Just off Miracle Mexican Riviera today... Any Questions?

[MsMot]

Rather than doing laundry… Figured I would come here and help those who helped me while planning this cruise.

 

Quick notes:

 

FTTF: Totally worth it on this trip. We left our cabin and were walking on Cabo within 12 minutes. We were also off the ship and through customs by 8:45am.

 

FOOD: American Table Menu in MDR and fantastic. Better than Inspiration, Imagination, and Breeze. Yes I Realize it's mostly the same, but this was much better prepared. We liked dishes on Miracle that we disliked on other ships. We did miss Blue Iguana and Guys, but Chopsticks was a decent replacement.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: We did wish for a few more activities on Sea Days. We felt ourselves constantly wandering back to Red Frog Pub to play shuffleboard and dominoes. Don't get me wrong- we had a good time- just wish there were more organized things to do.

 

The Playlist Production shows were 88Keys, 80s Pop to the Max, Heart of Soul, and Getaway Island. Liked the music of 80s best, but show of Getaway Island. It actually told a story instead of just singing and dancing. Performers didn't have the best voices and he music was extremely loud...hubby joked that was on purpose to mask their voices. They were decent dancers and were definitely entertaining.

 

Hasbro Game Show- cute as usual- probably the 10th time I've seen this show and the ONLY time I've ever seen an adult win!

 

Comedians were amazing. Never belly laughed that hard with any ship comedian!

 

SHIP: Just adore the size and layout of the Miracle. She is definitely showing her age though. Lots of scratches and stains etc. The addition of RFP is fantastic and kind of a secret on the ship. Didn't spend much time in sports bar because not much to watch, but I can definitely see this area would be awesome during a football game.

 

STATEROOM: We had 6232, and extra extended balcony. It was just HUGE. It was really great. The room- not so much. Very worn looking and lots of stains which gave the appearance of dirty even though it was probably clean. Scratches on the toilet seat were especially disturbing since they looked brown.

We had an issue with wet carpet, which is a very long and terrible story, but Carnival ultimately resolved it to our satisfaction.

 

PORTS: PV was shopping and eating on Malecon day 1, Las Caletas day 2. PV has been hit with lots of nighttime rainstorms, so there were no sand castles on Malecon, which was a bummer but understood. There were a few guys trying to salvage some. Ate at Riverwalk and had a ball watching the giant iguanas. Le Caletas was amazing as usual, although I'll say it felt much more crowded this trip than it ever has.

Cabo we went to the Sand Bar. Difficult to find a water taxi to take us straight there (most wanted to take us to the Arch and snorkeling) so we stupidly decided to walk. My kids hated me for that 20-30 minutes... Until we got there and had nice shaded umbrellas and some darn good margaritas and kids daiquiris. We stayed and swam and ate and drank for about 4 1/2 hours. Bill was about $50 USD and we had shade whenever we wanted it.

 

We booked Miracle because we loved her last time and were afraid she was going to China. Now we know that's not happening, but we probably wouldn't book her again unless there was a great deal.

 

Any other questions, let me know! I'm happy to help! :)

 

 

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Thank you so much for your review! I'll be sailing the Miracle next month. What exactly is RFP? And is there a particular comedian you would recommend?

Edited August 9, 2016 by MsMot

[Cruznjuly]

Does the safe take a magnetic strip card or does it have the 4 digit code? Thanks.

 

 

Magnetic strip card

 

 

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[Cruznjuly]

Thank you so much for your review! I'll be sailing the Miracle next month. What exactly is RFP? And is there a particular comedian you would recommend?

 

 

RFP- Red Frog Pub

 

It's a pub which has Carnivals own beer brand. At night, they have live music. We never thought the bands in there were the best on the ship, however.

My family enjoyed the shuffleboard and dominoes, but they also have Jenga, foosball, and darts.

 

 

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[SadieN]

Magnetic strip card

 

 

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Some safes are coded. As the card safes break down, they're being replaced.

 

 

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[Scarlett824]

Did you check out the piano bar?

[Cruznjuly]

Did you check out the piano bar?

 

 

Just one night. It wasn't hopping at all, but we never went back because we were always doing something else.

 

 

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[Cruznjuly]

Thank you so much for your review! I'll be sailing the Miracle next month. What exactly is RFP? And is there a particular comedian you would recommend?

 

 

We went to them all. None were bad. There were levels from pretty funny to funny to very funny. The most funny was John DiCrosta. Both his PG and Adult shows were hilarious!!!

 

 

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[Rosefloater]

RFP- Red Frog Pub

 

It's a pub which has Carnivals own beer brand. At night, they have live music. We never thought the bands in there were the best on the ship, however.

My family enjoyed the shuffleboard and dominoes, but they also have Jenga, foosball, and darts.

 

I can't stay in there when the band is playing because it is too loud. I end up sitting outside on the bench to hear the band.

[Cruznjuly]

I can't stay in there when the band is playing because it is too loud. I end up sitting outside on the bench to hear the band.

 

 

So true! Even my kids could only handle it for 15 minutes or so. The acoustics in there make it even louder.

 

 

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[fabby50]

Take foam ear plugs. They dampen the sound but don't eliminate it. We never travel without them after going on a Blue's Cruise where the entire ship was filled with various bands and musicians.

[fredlow1]

Its been over 10 years since my last cruise so my question is how much are drinks now? Beer vs cocktails. Do you think the kids clubs are safe? Thanks in advance

[SadieN]

The kids clubs are very safe. The 9 and unders need to be checked in and out. The olders do some group activities unsupervised, such as scavenger hunts.

 

Others can chime in on the booze prices.

 

 

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[Cruznjuly]

Its been over 10 years since my last cruise so my question is how much are drinks now? Beer vs cocktails. Do you think the kids clubs are safe? Thanks in advance

 

 

Safety is fine in kids clubs. My kids just found them childish... But that could be because they were on the older side for their group.

 

Alchemy drinks are the most expensive but also the most delicious at $10.50.

 

Beer runs from $5.75-$8 I believe.

 

Mixed drinks average about $8.

 

I think the drink prices are very fair- less than a fancy restaurant!

 

 

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[easyboy]

Thanks for your insight.

[MDR Cali Cruisers]

Just a quick question. Did you have to move your clocks forward/backward during the cruise and go off Pacific Time?

[Cruznjuly]

Just a quick question. Did you have to move your clocks forward/backward during the cruise and go off Pacific Time?

 

 

Yes we did.

 

 

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[MDR Cali Cruisers]

One hour right? Thanks!

[SadieN]

One hour right? Thanks!

 

 

Yep, only an hour.

 

 

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[cwb34]

Thanks for your review and responsiveness to questions. We were wondering if any of the ports were scary? Have heard about so many problems in Mexico, but not in these ports specifically. Which ports in the Mexican rivera are your favorites?i

[Lndngrl]

We exited Miracle on Aug 13 too. We had a wonderful time! I don't normally post on sites, I research them before I go but this time I was slightly depressed realizing that vacation was over and it will be awhile before another so I thought I would chime in to see if it helps anyone else. I would be happy to answer any questions as well...I saw a few posts about Camp Carnival. I have a 8 and 11 year old and we traveled with friends that had a 2 and 3 year old. It is safe! The hours are a little limited as we have cruised with Disney before but my kids had a great time still. They usually close for lunch and have a 9:45 p.m pick up time which is a little early in my opinion esp if you have late dining. Mine were old enough to take down to the room and leave them by themselves for a couple hours while we enjoyed a few drinks. They offer after care but at $15 hr per child I was not interested in paying more.

 

Drinks...I can certainly chime in on that as well. We did the beverage package and I debated for awhile on whether I wanted to spend the $800 on the package but if you drink even 5 drinks a day it is worth it. Drinks are about 6.95 and up. With beverage package you get up to 15 drinks a day. It sounds like a lot but I usually wake up pretty early so I figure I am up from 6 am to 12 a.m. so that is not even one drink per hour ;) And at least with package there is no surprises at end when you get your bill, we budgeted for it going in.

 

We didn't see any shows as we spent most of our time in Skybox Sports Bar which is right next to Red Frog Pub. I saw a few comments about how loud it gets in Red Frog. Yes it is loud but it is great live music. We spent a little time in there but really we had the best of both worlds hanging in sports bar because you could hear the music from Red Frog but still have conversation. I would't normally spend so much time in sports bar but I really enjoyed Christo the bartender, he was so sweet and personable! In fact if anyone is going on the Miracle soon I would love if you can pass on my e-mail. Didn't think of it at time as I was usually nearing the end of my 15 drinks so was not thinking clearly LOL. Tell him Melissa and Joseph Anderson say hello and that he has friends in Southern California if he ever wants to visit. Would also just love to track his whereabouts just in case another cruise is in our future. My friends enjoyed the Alchemy bar and raved about Kitty and Maria as well. I did not spend any time there because they do not serve wine or beer, just cocktails. I learned early on in my trip not all 15 drinks are created equally. Drinking 15 vodka sodas is quite different than drinking 15 beers so I steered away from the cocktail bar.

 

Ship time really messed me up because it was different than Puerta Vallarta time and because my phone was on airplane mode I never knew if it updated automatically. I suggest bringing a watch as well and set it to ship time that way there is no question as to whether your phone updated or not.

 

Speaking of Puerta Vallarta I highly recommend Las Caletas Beach Excursion it really had something for everyone. Yes it was crowded but the staff really go out of their way to accommodate everyone. We enjoyed paddle boarding, kayaking, the kids did the little zip line. Drinks were unlimited and food was good. We did not do anything in Cabo just walked around a bit.

 

I think that is about it but I will gladly answer questions as well. My email is Mel2RHCP@hotmail.com if anyone will be seeing my best friend Christo but you can also ask me questions directly there too. I am very jealous of you guys who still have their cruise to look forward to, Have Fun!!!!

[Rosefloater]

Thanks for your review and responsiveness to questions. We were wondering if any of the ports were scary? Have heard about so many problems in Mexico, but not in these ports specifically. Which ports in the Mexican rivera are your favorites?i

 

We've cruised about 30 times to the Mexican Riviera since 2008. We have never had any problems, even when we cruised to Acapulco. The tourist areas are safe. The problems we hear about are either far away from the tourist zones or in the most recent case in Puerto Vallarta, it is about drugs, or in the border cities. BTW - we like to get out of the tourist areas.

 

In PV, when we have over nighted, we have walked to WalMart around midnight. There are people walking around and we didn't feel unsafe. But we are also always aware of our surroundings.

[CruisinDawn]

We exited Miracle on Aug 13 too. We had a wonderful time! I don't normally post on sites, I research them before I go but this time I was slightly depressed realizing that vacation was over and it will be awhile before another so I thought I would chime in to see if it helps anyone else. I would be happy to answer any questions as well...I saw a few posts about Camp Carnival. I have a 8 and 11 year old and we traveled with friends that had a 2 and 3 year old. It is safe! The hours are a little limited as we have cruised with Disney before but my kids had a great time still. They usually close for lunch and have a 9:45 p.m pick up time which is a little early in my opinion esp if you have late dining. Mine were old enough to take down to the room and leave them by themselves for a couple hours while we enjoyed a few drinks. They offer after care but at $15 hr per child I was not interested in paying more.

 

Drinks...I can certainly chime in on that as well. We did the beverage package and I debated for awhile on whether I wanted to spend the $800 on the package but if you drink even 5 drinks a day it is worth it. Drinks are about 6.95 and up. With beverage package you get up to 15 drinks a day. It sounds like a lot but I usually wake up pretty early so I figure I am up from 6 am to 12 a.m. so that is not even one drink per hour ;) And at least with package there is no surprises at end when you get your bill, we budgeted for it going in.

 

We didn't see any shows as we spent most of our time in Skybox Sports Bar which is right next to Red Frog Pub. I saw a few comments about how loud it gets in Red Frog. Yes it is loud but it is great live music. We spent a little time in there but really we had the best of both worlds hanging in sports bar because you could hear the music from Red Frog but still have conversation. I would't normally spend so much time in sports bar but I really enjoyed Christo the bartender, he was so sweet and personable! In fact if anyone is going on the Miracle soon I would love if you can pass on my e-mail. Didn't think of it at time as I was usually nearing the end of my 15 drinks so was not thinking clearly LOL. Tell him Melissa and Joseph Anderson say hello and that he has friends in Southern California if he ever wants to visit. Would also just love to track his whereabouts just in case another cruise is in our future. My friends enjoyed the Alchemy bar and raved about Kitty and Maria as well. I did not spend any time there because they do not serve wine or beer, just cocktails. I learned early on in my trip not all 15 drinks are created equally. Drinking 15 vodka sodas is quite different than drinking 15 beers so I steered away from the cocktail bar.

 

Ship time really messed me up because it was different than Puerta Vallarta time and because my phone was on airplane mode I never knew if it updated automatically. I suggest bringing a watch as well and set it to ship time that way there is no question as to whether your phone updated or not.

 

Speaking of Puerta Vallarta I highly recommend Las Caletas Beach Excursion it really had something for everyone. Yes it was crowded but the staff really go out of their way to accommodate everyone. We enjoyed paddle boarding, kayaking, the kids did the little zip line. Drinks were unlimited and food was good. We did not do anything in Cabo just walked around a bit.

 

I think that is about it but I will gladly answer questions as well. My email is Mel2RHCP@hotmail.com if anyone will be seeing my best friend Christo but you can also ask me questions directly there too. I am very jealous of you guys who still have their cruise to look forward to, Have Fun!!!!

We will be onboard Sept 24th and would be happy to pass on your names & email to Christo :D We planned on checking out the SkyBox for football on Sunday. Do they serve food either free or for purchase? What about the Red Frog. I like to drink but I enjoy snacking at the same time.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[louanne93]

We will be onboard Sept 24th and would be happy to pass on your names & email to Christo :D We planned on checking out the SkyBox for football on Sunday. Do they serve food either free or for purchase? What about the Red Frog. I like to drink but I enjoy snacking at the same time.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

 

Just got off this cruise today. I don't believe they serve food. At least I didn't see a food menu (and I looked in both pubs). But, the taste bar is right outside and I also believe people have ordered room service from there. The room service is fantastic! The fries, chicken wings, and pizza especially! The pizza is HUGE for $5.

If you are looking for frills, this cruise will disappoint. This cruise ship is all about the service, and how the employees make you feel like family! It rubs off on to the passengers and soon everyone is one big happy family. I have never experienced anything like it before on any cruise. Some people didn't like this ship and I found myself getting offended because they were essentially talking about my "family"!

The Carnival employees on this ship are VERY happy, they are not overworked and they love their Captain! He makes sure EVERYONE that works on his ship gets some time off. Even the food service employees were happy (and that is one tough job!).

Enjoy your cruise! We sure did!

[Lndngrl]

We will be onboard Sept 24th and would be happy to pass on your names & email to Christo :D We planned on checking out the SkyBox for football on Sunday. Do they serve food either free or for purchase? What about the Red Frog. I like to drink but I enjoy snacking at the same time.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

 

Thank You Dawna that is very sweet! I realize that he may or may not remember us as for us it is our one vacation for the year so the memories for us will last a lifetime but this is their job day in and day out and meet thousands of people a month. I know his contract is up at end of year so was thinking how awesome it would be to take him out for a drink, we are just a short drive from Long Beach. I could listen to him talk about the job 24 hrs a day as when I was 17 years old I had decided I wanted to work on a cruise ship and at 25 years old I had finally decided it was time and would be my next adventure. I had purchased a book "How to Get a Job on a Cruise Ship" which had all the positions, the qualifications, and contact info for every line. Well I met my husband shortly after so that never happened.

 

As far as food...I know in sports bar there was a sign that said you can order wings (and maybe a pizza?) for $5. I spent most of my time directly after dinner so I was never really thinking about food. The last day I remember a girl in there complaining how long it was taking though so order 45 min before you are starving. They did have some Doritos on counter of bar though so if you get desperate in meantime:p I am sure when football starts it will get much more busy. We didn't have any major sporting games on aside from Olympics which I am sure brings a much different crowd. We had bar to ourselves a lot of times :D It did take me about 3 nights before I remembered about the 24 hour pizza kitchen upstairs. Probably could have saved me from a hangover on my vodka/soda night but it became routine that as soon as bar was closing at midnight my husband would go get the pizza and meet in the room for our munchies. I do not believe Red Frog had food...maybe in daytime though when it is less busy.

 

Have fun! Looks like you have a few cruises coming up...I guess I will have to live vicariously through you so make sure to post a review :o

 

I attached a pic that was taken in Skybox our first night

[QTPieRye]

Do you recall what time the ship arrived Carnival and what time you were allowed to get off? Our schedule shows Cabo 11am to 7pm.... don't have FTTF and need to get off early as possible. A few years ago, they had us meet in the lounge and handed out tender stickers. Do you recall if that was the same process and approx what time? Do you happen to have the Fun Times that yo might email me? my email is debra.rye@verizon.net....thanks in advance.