Miracle vs. Pride

[missmacie]

Both cruises are in late January/early February going to the same ports in the Bahamas. The Miracle is 8 days, Pride is 7 days. Price is essentially the same.

 

Which ship do you prefer?

[dave_k63]

Both cruises are in late January/early February going to the same ports in the Bahamas. The Miracle is 8 days, Pride is 7 days. Price is essentially the same.

 

Which ship do you prefer?

I think Baltimore is a great port and the cruise down the Chesapeake Bay is fantastic. I have never sailed out of NY Harbor and I have always wanted to do that.

[serene56]

if the same price i would take the longer cruise

 

but.i do love the port

of baltimore for ease of getting on and off

[vivalavida12]

I've been on 2 cruises on the Pride out of Baltimore and 1 scheduled for this New Year's. I love the Pride because its always a friendly group of people and I've always found it easy to meet people and make friends (but maybe I'm bias as a Marylander :rolleyes:). Also, depending on your lifestyle, the dance club and night life is very active. This may or may not be a good thing, but I have been on cruises where the majority of passengers, while nice, weren't very lively and it was a little boring for me and my travel companions. Also, as a disclaimer, the Pride has some interesting (some would use the term "suggestive") decor which definitely requires an acquired taste. If you are a fan of Renaissance art then you will have no problem!

 

While I've never sailed out of NYC, I have heard that there can be issues with traffic and parking. I've also heard from others that they do not prefer the NYC atmosphere that sometimes creeps onto the ship itself. But, an extra day on a cruise is never a bad thing... especially if you can essentially have it for free.

 

I know you'll have a blast no matter which cruise you choose :)

[DanJ]

Dollar for dollar, I would take the longer cruise. The ships are essentially the same, with different decor. Both ports are nice to sail from, but it's winter, so gets dark early, so you miss a lot of the Chesapeake. I also prefer sea days, so that's a plus.

 

I see you are from Toronto. If you are thinking of driving, they are basically similar drive times, but hotels and parking will be quite a bit more in NY. You will be on the road quite a bit earlier from NY than Baltimore. However, depending on the day of week you disembark, you might have lots of traffic to deal with. You disembark in Baltimore later, but it's a Sunday, so traffic will be a lot easier. If flying, fares and flight schedules are preferable to NY than to BWI. Dulles is a good option from Toronto, but you add significant ground transportation costs to that.

 

If comparing costs, make sure you compare the transportation, hotel and parking costs.

[WDBGUY]

The Carnival Miracle has a fare of $329 for inside,

$399 for outside and $439 for balcony on

the 01/25/13 sailing out of NYC for East Coast Residents

East Coast Residents Sale from $329.00

Exclusive resident rates on select sailings from East Coast ports

 

Disclaimers:

 

Offer available to Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania residents only. Proof of residency required.

[missmacie]

Dollar for dollar, I would take the longer cruise. The ships are essentially the same, with different decor. Both ports are nice to sail from, but it's winter, so gets dark early, so you miss a lot of the Chesapeake. I also prefer sea days, so that's a plus.

 

I see you are from Toronto. If you are thinking of driving, they are basically similar drive times, but hotels and parking will be quite a bit more in NY. You will be on the road quite a bit earlier from NY than Baltimore. However, depending on the day of week you disembark, you might have lots of traffic to deal with. You disembark in Baltimore later, but it's a Sunday, so traffic will be a lot easier. If flying, fares and flight schedules are preferable to NY than to BWI. Dulles is a good option from Toronto, but you add significant ground transportation costs to that.

 

If comparing costs, make sure you compare the transportation, hotel and parking costs.

 

We will be driving... never really thought about the parking costs - turns out it'll be $280 for NYC and only $105 for Baltimore. However, the cruise from NYC is $439pp and the cruise from Balitmore is $469pp.

 

But the 7 day cruise requires us to book one less vacation day as we'll be home Sunday. Plus the thought of battling NYC traffic is not appealing. However, the NYC cruise gives us 2 extra hours in Freeport and one extra sea day. Oh, decisions, decisions.

[nybumpkin]

I've sailed both. At that time of year you'll miss a lot of the sites that make cruising down the Chesapeake a lot of fun. You will be able to experience a lot of the NYC sailaway, though, since it won't be quite dark when you sail under the Verazzano. As for the port areas - NYC is much more expensive for parking. We paid more to park at the port for a 5-day on Glory out of NYC than we did for a 7-day out of Baltimore on Pride. As to ships - Miracle has the ugliest dining room afloat.:D Pride has lots of nude artwork.:o Both ships are the same layout-wise, so really no difference there. My personal preference is Miracle - despite the dining room. For the same price, I'd opt for the longer cruise.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

We drove to NYC Port and were in and out with no trasffic problems I was shocked actually.

[MrPete]

Both cruises are in late January/early February going to the same ports in the Bahamas. The Miracle is 8 days, Pride is 7 days. Price is essentially the same.

 

Which ship do you prefer?

 

Prefer the Pride, prefer the extra day, even if it were a little more.

[CruiserBren]

Driving to the port in NYC can be a nightmare, LOL, but driving in NYC is a nightmare! The Port of Baltimore is right off of I-95, easy in and out.

 

Sailing out of NYC, with the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, leaving the city behind, breathtaking views!! Sailing down the Chesapeake Bay, awesome views!

 

Parking/hotels in NYC, EXPENSIVE!! Parking/hotels in Baltimore, easy on the wallet!

 

Miracle vs Pride? I've never been on the Miracle, but love the layout of the Spirit class ships! I've been on the Pride numerous times and going again in January!!

[photojunkieEMT]

I love the 8th night. I have been on each twice. Prefer the Miracle (by just a very little bit). The parking price is the biggest downfall going out of NYC. My pick would be the Miracle.

[stargate fan]

Both cruises are in late January/early February going to the same ports in the Bahamas. The Miracle is 8 days, Pride is 7 days. Price is essentially the same.

 

Which ship do you prefer?

 

We've sailed both ships; love them both.

 

If Miracle is close in price for eight days over Pride for seven days, that's an easy choice. :D

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

I loved, loved, loved having the eighth day. Having said that, we sail the Pride often because it's a quick car ride. If time weren't a consideration, I would definitely choose the Miracle sailing. For us it's a train ride up the day before, a hotel stay, and a train ride back requiring a commitment of ten days, which is still difficult for us to do at this point.

[serene56]

I am contemplating Glory vs Pride but there is a 500.00 difference for the extra day- so I will probably stick with the Glory and use the 500 for excursions

[JaniceB]

I have cruised out of both. Had not trouble in either port driving to them or boarding. If you like to gamble I would pick the Pride. I have never seen so many people gambling except on my cruise from NY. I also found the people on board not as friendly.

[fair-winds39]

Both cruises are in late January/early February going to the same ports in the Bahamas. The Miracle is 8 days, Pride is 7 days. Price is essentially the same.

 

Which ship do you prefer?

We've sailed the Pride and the Miracle, and like both. We will sail in 2013 on the Pride again because of the ease of getting to the pier in Baltimore.

[nettieskitchen]

Both cruises are in late January/early February going to the same ports in the Bahamas. The Miracle is 8 days, Pride is 7 days. Price is essentially the same.

 

Which ship do you prefer?

 

Missmacie...having the same difficulty in deciding. We are travelling from just outside Toronto to the east and looking at a late November (next month) saliing. The ships seem comparable. I sailed on Enchantment out of Baltimore a year ago. It was easy to access etc. However the idea of sailing from New York and having an extra ship day is starting to sway me to New York. Can't wait to hear your decision. All the reviews I have read say both ships are comparable. Our first carnvial cruise was a flop out of San Juan. We love RCI. We are trying Carnvial again because we have read great things about these 2 ships. I agree Decisions, Decisions. However that said...I think same price I want an extra day:) I love ship days to relax especially after busy days at ports.

[missmacie]

Missmacie...having the same difficulty in deciding. We are travelling from just outside Toronto to the east and looking at a late November (next month) saliing. The ships seem comparable. I sailed on Enchantment out of Baltimore a year ago. It was easy to access etc. However the idea of sailing from New York and having an extra ship day is starting to sway me to New York. Can't wait to hear your decision. All the reviews I have read say both ships are comparable. Our first carnvial cruise was a flop out of San Juan. We love RCI. We are trying Carnvial again because we have read great things about these 2 ships. I agree Decisions, Decisions. However that said...I think same price I want an extra day:) I love ship days to relax especially after busy days at ports.

 

We are leaning towards Baltimore mainly because its MUCH easier for my boyfriend to get 5 days off work instead of 6 or 7 that we would need for the 8 day cruise. Plus, neither of us have ever been to Baltimore. Although, the thought of the 2 sea days before and after the Bahamas is definitely appealing.

[Jimbo59]

NYC pier parking is $35 per day.

Baltimore pier parking is $15 per day.

[PAcruiser25]

I have cruised both, just off the Miracle 10/22. Have had wonderful vacations on both, enjoy both ships. I prefer the decor of the Miracle. I think it is brighter and more whimsical, over-the top. I really like the dining room and Mad Hatter's Ball, Phantom of the Opera theatre. I think the Cruise Director Cory and some entertainment staff were way better on the Miracle. We had Jamie most recently on the Pride and thought she was awful. We had 2 pretty good comedians on the Pride most recently. The 4 on the Miracle were not funny, but the shows, comedy - juggler, and magician were really good. The brunch on the Miracle was great. Service and food very good on both. Pizza better on the Pride. Parking is more in NYC however driving was not bad and embarkation was fast. I love NYC so enjoyed the views from the ship also. Maybe go for the extra day?

[the_monkey]

We had the Pride booked for our upcoming cruise and switched to the Miracle. The Miracle ended up being slightly cheaper for the exact same cabin and week.

 

I have discovered from reading CC that you can park in NJ and take the ferry into NYC, parking is much cheaper ($10-12/day) and whoever is running their Facebook page is very helpful. Plus no driving in the city!

 

http://www.nywaterway.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nywaterway

 

And it's not far from the Japanese grocery we always visit when we're in the area, so that's a double bonus for us. :D

[bbohbbneedacruise]

NYC pier parking is $35 per day.

Baltimore pier parking is $15 per day.

 

Just a few blocks away from the NYC terminal you can book online for parking at $16per day.

http://www.allianceparkingservices.com/3-14-Day-vehicle-storage-cat/270-west-60th-street.html