Carnival Miracle 5/6/18 and a Thank you to CC members!

Between what we learned last year on our first cruise after a 7 year hiatus and all the great tips I have found on these boards over the last several months, I think we have managed to plan what is sure to be a great cruise! I want to thank all the helpful CC people whose advice has been invaluable to us! I try to help others on here when I can to try and pay it forward!

Thanks to tips from CC, We managed to get back $281 as OBC per cabin for ES rate drops, $19.78 per person back as OBC for shore excursion price match and $50 OBC and Prepaid gratuities with Carnival MasterCard Fun Points! Y’all helped save us a good chunk of money!

Now, about said cruise: On May 4th, we depart for sunny Tampa, FL, where we will rendezvous with my In-laws and will spend 2 nights at the Sailport Waterfront Suites. In-laws plan to visit some family in St. Pete, DH and I plan to do a little sightseeing and such.

May 6th, we will board the Carnival Miracle and set sail for a 7 night Western Caribbean cruise that will stop at Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay, and Grand Cayman. This will be my 7th, DH’s 3rd and our first Western Caribbean cruise, having only done Bahamas cruises previously. This will be MIL’s 3rd and first cruise since 2010 and FIL’s 2nd and first cruise in almost 40 years! So, we are all very excited and ready to go!!!

So far we have planned and booked the following:

Cheers!: Has been bought and we plan to get some use out of it!

Cozumel: Morning spa appointments followed by shopping in the port village and then lunch at Pancho's Backyard (based on many recommendations and good reviews).

Belize: Altun Ha & City Tour (MIL will be skipping this one, she wants to sit by the pool and be lazy :D)

Mahogany Bay: Relax on the Beach Package

Grand Cayman: Kinda playing this one by ear, I’ve seen a few things near the port, like the Museum, that look good, but not sure yet. Any suggestions are welcome!

Any other tips or recommendations would be great!

I’m planning on this time getting plenty of pictures videos to share with y’all and I’ll try and give a full report for all who are thinking about taking the Miracle out for a spin!

We are doing same sailing on Miracle on Aug 26th. Send me some photos of the Belize tour. My son wants to go see the Mayan ruins.

We are doing same sailing on Miracle on Aug 26th. Send me some photos of the Belize tour. My son wants to go see the Mayan ruins.

Will do! and if you go on the same tour, book with Carnival and then use the tour in the link below to get a price match on the lowest price guarantee, you get 110% of the difference back in OBC.

http://www.coralbreezetours.com/Tour.Altun_Ha_Mayan_Ruins_Tour/tours_add.html?t_product=10

Between what we learned last year on our first cruise after a 7 year hiatus and all the great tips I have found on these boards over the last several months, I think we have managed to plan what is sure to be a great cruise! I want to thank all the helpful CC people whose advice has been invaluable to us! I try to help others on here when I can to try and pay it forward!

 

 

Thanks to tips from CC, We managed to get back $281 as OBC per cabin for ES rate drops, $19.78 per person back as OBC for shore excursion price match and $50 OBC and Prepaid gratuities with Carnival MasterCard Fun Points! Y’all helped save us a good chunk of money!

 

 

Now, about said cruise: On May 4th, we depart for sunny Tampa, FL, where we will rendezvous with my In-laws and will spend 2 nights at the Sailport Waterfront Suites. In-laws plan to visit some family in St. Pete, DH and I plan to do a little sightseeing and such.

 

 

May 6th, we will board the Carnival Miracle and set sail for a 7 night Western Caribbean cruise that will stop at Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay, and Grand Cayman. This will be my 7th, DH’s 3rd and our first Western Caribbean cruise, having only done Bahamas cruises previously. This will be MIL’s 3rd and first cruise since 2010 and FIL’s 2nd and first cruise in almost 40 years! So, we are all very excited and ready to go!!!

 

 

So far we have planned and booked the following:

 

 

Cheers!: Has been bought and we plan to get some use out of it!

 

 

Cozumel: Morning spa appointments followed by shopping in the port village and then lunch at Pancho's Backyard (based on many recommendations and good reviews).

 

 

Belize: Altun Ha & City Tour (MIL will be skipping this one, she wants to sit by the pool and be lazy :D)

 

 

Mahogany Bay: Relax on the Beach Package

 

 

Grand Cayman: Kinda playing this one by ear, I’ve seen a few things near the port, like the Museum, that look good, but not sure yet. Any suggestions are welcome!

 

 

Any other tips or recommendations would be great!

 

 

 

I’m planning on this time getting plenty of pictures videos to share with y’all and I’ll try and give a full report for all who are thinking about taking the Miracle out for a spin!

See you on Lido on the 6th

How long did it take to get a response from Carnival about your price match shore excursions. I have put in for two different excursions and it has been over two weeks with no response.

How long did it take to get a response from Carnival about your price match shore excursions. I have put in for two different excursions and it has been over two weeks with no response.

My request was in about 24 hours or so, my MIL's was about 3 or 4 days. The customer service told me, when I originally called about the details of doing it, that it my take up to 7 days to process, and if I didn't get any response after that to call back.

See you on Lido on the 6th

Just look for the drunk guy in the Hawaiian shirt! Oh wait....

Well in Grand Cayman you can actually go to Hell.......there's a town called Hell and it's a nice little town and tour.

My request was in about 24 hours or so, my MIL's was about 3 or 4 days. The customer service told me, when I originally called about the details of doing it, that it my take up to 7 days to process, and if I didn't get any response after that to call back.

thanks i'll follow up

Well in Grand Cayman you can actually go to Hell.......there's a town called Hell and it's a nice little town and tour.

I've thought about that, can you get a tour or other transportation at the pier?

I've thought about that, can you get a tour or other transportation at the pier?

Yes, there were 8 of us and we found a tour right off the ship. Don't remember exactly what the price was but not expensive at all.

Yes, there were 8 of us and we found a tour right off the ship. Don't remember exactly what the price was but not expensive at all.

Cool! I was wondering about that since Carnival doesn't really offer much in the ways of tours for Grand Cayman like at other ports I've been to. Thanks! :)

In Grand Cayman, IMHO, you can't miss swimming with the stingrays! Go with outside tour (not from ship) for better price and way less crowds.

In my 20 cruises -- one of my two 5 shore excursions. In fact, I'm going again in April on a business trip my husband earned with his company and then again on the Miracle in September!

In Grand Cayman, IMHO, you can't miss swimming with the stingrays! Go with outside tour (not from ship) for better price and way less crowds.

 

In my 20 cruises -- one of my two 5 shore excursions. In fact, I'm going again in April on a business trip my husband earned with his company and then again on the Miracle in September!

I saw videos on YouTube of that and it looked really cool! But, while my husband and I would be open to it, I doubt we can talk the in-laws in to it. We'll have to see :D