Miracle NYC to Bermuda - 9/11/2011

[jmwg49]

knock, knock...

 

Glad to hear there is stuff to see & do in the dockyards.

 

Our pan of attack = on arrival day - go to BAMZ (traveling with a 3 year old)

Day 2 - we have a tour scheduled with Colin

Day 3 - stay close to the ship.

 

I would agree that you don't need to stay THAT close to the ship. The buses run very frequently, although I would not suggest going to St. George, going to Horseshoe or even into Hamilton is very doable on the last day...just give yourself lots of wiggle room. I don't know that there is really a full day of activity around the Dockyard, unless you go to Snorkel Park..which we only saw at night, but many seemed to be going there the last day!

[TheCalicoCat]

More than being worried about getting back on time (traveling to far), my husband wants a lazy day. (Yeah, I know that is what sea days are for!)

[westview1]

Awesome review so far. I will be on the Miracle on Tuesday. :D

 

Thanks for sharing your experience with us!

[GravitKlz]

CD Malcom "WooHoo" Burn went on vacation when we got back into port. Felipe Couto took over as CD. Not sure when you sailed the Fascination, but he was CD when we sailed Fascination in 2009. He is also known for his own version of "WooHoo".

[davy jones]

It was a busy weekend. It was Mrs. Jones' birthday and many other things to do. I hope to have the next installment later today.

[davy jones]

We leave Bermuda today and have to be back on ship at 4:30. This was to be our beach day, but yesterday was washed out and it is cloudy. We decide to head to St. George anyway. It will be a quick visit though. The return ferries are at 12:45 and 3:30. I fear that the 3:30 ferry may be cutting it a little close.

 

We have breakfast at the lido and head out a little after 9. The ferry doesn’t leave until 10, so DW stops in a shop and gets postcards to mail home. She uses the time to write and mail them. There are a lot of people waiting for the ferry. I can only think of Roy Scheider saying, “you’re going to need a bigger boat.” (note to cruise staff: That line should be in movie trivia, but it was not). All of these people will not fit on the ferries that we rode earlier this week. It light rain begins to fall.

 

The ferry authority must have heard Roy because they sent a much larger boat. Everyone fits comfortably and there is room to spare. The 40 minute ride to St. George is pleasant. A nice man goes around the boat entertaining passengers and answering questions. I don’t know if he is a volunteer or employee of the tourism board, but it is a nice touch.

 

We have not been to St. George in many years, but enjoyed it immensely in the past. Unfortunately, today is not a good day to be a tourist in St. George. The rain has stopped, but it is cloudy, warm, and quite humid. Our walking tour of town is a bit of a downer, and a bit out of date. Several of the sites on the tour are closed and one historic building has been converted to a business. There was a threatening black lab (sounds like a contradiction) in the front yard of the old rectory, which is now a private residence. It was not without high points. The receptionist was very kind and did tell us about the history of the building. St. Peter’s church was also excellent.

 

We have finished the walking tour and still have an hour until the ferry. We stop at a store for beverage. The store is at a bus stop and we took the number 11 bus to Hamilton. The bus is a good way to get a feel for the Bermuda that lies between the three major tourist areas and the people. The 45 minute ride passes by the Swizzle Inn, Flatts Village, and a number of scenic views. The sun emerges during our bus ride. In Hamilton, we have a snack, watch the Veendam leave for NYC, and visit some shops. We finally return to the Dockyard via ferry. People are returning to the ship telling about their excellent trip to Horseshoe Bay. It looks like we could have chosen better, but our day was not a bust. It just didn’t live up to expectations.

 

Back onboard, we exercise and have another snack. It is nearing 4:30 and I head off to trivia. I am in a good position to watch the line getting onboard and the dock runners while playing. Today is different though. There is hardly anyone on the pier. Around sailing time, there is an announcement that we will be a 30 minute sailing delay for a medical evacuation. I did not see it, but assume that it was less dramatic than the helicopter evacuation. I hope that the person is doing well.

 

We then get ready for sushi and dinner. Jirawat is now our waiter of choice. Dinner is fine, and our evening entertainment consists of a ventriloquist and comedy. The ventriloquist show is the usual stuff until he uses two kids and a parent as “human dummies.” All of the comedy shows this week have been enjoyable. One comedian spends more time bantering with the audience than telling jokes during both the family and adult shows. He’s pretty good at it though. I conclude that he prefers an interactive act.

 

This sailing does not have many children onboard. It is only the second or third week of school up here so parents are keeping the kids in class for now. There are a few school aged children, but most of the children onboard are preschool and all are very well behaved. There was one little skipper in a captain’s suit on formal night who looked especially cute. A little girl in front of me in line would only say to me, “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.” Was it good parenting, or do I resemble someone on a picture at the post office?

 

The passengers on this sailing appear to be a wonderful bunch. Everyone seems to be happily having a good time and taking the little setbacks in good spirit.

 

I head off to bed. We have two more sea days left.

[golfadj]

The little capt was adorable.

[davy jones]

Trying to make up for missed days and help those leaving tomorrow. Ask questions if you have any.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today is sunny and seas are a little higher than on the trip to Bermuda, but smooth nonetheless. You know by now that my sea days are pretty much routine. Eat, play trivia, seek shade, go to the gym, sudsy bliss and eat some more. That’s pretty much it for the day time. I won’t bore you with details that you have read before.

 

We, OK I, visited Magurie’s Sports Bar a couple of times today to watch a little football of the European and American varieties.

 

We find shade ON THE LIDO today. I only say this because while we were there, Fun Ship Freddy made an appearance. What was unusual is that I did not see the ship’s photographers tagging along. They are selling Freddy merchandise though. I mention this because every child reacts differently to short people in oversized costumes. It is unscheduled entertainment. One mother is determined to get a picture of her little girl with Freddy. The girl is equally determined not to go near him. She watches with interest from a distance, but won’t touch him with a 10 foot pole. I know this because every time mother gets here within 10 feet of him, she transforms into little miss stubborn. No tantrums, but she is making it clear that she is not going there. This goes on for at least 20 minutes. Approach, stubborn, retreat, talk to girl, watch from afar, repeat. Mom finally gives up.

 

DW also offers me her nook while she goes off to eat. She has downloaded an app of a game that the younger folks play called “Angry Birds.” It is a wonderfully simple, but strangely frustrating and addictive game. When she returns, her worst fears are realized. I am addicted. She signs me up for “Friends of” meetings and hides her nook.

 

Tonight is the second elegant night. The past guest reception is at 4. We decide to go. Rachel meets the wife of the guy at most of the trivia games and offers her condolences. While the party is the usual stuff, the highlight is the lounge singer with the orchestra. This woman (I forget her name) is good! She should have her own show in the theater. After the reception, I get some sushi and play sports trivia. Then it’s off to dinner.

 

Our evening consists of “Ticket to Ride” and more comedy. If you like The Beatles, don’t miss “Ticket to Ride”. It starts out a little slow, but gets better throughout. You also get glow sticks that can be interesting in an inside cabin.

 

The cruise staff has taken every opportunity today to urge people to watch the departure information on the cabin TV. They way that NYC is different from other ports. My recent cruises are from NYC, so what they describe seems normal to me. When we return to the cabin, the towel animal has the departure information and paperwork. That can only mean one thing, there’s only one more day left.

[TheCalicoCat]

Stop me before I run out & get my son (2 years olds) a captain suit!

[TheCalicoCat]

Trivia - were there a lot of repeated questions?

Was a swizzle or dark & stormy offered as a DOD - in honor of Bermuda?

Did you have any Bermudan Fish stew? Is it made with shell fish?

[davy jones]

Trivia - were there a lot of repeated questions?

Was a swizzle or dark & stormy offered as a DOD - in honor of Bermuda?

Did you have any Bermudan Fish stew? Is it made with shell fish?

 

We did not have any fish chowder this time. We have in the past. I do not recall any shell fish. It is more likely to be the catch of the day from the local fish like grouper, red snapper, or sea bass. It is tomato based and a can be a little spicy.

 

We are not DOD types, so we really didn't notice the DOD. I think that they were the usual DOD offerings and not Bermuda related. The unusual glass offerings seemed to be greater this time. I saw a disco ball glass, a large fish glass, and some kind of tropical or coconut type of glass. The glasses were large on the outside, but you couldn't tell what was in the glass.

[davy jones]

A downside of good service on a cruise is that you consume a lot more liquids than you normally do at home. I am not talking about DODs. The servers at dinner keep refilling my water glass and coffee cup and I instinctively keep emptying them. Those pesky drink servers keep taking my orders. If they’re not around, I fill a cup or two at the lido. Eventually, all of that water, coffee, orange juice, soda, lemonade, iced tea, and beer will take its toll.

 

At my age, this happens when you should be sleeping. It is shortly after 6AM and I wake up. For the first time this week, I notice the motion of the ocean. At this hour, it is definitely caused by us and there’s nothing coming from the cabins next door. I conclude that Triton or Neptune is restless.

 

We have generally had good luck with seas while cruising, even during hurricane season. However, one day many years ago is always on our mind. We were returning from Bermuda on the Nordic Prince and hit a front as we passed through the Gulf Stream. Some +ships now have lifeboats the size of the Nordic Prince. I will spare you the nasty details, but it was not pretty. Those 8 hours seemed like 8 days. I almost kissed the ground in port the next morning, but it was New York. I take a preventative Dramamine and go back to sleep.

 

I wake up around 9 and my wife is out of the cabin and the ship is still moving. A few minutes later, she returns from her breakfast. She feels good enough to eat. That’s a good sign. She tells me what I already know. The sea is rough and the weather is not so good. I take another preventative Dramamine and a ginger capsule and head to the dining room for to breakfast. The ships position TV says that the wind is gusting between 35 and 50 knots.

 

The ocean is looks worse than it did during Maria, but we are now in the open sea. Stone cold sober people are walking with that drunken sway. So are the servers in the MDR. I am taken to a booth in the aft portion of the MDR. That way I can view the ocean in multiple directions. Anyway you look at it, the sea is a bit rough, at least to this landlubber.

 

However, I am not feeling it. The ship is handling it well. My puzzle keeps me from aimlessly looking out the window. The Musak plays on in the dining room. I did not think that it was possible rock to Celine Dion. I now have proof that you can. Breakfast is pleasant. I chat with the server and a single person at the next table and head off.

 

It’s kind of like Maria day with extra motion. So are the activities. I play my final trivia games. I, and we in progressive trivia crash and burn. One answer is completely wrong. A four digit wheeled combination lock only has ten thousand possible combinations. They say one million. It’s not changing the outcome, but it still makes geeks and nerds lime me squirm. By the end of trivia, the wind and sea have calmed a little, or everyone is adapting nicely. If anyone is queasy, they have retreated to their cabins.

 

Today, I replace shade seeking and the gym with football viewing and a nap.

 

At dinner, I make my first venture into the “comfort foods”. I order bacon mac and cheese as a side dish for my prime rib. Since bacon makes everything taste better, it’s an excellent farewell dinner. After dinner, we take in come comedy, but head back to the cabin earlier than usual to pack and watch the Eagles fritter away a nice lead in the fourth quarter.

 

Speaking of fritters, we tried the “didja” alligator fritters one evening. I have had 100% alligator tail before (tastes like chewy chicken). DW has never tried the delicacy. The dish was far more fritter than gator. The small pieces of something in the dish were overpowered by the fritter. It tasted OK, but it is not an introduction to gator for most.

 

As we returned to the cabin, there were many bags in the hall. The tags were either zone 1, 25, or 26. Our tags are for zone 25, but we are doing self disembark. Yes, this is indeed the last night.

[davy jones]

Trivia - were there a lot of repeated questions?

Was a swizzle or dark & stormy offered as a DOD - in honor of Bermuda?

Did you have any Bermudan Fish stew? Is it made with shell fish?

 

Forgot to answer the trivia questions.

 

There were few repeat questions. Most of the trivia games have a topic. There was 60's, 70's, 80's, Motown, 70's music, sports, movie quotes, books, history, etc. You will likely find a topic that you are good at. There is probably a topic that you can win at. The topic is listed in the Fun Times.

 

The difficulty varies from game to game. One game, I think the winner had 4 right. Others games, everyone had hight scores.

[davy jones]

After this, I will make one more post that summarizes the cruise and includes some random musings that I forgot to mention in the earlier posts. I hope you found it useful, or at least entertaining.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Cruise ships staffs are generally extremely friendly and devoted to passenger happiness. Their business model depends on this for long term success. Once every cruise they go through an unusual four hour transformation. This phenomenon is known as debarkation. During debarkation, their demeanor is similar to the state cop who just pulled you over for speeding. He is professional and courteous, but it’s all business. I know they have to be this way. In a few hours, there will be a terminal full of people anxiously awaiting their turn on the floating resort. In order to get them on, they have to get us off. Eight short days ago, I was among the waiting. Now, it’s business. That can only mean one thing. This cruise has run its course.

 

We like to make disembarkation as low stress as possible. We packed 99% of our stuff last night. We get up early and prepare. Room service delivers coffee, tea, fruit and pastry. We will eat this later in the cabin while we our turn to leave. We head up to the lido for a little hot food. It is still early and the ship is sailing up the Hudson. We get omelet and find a nice table near the window starboard side.

 

A nice couple asks to join us. They are platinum cruisers. We don’t have to ask because they are wearing platinum cruiser jackets. We have a nice conversation about their cruise experiences. Their next outing is a B2B2B (that is not a typo). They will start on a European cruise, followed by the transatlantic repo, followed by the first sailing from the new port. That’s almost a month at sea. Maybe we can swing that some day. I would need larger clothes though.

 

As we dock, I see that the Queen Elizabeth is in port. It is a good looking ship, about the same size as the Miracle. In fact, the hulls look similar. For some reason, I thought that the QE was much larger, like the Queen Mary 2.

 

I have to be home in the early afternoon, so we have chosen to self disembark. This process has evolved from its origin and is much better than in the past. They now call you by deck. Our deck is last, but that’s ok. We return to the cabin gather our bags and munch on the room service until we have to leave our cabin at 8:30. We head to deck three to wait. Our deck is called at 9:00. We disembark, go through customs, and walk to the ferry. I am happy that we did not take the bus. The cab line is long and we may not have made the 10 AM bus. We catch the 9:30 ferry, load the car, and 95 minutes later we are greeted by a happy dog. The end of an interesting, but good adventure.

[jmwg49]

Thanks for posting your awesome adventure! We were there with you every step of the way! We loved this cruise, as it was our first without children tagging along, and that in itself just made it a 'different' cruise! We loved Bermuda and will most definitely visit again one day! I am in the process of printing out some of our pictures to put into a photo album and will relive each moment yet again! Thanks Davy Jones for taking us along once again!

[TheCalicoCat]

Thanks for the review!

[davy jones]

Thanks for posting your awesome adventure! We were there with you every step of the way! We loved this cruise, as it was our first without children tagging along, and that in itself just made it a 'different' cruise! We loved Bermuda and will most definitely visit again one day! I am in the process of printing out some of our pictures to put into a photo album and will relive each moment yet again! Thanks Davy Jones for taking us along once again!

 

Hi Jill,

 

Thanks for the kind words. I am sorry that we didn't get to meet you, particularly since we were neighbors. That is my fault. I completely forgot about the meet and greet. I remembered the meet and greet afterward when a group of cabin crawlers got on the elevator with me. I should have written it down. You seem like a fun and adventurous person.

 

I agree that it is much different to go without children. On our recent cruises with children, ours are old enough now to have their own cabin. That helps, but the dynamic is still different.

 

God willing, we hope to take another Bermuda cruise in the not too distant future. We will go to the beach and take in some of the things that we missed in between the ferry stops. If Carnival doesn't go there from NYC, we could take a different cruise line or try Baltimore.

[tracyanns]

davy jones, LOVED reading your review. We are sailing on the Miracle in 7 days and I am so looking forward to the cruise. We are going south, not Bermuda, some day we will get to Bermuda...but I would like to be there in the summer I think.

 

Any tips you have for the Miracle that we need to know would be GREATLY appreicated. I have not sailed this class of ship yet. Thanks and glad you came back to write the review.

[sjn911]

I'm on page 2 at the end in heaven..your writing, personality, reverence and humor all blend into perfection and make me feel all is right with the world..and the twin tower lights and feelings of the time, weather experienced, was a time to kind of raise above the mass mood but walk through it with reverence..thanks so much for the verbose version..LOL...Sarah

[sjn911]

OK I finished..this was heaven..I was to leave for Bermuda Oct 9 on Veendam but cancelled for several reasons...convinced as I have always been, that I will love it and return many times..thanks for sharing Carnival's long stay version..sounds wonderful..and you guys sound great...enjoy your next cruise...thanks for your wit and humor...sarah

[JaniceB]

Really loved the way you told the story of your cruise. I am really looking forward to visiting Bermuda for the first time.

[davy jones]

I promised a summary of the cruise. Here it is. Thanks to all who followed along the verbose review. I will answer any questions the best that I can.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Here is the summarized review of and random comments about our experiences on the Maria affected cruise on the Carnival Miracle to Bermuda from 9/11/11 to 9/19/11.

 

About us: A 50ish couple with many cruises over 30 years. This is our third Carnival cruise. We have taken several Bermuda cruises in the past, but none in the past 10 years. We are low maintenance cruisers. We like a good time mixed with quiet time. We are not big drinkers and probably would not be considered “party” cruisers.

 

Embarkation: Security was reported to be higher because it was 9/11. There was a highly visible presence, but it didn’t seem unusually high. There is always lot of not so visible security also in place. We must look honest, because we go through security and do not have to open our carry on bags, which had a 12 pack of soda and a bottle of wine. The lines were long and the process slow. We arrived at 11 AM and boarded the ship at 1 PM. All indications were that it was because all of the previous passengers were not off the ship until around 11:30.

 

Cabin: We had an inside cabin on the Riviera deck (deck 1) near the midship elevators. It was an excellent location for us. We didn’t have to use the elevators very much. The cabin was large enough for the two of us and had much more storage space than we needed. We rarely saw our cabin steward, Francisco, but his service was excellent. That’s all that matters to us. The stewards are very busy. We put the “cruising” card on the door when we left the cabin and everything was nicely in order when we returned.

 

Ship: We like the Spirit class ships. Not to small, not too big, just right. The layout is also good. They are easy to get around. The décor is typical Carnival. Most is good, some (especially the grapes in the MDR) is a bit over the top.

 

Food: We are not considered to be foodies. Our tastes are simple, but enjoy like a good meal. We ate all of our dinners in the MDR. Much has been said about the new menus. I personally do not remember the old menus to compare. We found the new menus to be adequate. In addition to the every night, there was a meat, poultry, seafood, pasta, and vegetarian option every night. There was only one evening where we did not find appealing choices. On several evenings, I had the pasta dish as an appetizer. The quality, presentation, and taste of the MDR food were generally good. I usually had ice cream or sherbet for dessert. DW liked her desserts. One evening, I asked for the banana split. It came without a banana. The waiter explained that they did not have bananas. OK, odd, but not a problem. I later heard that there were no lemons or limes. It was said that it was because of Bermuda regulations. I know little about Bermuda customs. If that is the case, then Carnival can’t do much about it.

 

There was always something good on the lido but it was a bit inconsistent, but there was always something good. The deli, burger bar, and salad bar were always good. The pizza is just OK. Some of the hot dishes were seemed bland, particularly the Caribbean and Asian food. The lido desserts always looked appealing, but most lacked flavor. Breakfast was fine, with multiple omelet stations. The lido is like most buffets. The buffet is best when you keep your choices simple.

 

Service: We had your time dining. One evening, we waited 30 minutes for a table for 2, but all other nights had no wait. We did not encounter any bad service. The service ranged from good to excellent, mostly very good to excellent. Everyone was always polite and pleasant.

 

Entertainment: Carnival entertainment is still very good. The cruise staff was friendly and outgoing. They presented the usual daily activities in addition to the usual shows like Marriage Game and Liars Club. The Generations and Ticket to Ride shows are very entertaining. Some ships are going to canned music for stage shows. The Miracle still has a 10 piece orchestra. There was a comedic juggler and a ventriloquist who put on good shows. There were 4 comedians during the week in the Punchliner Comedy Club.

 

Onboard shows are limited during the days that the ship is docked in Bermuda due to local regulations. One scheduled show in Bermuda was cancelled because the performer’s flight to the ship was cancelled due to Maria.

 

Gym: The exercise area was equipped with the standard cardio machines and weight machines. All of the equipment was in good condition and appeared to be working. It is adequate for most people to keep up with their exercise programs for the duration of the cruise.

 

Bermuda: Everyone should visit Bermuda at least once. It is a beautiful place. There is more to see and do than the days in port allow. It has beautiful beaches and water sports for the more active along with museums, forts, historical and natural sites if that is your interest.

 

Disembarkation: We chose self disembark. Carnival has greatly improved this process. We waited until our deck was called and left the ship.

 

Random Comments: Carnival should put lounge chairs on the promenade deck for shade and quiet seekers to relax. They are the only cruise line that I have sailed that does not do this.

 

Despite my restless desire for constant information, the Captain did a credible job keeping us informed on the status of Maria. The Weather Channel or cabin TV updates would have been fine for me.

 

They need to add a sports and domestic news channel to the ship TV lineup. HLN is more fluff than serious news. Perhaps ESPN is not shown in the cabin to increase business in the Maguires Sport Bar

 

Overall: The Miracle is a good ship with a good crew. You can’t control the weather, but the Captain, crew, and staff did an excellent job improvising when needed. It was a very good cruise. I look forward to returning to Bermuda and the Miracle.

[davy jones]

OK I finished..this was heaven..I was to leave for Bermuda Oct 9 on Veendam but cancelled for several reasons...convinced as I have always been, that I will love it and return many times..thanks for sharing Carnival's long stay version..sounds wonderful..and you guys sound great...enjoy your next cruise...thanks for your wit and humor...sarah

 

Thanks for the kind words.

 

The Veendam's smaller size gives it an advantage over most Bermuda ships. It can access the St. George and Hamilton harbors, where the larger ships are restricted to the Dockyard. It saves the time traveling from Dockyard to Hamilton or St. George. Of course, you would have to ferry from Hamilton if you want to go to the Dockyard.

[davy jones]

It looks like Bermuda will be affected by Ophelia tomorrow. Coincidentally, that will be their second day in port. I hope that it everything turns out okay and it isn't any worse than it was with Maria.