck was so hot and that I burned my feet.  They (NCL staff) knew there was a problem but didn’t fix it,” he said.    He advises kids to avoid wearing prescription glasses on the slides because the glass can break; plastic sunglasses, however, are fine.

Jay made a criticism I heard during my cruise:  the top deck is too small for all the passengers and during days at sea, the pools were over-crowded.   Noting that Epic has a form of “ice skating”, he said that you’re skating on plastic and it feels that way.

“I think they tried to put too much stuff on the ship,” he said.

He liked Blue Man Group and gave thumbs up to Norwegian Epic’s food – “the ice cream was the best!” — with the exception of the Nickelodeon character’s breakfast and the fare served in the Cirque supper club.   However, “The Ice Bar which was smaller than my cabin.  I think it’s ridiculous to charge $5.00 just to see the place.”

Like a number of passengers, Jay was unenthusiastic about the ship’s cabins.  “There’s no privacy.  While I was watching TV, someone used the bathroom and I could hear him.  It was very disturbing.  While you’re in the shower, no one can leave and no one can come in.   My bed was a sofa, small and not very comfortable.  But you got to sleep somewhere,” he said.

Exciting Destinations Score A+

Jay’s favorite cruises have been in Hawaii and Alaska because of the quality and quantity of memorable active excursions.

During the Pride of Aloha Hawaii cruise, Jay says “I went zip lining, rock climbing, paddle bicycle, surfing for the first time.  I saw lava falling into the water and where Jurassic park was filmed.   It was the best!”

Equally thrilling was his Norwegian Pearl cruise in Alaska where he went salmon fishing, river rafting on rapids and gold panning.

Rating the Cruise Lines

Jay can’t wait for his next cruise aboard Oasis of the Seas in part because he’s a big Royal Caribbean fan.   “Royal Caribbean never repeats itself … even in the buffet the food may be the same, but the carved fruit will be different.  There are always surprises,” he says.

Advice for Kids

I asked Jay for tips to pass along to other children taking a cruise.  “Look for a cruise line with good kids center, because you’ll make new friends.  When you cruise on Royal Caribbean, sign up for Flow Rider lessons first thing.  Take cameras with a lot of memory and your wallet too, because there is a lot of stuff to do but you need money (such lessons on the flo rider).”  And, he recommends shows in the theaters (comedy, Beatles impersonators, magic show) because the entertainment is wonderful.

Like most experienced cruisers Jay is looking at other destinations he can visit by cruise ship.  At the top of his list:  South America, especially Peru.

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Well, actually they’re probably not the best cruise articles, but they sure are interesting

*** Whether you’re a liberal or conservative, there’s a theme cruise where you can get the chance to chat with stars ranging from Karl Rove to Robert Kennedy Jr.   For the inside scope, go to The Politics of Cruising

*** There’s a saying that life happens when you’re making other plans.  While 97%+ of cruise passengers return happy and planning their next cruise, sometimes stuff happens.  To see what can go wrong, go to “Cruise Ship Horror Stories”

*** Tina Brown and husband Harry Brown pimped a free cruise aboard one of Windstar Cruises’ tony ships by agreeing to lecture about their fabulous lives.   Go to How to score a freebie.

*** Ten passengers were kicked off Carnival Dream after a brawl in one of the ship’s dance clubs. HUH?  It wasn’t about trying to liberate someone’s chair near the pool?  That I understand

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I’m sure I’m not the only cruiser who occasionally worries about failing to reach a cruise ship before it sails.  So I can imagine how awful it was for a troop of girl scouts who couldn’t make their airline connection and missed their Carnival cruise.  Instead of spending a week sailing the warm waters of the Caribbean, stayed in a motel.

Cincinnati radio station WKRC reports that three years after the mishap the girls are still trying to recoup their losses.   And investigative reporter Howard Ain says that getting the right travel insurance would have avoided the problem.

Here’s what happened:  the group arrived in Indianapolis two hours early for their connecting flight to Miami and, upon presenting paper tickets, were told they were invalid.  After troop leader Diane McConnell called the travel agent, new reservations were made but the group arrived at the pier moments after the Carnival ship departed.  The girls spent their vacation at a Daytona beach hotel rather than on the ship.

Upon return, the troop sued their travel agent and won $4300 in damages.  The travel agency then sued Air Tran airlines — and won. The judge ruled there was really no problem with the tickets, it’s just Air Tran had overbooked the flight.

While some of the girls had no travel insurance, several scouts had taken out trip cancellation insurance but that didn’t work either. “With it being a, they called it a computer glitch, that they wouldn’t cover that — it was unrecoverable,” says troop leader Diane McConnell

According to reporter Ain, “Turns out the trip insurance they bought was from the cruise line. While it is less expensive, it’s also a lot more restrictive than trip insurance purchased from an independent company. Had they bought trip insurance from an independent company, more than likely they would have been covered for the missed cruise. Such insurance is something to consider if you’re ever planning to leave the country.”

This is why I’ve been preaching about the importance of buying travel insurance from one of the independent companies like Travel Guard and Access America.  No matter how much your cruise costs, it’s important to protect your investment.

Do you buy travel insurance?

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Normally I advise cruisers drop luggage in the cabin to run to the spa to book beauty treatments once they board.   But if you’re cruising with Celebrity Cruises you won’t have to do that any longer.

Celebrity is adding spa, salon and personal fitness appointments to onboard activities that may be reserved prior to the cruise to be booked online in advance of the departure.  Over 100 AquaSpa, salon and fitness offerings such as massages, facials, men’s barber services and hair styling

Like other cruise lines, Celebrity is adding to the roster of services and activities which may be booked at their website.  These include beverage packages, shore excursions, specialty dining reservations, and complimentary “Celebrity Select Dining” main dining room preferences.

By mid-November, guests will be able to book spa, salon and personal fitness appointments prior to their cruise on six of the nine Celebrity ships that will offer this option. The first ship to offer this option is Celebrity Solstice, the flagship of the premium cruise line’s stylish new Solstice Class ships. Guests sailing on Celebrity Solstice can currently book and pay for spa, salon and personal fitness appointments up to four days prior to their sailing date. Guests booked on voyages departing on August 21 or later on Celebrity’s newest Solstice Class ship, Celebrity Eclipse, can also book these appointments. On August 26, guests sailing on Celebrity Equinox’s voyages of September 9 or later can book these appointments. The rollout will continue through 2011, when Celebrity Cruises will launch its fourth Solstice Class vessel, Celebrity Silhouette.

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