Review 6/24 Miracle Sailing......awesome trip!

[luv2gonow]

Hi, trying to write a brief review after reading so many:D

 

Miracle out of NYC June 24- July 2nd. Ports visited. Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and Grand Turk. Crew Mom 64, Me 39 and my daughter 8.

 

Embarkation....

Left Long Island around 10:30 was onboard at 1pm. Smoothest one yet. Longest commute was crosstown!!! OMG!! Getting onboard..Very easy and quick! Rooms not ready went up to the Lido where we proceeded to chow down with the masses. Let me just make a note that this buffet set up rocks. Never long lines so many different areas to choose. Salad is set up seperate....tables always available. My daughter had a hot dog which started her 1st of about 3 a day....ahem. My plate consisted of about 12 different food groups which I don't remember what:cool:

 

Balcony room 6244. Awesome. Very quiet and smooth ride. Never even woke up leaving Puerto Rico...come to think of it we were awake in the room and didn't even feel the boat backing up in Grand Turk. Smoothest boat and quietest I have been on. I loved the Miracle!! Spirit class rocks.!

 

Entertainment....didn't see most shows.....in fact I feel like I spent my whole vacation walking the ship peeking in here and there....And I LOVED IT. Well....I participated in the Bean Toss game and won it for the blue team one day....That...well ROCKED:D

Pools tiny standing room only....but it was hot and priceless. Although I really hate saltwater pools...ok i digress.

 

OK.....Live music Everywhere.....I didn't miss the big screen....and I really appreciated lots of variety of live music. Going into the dining room hearing the big band playing was really nice....What can i say it just felt "really cruisy"

 

Decor.....I did love it.....felt slightly less "flashy" than Victory and Triumph....but lots of "nakedness"....LOL... In fact we were walking through the Gatsby Garden...which is near Club 02 and someone thought it was funny to put a piece of gum stategically in the butt crack!!! Ok....It was funny....ahem...

Room was comfortable bedding great...the actual beds were a little hard especially the sofa bed. But let me just say. WE SLEPT TILL 11 AM ONE MORNING. WOW!!! In fact we slept past 9 every day....only made it to breakfast in MDR one morning. This ship literally rocked us into a coma every night.

 

Ports.

Puerto Rico...Hot and Humid....misty. Loved walking the cobblestone streets walked up the hill to the fort and back down as it started to rain. Would have liked more time to explore.

 

St. Thomas...Went on the Christmas Cove Snorkeling trip. Was really great. Saw sting rays and barracuda by the catamaran swimming under us.

Coral and think I saw Nemo and Dory:p Water was stunning blue green and the sailing was smooth. HOT as Hell tho. Burnt up my back so I had to wear a shirt in Grand Turk. Boo Hooooo!!

Wish we had more time to also go to Megans Bay....although I was so burnt that I couldn't have done both anyway.

 

Grand Turk. We rented a Cabana which was Priceles!!! This place is NOT used to 2 ships in Port. The pool area is beautiful.....great music playing palm trees.....beach in backround.. True Paradise!

The pool bar was a MUTINY.....Waited 30 minutes for my 1st drink....only 2 bartenders for like 50 waiting people. After that I rang my bell from the cabana for drinks and lunch. I would have liked to hang by the pool bar a little though. They seriously were understaffed and could have sold a lot more booze....Ya know from a business standpoint:p

 

Food. Everything was very good..Nick and Nora's was outstanding. Those escargot on that itty bitty pastry puff is impeccable......YUMMY.

We ate in MDR every night except for 1.(see above) Food was really good. I thought the Lido buffet was good as well.

I did try to contain myself with food though....seriously.....you could eat yourself into a coma....One must refrain....or literally pass out from fullness...OK...that only happened once..OK twice...ahem....

 

Overall this was a VERY smooth cruise and the weather was Great the entire trip.l Rainy morning on the last sea day...no biggie. The stars at night were incredible from the balcony. Better than the decks because of the lighting. Can't believe I am home...Haven't even unpacked my suitcase yet.

Any questions ask away

 

Ahem....sorry this was supposed to be a short review:cool:

 

 

Oh Yeah!!! Forgot to mention. Saw the NCL Epic in NYC. We docked next to it. Looks big....but gotta say I still love the Miracle she has a sleeker nicer look to her. The Epic looked wierd on top.....big and bulky...wonder how she rides??

[hunniebee724]

Thanks for the review! 7 more weeks till we leave!

[CrusinCyndi]

DH and I have been on the Miracle twice...loved it both times and now are booked on her sister ship the Pride going to Bermuda in Oct 2011...spirit class ships are the best!

[heatherandfred]

Sweet! Sounds like you had a ball! Just a few more days for me.

[Prairie_Gal]

Thanks for your review! We liked the Miracle too.

[taurascc]

I too was on this Carnival Miracle cruise out of NYC. Had a blast. I actually cried last night when we were saying bye to our head waiter and his assisant. It was wonderful. I hated to leave. My husband won the free dinner to Nick and Nora's as a result of our invitation to the party for past cruisers. It was a beautiful night. We had a seat by the window and watched the sunset. The food was fantastic, not only at Nick and Nora's, but everywhere on the ship. We were with a group of 12 (all family). All our rooms were next to each other on the 4th deck. We were all amazed how smoothly everything went when our zone was called this morning to leave the ship. Can't say enough great things about the whole experience.

[luv2gonow]

DH and I have been on the Miracle twice...loved it both times and now are booked on her sister ship the Pride going to Bermuda in Oct 2011...spirit class ships are the best!

That sounds Awesome. Bermuda is beautiful. Have a great trip:D

Sweetie Sounds like you had a ball! Just a few more days for me.

Can't believe after all the planning and waiting it is over....Enjoy EVERY minute....I wish smooth sailing for you;)

Thanks for your review! We liked the Miracle too.

Whats not to love right....although...I love every ship while I'm there:)

[luv2gonow]

Thanks for the review! 7 more weeks till we leave!

Already thinking of where to go next......should have bought the future cruise certificate.

I too was on this Carnival Miracle cruise out of NYC. Had a blast. I actually cried last night when we were saying bye to our head waiter and his assisant. It was wonderful. I hated to leave. My husband won the free dinner to Nick and Nora's as a result of our invitation to the party for past cruisers. It was a beautiful night. We had a seat by the window and watched the sunset. The food was fantastic, not only at Nick and Nora's, but everywhere on the ship. We were with a group of 12 (all family). All our rooms were next to each other on the 4th deck. We were all amazed how smoothly everything went when our zone was called this morning to leave the ship. Can't say enough great things about the whole experience.

 

Glad you had a great time. I'm sure we saw you around. Lots of big family groups....nice to see all of the beautiful family photos taken.

[smeck]

In two weeks we sail the Miracle, really excited after reading your review. Hopefully we'll be just as lucky with the weather.

[smeck]

How was the temperture of the ship, were the rooms nice and cool?

[VickiD59]

Glad to see a review... albeit a short one :( for the SJ, StThomas, GT run. Most all the Miracle reviews have been for the Nassau, HMC, GT itinerary.

But c'mon..was that it? Iis there nothing else you can share with us .. somethin.. anything... those few paragraphs were just a tease. Sailing in two weeks and I need something to get me through :rolleyes:

Question- We are also a group of 12; were you able to all sit together at one table for dinner? I keep hearing differing opinions on whether they can accommodate a party of 12 at one table or we'll need two tables of 6.

[chachi]

Sounds like a wonderful vacation! Thanks for taking the time to write a review.

[Marleycac]

I was wondering how bad the smoking was on this ship? Is it avoidable?

 

 

 

 

Hi, trying to write a brief review after reading so many:D

 

Miracle out of NYC June 24- July 2nd. Ports visited. Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and Grand Turk. Crew Mom 64, Me 39 and my daughter 8.

 

Embarkation....

Left Long Island around 10:30 was onboard at 1pm. Smoothest one yet. Longest commute was crosstown!!! OMG!! Getting onboard..Very easy and quick! Rooms not ready went up to the Lido where we proceeded to chow down with the masses. Let me just make a note that this buffet set up rocks. Never long lines so many different areas to choose. Salad is set up seperate....tables always available. My daughter had a hot dog which started her 1st of about 3 a day....ahem. My plate consisted of about 12 different food groups which I don't remember what:cool:

 

Balcony room 6244. Awesome. Very quiet and smooth ride. Never even woke up leaving Puerto Rico...come to think of it we were awake in the room and didn't even feel the boat backing up in Grand Turk. Smoothest boat and quietest I have been on. I loved the Miracle!! Spirit class rocks.!

 

Entertainment....didn't see most shows.....in fact I feel like I spent my whole vacation walking the ship peeking in here and there....And I LOVED IT. Well....I participated in the Bean Toss game and won it for the blue team one day....That...well ROCKED:D

Pools tiny standing room only....but it was hot and priceless. Although I really hate saltwater pools...ok i digress.

 

OK.....Live music Everywhere.....I didn't miss the big screen....and I really appreciated lots of variety of live music. Going into the dining room hearing the big band playing was really nice....What can i say it just felt "really cruisy"

 

Decor.....I did love it.....felt slightly less "flashy" than Victory and Triumph....but lots of "nakedness"....LOL... In fact we were walking through the Gatsby Garden...which is near Club 02 and someone thought it was funny to put a piece of gum stategically in the butt crack!!! Ok....It was funny....ahem...

Room was comfortable bedding great...the actual beds were a little hard especially the sofa bed. But let me just say. WE SLEPT TILL 11 AM ONE MORNING. WOW!!! In fact we slept past 9 every day....only made it to breakfast in MDR one morning. This ship literally rocked us into a coma every night.

 

Ports.

Puerto Rico...Hot and Humid....misty. Loved walking the cobblestone streets walked up the hill to the fort and back down as it started to rain. Would have liked more time to explore.

 

St. Thomas...Went on the Christmas Cove Snorkeling trip. Was really great. Saw sting rays and barracuda by the catamaran swimming under us.

Coral and think I saw Nemo and Dory:p Water was stunning blue green and the sailing was smooth. HOT as Hell tho. Burnt up my back so I had to wear a shirt in Grand Turk. Boo Hooooo!!

Wish we had more time to also go to Megans Bay....although I was so burnt that I couldn't have done both anyway.

 

Grand Turk. We rented a Cabana which was Priceles!!! This place is NOT used to 2 ships in Port. The pool area is beautiful.....great music playing palm trees.....beach in backround.. True Paradise!

The pool bar was a MUTINY.....Waited 30 minutes for my 1st drink....only 2 bartenders for like 50 waiting people. After that I rang my bell from the cabana for drinks and lunch. I would have liked to hang by the pool bar a little though. They seriously were understaffed and could have sold a lot more booze....Ya know from a business standpoint:p

 

Food. Everything was very good..Nick and Nora's was outstanding. Those escargot on that itty bitty pastry puff is impeccable......YUMMY.

We ate in MDR every night except for 1.(see above) Food was really good. I thought the Lido buffet was good as well.

I did try to contain myself with food though....seriously.....you could eat yourself into a coma....One must refrain....or literally pass out from fullness...OK...that only happened once..OK twice...ahem....

 

Overall this was a VERY smooth cruise and the weather was Great the entire trip.l Rainy morning on the last sea day...no biggie. The stars at night were incredible from the balcony. Better than the decks because of the lighting. Can't believe I am home...Haven't even unpacked my suitcase yet.

Any questions ask away

 

Ahem....sorry this was supposed to be a short review:cool:

 

 

Oh Yeah!!! Forgot to mention. Saw the NCL Epic in NYC. We docked next to it. Looks big....but gotta say I still love the Miracle she has a sleeker nicer look to her. The Epic looked wierd on top.....big and bulky...wonder how she rides??

[nchikk]

Nice review. We're looking at her out of FLL next spring.

[JerseyshoreBruce]

Nothing can beat the Miracle......still our favorite ship to this day! Beautiful decor...great crew...lots of room....never feels crowded...and i love The Gatsby!!!!! Just a great ship! Yes Epic does nothing for me:) My friend is on the Epic at this very moment and sent me pictures..its okay but outside is very ugly and way too many pay restaurants which scares me.....lol....Oh yes Nick n Noras is awesome on the Miracle!

[LUPY48]

So glad you loved your cruise. We also love the Miracle and also live on L.I. Sailing out of NYC is amazing!

We're going again next May.

[SkyMaster]

EXCELLENT! I agree with your review 100%. We've done "Miracle" several times, and are booked again for Nov. 11th, and can hardly wait. You missed a lot of the entertainment however, and it's all outstanding as well. Guess you'll just have to book "Miracle" again to catch what you missed. :D Maybe we'll see you aboard. :cool:

 

"SKY"

[WillieD13]

Grand Turk. We rented a Cabana which was Priceles!!! This place is NOT used to 2 ships in Port. The pool area is beautiful.....great music playing palm trees.....beach in backround.. True Paradise!

The pool bar was a MUTINY.....Waited 30 minutes for my 1st drink....only 2 bartenders for like 50 waiting people. After that I rang my bell from the cabana for drinks and lunch. I would have liked to hang by the pool bar a little though. They seriously were understaffed and could have sold a lot more booze....Ya know from a business standpoint:p

 

My parents just got off Caribbean Princess (which happened to be the other ship that you mentioned, was in port at GT), and my father said the same thing. With 2 ships in port (Miracle 2100 pax, Princess 3600 pax) everything was incredibly crowded. He also said they were disappointed with a tour of the island, nothing much really to see, but if you like the beach, swimming, and snorkeling (which I do, and is my reason for going there), it was a terrific place, with gorgeous, clear, warm water. (boy am I getting impatient). Oh, and for anyone else going there, my mother said the Salt Museum was worth the time. It is small, but a really good history display.

Fortunately for my wife and me, when we go on Miracle (a week from today), Miracle will be the only ship at Grand Turk the day we are there.

Thanks for the review.

[luv2gonow]

In two weeks we sail the Miracle, really excited after reading your review. Hopefully we'll be just as lucky with the weather.

I wish you smooth sailing. Seriously this ship rides nice. Always a little rocky leaving and coming from NY....but for me it was nothing.

How was the temperture of the ship, were the rooms nice and cool?

Ahem...well....For some reason i could not get my room cool enough. I would walk from Forward to my room in Aft and you could feel the difference of temp as soon as you walked into my hall. Called maintenance and they said .....It is fine....set for 72-74...I said I have been on a few cruises and I can ALWAYS freeze out my roomates:p

Well they finally brought me a fan.....I wish i could post a pic because this fan was GIGANTIC:eek: We laughted it was 3 feet high off the ground...LOL...Hey it worked and saved the day. We slept till 11 the next morning...Cool and white noised into a coma.

Glad to see a review... albeit a short one :( for the SJ, StThomas, GT run. Most all the Miracle reviews have been for the Nassau, HMC, GT itinerary.

But c'mon..was that it? Iis there nothing else you can share with us .. somethin.. anything... those few paragraphs were just a tease. Sailing in two weeks and I need something to get me through :rolleyes:

Question- We are also a group of 12; were you able to all sit together at one table for dinner? I keep hearing differing opinions on whether they can accommodate a party of 12 at one table or we'll need two tables of 6.

 

Hmmmm I really liked this ship. Around the pool areas there are lots of tables in the shade. Before you eat look all around the lido deck because there is so many stations to choose from. Which IMO is awesome because it spreads the people around. I loved the whimsical feel of this ship. Mad Hatters Ball has to be the cutest room on a ship...I loved it.

 

Be careful of Bingo....20 bucks a card and lots of times they only play 1 game. Look for multigame bingo....so this way you can feel like a loser 4 times:rolleyes:

 

If you are going to Grand Turk with 2 ships in Port...rent a cabana....especially if you can't take the sun all day.

 

Surprised how many local people in San Juan did not speak English....

 

Any specific questions....

Our table was right near the front door so I didn't see many tables. I know that in Nick and NOras there was a large party of 12 next to us at 1 table.

Have a great trip!!!!

[luv2gonow]

Nice review. We're looking at her out of FLL next spring.

Thanks.....I would book the Miracle in a minute. I'm thinking of Alaska next year...and am excited to see the same layout on the Spirit. Although the Miracle did work out any kinks from the Spirit class. I'll have to see if i notice.:D

Nothing can beat the Miracle......still our favorite ship to this day! Beautiful decor...great crew...lots of room....never feels crowded...and i love The Gatsby!!!!! Just a great ship! Yes Epic does nothing for me:) My friend is on the Epic at this very moment and sent me pictures..its okay but outside is very ugly and way too many pay restaurants which scares me.....lol....Oh yes Nick n Noras is awesome on the Miracle!

It did amaze me how this ship did NOT feel crowded. Only time the buffet was crowded....and I meant like 7 people in front of you was on Grand Turk day lunch. Everyone wanted to get off the ship at 1 and eat lunch at noon. Which turned out to be good because I went back to my room and finally ordered room service:D

So glad you loved your cruise. We also love the Miracle and also live on L.I. Sailing out of NYC is amazing!

We're going again next May.

 

Sailing out of NY priceless. So cool I got a wake up call at 7 am debarkation day....I go right out on the balcony to see where we were and Holy Smoly...There right outside is Lady Liberty. Not a bad sight to wake up to.

[Meyer2]

Enjoyed your review, glad you had a wonderful time.

[luv2gonow]

EXCELLENT! I agree with your review 100%. We've done "Miracle" several times, and are booked again for Nov. 11th, and can hardly wait. You missed a lot of the entertainment however, and it's all outstanding as well. Guess you'll just have to book "Miracle" again to catch what you missed. :D Maybe we'll see you aboard. :cool:

 

"SKY"

I know I can't believe missed most shows.....What usually happened was this.....We had a late seating and when we left the dining room I had to walk the ship for an hour to let the food go down:rolleyes: I did not want to sit too full. I know I was there for 8 nights....2 of those nights I thought i would need a wheel chair to roll me back to the room. Aaargh...I gained 3 pounds....could have been worse.

Yes....I'll just have to go back and try again;)

My parents just got off Caribbean Princess (which happened to be the other ship that you mentioned, was in port at GT), and my father said the same thing. With 2 ships in port (Miracle 2100 pax, Princess 3600 pax) everything was incredibly crowded. He also said they were disappointed with a tour of the island, nothing much really to see, but if you like the beach, swimming, and snorkeling (which I do, and is my reason for going there), it was a terrific place, with gorgeous, clear, warm water. (boy am I getting impatient). Oh, and for anyone else going there, my mother said the Salt Museum was worth the time. It is small, but a really good history display.

Fortunately for my wife and me, when we go on Miracle (a week from today), Miracle will be the only ship at Grand Turk the day we are there.

Thanks for the review.

Oh.....You will have a great time. Grand Turk is awesome. The pool area is really beautiful and fun. I wasn't thrilled with the beach area. Well let me clarify....Sitting on the beach looking out beautiful. We went into the water near where the clam shells are. When you enter the water ....very uneven and rocky....I mean like old giant dead coral or something. I have heard it gets smoother down a ways but i didn't go.

I really loved this place though....

Have a great trip....this ship is seriously awesome rides smooth and quick.

[luv2gonow]

I was wondering how bad the smoking was on this ship? Is it avoidable?

 

The only place where the smoke was noticable and yucky was the casino.

[taurascc]

Glad to see a review... albeit a short one :( for the SJ, StThomas, GT run. Most all the Miracle reviews have been for the Nassau, HMC, GT itinerary.

But c'mon..was that it? Iis there nothing else you can share with us .. somethin.. anything... those few paragraphs were just a tease. Sailing in two weeks and I need something to get me through :rolleyes:

Question- We are also a group of 12; were you able to all sit together at one table for dinner? I keep hearing differing opinions on whether they can accommodate a party of 12 at one table or we'll need two tables of 6.

Regarding the group of 12, we had our travel agent set up two tables next to each other. One table of 7, and the one next to us was set up for 5. We switched around from night to night. They were round tables. I think the most they can fit at one table (rectangular) is 10. If you're into excursions and enjoy snorkeling, Grand Turk is the best. However, it was done in open waters, not in secluded coves like I've done in the past. I mention that because some waves would come at you quite rapidly. It was beautiful. If you just want to shop and relax, Grand Turk is the place. Shops are right there at the end of the pier (as in St. Thomas also) and a gigantic pool with a swim-up bar located next to Margaritaville and an outside band. I'm sure you are going to have fun!!!!!

[spacewoman]

Glad you had a terrific time. We've sailed her twice. Her sister ship, the Pride, was the source of our cruising addiction. It is true you really do not feel crowded on this ship, they disperse people well. Sun worshippers have two decks to lounge and the pools are the only areas crowded. If it was too noisy for us we hung out at the atrium bar or on our balcony. That's the nice thing about cruising you can be roudy or quiet. All the Spirit class ships get great reviews, Carnival really made a crowd pleaser with this class of ship. I prefer the caribbean itinerary over the bahamas, but my fave is definitely Bermuda. Shows are great, theater is very comfortable, food is fabulous and your cabin is impeccably clean. what else could you want except for someone else to pay for the trip for you