Cabanas, a casual buffet restaurant on the pool deck (deck 9), is a pleasing alternative to the formal dining rooms. Choices are plentiful and varied, with daily themes such as seafood, Italian, Mexican, and Asian. The welcome aboard buffet (first afternoon) offers peel-and-eat shrimp and crab claws. Salad and dessert buffets are expansive, and kid-friendly food is always offered. Breakfast offerings are excellent, with hot and cold selections, omelet bar, and a cereal bar. It’s usually open for breakfast (7:30 am to 10:30 am) and lunch (noon to 2:00 pm). Early-morning pastries, table service dinner (check for times), and a late-night buffet are often offered. Drinks include soda, water, fruit punch, iced tea, coffee, milk, and juice.

Decor—Cabanas goes for an Australian beach style, and has a “boardwalk” with food court-style serving stations rather than long buffet lines, offering a wide range of specialties. Large murals of inlaid wood depict undersea life from Finding Nemo, and various characters from that movie can be found around the room. The Magic’s 2013 re-make is especially noticeable here in the former Topsider’s, now sporting the Cabanas name, layout, and decor so popular on the Dream class ships. Bump-outs aft and starboard provide more indoor seating and elbow room.

Dress—Cruise casual. You can wear shorts and tank tops for breakfast and lunch, something a bit nicer preferred at dinner. For the sake of other guests, however, do cover up that swimsuit.

Dinner—Dinner works differently than breakfast and lunch—you go to the buffet for your appetizers, but your drinks and other courses are brought to you by servers. Main courses include some main dining room specialties. Typically available all but the first and last nights of your cruise.

Our Review—This is an excellent choice for a fast yet satisfying breakfast. This is our first choice for breakfast and lunch, thanks to the wider menu, improved layout, and vastly improved seating arrangements. When we’ve stopped by for a casual dinner, we’ve always been pleased. It’s a great place to feed kids before they go to the nursery or kid’s club.