Carnival Miracle Review

[fat_joe]

Here is my review of the 8/21/08 Carnival Miracle sailing. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Background:

 

We are a family of four and this was our second cruise with Carnival. We booked two adjoining midship cabins on the Panorama Deck, starboard side. This location was convenient because of its proximity to the midship elevators but was also surprisingly quiet.

 

Embarkation:

 

We were dropped off at pier 88 at about 10:45 AM and completed the check in procedure by 11:30. The whole process was very well organized and there were plenty of seats in the waiting area. Since we were checked in before boarding began, we were assigned numbers according to what order we were to board in. However, this system was not enforced well and people were able to board who had arrived at the pier well after us. Boarding began at around 12:15 and we were on by 12:30. We ate lunch on the Lido and went to our cabins when they were ready at 1:30.

 

Cabins:

 

The cabins were slightly smaller than those we have had on larger vessels, but there was still adequate space for two people. There was plenty of storage space and the beds were very comfortable. The minibar refrigerator was small but it kept a few bottles of water cold. We had the balcony divider between our balconies opened so that we had one large balcony for the four of us. Our cabin steward, Paulcy, was very friendly and kept the rooms spotless. He even kept my cooler filled with ice.

 

Dining:

 

We ate dinner in the Bacchus dining room each evening. The maitre'd Frankie was very accommodating when we wanted to change from a booth to a table. The food was good each night and there was plenty of variety to choose from. Our waiter and his assistant were very attentive. However, it seems as if they were assigned too many tables because we were always some of the last people to leave the dining room. After the waiters danced each night, Frankie would usually sing a song. My favorite was when he put on a cowboy hat and sang "Country Roads" by John Denver.

 

We usually ate breakfast and lunch in the Lido buffet. There was always a wide variety of selections to choose from. The rotisserie area always had delicious carved meats and pasta dishes. During peak times, it was hard to get a table and it seemed as if the staff was having a hard time clearing tables in a timely matter. My other concern was with people walking into the buffet area just after they had stepped out of the pool and dripping water all over the floor. I almost slipped a few times.

 

Entertainment:

 

All of the production shows were very well done. My favorite was Ticket to Ride. I also liked Generations and Singin' with the Big Band. Music Unlimited really performed well as the Beatles. I also enjoyed the comedy of Marvin Bell and listening to Scott play the guitar. The singer by the casino bar was also very good. The Legends show was also enjoyable. Pip and Special K from the entertainment staff performed as Sonny and Cher and Brent the CD was hilarious as Dolly Parton.

 

Public Areas:

 

There were plenty of public areas to spend time in. Sam's Piano Bar and the Gotham Lounge were usually pretty empty at night and offered entertainment. The casino and disco did get pretty busy at night. During the day, we frequently went to the Phantom Lounge to play bingo and trivia games. The lobby bar was a popular gathering place for drinks before dinner.

 

Ports of Call:

 

San Juan

 

We took the tour to the Bacardi distillery. The driver was very informative along the way and told the history of Puerto Rico. There was not much to see at the distillery but the tour took a while and two drinks were included. On the way back, the driver took us through Old San Juan and dropped us off near Senor Frog's. It was about a ten minute walk back to the ship and we passed a casino and restaurants on the way back.

 

St. Thomas

 

We took the downtown shopping and Megan's Bay beach tour. This tour includes two hours of shopping, 30 minutes to drop off purchases at the ship, and two hours at the beach. That 30 minutes goes by very quickly and I would not even make an attempt at this if the line to get back on the ship is long. Our driver, Francois, was difficult to understand but he was very excited and animated. The beach was the most beautiful I have ever seen and was very peaceful. We arrived back at the pier at 3:00 and by this time the line to board was quite long. This is an all day tour and there was not any time at the end to explore the area on your own.

 

Grand Turk

 

We did not participate in a shore excursion here. There is plenty to do without even leaving the cruise center. There are plenty of shops, a large beach and pool, and a Margaritaville.

 

Debarkation

 

Our number for debarkation was not called until around 9:30. By this time, the line to leave the ship stretched from the lobby to the Phantom lounge. The line seemed to move in quick spurts and then it would stop for a while. It did not take long to go through customs and find our luggage.

 

Summary

 

This was a great cruise and I would definitely do it again. The ship was very well maintained and clean. I enjoyed having four sea days and the convenience of leaving out of New York.

[Payd]

Thanks for posting your review!

 

We are thinking of a visit to Megan's Bay so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[Prairie_Gal]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise, thanks for the review.

[dolfinmusic]

Thank you!!!! Glad you enjoyed your cruise. Two weeks from now, it will be our turn :)

[Leo Jay]

Thanks for the review. We love the Miracle, and we love sailing out of New York: no hotel, no airfare, no flight delays, and two peaceful sea days each way to the Caribbean. Ahhhhh.....

[mike91911]

Thank you...I'm less than a month now. How old are the kids?

[Carnival Game]

Thanks for your review. I always found the floor inside the lido buffet on the Victory to be very slippery even when I couldn't see anything on it. At times it was like being on a skating rink. :o