On The Carnival Magic... Is a balcony really better?

Everyone just assumes a balcony is the best middle ground, budget friendly cabin option. If you ask me I will take a deluxe ocean view over a balcony at any given moment. Why? The extra bathroom.... I have kids and having an extra shower/tub and sink is EVERYTHING.

If you enjoy spending tons of time sitting on the balcony enjoying the breeze then keep moving this Blog is not for you. However if you are like me and traveling with 2 littles the balcony can be a scary place. The kids would not be allowed on it anyway. They are typically pretty small. Not much room for error. I can enjoy the balcony from the main decks. or practically any where else on the ship. There are so many areas you can just sit, relax and marvel the sunsets, sunrises and 360 views. We prefer Ocean View rooms and we did not fall short on views or pure moments of serenity.

Balcony rooms on the carnival magic are not larger than the Ocean View Rooms... actually it is quite the opposite. Both rooms are roughly 220 SQFT but one room has has to account for the 45 sqft balcony. It boils down to choosing which one is more important to you and or your family.... A 2nd bathroom or a balcony.

So what you end up with is 185 sqft of living space + 45 sqft of balcony. Whereas in a Deluxe Ocean View you have 220 sqft which Includes the 2nd bathroom. The second bathroom is a shower/tub and sink only. The tubs are a good size so you can fit 2 kids in the tub comfortably at one time. This extra bathroom cuts bath time in half. Do I even need to continue....

There is also a difference in the cost. A deluxe ocean view will cost less. You can save and use that money toward a casino night, or a specialty dining option, or even a beach excursion. Sometimes the difference can really add up, other times its not enough to really swoon over. For our May 2023 sailing the difference was roughly $200.

The kids can enjoy the view from the window cove. This is the cutest space, throw a blanket and a pillow up there and the kiddos can safely enjoy an ocean view without the concerns of falling over. This type of room also helped ease the anxiety of our first time cruiser. It felt cozy and safe.

Enjoying the Ocean View