Miracle "Behind The Fun" Tour Notes

[DGP1111]

Superb job, SD!! :) :)

[DaddySteve]

Salty Dingo,

Thank you VERY MUCH for the terrific review. I have known it's a MUST since I first heard about it.....your review just let me know that it is a FANTASTIC tour. I'm sailing 12/3 on the Dream and it will be fun to see all the new stuff! Thanks again, you did an AMAZING job getting this posted.

Steve :)

[nybumpkin]

Thanks so much for that detailed review. DH and I are looking forward to doing this tour on Conquest in February. Do you know whether it was just the deck officers who had cabins near the bridge (I assume so)? Son is studying to become an engineering officer, and he gets teased about ending up with a cabin below the waterline.;)

[Anni L]

You're welcome. From the tours you mentioned, you'll love this. It's probably on par with the steel mill in complexity but a lot less hot... except maybe for the laundry :D!

 

 

Yeah, and we took that tour in July - it WAS a tad warm! LOL It was utterly fascinating, though - it was a Bessemer mill, and a fairly old one.

 

Can't WAIT to do this one - I'm gonna ask for Funship Dollars for Christmas to pay for it. Here's hoping I get them, so my family pays for it! <G>

[SenatorsFan]

Fascinating information. Love all the details you provided, too. It definitely sounds like something I'd like to do, too.:)

Heather

[salty dingo]

Thanks so much for that detailed review. DH and I are looking forward to doing this tour on Conquest in February. Do you know whether it was just the deck officers who had cabins near the bridge (I assume so)? Son is studying to become an engineering officer, and he gets teased about ending up with a cabin below the waterline.;)

I don't know for sure - that would be a good question. If you look on the Miracle's deck plan you'll notice white space between the bridge and the cabins on deck 8 - that will give you a rough idea of how many cabins they can fit there. Some are probably office space too.

 

I didn't mention, but there is a rather large office right inside the main galley. I noticed two desks and computers, books, conference tables, etc. So I assume that's where they manage the staff and have private meetings, and do administrative work.

 

I would guess (just a guess) that the navigation officers live near the bridge and the engineering officers live further down, nearer to where they work.

 

Deck A is where you go to board the tender, so the water line is around deck B. Most all the crew accomodation I saw was on Deck A or B. I really don't have any info about who is where. All good questions for future tours!

[pacerzfan]

Thanks so much for that review, salty dingo.

[fig414]

Great review. We had heard about this tour last week on Miracle and just didn't pull the trigger. 2 or 3 things stood out in my mind. I recently read the infamous "Cruise Confidential" book and was so taken by the book before last week's cruise. When we left the ship at each port I made sure to throw in an I-95 comment asking a crew member. Every time I said something their eyes lit up and said "how do you know this?" etc etc. I have to say I would have been totally bummed out not seeing one of the crew's cabin. It's a major theme in the book how small they are. Next is the crew bar. We became friendly with a bartender last week who loves to work the crew parties. The crew pays for cheap drinks and he gets cash tips from his fellow crew which he gets to keep every penny. When we read the book we were surprised about the fact that the crew would get wasted on port days and come back to ship and had to work drunk. We asked our friend Jing about this and he confirmed it used to be that way but they have been seriously cracking down on the drinking which confirms what the OP was told during the tour. I don't know if we'll ever do this tour, but I think it's great that Carnival offers it.

[salty dingo]

I have to say I would have been totally bummed out not seeing one of the crew's cabin. It's a major theme in the book how small they are.

It would have been very interesting to see, but really, it is the only private (or semi-private) space a person has and invading it for a tour would be a bit much. You could always go to the engineering drawings and get the cabin dimensions, etc. but that would not tell you how it was furnished, etc.

 

No one raised the question, but if someone had, I'm sure the hostess would have provided a detailed description of a crew cabin.

 

About the drinking, I did not get the impression they go around giving random checks, but if they see someone on the crew intoxicated they probably would test them. When you think about it, someone apt to drink heavily is probably not going to be very happy on the ship - they would not have time to sleep off the hangover the next day!

[lakedad]

Great information. Thanks for taking the time to write this. I had just heard about this tour a couple of weeks ago. You have made up my mind that I would like to do it. Thanks again.

 

Rick

[sjn911]

Of all the reviews of ships etc. this was the most interesting. I felt as though I were there looking at everything,.

 

Thanks so much for doing such a great job.

 

 

Just want to chime in with thanks too..it really sounds like fun..and your

review took us there...sjn911

[sjn911]

Just want to chime in with thanks too..it really sounds like fun..and your

review took us there...sjn911

 

I also just have to add this..at 20...50 now and newly so in shock over

how fast it happened..I was extremely fortunate to be on an older

even then Epirotiki Line Ship..and was able to see a crew members tiny,

tiny, space on a 10,000 ton ship...they did have their own space though

and it was a young Greek woman..she had stuffed animals on bed..very

very tight about half the size of my tight single inside with one bed coming down from wall..hers did too..she left it down...mine was folded up in day.

Just truly dreaming of going more often soon...fun, fun,..was on the Paradise in June..while you can not truly compare...the Paradise was a

palace in many ways to that ship...but both had beautiful wood or wood

vaneer (sp)..that was fun to see again...sjn911

[salty dingo]

I also just have to add this..at 20...50 now and newly so in shock over

how fast it happened..I was extremely fortunate to be on an older

even then Epirotiki Line Ship..and was able to see a crew members tiny,

tiny, space on a 10,000 ton ship...they did have their own space though

and it was a young Greek woman..she had stuffed animals on bed..very

very tight about half the size of my tight single inside with one bed coming down from wall..hers did too..she left it down...mine was folded up in day.

Just truly dreaming of going more often soon...fun, fun,..was on the Paradise in June..while you can not truly compare...the Paradise was a

palace in many ways to that ship...but both had beautiful wood or wood

vaneer (sp)..that was fun to see again...sjn911

I want to cruise on a cargo ship sometime, some day when I don't need to work as much as I do today.

 

From what I understand, passengers have bridge access most of the time, and can usually arrange a tour or two of the engine room from the ship's engineer. It's definitely not luxury, but it is fairly comfortable. I'm pretty sure you could peek in a crew member's cabin if you asked permission first. There are very few places you cannot go as long as you get permission.

[sjn911]

I want to cruise on a cargo ship sometime, some day when I don't need to work as much as I do today.

 

From what I understand, passengers have bridge access most of the time, and can usually arrange a tour or two of the engine room from the ship's engineer. It's definitely not luxury, but it is fairly comfortable. I'm pretty sure you could peek in a crew member's cabin if you asked permission first. There are very few places you cannot go as long as you get permission.[/quote

 

Sounds like a great idea...I have that Berlitz, Douglas Ward guide with

just a tiny bit of that information in it...I bet there would be more allowed....thanks again..sjn911.

[rkacruiser]

Salty dingo,

 

Thank you most sincerely for a well written, well organized, and very interesting report of your behind the scenes tour! I must try to experience this on my next Carnival cruise.

[gypsyrose]

WOW:eek: What a great memory and writing skill.. There is no way I could describe a tour the way you did. Makes me feel as if I was right there w/ you. I CAN"T WAIT!!!!!! I am going straight to the excursion desk to book this tour. I already knew I wanted to do it but somehow your review made it even better. And all the nice gifts you get makes it well worth the $$$$ Thank you.....

[golfadj]

Super review and thanks so much or taking the time to write it.

 

Wanted to wait to go on a newer ship to do this and plan to do it on the Freedom in Feb.

 

Wonder why they wait for the last sea day. Seems strange to me but guess they have their reasons.

[PixieKGirl]

Thanks for such a great review. We'll be on the Miracle for Christmas and plan on taking this tour. My 14 year old son read the details and now he wants to take the tour also. I was hoping he would think it was a waste of time but no such luck.

[path145]

Thank you for the review! I'll be on the Miracle in February and will think about doing this tour, or I might wait until 2011 when I'm on the Spirit to Hawaii with 5 days at sea in a row. I'm sure my boyfriend would find it really interesting too. He's a chef and I bet he would love to see the galley.

[jetskier]

Super review and thanks so much or taking the time to write it.

 

Wanted to wait to go on a newer ship to do this and plan to do it on the Freedom in Feb.

 

Wonder why they wait for the last sea day. Seems strange to me but guess they have their reasons.

 

I would surmise that from a security standpoint, you would want it on the last seaday in case someone is contemplating doing something. Less chance to plan anything.

 

Having a security background, I found the search of the passengers is more a routine of illusion. We had people allowed to go to the restroom after being searched but were not researched upon returning the lounge. There are many opportunities for cameras and such to be reintroduced as the group is split up without an escort on several occasions as you travel by elevator.

 

On the Fantasy, the cost was only $55. The reason is you dont get to go to as many places as the larger ships, one group photo with the Capt, no bag. You do get the strawberries, ball cap, lanyard, and wrist band.

 

Dave

[jetskier]

If you want to see crew cabins, there are dozens of videos on You Tube showing what they look like.

 

We also got to go out on the bow where the crew hottub was located. Sadly no dancers were laying out.

Dave

[shipty2]

Salty , Carnival should be giving you a cut of future sales on this tour! You have made us all want to take the tour.

[salty dingo]

I would surmise that from a security standpoint, you would want it on the last seaday in case someone is contemplating doing something. Less chance to plan anything.

 

Having a security background, I found the search of the passengers is more a routine of illusion. We had people allowed to go to the restroom after being searched but were not researched upon returning the lounge. There are many opportunities for cameras and such to be reintroduced as the group is split up without an escort on several occasions as you travel by elevator.

Good points about the security. I felt the wanding and patting down was a lot more thorough than you get upon initial boarding or returning from ports.

 

About bathroom breaks, I forgot to mention that. At the meeting point prior to the tour, the hostess announces that everyone should go use the rest room now as there are no planned restroom breaks for the duration of the tour. Just about everyone heeded the call. This occurs before the security check.

 

One or two people needed to use the facilities during the tour, and this occurred in the crew bar. There were probably other bathroom possiblilites, and the hostess said if we needed to go, just let her know and she would arrange something.

 

I think the bathroom break would need to be in the crew area, in a place a passenger could not get to beforehand to stash a camera or something worse. No one tried to use the restroom while we were transiting public areas.

 

About the elevators, we did have an escort. I think the only time we used an elevator was on the trip up from deck C. The tour started on deck 2 so no need for elevators as we just walked the steps, generally downward, when we needed to change decks. These were steps the crew areas only. We were not in the public spaces very much. On the few times we were, I think we were in the way of the other guests.

[I Luv Crusin]

We did the Behind the Fun tour on the Liberty 10/31. Very similiar but we were told that the crew does not have free internet but at a greatly reduce fee than what we would pay.

 

We also received a little swan cut out of a bar of soap.

 

I noticed on the bridge deck that one cabin said captain, the other said "chief engineer", at least on the Liberty.

 

Our group was just 15 but there was a person doing it with a walker. It was fortunate that someone from the tour desk went with us because when we walked up and down the stairs she was escorted to an elevator.

 

Salty Dingo, I asked one before but didn't catch your reply. Is the dog in your avatar a dingo or a shiba inu? Thanks!

 

You did a great review of the tour. I think they do it on the last sea day because they have time to get people to book it and maybe for security reasons. After getting my funship special that was the 2nd thing I did as soon as I got on the ship.

[jetskier]

We had four occasions on the Fantasy when the elevators were used. Mostly due to a couple people that were having trouble walking. For us, they allowed bathroom breaks 'after' the search which to me completed invalidated the search. Also on the Fantasy class ships, the galley is on deck 8 instead of a lower deck like the other class ships. So we were having to go up and then back down into the crew areas.

 

Dave