Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
The Carnival Magic was built in 2011. It's 9 years newer than the Legend, which was built in 2002 and renovated in 2024.
The Magic is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,004 feet long and 122 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.8 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Carnival Legend, the Magic is 45% larger in terms of overall tons.
Carnival Magic holds 73% more passengers than the Legend based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Magic has less space per person compared to the Legend.
Carnival Magic | Carnival Legend | |
---|---|---|
Class | Dream | Spirit |
Gross Tonnage | 128,000 | 88,500 |
Length | 1,004 | 963 |
Beam/Width | 122 | 106 |
Passenger Decks | 14 | 12 |
Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,690 | 2,134 |
Crew | 1,386 | 930 |
Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.3 |
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 35 | 42 |
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Magic has 22 different dining options like The Chef's Table, Cucina Del Capitano, and Captain's Pasta Bar. Of those options, 15 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 7 options have an additional fee.
The Legend has 6 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Blue Iguana Cantina, Bonsai Sushi, and David's Steakhouse. 12 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 4 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Magic might be a better choice. It has 38% more dining options than the Legend.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
Carnival Magic | Carnival Legend | ||
---|---|---|---|
Blue Iguana Cantina | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bonsai Sushi | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Captain's Pasta Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Carnival Deli | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Cherry on Top | ✗ | ✓ | |
Coffee Bar | ✓ | ✗ | |
Cucina Del Capitano | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
David's Steakhouse | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Guy's Burger Joint | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Guys Pig and Anchor BarBQue | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
JavaBlue Cafe | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Lido Buffet | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Mongolian Wok | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Pizza Pirate | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Pizzeria del Capitano | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Redfrog Pub | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Seafood Shack | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Steakhouse | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
Swirls | ✓ | ✓ | |
The Chef's Table | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
The Carnival Magic and Carnival Legend both have 11 bars to choose from during your sailing.
Carnival Magic | Carnival Legend | |
---|---|---|
Alchemy Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Atrium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Billie's Piano Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
BlueIguana Tequila Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
Dream Team Sports Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
Escape Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Firebird Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
Legends' Cafe | ✗ | ✓ |
Medusa's Lair Dance Club | ✗ | ✓ |
Odyssey Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
Play it Again Piano Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Plaza Cafe | ✓ | ✗ |
RedFrog Pub | ✓ | ✓ |
RedFrog Rum Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
Spotlight Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
Vibe Dance Club | ✓ | ✗ |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Magic and the Legend below.
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
The Carnival Magic has a total of 2 pools and 8 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 2 of the hot tubs are adults only.
Carnival Legend has more pools than the Magic and fewer hot tubs.
Carnival Magic | Carnival Legend | |
---|---|---|
Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
Total Hot Tubs | 8 | 3 |
Hot Tubs - General Access | 6 | 2 |
Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books. These are the Carnival editions with featuring places Pizza Pirate and mini-golf.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Carnival Edition
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Carnival Edition
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Magic, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Legend, only 69% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
Carnival Magic | Carnival Legend | |
---|---|---|
Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✓ |
Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
Outdoor gym | ✓ | ✗ |
Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
Ropes course | ✓ | ✗ |
Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
Learn more | Learn more |
Carnival is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Carnival Magic will likely be more expensive than on Carnival Legend.
The cost will also vary depending on the type of cabin you book. You can see the differences between the Carnival cabins and how to choose the best one here:
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Carnival ship.
Carnival | |
---|---|
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 |
Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
Soda Price | $3.00 |
Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus |
Drink Package Price | $59.95 - $69.95 Learn more |
Internet Plan | $15.30 to $21.25 per device per day |
*Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. |
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Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
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