Is it possible? Has the last day of our cruise arrived this quickly? Oh what is a girl to do? I don’t want to start packing too early in the day because then I will be completely out of vacation mode. Perhaps I’ll just sit out on the balcony and do absolutely nothing and hope that time stands still. Maybe I’ll spend the day shopping onboard the Carnival Magic in the Fun Shops and spend money that I’ll regret having spent once I get home. Maybe we’ll venture back to the Punchliner Comedy Brunch one more time because we are often gluttons for punishment.
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| Cappuccino from the Punchliner Comedy Brunch |
It’s possible that I might be exaggerating a little. The comedy brunch was entertaining in the sense that the comedy was well, flawed and not humorous, but we can eat at least. Having learned that the comedy brunch was only about 2-3 weeks old on the Carnival Magic, I’m willing to cut them a little slack as I hope they are still trying to iron out the kinks. When they introduced the comedian as someone who opened for Luther Vandross, I turned to my husband and said, “Didn’t he die?” Not sure I would want that on my resume, but hey — I’m not a comedian. As returning Carnival guests, we each received coupons for an alcoholic beverage, specialty coffee beverage, or a soda at breakfast or brunch so on my last day I was able to get a yummy cappuccino. A little coffee in my system and suddenly life is so much better.
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| Funny French Toast with Raisin Bran |
As should be expected, my son ordered his typical two omelet breakfast while my husband demonstrated no restraint and tried to order everything off the menu. Since he was running on average about 10 miles per day on the ship, I think he can order whatever he likes. He not only ordered two eggs over easy, but also the strange concoction called the Funny French Toast, which is made “funny” with the addition of cereal. He opted for the Raisin Bran and said it tasted really good. Did I mention he’s a strange cookie? As long as I have a big cup of coffee in my hand and I’m getting a fast infusion of caffeine, all is right with the world and my husband and son can eat to their hearts’ content.
A day at sea is either a curse or a blessing, depending on the type of cruiser that you are. Some people love port intensive itineraries with little or no days at sea so they can enjoy their voyage to new destinations. Other people love itineraries with more days at sea that allow them to explore and enjoy every square inch of their cruise ship. I can’t say that I am more of one type of cruiser over another as it truly does depend on the ship and the itinerary that I am on and also the particular day that I am asked. For some, a sea day, especially the last sea day, means drinking as much as humanly possible. This can mean a huge pool deck full of drunk people and I guess if you’re into that, then that’s fine. We hung out in the pool in the morning, but once it started to fill with lots of drunk people and children, we were out.
This picture of the main pool was taken on the first day and was never this empty. In fact, our son decided to take part in the Olympic Pool Games in the afternoon because he said that the only people allowed in the pool would be the participants and he would at least have a little space around him. There are certainly enough chairs around the pool on all of the decks, but if you want to cool off, plan to know your pool neighbor more intimately. I’m not trying to sound like a pool snob, but I’m all about personal space and there doesn’t seem to feel like any with regard to the pool or pool area on this ship. Seems like others dealt with this by drinking more so maybe that’s the answer?
Besides the Olympic Pool Games, our son also played Dodgeball in the SkyCourt as well as the Olympic Soccer Challenge. Other options for the day included shopping, the Spa, dancing like a country line dance class, and bingo. I found myself gravitating toward the casino more times than not and eventually, I ended up in the jewelry store talking with a fantastic salesperson, Aleksandra. I am not an impulsive shopper and so I was sizing up some of the pieces in the store all week. Considering it was our anniversary and my husband was promising to get me something nice, I decided to bite the bullet and buy a ring. I was so pleased with the service and the ring that I was completely beside myself with joy. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but I am not one that is easily impressed or swayed into bouts of joy and happiness. I am a happy person, but I know what I like and what I don’t like. Let me tell you, I like this ring people!
Now we must pack our bags and begin the preparation for returning to our regular lives. I love that Carnival was able to broadcast the Olympic games during our cruise, both on our in our staterooms and also at the Seaside Theatre, but as much as I’ve enjoyed the games, I think we aren’t the only ones getting burned out on the all Olympics, all the time fun. For now we will continue to pack, grab a few drinks and quick visits to the casino and shows, and begin our final preparations for returning home. Our bags have to go outside our cabin before 11 pm so we can avoid lugging them through the port. Back to work we go!