MIRACLE REVIEW: Part 1, Off We Go

[halos]

I just want to preface this review by stating that I am suffering from intense PCD...worse than any other time.

I had planned on starting the review with the beginning of my trip and following a day by day timeline, but after reading Kartz' review, I felt I had to jump ahead as well to give my take on the experiences I had with Carnival staff this past week, so people who are booked for the Miracle already, or those reading reviews in order to choose a ship will get to hear a different side. I am extremely sorry that Kartz had a less than stellar wait staff...I wish she had been dining at my table. We had a ball and my experience was far different....so pull up a comfortable chair folks. Here is the Part 1 of a LONG review.

 

 

Saturday, 6/19 4:00am (YUK)

The day I had been waiting for was finally here and we all got up and were out the door by 5:30 as scheduled. We were on the Maine turnpike by 5:45 and had the cruise CD that my oldest DD burned for me in the player and we were singing and happy as clams despite the hour. We had recently downsized our automobile from a very large Chevy Venture van to a small Mazda Tribute. We were a bit squashed for space even though my DH had placed a few of our bags on the roof rack. About 15 minutes into the ride, the sky looked bleak and my DH questioned how water-proof the luggage was.....the next thing you know, the sky opened up. Rain fell in drops the size of golf balls. I looked in the back to try to figure out just which bags were on the roof....all my underwear for one thing and the shoe bag (YIKES!!!!!) I prayed for a miracle...sunshine, or some unseen force to put a protective shield around my bags to keep my shoes from getting wrecked. Before we knew it, the sky, though still bleak, stopped raining down on us and I looked up to that sky with immense gratitude....nothing is worse than soggy underwear and shoes filled with water.

The ride went very smoothly and we were outside the ship terminal by 11:am. As we drove near the terminal we rounded a corner and could see the funnel of our ship! I can't tell you how freakin' excited we were!!! DH parked the car as we drug the luggage to the curb and we were in the building and had handed off the luggage by 11:30. I was hopeful for an easy boarding, but this wasn't to happen. More and more people filled the terminal. Our friends who came to NY from PA found us and we all waited together with thousands of others for them to let us board. Having 4 ships in port that day made things very rough for the customs folks and terminal workers so we were delayed quite a while. People were getting so impatient and the more impatient they got, the worse the 'energy' in the room became. I wish everyone had stayed a bit calmer and it would have been a bit less unpleasant...but anyway, they finally started to let us check in about 2:30 and we were on board in minutes. The lines moved VERY fast.

The ship had been scheduled to depart at 4pm, as it was we didn't shove off until 5:30. The family we sailed with were friends that we used to live next to when we lived in PA and this was their first cruise. My girlfriend turned to me as I apologized for the conditions at the port (I prayed this didn't turn them off enough to wreck their week) and she said something very profound (I thought) "It's like labor and childbirth...we'll forget this pain after we get on board!"

No truer words were ever spoken. When we walked onto that ship into the Atrium, the previous 3 hours vanished like a bad dream.

Our vacation was about to begin!

 

 

 

We didn't know where to start so we just began to wander around. The decor is very loud but I don't mean that in a derrogatory way, because it works somehow. The ship gives an atmosphere of fun the minute you step on.

If you took the rooms apart and looked at them seperately, you'd shake your head and say, "What were they thinking???" But if you put it all together, the effect is like nothing you have ever, or will ever experience again. It is amazing! You know in your heart that after this cruise is over and you must get off the ship, the world outside will seem very dull and ordinary.This is my 3rd cruise (all of which have been Carnival) and my first time on a newer ship. The other two cruises I have taken were on the Celebration (about 12 years ago) and the Holiday (2002). The difference is amazing. I knew immediately that I loved this Spirit class ship and it would be difficult to go back to an older ship (not impossible...just difficult!). A cruise is indeed good for the soul and already, mine was soaring....or maybe I was lightheaded because I was starving??!!!

Since I was up at 4am, and it's now about 3:30 and none of us had anything to eat since the previous day, we head right to the buffet for lunch. The choices are too numerous and if you have gone 20 hours without sustenance and then you suddenly find yourself in the midst of all this food, you kind of lose your mind. As were were making a bee-line toward the Chineese food, my girlfriend and I ran smack into a waiter with a tray full of drinks. I was VERY thirsty. We each grabbed one and now, and within minutes it wasn't just our souls that were soaring!!!! The drinks were strong and it went right to my head...did somebody say that embarkation was a nightmare??? I forget........

 

(I am 663 words over the 1,000 word limit so I am going to try to copy and paste...if it doesn't work I will lose the rest of today's installment. If it does work, look for it below this, as a response.

There will be more of my experience to come...I just want to skip over to the staff now.

[halos]

My main reason for the love of a cruise ship had always been the staff. My first Carnival cruise 12 years ago was way before Carnival 'stepped up' with their food, and the excursions were not as great back then as they are now. What I loved about the cruise then was the service and I have to say that just like the food on board, the service has gotten even better over the years.

My room steward was Ronald. I don't know where he was from, but he was as timid as a mouse and very quiet. Maybe his English wasn't too great and that is why he didn't speak much, but he was available all the time and our rooms were kept immaculate...our towel animals always made me smile, and he always seemd to 'appear' if I had a request or a need of any kind. Our cabin was a 7A obstructed balcony...my first balcony room. My first cruise was an inside cabin, the second and ocean view..and now I had a balcony! Even though the view was partially obstructed, having that balcony was just unbelieveable! The first night we were able to leave the door open (with a bungee cord that worked GREAT...thanks for the tip!) because it wasn't hot that far up north yet, and the humididty was minimal. Just like the fact that it will be difficult to get back on an older ship, I don't know if I could possibly ever NOT have a balcony after having had one.

 

Every Carnival employee I passed in the hall or on deck or anywhere, always smiled and said "hello...how are you" or at least smiled. Bartenders were fabulous, people in Horatio's were great (the guy who did our omelets every morning was 'egg'strordinary!!) and our wait staff was just...well, there are no words. We fell in love with both of them.

Oly and Micheala (sp??) were the best. Our dinners were something we looked forward to so much that we actually did not go to Nick and Nora's as planned. We had made the reservation for Friday night as soon as we boarded...getting the time and table we wanted (since we went up to the restuarant to make the reservation, they actually let us choose the table we wanted...but reservations can be made over the phone if you don't want to wander up there). By Wednesday, we were all thinking (to ourselves) that we'd have to say goodbye to the wait staff Thursday night and give them their envelopes then....each of us felt crappy about this until finally my girlfriend said..."Do you think we should just eat in the dining room...the food is awesome, we really don't need to do N&N's"

I was SO happy...the thought of not seeing Oly and Micheala was making me sick to my stomach! I said "YES! Cancel the reservation!!"

(In hindsight, it would have been 'nicer' for them had we gone to N&N's so they'd have one less table to wait!)

So, every night we ate in the dining room. Micheala was so sweet (and she is so amazingly gorgeous!)and attentive..Oly and she anticiapted our every want, knew our likes and dislikes after the first night...were pleasant, funny and helpful. They both gave us their reccomendations every night and they were always good ones. I miss them so much...I wanted to take them home with me. Our friends, who eat in very good restaurants very often did not expect the food and the service to be what it was and they were so thrilled with everything...which made me so happy. All of you who have followed my posts know I was concerned about their having a good time, and unless they are very good actors, they LOVED this cruise, esepcially the dining experience. We were all impressed with the presentation as well as the food itself. It was a joy to experience their first cruise with them because it made ours that much more exciting.

Our first night going into the dining room was exciting because we were taken to a room off the main dining room, the name of which escapes me for the minute (I will find out what it's called and add that later...it began with an 'A'). This smaller, more intimate room had about 8 to 10 large tables for 8 or more people. We were taken to a table right by a huge window and got to watch the sun set during our first dinner on board. Micheala and Oly impressed us immediately...we loved them right away...we loved them so much that on our last night, as we said goodbye, my youngest DD started balling her eyes out and had us all crying within seconds...my DH and my girlfriend's DH were filled up as well. We felt like a bunch of idiots as we said goodbye but I was never so sad...I live 500 miles from my family, who all live in PA and I don't cry when I say goodbye to them after a visit...

The Maitre D was amazing and totally entertaining...with a great singing voice. Kevin was from Ireland, but sounded like Sinatra...what a Ham!!!

So, for us, the wait staff were just amazing...they were above and beyond any expectation I had and I plan to write Carnival and tell them so by the end of this week.

 

I will get back later with my comments on the shows, excursions and anything else I can think of. I type slow so this is painful!!! Be patient with me. I'll get it all in eventually.

For all of you who are sailing the Miracle soon....you will love it.

 

 

Later,

Angel

 

PS...the contents of both bags that were on the roof rack were miraculously dry.......

[tjohn159d]

Good review Halos. It is quite a bit different than the other review posted for the same cruise. It makes me wonder if you were both really on the same ship. :confused:

[WMeda]

Halos,

 

 

I'm enjoying your review so far...Can't wait for more.

 

Were you able to copy the Capers? We are leaving on Saturday and I'd love to get my hands on them. If so, please email them to me at WMeda@optonline.net

 

Thanks.

 

Wayne

[derf5585]

What Miracle cruise was it? From Baltimore?

 

"I prayed for a miracle" You got the Carnival Miracle

[halos]

derf...this cruise was out of NY city.

It wasn't a great expereince, but it wasn't bad enough that I wouldn't do it again. It did save me over $1,000 in airfare after all...so 3 hours of inconvenience was a small price to pay.

[halos]

WMeda...I have the Capers, but I'm not quite sure how to get them copied to you....there is a lot to them and I don't have a fax. Is there anything specific you need from them????

[Guest Time2gocruzn]

Wonderful review! Very well written! Can't wait to read pt 2!

[MoonBaby]

Halos,

 

Great review! I need to get my act together and post my review ...I was on the cruise before yours! I also had a table in that side room that starts with an "A" I had table 280. I loved it in there! Had the big round table closest to the main dining area...was nice to look across and see the view! It was alot quiter than in the main dining room. Our waiters, Vlaska and Irina were also fabulous!

 

Yes, the terminal was a complete nightmare on the 19th!!!! There will be more details about THAT in my review!

[WMeda]

Halos,

 

I wish I could point ot something specific that I was looking for. Really, I just want to see how each day is structured and try to "tentatively" plan my trip. Yes, i know, I'm a bit anal but I can't help it.

 

Thanks anyway.

 

Wayne

[robbyxoxo]

i dont find it THAT odd that Halos found the staff to be wonderful and the other recent reviewer found just the opposite to be true.....u have like a 50/50 shot at getting a good wait staff at ur dining table....Halos got the GOOD 50%....the other reviewer landed the sucky 50%.....for real, even though most of the employees may smile and say hi, its not that hard to read through the fake smile and see that most of them arent jumpin for joy to be doin their jobs.....catch them offguard sometimes when they are b*tching at each other, or to each other about the passengers....this has always seemed to be the norm from my experiences of watching and listening........so i can understand how two ppl can be on the same cruise and come back with totally diff feelings about the service.....read between the lines and look close behind the scenes and youll see that not all is lollipops and cotton candy

[tlynnie]

The Victory sailed late too, halos, but we were at the port by 10:00 and onboard having lunch by noon! Getting there early made our NYC boarding totally painless.

 

I do think it made a difference, though, that Victory was returning from a CTN and didn't have to deal withg customs that morning.

[halos]

robby,

go play someplace else.

Your continuous negativity is getting annoying. How old are you, 12??

[halos]

tlynnie,

I'm so happy you were able to board early. It's good to know that not all 4 ships were having the same difficulties...but for us Miracle cruisers it didn't matter what time we got there. They didn't allow anyone through for check in until 2:30....they kept us 'locked' out of the check in area.

 

Like I said above..it was a slight annoyance, but became unbearable because of other people's impatience. If everyone who was stuck there just put a smile on their face and waited a bit more patiently, it wouldn't have been so bad. All that waiting was probably part of customs inspection...I'm not sure if the Miracle arrived a bit late to start with or not, but with 4 ships in port that day, customs was VERY busy and they are there to keep us safe so I'd rather wait and be safe.

[robbyxoxo]

Halos....why is it so painful for some here to face the facts that not every single experience with cruising is a pleasant one?.....my negativity is based on reality babe....no need to fabricate stories......ive done 9 carnival cruises in past 5ish years......so im not talkin outa my rear......i have no problem making note of the good things that go with cruising....i mentioned many of them in a prior posting......but aint no reason to act like cruising is all that when its NOT all that for many ppl who try it.....many vacationers dont like being packed in crowds of ppl and waiting in lines for buffet food and scrounging to find pool chairs and on and on......do u actually want to deny that these be thruths?....cmon now....its kewl that u can look past the negatives and still have a good time.....not all vacationers will have the same tolerance for the annoyances.....thats what i be saying.....u keep sugar coating the entire cruising experience and ill keep doing my thang of keepin it real and exposing the real deal....and we all live happy as clams

[phinfan63]

My personal opinion is that I'm glad there are people such as Robby because I have yet to do my first cruise and if all I heard about was the good stuff - I'm sure I would be disappointed . I love to have a good time (and I'm sure I will) but it is always good to not go in expecting perfection when it is doubtful . Just my 2 cents worth :)

[Linda3041]

My dh and i were on the Miracle sailing from June 12-19. The ship came in early (7:30AM) and were supposed to be off the ship starting at 8:00AM. One couple didn't clear customs and we were all waiting for them to clear and they didn't start letting us off the ship until 10:00 which caused the next sailing delay. Out of the four ships that day, the Miracle was the first one in port. We had a great time and we were able to board the ship at 11:30am

[glrounds]

Angel,

 

So happy to hear you enjoyed the MIRACLE.

 

I too have noticed a humongous improvement in Carnival's dining whether it be in the formal dining room or the lido deck.

 

Thanks for posting this "partial" review. Looking forward to part 2.

 

Don't let robby concern you he "be" a constant annoyance. :D

[MrPete]

Does everyone realize you can click on any users name and then click to ignore all their posts.

 

I have my first candidate!

[MoonBaby]

On June 19th, we did not even get OFF the Miracle until almost noon! (When we boarded on the 12th, we were already ON the ship by noon!) People were constantly being called to where Customs was clearing people, and OTHER people were being called to the purser's desk! (Did they really think they could get off the ship without paying their bill? :confused: ) None of this Carnival's fault of course. But there has GOT to be a better way! Our cabin steward told us he thought we would be off the ship by 9 am. No such luck!

Hard to believe we were the first ship to dock of the four in port that day, at 6 am. 6 HOURS after docking we FINALLY got off the ship, and into the nightmare of thousands of people all being funneled into only TWO freight elevators. I truly enjoyed both my Carnival cruises, but I doubt I will cruise out of NYC Cruise terminal again(on any line). Embarking close to home is supposed to be less stressful, not MORE. Next time maybe I will just fly to Florida to board.Yes,it was THAT bad!

[sls]

Halos,

 

ROFLMAO went I read the part about soggy underwear and shoes full of water. Glad you had a great time. We've always been blessed with great waitstaff so I've never been able to relate to peoples bad experiences.

 

sls

 

Destiny 12/04

Sensation 5/04

Holiday 1/04

Conquest 11/03

[Princess5]

Hi Halos - this is Sassy5. The new forum would not let me post unless I re-registered. So, now I'm Princess5.

 

 

We had a fabulous time on the Miracle last week. Sorry we didn't get a chance to meet but I was in the same area of the dining room as you were - table #285.

 

Embarkation in New York was definitely the nightmare that I had dreamed it would be. It took our limo driver over an hour and a half to get from the Tunnel to the pier, a drive that would normally take about ten minutes. It took forever to get through the New York Port Authority Security checks, but when we finally made it to the Carnival check in, it took no time at all to board the ship thanks to the Skipper's Club. But, like you and your friend, all of the hassle was soon forgotten once we entered the Atrium. Wow!! What a ship.

 

We loved everything about this cruise: our cabin, the food, the waiters/waitresses (we especially enjoyed the dance routine they did each night in the dining room), the shows and especially the Cruise Director, Todd, and his great staff. Everything highly exceeded our expectations.

 

We went to Nick and Nora's on Wednesday night. It was "excellent". It was truly an awesome dining experience.

 

I would not hesitate to book another cruise on the Miracle.

[halos]

Second installment is on it's way. IT will be on another thread.

[iluvdoxies]

Glad you had a great time!

We sailed on the Miracle out of Jax in Mar and are going again next Feb when she is at her home port of Tampa.

Living in Florida, we are spoiled with the easy check in and embarkation.

Pay no attention to robbyxxxooo- he is slways pretty much negative, dont know why he bothers to still cruise.

[halos]

Phinfan,

I agree that the bad needs to be said along with the good. It helps everyone. My review will have my 'bad' experiences as well as the good, and advise on how to avoid the 'bad' if possible.

Robbie is not giving constructive advise, he is just spewing negativity. His comments (on this thread anyway) help no one.

I am a believer in the fact that it isn't about what life throws at you, it's how you handle what life throws at you. You can take the bad and shake it off, or you can dwell in it. I chose the former...people like Robbie dwell in it. I have no time for that. Saying that 50% of cruisers wind up stuck with unfriendly wait staff is nowhere near accurate. If you went through the boards and read reviews, you'd see only a small percentage of people who were disapponted with Carnival employees. Of course there are a few, and there may be good employees who have a bad day occasionally as well, but to say that you have a 50% chance of getting a bad waiter is ridiculous and wrong. They are his opinions not facts and it is misleading.

If he has time to listen in on staff's conversations and observe their "fake smiles and b*tching and complaining" then he must not be spending enough time enjoying his cruise. I never heard anything so ludicrous.

I'd wager that employees do complain to each other...mostly about the pax like him who most likely make their jobs total nightmares. Unless you have ever worked with the public, I say don't judge these people. They work harder than anyone else I know. Keeping that smile, whether fake or not, is the hardest thing EVER when you have to deal with morons all day, seven days a week for 5 to 6 months at a time. God Bless these people.