Sept 27 Miracle - Review

[me & my peeps]

Is there a thread somewhere that has any reviews from the 27 Sept Miracle cruise? This was my first cruise and I am curious what others that went, have to say about it and how they felt it was overall.

 

I tried the search feature. Either im not putting in the right query or there is none...

 

Thanks

[e150club]

Tell us what you thought. Did you enjoy your cruise? We loved the Miracle on our past cruises.

[me & my peeps]

Tell us what you thought. Did you enjoy your cruise? We loved the Miracle on our past cruises.

 

Not knowing what to expect and having my only concern being - that the wife/kids had a good time, I have to say the cruise was a success beyond my expectations.

 

After spending several months prior to the cruise on this and other boards, I had nothing solid to go on. Some had complaints about the ship, the food, the service, while others would love the very same cruise. I came to realize that for the most part, a good cruise was all in your perspective. Some people have unrealistic expectations like "the boat was rocking while I was trying to sleep". How could someone possibly blame the cruise line for the attitude of the ocean?!

 

Some observations:

 

• I was expecting the food to be cafeteria quality and buffet lines.
  

WRONG! The food was stellar, the variety, quality and quantity was very impressive. I was able to try things that I never would have eaten at any other time. I discovered at least 3 things that I now like and will look to have again. We never waited more then 2-3 minutes in line and our wait was always the time we spent looking at the items ahead and talking amongst the family about what was available. We never even came close, to being disappointed.

 

 

• I was expecting staff to be disconnected and display the usual food service worker - attitudes.
  

WRONG! Everyone was really helpful and they genuinely wanted you to have a great experience. The servers always smiled and made sure that you got exactly what you asked for. In the Bacchus dining room, they stopped by every 5-8 minutes to check on you. (it was almost annoying). In the buffet stations, they were constantly tending to the foods, wiping up the trays. Morning omelets were made to order and were not short of ingredients. Folks in the buffet lines were good and it always flowed smoothly, with the occasional person stepping in front of you to grab something without saying "excuse me or could I bother you to hand me a roll please". But again, you get ignorant people everywhere and thats no reflection on Carnival.

 

 

 

• I was expecting a mob mentality with 2,000+ people on board.
  

WRONG! While I encountered the normal stupid people that you find on land, for the most part - they were all happy to be there and got along. I was annoyed a few times when some ignorant people jumped into an elevator while an elderly person was waiting patiently to get in with a wheelchair. I cant say here what race they were, because then the topic turns to racism. But it was always that race, that was doing it and they were also the ones who spoke loudly among themselves during the comedy shows & such.

 

 

 

• I was expecting to see lots of drunk people being obnoxious by the pools.
  

Kinda WRONG! There was a few folks that probably should have been shut off, but I think the bartenders just switched them over to fruity drinks with no booze in them, because they got calmer as time went on. For the most part, it was a surprisingly calm atmosphere.....I enjoyed watching the events held by the staff, but thought there would have been more of them. (not a complaint)

 

 

 

• I was nervous about the size of the room and if I overspent on a balcony.
  

WRONG! Everyone's advice about getting a balcony if the budget allows - was spot on. I wont book another cruise without one. I sat out there every night and sometimes woke up at 2am still in the chair. For us, it was adequate and cant justify the cost of a suite....balcony works out great. Although I would get something from the bon voyage package & have some wine in the room waiting.

 

 

All in all I have no complaints. To me, a complaint is an item that needs to be changed before I can enjoy myself again. The 1 and only thing that sticks out for me - that I would like to see change is; the staff that have a strong accent, tend to speak very softly and its very difficult to understand them. I found myself sometimes just nodding my head in agreement, so I didnt have to ask them to repeat themselves a 3rd/4th time. But thats it. Thats the worst thing I took away from our cruise.

 

 

 

Would I cruise again? Absolutely. Would I go with Carnival again? Absolutely. Until something happens thats a deal breaker for me, Ill be a loyal customer. I dont think I have unrealistic expectations of the cruise line. What happens in ports, weather, parking my car, waiting to board.....their all out of the control of Carnival and I always chuckle when I read "oh the waves were soo BIG! I thought we were going to capsize" or " I got home to find that the hot dog stand that i took a $20 taxi to overcharged me by $5 on that island. I hate carnival".

 

 

So my evaluation and decision was based solely on things within the ships control. Food, safety, staff attitudes, cleanliness, appearance, meeting our ports in time, keeping passengers informed of events, reasonable prices for items.......that was my criteria. Im happy, i'd go again and have already started looking/booking. :D

[vivavegas]

Welcome Back! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us!:)

[Jimmy Geegitz]

good points

[fromthebus]

Thanks for your thoughts. Nicely said.

[JaniceB]

Sounds like you had a great time on the Miracle.

[PathfinderEss]

Great points, glad you had a good time.

[me & my peeps]

I noticed that the prices for a cruise are the same whether or not I use my VIFP#. Is it because I didnt really spend a lot of money on the ship, none in the casino, none at the art auctions, liquor bill was under $200...

Do they base your VIFP discount on how much you spent? Or does it just matter when you book - your price....

Thanks

[KirkNC]

Welcome back!

[e150club]

I noticed that the prices for a cruise are the same whether or not I use my VIFP#. Is it because I didnt really spend a lot of money on the ship, none in the casino, none at the art auctions, liquor bill was under $200...

Do they base your VIFP discount on how much you spent? Or does it just matter when you book - your price....

Thanks

Thanks for bringing this back up to the top. I just read your excellent response to my ? As far as i know What you spend on your S&S card has nothing to do with your cruise fare. Early Saver,Millitery,over 55 ect. change the fare.