Quick Carnival Miracle Review - 9/24 - 10/1

I’m going to do a short review and hit on a few things. DH and I are part of a group of family and close friends that cruise every two years. The group has been cruising since the early 80s. We joined the group in 1998 and have been hooked ever since. We have sailed Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Carnival and found that Carnival’s atmosphere works for everyone in the group; our ages range between mid 20s to mid 70s. Our last two cruises were on the Freedom and the Breeze respectively. We loved the Breeze! We are all about the size and the bells and whistles.

We especially liked the contemporary design and the plethora of food choices. OMG, on the Breeze, our go to breakfast was the Blue Iguana Cantina for a yummy breakfast burrito. See breakfast has always been an issue for me when cruising. I have to watch my cholesterol so I limit my egg consumption and after losing quite a bit of weight, I watch my carb intake and I don’t eat pork. All of which are staples on the buffet. As such, I board the ship with a supply of protein bars for the week.

DH and I got out voted on this cruise. After learning that the Miracle did not get the full 2.0 upgrades, we had no desire to get on that ship. Also, we have been to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta a numerous times as land vacations. So DH and I decided to break from the group and we booked the Breeze. My mother, who joined the group in 2012 now has the cruise bug. She also really likes several people in the group because they have a lot in common and are of the same age group. Here is how we got roped into sailing on the Miracle. After my mother found out that DH and I would not be sailing with the group, she decides that she would sail with “her daughter”.

Mom: Well, I guess I’ll book your cruise. I sure will miss having fun with Gail and the others.

Me: Mom, you can still go with the group. Please sail with the group!

Mom: No, I want to sail with my own daughter. They’ll have their daughters with them.

Me: Grrr, Mom, don’t try to guilt me.

Mom: It’s okay, I will go with you and Ray.

Long story short, after a month of me begging her to book with the group, I threw my hands up in the air and said FINE, we’ll go with the group.

Mom: Really?!! Oh I am so happy! But, I don’t want you and Ray to change your plans because of me.

Me: Eye Roll

Fortunately, our travel agent had no problem cancelling our Breeze reservation and booking us on the Miracle. 

We flew into LA a few days before sailing. We stayed in Santa Monica at the suggestion of a fellow CC member. That was a great suggestion! Our hotel was two blocks from the beach and the Santa Monica Pier. We also did the “A Day in LA” tour, which was awesome! I highly recommend that tour. You get the chance to see all of the key LA locations. We visited Venice Beach, Rodeo Drive, the Griffith Observatory, Griffith Park, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and saw tons of really nice celebrity homes. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and made the tour a lot of fun. Now on to the Carnival Miracle.

FTTF

We purchased FTTF to see if it was really worth it and the answer is yes. We were checked in and on board within 20 minutes and our room was ready. However, our luggage arrived piece-by-piece. The last piece arrived after we returned from dinner about 9:30pm. I thought I luggage was suppose to have priority delivery. We also liked having priority tender boarding. They need to figure out a better process for getting people off the ship and on to tenders. It is possible that the problem is that there’s not enough tenders. Initially, there were only four tenders. Upon returning to the ship there was an additional two.

Water Purchase

I drink a lot of water. When we were able to bring our own water on board, my water of choice was Fiji or Evian. So naturally I took issue with the fact that the only water available from Carnival is purified water and some off brand that I have never heard of. My water was in the cabin when we arrived. There was also two bottles of spring water in the cabin for purchase at $3.75 a bottle. I would like to know why they sell us purified water that I have little faith is a good quality water?

Sea Day Brunch

I’ve already vented about my breakfast dilemma. I remembered that I was able to get turkey bacon on the Breeze so we decided to do the brunch. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros that came with shredded chicken. It was tasty, but as I was eating it I kept feeling that something was missing. Then I realized what was missing was cheese. I’m one not to send food back for fear of getting a little special sauce from the kitchen. So I opted to continue eating even though I was really missing the cheese. When the waiter started clearing our plates, he asked me how my food was. My reply was it was good, but would have been better with the cheese. His reply was “cheese doesn’t go in the Huevos Rancheros”. I politely replied “yes, cheese is a part of the dish”. After a three minute debate I walked off shaking my head. Folks, cheese is on the Huevos Rancheros!

Chef’s Table

Wow! What a wonderful experience. We were notified on the first sea day of the date CT would be and luckily it was scheduled on my Mom’s birthday. We were greeted in the Alchemy Bar and escorted to the galley where we were served appetizers and wine and then to the dance club where the table was set. The chef was phenomenal! He explained all of the nuances of preparing each dish. He even discussed food safety processes. We thoroughly enjoyed every dish that was placed in front of us. After the first serving, DH commented that he would have to find something to eat after we leave. Boy was he wrong! The servings may be small, but they add up. By the time the dessert was served, we were stuffed. I highly recommend doing the CT, if only once.

Comedy Show

We did the adult comedy show one night and I have never laughed so much. I can’t recall the comedian’s name, but he had the room in stitches.

Staff / Ship

Our cabin steward was great as was or MDR team. The ship is starting to show its age, but we saw the crew all over the ship cleaning, dusting and polishing.

Horatio’s Buffet

With the exception of the MDR and Chef’s Table, the food on this ship was a disappointment. On the first day my Mother at the Chinese food and the next day her ankles began to swell and it got worst each day. It could have been the sodium or they use MSG. IMO, the Mongolian Wok would have been a better option. It certainly would have been healthier. The desserts were a hit or miss, I would put a few things on the plate, but nothing made me want to eat the whole piece. DH ended up eating pizza several times over the week because that was good. The pizza was the highlight of the food choices. I didn’t have high hopes for the food, but it was worst than I expected. Most things were either fried or swimming in some sauce. My guess is that the Chinese food is their feature item, but that stuff is not good for you!

Serenity Deck

The Serenity Deck is where we always spend our time on sea days. Some people love being in the thick of things and the hairy chest contest. Us, we love sitting on our rear end in a quiet, serene atmosphere reading a good book. That plan went to the dogs on the Miracle. Where should I start? Let’s start with the every present chair hogs! The serenity deck opens at 8:00am. So how was it that EVERY single clam shell seat was occupied with towels at 7:45am? Throughout the day bodies would occupy the seats for an hour or so. The same thing with the lounge chairs. We ended up sitting on the sofa both sea days, which for me, SUCKED! Never did I see anyone going around putting the chair hogs in check.

The Serenity area is at the back of the ship and it is very small. There is a pool and Jacuzzi smack in the middle of the area. This is the first ship that I have been on where the Serenity area was as lively as the lido party area. The pool and the Jacuzzi were packed! There was no serenity to be had as the noise level was high. This was the case the entire cruise.

Carnival HUB App

The app became available on the Miracle on the day of our sailing. We downloaded it as soon as we boarded. I highly recommend using the app if you keep your phone on your person. We were able to see what was happening on the ship without referring to the Funtimes. I really liked the ability to monitor our sail and sign account from my phone.

Overall, it was good cruise. The food is a big part of cruising for DH and I and this one was a dud. Although the Chef’s Table was fantastic! One last thing I will touch on is the last sea day. The weather started off a little chilly, but that didn’t deter the chair hogs. We went up to the Serenity deck and could only bare the cold for 15 minutes.

Thanks for sharing your comments. I agree with you on the water...much prefer spring water.

I think it's great that you can sail with you mom! Your story was cute....Moms are good at the guilt thing.

Maybe next time, you can go back on the Breeze!

Thanks for writing!

Food is always a very personal thing.

In addition to the MDR for healthy eating on the Miracle we use the salad bar a lot!

We also order lots of sandwiches at the deli. You can also get the sandwich makings without bread if you want to reduce carb intake.

I have learned that fiber counting is more important then either calories or carb numbers so for breakfast I eat a lot of fruit/nuts and oatmeal. I know that doesn't appeal to everyone but it works for me and I don't gain weight or retain water at all on any cruise no matter what else I eat the rest of the day.

As for Huevos Rancheros,there are many versions of this dish and not all of them include cheese.

Sorry you were not happy with the one you received.

I understand that the Miracle does not have the bells and whistles of the larger ships so glad you found some things to enjoy even though it was not a perfect cruise!

Appreciate the feedback.

Carnival doesn't use MSG. They do use a ton of salt. Worst are the soups, especially the one on Chopsticks.

Did you get your turkey bacon?

About the Serenity chairhogs, we've asked the attendant to check. Unfortunately many know the game, coming back every so often to take they're sticker off.

Thanks for your review.

I’m going to do a short review and hit on a few things. DH and I are part of a group of family and close friends that cruise every two years. The group has been cruising since the early 80s. We joined the group in 1998 and have been hooked ever since. We have sailed Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Carnival and found that Carnival’s atmosphere works for everyone in the group; our ages range between mid 20s to mid 70s. Our last two cruises were on the Freedom and the Breeze respectively. We loved the Breeze! We are all about the size and the bells and whistles.

 

We especially liked the contemporary design and the plethora of food choices. OMG, on the Breeze, our go to breakfast was the Blue Iguana Cantina for a yummy breakfast burrito. See breakfast has always been an issue for me when cruising. I have to watch my cholesterol so I limit my egg consumption and after losing quite a bit of weight, I watch my carb intake and I don’t eat pork. All of which are staples on the buffet. As such, I board the ship with a supply of protein bars for the week.

 

DH and I got out voted on this cruise. After learning that the Miracle did not get the full 2.0 upgrades, we had no desire to get on that ship. Also, we have been to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta a numerous times as land vacations. So DH and I decided to break from the group and we booked the Breeze. My mother, who joined the group in 2012 now has the cruise bug. She also really likes several people in the group because they have a lot in common and are of the same age group. Here is how we got roped into sailing on the Miracle. After my mother found out that DH and I would not be sailing with the group, she decides that she would sail with “her daughter”.

 

Mom: Well, I guess I’ll book your cruise. I sure will miss having fun with Gail and the others.

Me: Mom, you can still go with the group. Please sail with the group!

Mom: No, I want to sail with my own daughter. They’ll have their daughters with them.

Me: Grrr, Mom, don’t try to guilt me.

Mom: It’s okay, I will go with you and Ray.

 

Long story short, after a month of me begging her to book with the group, I threw my hands up in the air and said FINE, we’ll go with the group.

 

Mom: Really?!! Oh I am so happy! But, I don’t want you and Ray to change your plans because of me.

Me: Eye Roll

 

Fortunately, our travel agent had no problem cancelling our Breeze reservation and booking us on the Miracle. 

 

We flew into LA a few days before sailing. We stayed in Santa Monica at the suggestion of a fellow CC member. That was a great suggestion! Our hotel was two blocks from the beach and the Santa Monica Pier. We also did the “A Day in LA” tour, which was awesome! I highly recommend that tour. You get the chance to see all of the key LA locations. We visited Venice Beach, Rodeo Drive, the Griffith Observatory, Griffith Park, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and saw tons of really nice celebrity homes. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and made the tour a lot of fun. Now on to the Carnival Miracle.

 

FTTF

We purchased FTTF to see if it was really worth it and the answer is yes. We were checked in and on board within 20 minutes and our room was ready. However, our luggage arrived piece-by-piece. The last piece arrived after we returned from dinner about 9:30pm. I thought I luggage was suppose to have priority delivery. We also liked having priority tender boarding. They need to figure out a better process for getting people off the ship and on to tenders. It is possible that the problem is that there’s not enough tenders. Initially, there were only four tenders. Upon returning to the ship there was an additional two.

 

Water Purchase

I drink a lot of water. When we were able to bring our own water on board, my water of choice was Fiji or Evian. So naturally I took issue with the fact that the only water available from Carnival is purified water and some off brand that I have never heard of. My water was in the cabin when we arrived. There was also two bottles of spring water in the cabin for purchase at $3.75 a bottle. I would like to know why they sell us purified water that I have little faith is a good quality water?

 

Sea Day Brunch

I’ve already vented about my breakfast dilemma. I remembered that I was able to get turkey bacon on the Breeze so we decided to do the brunch. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros that came with shredded chicken. It was tasty, but as I was eating it I kept feeling that something was missing. Then I realized what was missing was cheese. I’m one not to send food back for fear of getting a little special sauce from the kitchen. So I opted to continue eating even though I was really missing the cheese. When the waiter started clearing our plates, he asked me how my food was. My reply was it was good, but would have been better with the cheese. His reply was “cheese doesn’t go in the Huevos Rancheros”. I politely replied “yes, cheese is a part of the dish”. After a three minute debate I walked off shaking my head. Folks, cheese is on the Huevos Rancheros!

 

Chef’s Table

Wow! What a wonderful experience. We were notified on the first sea day of the date CT would be and luckily it was scheduled on my Mom’s birthday. We were greeted in the Alchemy Bar and escorted to the galley where we were served appetizers and wine and then to the dance club where the table was set. The chef was phenomenal! He explained all of the nuances of preparing each dish. He even discussed food safety processes. We thoroughly enjoyed every dish that was placed in front of us. After the first serving, DH commented that he would have to find something to eat after we leave. Boy was he wrong! The servings may be small, but they add up. By the time the dessert was served, we were stuffed. I highly recommend doing the CT, if only once.

 

Comedy Show

We did the adult comedy show one night and I have never laughed so much. I can’t recall the comedian’s name, but he had the room in stitches.

 

Staff / Ship

Our cabin steward was great as was or MDR team. The ship is starting to show its age, but we saw the crew all over the ship cleaning, dusting and polishing.

 

Horatio’s Buffet

With the exception of the MDR and Chef’s Table, the food on this ship was a disappointment. On the first day my Mother at the Chinese food and the next day her ankles began to swell and it got worst each day. It could have been the sodium or they use MSG. IMO, the Mongolian Wok would have been a better option. It certainly would have been healthier. The desserts were a hit or miss, I would put a few things on the plate, but nothing made me want to eat the whole piece. DH ended up eating pizza several times over the week because that was good. The pizza was the highlight of the food choices. I didn’t have high hopes for the food, but it was worst than I expected. Most things were either fried or swimming in some sauce. My guess is that the Chinese food is their feature item, but that stuff is not good for you!

 

Serenity Deck

The Serenity Deck is where we always spend our time on sea days. Some people love being in the thick of things and the hairy chest contest. Us, we love sitting on our rear end in a quiet, serene atmosphere reading a good book. That plan went to the dogs on the Miracle. Where should I start? Let’s start with the every present chair hogs! The serenity deck opens at 8:00am. So how was it that EVERY single clam shell seat was occupied with towels at 7:45am? Throughout the day bodies would occupy the seats for an hour or so. The same thing with the lounge chairs. We ended up sitting on the sofa both sea days, which for me, SUCKED! Never did I see anyone going around putting the chair hogs in check.

 

The Serenity area is at the back of the ship and it is very small. There is a pool and Jacuzzi smack in the middle of the area. This is the first ship that I have been on where the Serenity area was as lively as the lido party area. The pool and the Jacuzzi were packed! There was no serenity to be had as the noise level was high. This was the case the entire cruise.

 

Carnival HUB App

The app became available on the Miracle on the day of our sailing. We downloaded it as soon as we boarded. I highly recommend using the app if you keep your phone on your person. We were able to see what was happening on the ship without referring to the Funtimes. I really liked the ability to monitor our sail and sign account from my phone.

 

Overall, it was good cruise. The food is a big part of cruising for DH and I and this one was a dud. Although the Chef’s Table was fantastic! One last thing I will touch on is the last sea day. The weather started off a little chilly, but that didn’t deter the chair hogs. We went up to the Serenity deck and could only bare the cold for 15 minutes.

I searched high and low for the Miracle's Funtimes and could not find it so I have attached it for anyone who wants to see what's going on before the cruise.

I never eat soup or oatmeal because of the high salt content.

Every time I've been on a ship, the Serenity deck has always been noisy.

The stuff they serve at brunch is not juevos rancheros. Not even close.

Strange that I eat oatmeal every day on the ship and never feel the salt at all. I don't retain water ever but maybe that's because I also walk up and down most of the time and try not to use the elevators??:confused:

I searched high and low for the Miracle's Funtimes and could not find it so I have attached it for anyone who wants to see what's going on before the cruise.

I'm not finding the fun times? Where is it?

Thanks.

Thanks for your review MsMot.