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.