Carnival Miracle 6 Day Mexican Riviera Review Nov 2, 2014 (with photos)

Intro

My wife, DD, and I just got off the Carnival Miracle 6 day Mexican Riviera sailing. None of us had ever cruised before, so we went into this not really knowing what to expect, although I researched a lot over the last few months here on CC. I don't have hundreds of photos of all the public areas of the ship, but I do have quite a few pictures to share.

First, a little about us. I'm Charles (40), my wife is Kerri (39), and we brought along our DD Bella, who just turned 3 a couple of weeks ago. We live in Redmond, WA, a suburb of Seattle. Yes, I know we could have cruised to Alaska without having to fly anywhere (as some of our fellow cruisers pointed out), but we really wanted to do a warm weather cruise. We'd love to see the Caribbean someday, but we chose to do our first cruise out Long Beach simply because it is cheaper and less time consuming to get there from Seattle (as opposed to flying to TX, LA, FL, etc).

Saturday, November 1 - Pre-cruise Day

Thanks to the helpful advice here on CC, we flew down the day before our cruise and avoided the stress of trying to fly the same day. I booked a nonstop flight on JetBlue from Seattle (SEA) to Long Beach Airport (LGB). We had a leisurely departure time of 11:35 am, with arrival into LGB around 2:00 pm. We found the seats on our Airbus A320 to be comfortable and roomy, and the in-seat DIRECTV was a nice touch. Best of all, we each got one free checked bag. Unfortunately, we were not able to use JetBlue for our post-cruise return flight, since the only flight from LGB to SEA that day was at 8:05 am. Here is Bella watching our plane pull up to the gate.

Long Beach Airport is small and somewhat primitive (no jetways, open air baggage claim), but it is quick and easy to navigate, and it is the closest airport to the cruise terminals. We collected our checked luggage without incident and proceeded to the taxi stand outside. There seemed to be plenty of taxis available, and it only took a minute or two for me to install DD's car seat as the driver loaded our luggage. 20 minutes later, we had arrived at our hotel, Hyatt The Pike. It's about 10 miles from the airport to the hotel, and I had calculated the meter rate to be about $30-$35, but when we arrived, the driver informed me that it was a flat rate of $23. I didn't see this advertised anywhere, but hey, I'll take it! I handed him $30 and told him to keep the change.

While we were at the front desk checking in, I realized that I didn't have my phone in my pocket. I had pulled it out to look at Facebook during the ride over and must have set it down on the seat. By this time, the taxi and driver were long gone! My wife and I had just upgraded to smart phones for the first time earlier this year, and now I faced the prospect of having to buy a new one. While I finished checking us in, Kerri got on the phone with Long Beach Yellow Cab to let them know about the phone. The chances of finding it quickly didn't seem good, as we didn't get the driver's name or cab number, and we had paid cash.

Room keys in hand, we went upstairs to drop off our luggage and see the room. We had two queen beds, one for Kerri and me, one for Bella. The room was about standard size, but the bathroom was big with dual sinks and a huge walk in shower (no tub). I didn't take pictures of the room, but there are plenty available online. Next, we went up to the roof to check out the view. The hotel has a rooftop pool deck with a nice view of the the city and harbor. I snapped this picture of the Imagination, which was due to depart a couple of hours later.

We went back to the room to get ready so we could sight-see and eat dinner. When we got back to the room, the message light on the room phone was flashing. I checked the message, and someone at the front desk said that the taxi driver had dropped off my cell phone! Unbelievable! I'm so glad I gave that driver a nice tip!

After retrieving my phone from the front desk, we went for a walk around The Pike area. There are several restaurants and a movie theater within walking distance. There is also a ferris wheel, which Bella insisted we ride. At $4.00 per person, it was a relatively good deal, and we got some nice views of the harbor. By this time, it was only 5:00, but we were hungry for dinner. We ended up walking across the street to Outback Steakhouse. Of course we have Outback at home, but it just sounded good at the time.

Dinner was good, and from there, we walked around a little more, but it became apparent that Bella was getting tired. We went back to the room, and while Bella slept, Kerri just wanted to relax with our laptop and the free wifi. I decided to go down to the hotel bar to get a drink and catch a little college football. Three drinks later (Canadian Club & Sprite), I was handed my bill for $30! And you thought drinks on the ship were expensive! My advice...try to find a more reasonably priced bar outside the hotel.

To be continued...

Will be on that Cruise in 65 days. Love Bellas Sparkly red travel outfit, she looks better put together than I can manage.

Do you happen to have any fun times?

I remember seeing your wife onboard... we chatted a bit while in line for pizza one day.

Will be on that Cruise in 65 days. Love Bellas Sparkly red travel outfit, she looks better put together than I can manage.

 

Do you happen to have any fun times?

If he does have any of the fun times some of the information will differ from yours due to the change in itinerary that we experienced while onboard. (I don't have any of ours as my wife did not want to carry anymore than what we already had brought onboard plus gifts)

Nice start to your review! I will be following along:)

If he does have any of the fun times some of the information will differ from yours due to the change in itinerary that we experienced while onboard. (I don't have any of ours as my wife did not want to carry anymore than what we already had brought onboard plus gifts)

Im aware of that :) But since this is a new to us ship, we were curious about what familiar things we would find to do, so was interested in what was open when and the more static on ship stuff.

Im aware of that :) But since this is a new to us ship, we were curious about what familiar things we would find to do, so was interested in what was open when and the more static on ship stuff.

Gotcha! That makes sense. :)

The biggest downside in the whole cruise was having to get off the boat and coming back to reality! :p

I LOVE the Miracle. Was so bummed when she left us to go out to the west coast (see my signature! :p) Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

Do you happen to have any fun times?

I do, but so far have only scanned the front cover. Is there something specific you are looking for?

I remember seeing your wife onboard... we chatted a bit while in line for pizza one day.

Yes, I think she remembers that. She says she gets bored standing in line and has to strike up a conversation. Me, I'm more of the quiet type.

Sunday, November 2 - Embarkation Day

We had a nice breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and since we still had some time to kill, we decided to go out in search of bottled water and soda to carry aboard. There were no grocery or drug stores within walking distance, so we took the Passport bus to Walmart. The Passport is a free bus that runs between downtown Long Beach, the aquarium, the Queen Mary, and the cruise terminal. After shopping for a while, we caught the bus back to the hotel to gather our things and check out. The hotel called us a taxi for the short ride over to the port. The fare was around $9 I believe.

We had purchased Faster To The Fun for $49.95, and it was well worth it in my opinion, especially with a toddler. We arrived at the port around 11:40, and the lines were already looking pretty long. With FTTF, we were on the ship shortly after noon. We were able to go straight to our room and drop off our carry-on bags. We were in stateroom 5183, which is an obstructed view balcony (7A) room, located midship starboard. I think this room category is a great deal. Yes, there is a lifeboat outside the room, but the view and the balcony are still pretty nice. I didn't get any photos of the room when we arrived, but here is one that I took later in the week:

We headed up to the Lido deck to grab lunch, then toured the ship for a bit, including Camp Carnival, which is located at the very front of deck 5. I thought that was convenient, since our room was on the same deck. Bella seemed to really like the room and the toys when we visited, but as it turned out, she would only spend a few hours there the entire week. She just didn't like being away from mom and dad for more than an hour at a time. I also think that the program may be a little too structured for 2-3 year olds. Most of them would probably rather have more open play time.

We went back to our room, where our luggage had arrived. We took some time to get everything unpacked, and the suitcases fit nicely under the bed (another CC tip). Sail away was supposed to be at 4:30, but by 4:50, we hadn't moved yet. There was a kids program orientation at 5:00 in the Mad Hatter's Ball Lounge, which I thought was important, so I took Bella down there while my wife stayed in the room. By the time we got to the Mad Hatter's Ball, I could feel the ship starting to move. There are no windows down there though, so we couldn't see anything. As it turns out, I thought the orientation was a waste of time. We had already pre-registered for the program, so the only thing to do was check out a cell phone, which we could have done later. I missed sail away, and Kerri was disappointed that we weren't all together.

By the time we got back to the room, it was time to get ready for dinner. We chose Your Time Dining because flexibility is always a good thing when traveling with a 3 year old. As it turns out, we could have easily done the early seating at 6:00, because that's when we went to dinner almost every night. I honestly don't remember what we had for dinner that first night, but I do know that Kerri and I each had our first warm chocolate melting cake, and we were hooked!

There was a kids program orientation at 5:00 in the Mad Hatter's Ball Lounge, which I thought was important, so I took Bella down there while my wife stayed in the room. By the time we got to the Mad Hatter's Ball, I could feel the ship starting to move. There are no windows down there though, so we couldn't see anything. As it turns out, I thought the orientation was a waste of time. We had already pre-registered for the program, so the only thing to do was check out a cell phone, which we could have done later. I missed sail away, and Kerri was disappointed that we weren't all together.

How long did you stay at the orientation? We're doing Camp Carnival for the first time on our Miracle cruise next week. My kids are older (7, 8, 10), but we were planning on doing the orientation, since we're not really sure what to expect. I don't want to miss the sail away, though. :confused:

Yes, I think she remembers that. She says she gets bored standing in line and has to strike up a conversation. Me, I'm more of the quiet type.

If she does remember anything, I would say she might end up remembering our little one that we had with us. My boy is 15 months old and we were constantly walking around places with him since it is what he liked doing. Just discovering everything and giving people high five. I think most of the people that we encountered on a regular basis knew him and we were just "the parents" haha.

How long did you stay at the orientation? We're doing Camp Carnival for the first time on our Miracle cruise next week. My kids are older (7, 8, 10), but we were planning on doing the orientation, since we're not really sure what to expect. I don't want to miss the sail away, though. :confused:

We were there about 30 minutes. Hopefully, sail away on your cruise will be on time at 4:30. That way, you will have half an hour to watch before the orientation.

Monday, November 3 - Fun Day At Sea

This was our first full day at sea, so we decided to try the Sea Day Brunch. I ordered the steak and eggs, since I've seen it recommended on here quite a bit. I don't know if it was a bad day or what, but it wasn't very good. The steak was tender, but it had a strange fishy taste, and the eggs were overcooked. I ordered over medium, but the yolks were almost hard, and the whites were brown and crunchy around the edges.

After breakfast, we explored the upper decks of the ship. I like this shot of Bella under the "whale tail."

While Kerri went to go check out the spa, I took Bella up to try the mini golf. I showed her how to hold the club and putt the ball, but she wasn't ready to play by the rules. She would putt the ball once and then pick it up with her hand and drop it in the hole. We still had fun though.

In the afternoon, the captain announced that large swells had forced us to reduce our cruising speed, and our arrival into Cabo San Lucas would be delayed. We were originally scheduled to be in Cabo from 9:30 to 4:00 on Tuesday. Our new estimated arrival time was 12:30 pm. With Cabo being a tender port, this meant we would only get a couple of hours in port, unless arrangements could be made to stay later. In addition, Hurricane Vance, which had been churning off the Mexican coast, was projected to track right between Cabo and Puerto Vallarta, thereby blocking our path to PV. Our call in PV had been canceled. Disappointing to say the least, but hey, not much you can do about Mother Nature. Hopefully, they would find an alternate port. Letter from the captain:

Tonight was elegant night. We got dressed up and went to the MDR. My wife and I both ordered the prime rib. She said it was just OK, but I thought it tasted pretty good. Of course, we finished with the warm chocolate melting cake!

Thank you for taking the time to post. I'm enjoying reading and seeing your pictures! Your daughter is adorable.

If you have the time to scan more of the Fun times, I would be very interested in seeing them, too. :) Nothing specific I'm looking for. Just trying to get a taste of what is in store for us next week so I can show the kids.

:D

If you have the time to scan more of the Fun times, I would be very interested in seeing them, too. :) Nothing specific I'm looking for. Just trying to get a taste of what is in store for us next week so I can show the kids.

I think I can do that. I will try to post them at the end of the review.

Tuesday, November 4 - (Unscheduled) Fun Day At Sea

As the noon hour approached, we were excited to visit our first port, Cabo San Lucas. Kerri and I spent a one week land vacation in Puerto Vallarta about six years ago, but neither of us had been to Cabo before. Unfortunately, as we neared our destination, the captain announced that due to large swells and high winds, the conditions would be too unsafe for tendering. We would have to skip Cabo for now, but the good news was, an alternate port, La Paz, had been secured for Wednesday. We would try again to call on Cabo on the way back on Thursday.

You can see the rough seas in the photo below. On the far right is Lands End and the famous arch (El Arco), the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula.

It's getting windy out here!

Letter from the captain:

One highlight as we cruised by was seeing these jumping dolphins. These photos were all taken on the Deck 3 exterior promenade, which is a great place to get an up close view of the ocean.

FWIW -- the Passport bus goes to the Queen Mary. Just a short walk to the Carnival Dome for embarkation.

Wednesday, November 5 - La Paz

We arrived in La Paz as scheduled around 8:00 am. La Paz doesn't get cruise ships very often, and the locals must have been ecstatic to find out that the 2,000+ passenger Miracle was going to stop there. They had this whole flea market thing set up at the port before we arrived.

Here is something that caught my eye. Hence the reason for my CC user name.

I'm sure these are all officially licensed by the NFL. :rolleyes:

Our little shopper!

The port is actually located about 12 miles outside of town, so they had these tour buses set up to shuttle everyone to town and back. The buses were surprisingly clean and new looking. Here are a few photos that I took during the bus ride:

We ate lunch at this place. The sign says "SCAPe Sport Club." Not sure what that means, but the food was pretty good. They had fresh made guacamole, and my wife and I enjoyed the steak tacos. Bella had a quesadilla.

After lunch, we went to this beach across the street. Not really a swimming beach, but there were lots of shells to look at.

I wouldn't walk here without shoes on.

This guy was having a little fun with Bella. I like the name of his boat.

Can you spot the Miracle in this photo?

Can you see her now?

One last stop for pictures before getting back on the ship.

La Paz is no Puerto Vallarta, but it was nice to have somewhere to visit instead of spending yet another day at sea.

Shortly before 5:00 (our scheduled sail away time), the captain announced that our departure would be delayed because they would be offloading a passenger in need of medical attention. Minutes later, an ambulance arrived near the gangway. I went down to deck 3 to get a closer look, and after what must have been 30-40 minutes, they wheeled off a woman on a stretcher, and another woman joined her in the ambulance. There was a younger man with them, who I believe claimed to be the woman's son. It appeared that he was not allowed to go with them and was practically forced back onto the ship by Carnival officials, despite his verbal protests. I just hope and pray that everything turned out OK for the woman and her family.

Bella loved the towel animals every night!

Thanks for the review! I am enjoying it thus far. :D