Miracle Report on 5/29 cruise

[autigerinnc]

For anyone going on the Miracle, it is sure to delight you! We left Tampa on 5/29 and altho the ship couldn't get to the pier due to a large tanker in port, Carnival did an outstanding job of bussing us to an alternate site for boarding. It actually was the best embarkation I have ever had. The ship is bright and fun. I see what some folks say about all the nudes and "boobs", but it wasn't offensive as it was done in good taste. The food was really special, as the presentation was first class and the selection was more than adequate. I was disappointed in the desserts, but I didn't need to eat them anyway! I loved the cabin arrangement--plenty of storage and very attractively decorated. We were in 4123, and were upgraded from just a Riviera inside. Luckily, we were postioned between 2 lifeboats, so our obscured view wasn't all that obscured. There wasn't a balcony, but a railing so that we could open the doors and feel the sea air.

 

I thank folks on cruisecritic for the suggestion of Tapas Restaurant in Majahual. The modern pier area in Costa Maya would have been fine, with its' swim up bar and shops, but by taking the van to Majahual we were able to sit only a few feet from the water, drink great Margaritas and eat fabulous guacamole, and end the perfect day with a massage on the beach for only $18. Our waiter, Amir, was very accommodating, and it actually was my favorite day of the week. Just walk thru the shop area and look for transportation to the "fishing village" of Majahual. Walk down the dirt street for a couple of blocks and look for Tapas on your right. It's the first 2 story structure you will see. If you like snapper, they will offer you some raw ones, and after your selection, they will pan fry it to perfection. Enjoy the day! Also, it is quite hot in the pier area, but Majahual was breezy and lovely!

 

Grand Cayman certainly was destroyed by the hurricane last year, and Seven Mile Beach has lost its' pizzaz. It's easy to get a van driver at the pier and they will show you around. We enjoyed the turtle form. If I went again, I'd do the sting ray excursion, too.

 

Belize is only good if you want to do an excursion. Being a little afraid of the cave tubing, we just opted to get a taxi driver to show us the city. In all of my travels, this is the poorest place that I have ever seen. It is not safe, as my brother-in-law was approached OVER the stall divider in the bathroom for "you can guess what" and he also had to pay someone off to quit following him downtown. Be careful.

 

Cozumel is amazing, and you can decide on several great tours, etc. We decided to do the Mexican Cuisine experience at Playa Mia Beach Resort, booked thru Carnival, and really enjoyed Chef Pepe and his helpers. I couldn't believe we could create such incredibly sophisticated dishes. It was really great fun, and if you're not so much a beach person, you'll enjoy it. Plenty of free beverages of choice, lovely wines, and then plenty of time to enjoy the beach resort's offerings, including floats, paddle boats, etc.

 

I had decided to give Carnival a try and wasn't at all sorry. The ship was immacuately clean, and I appreciated that. The piano bar guy, James, wasn't at all good, but the other entertainment was top notch. Don't miss the 2 main productions, as they as superior. If you like the Beatles, that particular show was great fun. The second-in-command cruise director, Karl with a K, was energetic, fun, and talented. Don't miss his one man show. If you like 60s-70s music, spend your evenings at Frankie and Johnnies. The sports bar, Maguires, is smoky, so we didn't spend much time there.

 

One of my only complaints was the number of unsupervised teenagers running thru the halls and being very loud and rowdy. :( Go right away to the Purser's desk and complain. The pool decks are slippery, so wear good shoes there. The midnight buffet is only so-so and the chocolate buffet one noon was disappointing. But, hey, by then I had gained enough weight and didn't need it!

 

One last suggestion--go ahead and "smuggle" liquor on board. The DO NOT check your luggage. I actually found that I didn't drink most of what I brought, but I did save money on what I did drink.

 

Debarkation again was so well handled. Carnival lets you eat breakfast and wait in your stateroom, so there were no long lines or waiting areas. Hooray for Carnival on that!!

 

I would take Carnival again! They are creating a new 6000 passenger ship to be ready in 2006! :D

[Super89]

Thanks for that review. It answered a lot of my questions and made it even harder to wait for our turn!!:D Glad you had such a good time.

 

Susan

 

 

Miracle 8/21/05