I recently had the chance to board the Carnival Magic in Miami. While I was touring the vessel, I took the opportunity to photograph the ship for a comprehensive tour. This review will cover the public areas and staterooms.
All Carnival ships have a theme and some are more subtle than others. While the Magic’s public rooms are themed after, surprisingly, Magic, the decor isn’t in-your-face about that. What is, are the copious use of shiny metals, bright neon lights and the color turquoise. This is the last ship that their main interior designer and polarizing industry figure Joe Farcus worked on.
The ship is in the Dream-class of vessels launched in 2011. She’s a middle sister in the class, joining her younger sister Carnival Dream (2009) and older sisters Carnival Breeze (2012) and Costa Diadema (2014).
Let’s start the tour with our noted obligatory photos:
Obligatory hallway photo

Hallway on Carnival Magic
Obligatory elevator lobby photo

Random forward elevator lobby onboard Carnival Magic

Artwork adorns the stairwells onboard Carnival Magic
The bottom-most deck normally accessed by the public contains only cabins. There’s both inside and outside cabins with windows and portholes on this deck.
This deck also contains only cabins. In addition to inside and outside cabins, the Dream-class debuted the lines cove balconies. These are balconies that are low in the ship, actually below the lifeboat deck. As a result, the balcony is recessed into the ship a bit in order to shelter and protect them during rough seas and bad weather. A benefit of this is that it allows you unobstructed views of the sea below as compared to balconies higher up on the ship that look down on lifeboats and the Lanai.
This deck is where the public areas start. At the very front of the deck is the Showtime Theatre.

Main theater onboard Carnival Magic
Aft of that is the Shore Excursion and Guest Services desks.

Guest Services onboard Carnival Magic

Shore excursion desk onboard Carnival Magic
Those stop at the main bank of elevators and the ships main lobby.

Main lobby onboard Carnival Magic

Magic Lobby
Another new feature of this class is that instead of entering the ship on the promenade and then walking into the atrium, you walk directly into the atrium.

Entrance to Carnival Magic
At the end of the atrium is one of the ships main dinning rooms.

Northern Lights dining room onboard Carnival Magic
Deck three is one of those split decks on Carnival Ships. This means that to reach the aft area, you need to go a deck above or below and then head aft to go back up.
Before entering the dining room, like the previous classes have, the Dream-class have this neat mini-atrium.

Aft atrium onboard Carnival Magic
At the very aft of the ship is the other dining room.

Southern Lights dining room onboard Carnival Magic
As keeps getting mentioned she’s an evolution of the Conquest-class. One noticeable change is the exterior profile of the aft part of decks 0, 1, 2 & 3.
As a result, the windows in the dining room slope the other way.

Southern Lights dining room onboard Carnival Magic
At the very front is the balcony level of the Showtime Theatre.

Showtime Theatre onboard Carnival Magic
Walking out of the theater is the Pixels photo gallery.

Pixels onboard Carnival Magic
Surrounding the atrium is a Bar and library.

Magic Atrium onboard Carnival Magic
Past those is the second level to the midships dinning room.

Northern Lights dining room onboard Carnival Magic
Unlike other ships of previous class, to reach the aft part of this deck you do not need to walk through the dining room. They created a hallway that leads directly to the aft dining room. Also gone is this area is the large bar/lounge (that’s been moved up one deck).

Restaurant hallway onboard Carnival Magic

Seating in hallway onboard Carnival Magic
Past the midships dining room is the conference center and conference rooms.

Gallery on the Way onboard Carnival Magic

Conference center onboard Carnival Magic

Conference center onboard Carnival Magic

Secret stairway connecting both promenades
Past the conference room is the arcade and teens club off the Lower Magical Way Promenade.

Lower promenade on Carnival Magic

Club O2 onboard Carnival Magic

Club O2 onboard Carnival Magic
The lower promenade ends at the second floor of the aft atrium.

Aft atrium onboard Carnival Magic
At the very aft is the second floor of the aft dining room.

Southern Lights dining room
This deck is where the real major changes happen. The deck is entirely surrounded by an outdoor promenade called the Lanai.

Looking forward on the Lanai

Starboard side of the Lanai looking forward

Starboard side of the Lanai looking aft

Hot tubs on Carnival Magic’s Lanai

Entrance to the Lanai
Back inside at the very front of the deck is the top floor of the main theater.

Showtime Theatre
As you exit that, you are at the top-most deck of the main atrium in which you can completely walk around it.

Overlooking the Magic Atrium

Overlooking the Magic Atrium
Surrounding the atrium are the Fun Shops.

The Fun Shops onboard Carnival Magic

Cherry on Top on Carnival Magic
Exiting the atrium you walk through the Hat Trick Casino.

Hat Trick Casino on Carnival Magic
Exiting only on the starboard side you emerge in Ocean Plaza. This is the reimagining of the bar/lounge from a deck below. The area contains a bar, cafe and the Fun Hub.

Ocean Plaza onboard Carnival Magic

Upper Magical Promenade onboard Carnival Magic

Fun Hub and another Pixels onboard Carnival Magic

Plaza Bar onboard Carnival Magic

Plaza Cafe onboard Carnival Magic

Alchemy Bar
Just outside on the starboard side is the first of two signature Guy Fieri restaurants onboard. This one is Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que.

Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que joint onboard Carnival Magic
Past the Ocean Plaza is a shorter promenade with seating on the starboard and the Red Frog Pub on port.

Red Frog Pub

Red Frog Pub

Red Frog Pub
Aft of the pub is the night club Vibe Dance Club.

Vibe Dance Club onboard Carnival Magic
Exiting the promenade there’s the Play It Again Piano Bar.

Piano Bar onboard Carnival Magic
Opposite that is the Prime Steakhouse.

Prime Steakhouse onboard Carnival Magic

Prime Steakhouse onboard Carnival Magic
At the very back of the deck is the alternate lounge Spotlight.

Top of the aft atrium

Spotlight Lounge onboard Carnival Magic
This deck is all balcony cabins with a few forward facing outside cabins and some inside cabins as well.
This deck is also balcony cabins, and suites, with a few forward facing outside cabins and some inside cabins as well.
Deck 08 is all balcony and inside cabins. The Bridge is forward on this deck.