The Carnival Magic cruise ship hit the waters on the first of May with a nine-day Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Barcelona. The 100th ship in the Carnival Cruise line family is a 130,000 tonne marvel of ship design and on board experience. Recently, CruiseLineFans, an online cruise travel forum, highlighted some of the ship’s best features.

Dining
Dining and cuisine on board the Carnival Magic cruise ship boasts some serious upgrades and additions for the newest ship in the Carnival fleet. The Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub has its own signature draft beer, ThirstyFrog Red, which debuted to massive success — the guests drank the 9-day supply in just one day and Carnival has airlifted more in to satisfy demand. Also available is the Cucina del Capitano, a new Italian dining experience that celebrates the heritage of Carnival captains and delivers this experience right to your table.

Amenities
The countless experiences available on the Carnival Magic cruise ship will delight children, parents and grandparents alike. But, if it all seems too much and you want to ensure a relaxing cruise vacation, the Carnival Magic is still your ship.

Like its sister ship, the Carnival Dream, the Carnival Magic is also home to the expansive and seductive Cloud9 Spa. The Cloud9 Spa includes a wide variety of complimentary services like steam rooms and aerobic equipment, plus Thalassotherapy soak pools, Thermal Suites and a full service Salon.

The Ocean Plaza, lovingly known as the “Fun Hub” on the Carnival Magic cruise ship, is another example of a growing trend in cruise ship design — the social hub. Just like modern social networks online, real life connections and experiences are being created on the Magic at the Ocean Plaza. The Plaza is open day and night, and is lined with coffee shops, bars, Internet cafes, shops and other meet-up locations.

Activities
Not to be outdone by the Royal Caribbean Oasis and Allure of the Seas, the Carnival Magic cruise ship features an array of activities, such as those you will find at the open-air SportSquare. You can get physical on the very first ropes course and outdoor fitness centre at sea. You can also use the two-story miniature golf course — the only one of its kind at sea — play foosball, or have a go on the ping-pong tables.

The WaterWorks aqua park is an impressive sight with its 312-foot long waterslide. This elaborate, family-friendly water-soaked extravaganza will keep you and the kids cool and entertained for hours.

Ports and Destinations
Besides the cruise from Venice to Barcelona, the Carnival Magic cruise ship will also take guests on a series of other Mediterranean cruises from May until October 2011, stopping at ports such as Monte Carlo, Messina, Rome, Naples, Palma, Marseilles and Dubrovnik. On completion of these cruises, the Carnival Magic cruise ship will make her way to Galveston, TX, to take passengers on Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises for the 2012 season.

SOURCE: CruiseLineFans