Miracle Review Alaska B2B 9/3 and 9/10

First ever ‘review’ and hope to provide what I considered high lights of my first Alaskan Cruises (b2b sailings on Miracle 9/3 and 9/10, 2013).

Departed Central Illinois on 8/30 to spend 4 nights pre-cruise in Seattle. First time to Seattle (and Pacific Northwest). Loved Seattle. Did the Aquarium, Space Needle, Pike Place, Chihuly Glass Gardens, Argosy Lakes and Locks Tour, and 2 different Savor Seattle Food Tours. Ate lots of good food and really enjoyed the food tours. Slight edge to the Booze and Bites tour compared to the regular Pike Market Food Tour. We had a great group for the Booze and Bites tour and had a blast. The Kumquat Martinis may have played a role in the fun. I am now also addicted to Chukar Cherries thanks to the tour. Chihuly Glass Gardens is amazing and well worth the price. The sheer magnitude of the volume of pieces here is beyond belief. Stayed at Crowne Plaza which we found centrally located. Used only public transportation and the Light Rail from the airport to Downtown is quick and easy. University Street station was a short 3 block trek to the hotel. We managed fine with our wheeled bags.

Boarded Carnival Miracle on 9/3. Troy Litton was our Cruise Director and Lewis was the Assistant. Really enjoyed both these guys! We had anytime dining and had Anthony, Adan, and Angel the first night. Second night had a different team who were also good but we ‘clicked’ with the first team so we requested them for all remaining nights. Week 2, the dining team changed as Anthony was headed home for a break. I Wayan filled the spot of head waiter aided by Adan and Angel.

My past cruise experience was on Conquest and Dream Class ships. Very different from the Miracle. Took me several days to adjust to the layout but I finally mastered the Ship. We had a balcony cabin (8236) port side on the end of a ‘bump out’. I took a risk being under Lido but felt it was an acceptable risk as that area is Serenity. For the most part, all was well and we did not hear any noise from Serenity. Some mornings (when we slept in) we would hear some minor noise. Turns out there was an elevator almost over us that was used by the Galley to get carts of food up to the buffet. As the carts rolled out of the elevator we would hear some of this noise. Again, we weren’t in our room much so no worries. If I book a balcony on this class ship again, I may opt for the starboard side which had the towel hut over the same area. It was VERY nice being so close to the buffet/coffee and the hot tub in the Serenity area. I booked the balcony based on the overwhelming opinion a balcony was a must for Alaska and also due to the fact it was my DH’s first cruise ever and I thought he would spend a lot of time watching the water go by as he was still decompressing from 35+ years of employment and learning how to relax in retirement. He did spend some time on the balcony (particularily the Glacier Bay day) But, we really did not spend overly much time in the Cabin as there was lots of other things to do. For me, a cruise is about the destination and where I sleep makes no difference. I enjoy curling up with a book in public areas so I can read and people watch at the same time.

We did play in the Casino a bit each day and were up and down on slots and roulette. We’re not big gamblers and the casino is more for entertainment. I did make it to the finals in both Slot Tournaments the 2nd week and, had I gone with my gut (or maybe against my gut…), would have won. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted. There were several areas on the Miracle where board games and jigsaw puzzles were available for all to use. These seemed to be popular areas and I did spend an hour one evening working on a puzzle. This was a nice option.

We had a mix of Carnival and Independent providers for our excursions and here is a brief recap of what we did:

Week 1 – Cruise Tracy Arm Fjord – Did the Carnival Small Boat Excursion. Expensive but worth it in my opinion as we got much closer to both the Sawyer and South Sawyer glaciers.

Skagway – van excursion to Emerald Lake and Carcross with Dyea Dave Tours. $79/each and well worth it. The driver was fun and knowledgeable. Lunch at the bakery in Carcross was very yummy. The resident gopher ‘Soupstock’ was entertaining as well.

Juneau – Whale Watching with Harv & Marvs. Rainy day but we did see a good many whales. There were only 4 of us on this excursion so practically private.

Ketchikan – Fishing with Ketchikan Fishing Charters – Captain Dan Leathers provided guidance for the 5 of us who had never salmon fished before. My DH and I ended up with 4 each (6/day/person limit). We each lost 3. Getting the salmon to bite is one thing, getting them in the boat is something else. Overall very happy with the guidance and catch.

Victoria B.C. – 4 hours here beginning at 7:30 p.m. Not much opened as it was end of the cruise season and late stop. Round Trip shuttle from the Ship to downtown was $10 each. Considering how little was opened and how little time we spent downtown, a bit pricey but we’re on vacation and it was nice seeing another city.

Turn around in Seattle – Went very smoothly. 7 of us were lead off the ship then right back on. After reboarding, 4 of us got off again and grabbed a bus to downtown and went to Pike Place and Target to replenish flowers, soda, etc. I got a crumpet from the crumpet shop which had sold out my previous trips to the Market. YUMM!!! Back on board, did some laundry and prepared for muster drill and subsequent meet and greet.

Was fun the first night of week 2 explaining to others how the waiters in the MDR, Casino, and Comedy Club already knew us and what we were ordering.

Week 2 – Juneau – Salmon Fishing booked through Carnival. We wound up with 4 others in a boat captained by Grant Moore who did a good job finding fish to bite. Getting them on-board proved a bit more difficult than last week in Ketchikan. Of the 6 anglers on-board, we managed to get 8 fish on-board. I got 2 the second of which was a big 15+ pound chum. (Yay, smoked salmon!!) We easily lost 1-2 for each one landed.

Skagway – Carnival booked railroad and Laughton Glacier hike. This was 14 miles on the railroad then a hike up to Laughton Glacier. This was my favorite excursion. It was a tough trek but the scenery was magnificent as was walking on the glacier. This was an all day excursion and not cheap but I thought was worth every penny and then some. Glad it was booked through Carnival as we were about 15 minutes late getting back to port. Would have been very nervous had I booked outside of Carnival and been racing the clock.

Ketchikan – Booked with Southeast Seas a kayak adventure to Orca Cove. I was really looking forward to this and it was a great excursion. We did not see any whales while we kayaked which was a bit of a disappointment but I was aware wildlife was not guaranteed. The experience was still very good and the area was very peaceful and serene. We did see a great deal of star fish around some of the islands. This excursion was limited to 6 and was quite nice to have such dedicated service. We noshed on very good smoked salmon after kayaking.

Glacier Bay – The time here was spectacular. The day started out cool but sun prevailed and warmed up. The scenery is nothing short of amazing. The water was smooth as glass with the sun, the mountains, etc. were perfectly reflected in the mirror like surface. Glacier Bay is very different from Tracy Arm. The glaciers are immense but not as blue as the Sawyer Glacier. I’m glad we were able to experience both and give both very high marks. It would be very difficult for me to pick a favorite between these two experiences.

I would repeat all these same excursions again without hesitation.

Debarkation in Vancouver was quick and easy. We spent 3 nights post cruise exploring here. Stanley Park and the Aquarium are amazing as is Capilano Suspension Bridge. Did lots of walking around viewing the different areas (Gastown, Chinatown, etc.) Lots of restaurants with lots of yummy offerings. Easy to use public transportation. Vibrant big city vibe. The street life seemed to be a bit more dramatic/vocal than what we saw in Seattle. Fewer ‘artists’ and more out and out begging. Both cities had some who held signs asking handouts for Food and Beer/Pot. Gotta appreciate that kind of honesty.

Headed home after 3 weeks away. Used Skytrain to get to YVR. Quick and easy. Had bought a nice watch during the cruise which put us slightly over the duty free limit combined with a few (5) extra bottles of booze. Honestly declared all. US Customs did not charge us but reiterated the booze limit of 1 bottle each. I did mention the B2B and that we purchased some on each week. I indicated willingness to pay duty/tax. They let us through without any charge. Once home, I appreciated this as 2 bottles were ‘shattered’. I had taken great pains packing to no avail. Lesson learned….in the future, I will limit and pack even more carefully. Lost a bottle each of Sheridan’s and Amarula. Luckily we had 2 of each of these.

We played Bingo several times. Never won. New for me was a Beers, Buddies, Bingo. Cost was $10. First night was in the Comedy Club. Winner received $100, a bucket of 6 Beers, and VIP seating for the next few nights of Comedy acts. This was repeated ½ way through when new comedians boarded. There were several ‘special’ bingo offerings like ½ price bingo, 5 games Bingo, 7 games Bingo. Early in each cruise they offered $600 or Free Cruise bingo.

We attended past guest party each week. Good time. Full size drinks being offered. ‘Meh’ appetizers. Typical spiel and clap for the ships you have sailed on. Gone was the sale of ½ priced raffle tickets for a free cruise.

Food – Very subjective. I have sailed enough with current menus to know what I like. The soups (both hot and cold) continue to be one of my favorites. We did the buffet most days for breakfast. Only had ‘bacon police’ once on last day. Bacon was crisp some days and soggy other days. The Hamburger Grill DID have chicken nuggets and honey mustard. These were missing in March on the Dream. We did enjoy the deli one day for lunch and late nite bites a time or two. The pizza was thin and crispy (the way we like it). Pizza came as a whole pie in personal size (about 9”). You ordered what flavor you wanted and waited for it to cook. This was very slow at busy times. Sometimes we would have liked just a slice but this was not an option.

We did try the brunch one day and it was good. For us, we are just as happy with the buffet and omelet stations for breakfast. We thought about doing the Steakhouse but did not. We were always stuffed after dinner in the MDR. Could not imagine trying to get down the volume of food served there.

The Shows were good and the comediennes hilarious. The on-board shops were having ‘clearance’ sales on all Alaska related items at 50% off the first week. Mid-way through the week, they upped it to 75% off. The majority of Alaska items flew out of the shops. Very little remained for the final sailing. The gift shops in ports were also having a lot of sales and deals for all the made in China items. Many of the shops seemed to have already closed for the season. We picked up a few shirts for our daughters but did not spend much in the way of souvenirs. The locally made items were beautiful but we did not make any splurge purchases. After a while, the stuff in the shops all started to look alike.

I did ‘win’ a ship on a stick and bottle of champagne. Not a fan of champagne, but we found that a ‘squirt’ of fruit punch flavored Mio flavoring, really improved the flavor. We managed to make very short work of our bottle!

We tend to be pretty easy to please and try to be glass half full type folks. The biggest irritation for us were the smokers in the casino. No matter what area we tried to play slots, seems the smokers would soon find us. I know it was not intentional and most the time, we’d just move on but if you are ‘winning’ on a slot, you hate to leave it. So, we just tolerated and when it got to be too much for us, we’d leave the area. I am a reformed smoker so I get it….Just wish there was a happy solution for both sides of this. Yes, there were lines at times. Yes, others grumbled about the lines. Yes, people butted in front of me in lines. Yes, some people were pigs (kills me to see someone get a huge plate of food to take a single bite and decide they don’t like it and put their napkin over it and go back to the buffet to get another large plate of food). Speaking of plates…. The Miracle DID have trays and the regular plates, bowls, etc. None of the large platter plates that replaced the trays on other ships were in evidence. If you go looking for negatives, you will find them. I was on vacation so takes quite a bit to make me disgruntled!

Never saw kids in the Serenity area (only 66 kids on board). Water in Hot Tubs was warm. Water in pool under closed dome was warmish (kids frequented this pool). Water in outside pools a bit chilly (never saw anyone in these).

Our expectations were to see Alaska, see whales, catch fish, eat good food, enjoy some entertainment, etc. All were met and then some. Very glad we chose to go on this adventure. Several things crossed off bucket list.

I shot more than 1,000 pictures and videos. They look very similar to other Alaskan reviews that include photos, so I will not include any here. Really only had 1 day with ‘rainy’ weather. All were commenting on how fantastic the weather was the entire trip.

I will try to answer questions if anyone has any. I did not keep copies of the Fun Times so no help there.

We were on the 9/3 as well and had a blast.

A great review...wish we could have done the B2B but a little thing called a job keeps getting in the way....LOL

Sounds wonderful! I loved my two Alaska cruises!

Nice review, lucky you on a B2B Alaskan cruise!

Never heard of the beer bingo, is it just on the Miracle?

2 bottles were ‘shattered’. I had taken great pains packing to no avail. Lesson learned….in the future, I will limit and pack even more carefully. Lost a bottle each of Sheridan’s and Amarula. Luckily we had 2 of each of these.

Great review there ... sorry to read about the Sheridan ... i knew you were looking forward to having that second bottle.. Who knows maybe one will come from Santa ;)..

Hi Helen..... I miss seeing you!!! I am still considering a Southern from San Juan, next May (2014).

Have you changed the November 2014 date yet? Remind me again which ship/week. I just may have to look at that too!!

_____

Karen

Hi Helen..... I miss seeing you!!! I am still considering a Southern from San Juan, next May (2014).

 

Have you changed the November 2014 date yet? Remind me again which ship/week. I just may have to look at that too!!

 

_____

Karen

after a year and half talking to you weekly seems really strange, missing you too :(. I kept that date nov 16th conquest, we fly home before the mad thanksgiving rush .... we booked two aft extended rooms, for the price i did not think we could go wrong even if there is not a price drop. Could not book early saver as it is not offered yet, but will consider it if i see a nice price drop and it is offered. I have asked Angelo if he can join us, just waiting for an answer, if he says yes it may be a B2B again, if that happens the first cruise will be the week before. Boy does it feel strange,, needed another cruise booked after all the planning from Alaska but i have done this conquest cruise route already so most of research is already done. say hi to hubby and i so enjoyed the Alaskan cruise and would do again and again. We only took 4000 + pictures

Can you post some pictures for us to see?

Can you post some pictures for us to see?

I will try to get some posted here from my laptop tomorrow. I don't know how to copy from FB to here on my IPad.

Thanks for the look ahead - we sail on Miracle in Alaska next September!

Mount Ranier from the Miracle:

Mendenhall Glacier from the Visitor's Center:

Emerald Lake - Yukon Territory

Carcross Desert:

Tracy Arm Fjord:

South Sawyer Glacier - Tracy Arm

Lots of ice in the water at South Sawyer:

Sawyer Glacier - Tracy Arm:

Waterfall - Tracy Arm - From Small Boat Excursion (not zoomed...)

Chihuly Glass Garden (Fabulous place):

Gum Wall - Post Alley - Seattle (ewwwww!):

Glacier Bay:

Big Chum - Juneau:

And Coho:

Crevase - Laughton Glacier

'Toe' of Laughton:

Ice Cave - Laughton:

More Laughton - About the middle of the picture immediately above the trees is where the 'toe' is...The 'dirt mound' between the trees and the glacier above is actually dirt/rocks over ice. The crevase and caves, etc. were in this area. Much bigger when you are there:

Whale:

Couple more Glacier Bay

Just bumping so folks could easily find to look at pictures.

you get your fish yet ? .. if you did not live so far away i would come for dinner.. LOL

Doing an Alaskan cruise is way different than a Carb. cruise.. I enjoyed the Alaskan cruises far more than i expected, the state is jaw dropping, every turn there was something amazing to see. I never thought in my wildest dreams i would ever be making a statement that this palm tree hugging girl would do another Alaskan cruise over a Carb cruise.

Great review and pics...it is almost like I was there! ;)

you get your fish yet ? .. if you did not live so far away i would come for dinner.. LOL

 

Doing an Alaskan cruise is way different than a Carb. cruise.. I enjoyed the Alaskan cruises far more than i expected, the state is jaw dropping, every turn there was something amazing to see. I never thought in my wildest dreams i would ever be making a statement that this palm tree hugging girl would do another Alaskan cruise over a Carb cruise.

Alaska was beautiful!! Pricey but worth it. Not sure how soon I can get Buddy on a ship again!! He is a homebody and I know he won't do another B2 B.

2 boxes of fish were delivered Wednesday. Already went through 1 package of smoked and had grilled salmon for dinner last night. Yumm!!! Holler if you get this way and I will have Buddy cook you up some fish!!

Great review and pics...it is almost like I was there! ;)

LOL

hope someone cold has gotten better

Alaska was beautiful!! Pricey but worth it. Not sure how soon I can get Buddy on a ship again!! He is a homebody and I know he won't do another B2 B.

 

2 boxes of fish were delivered Wednesday. Already went through 1 package of smoked and had grilled salmon for dinner last night. Yumm!!! Holler if you get this way and I will have Buddy cook you up some fish!!

Would Chicago be the closest airport ;)

Wonderful pictures, I want to go back!