Thoughroly enjoyed miracle 8/23-30

[cruisinitaliano]

We have done this Mexican Riviera cruise 6 other times on Splendor, Spirit, Mercury, Holland America.

There is so much I want to say about this cruise.

 

ENTERTAINMENT:

 

DO NO, I REPEAT, DO NOT miss Chris Williams the Lead Singer in the Production Shows!!

88 KEYS- Just an amazing voice this man has. Oh My Gosh!!. We rarely see Standing Ovations for these type shows. He and the cast are worth it.

My DD and Her Bestest Friend are theatre performers in San Diego.

I arranged a private meeting with him. It truly was a great experience for them.

 

The effects in the 80's show were just an incredible addition to the fabulous renditions of 80's hits. The Michael Jackson homage at the end was a "THRILLER".

 

Our Room:

 

We always book inside so that we may cruise more often.

That being said, I do check often for price drops and upgrades.

I got so lucky. I called one day and was offers to take a Obstructed View Deck 5 from inside Deck 7...for $5.00!!

No, not $5 per person per day...TOTAL!!

I kept it a surprise till my DW, DD and her friend entered the cabin.

The lifeboat is floor level and did not bother our view at all!!.

It is mice to be able to go out as the girls are getting dressed and take in all that the balcony has to offer.

 

The Food:

 

We do any time dining. Generally prefer the 6 pm. time.

Did not like that lines were forming around 5:30 or sooner. One time we wound up with a pager. No big deal, we were called within 15 minutes. Just did not expect the lining up.

 

We sat at table 356 every night except one. Though it is any time, we like the getting to lnow the staff each night.

As usual, by 2nd night, they new drink preferences, to have cheese palte on table as appy teaser, and to keep the hot bread coming!!.

 

DD and her friend tried the Didja stuff, gotta commend them for trying.

Did not like Ox Tongue or the Escargot.

My DD has discovers steak since our last cruise. Prior all she would eat is burgers, pasta and Pizza.

We ordered the Upgrade Filet for her one night, and I had the New York.

I was so anticipating this orgasmic experience, but alas, no go.

It was not at all what I had been reading about. I found her Fillet to be mushy and my New York rather tough. Our waiter brought a second steak knife, then ultimately a serreted in order for me to cut it.

It was medium rare, as was DD fillet., so not overcooked. Just not worth the $20 per steak.

But we tried it, now we know.

 

All meals, soups, appy teasers and main coursed were hot, vegetables crisp and very enjoyable.

1 other exception, the SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN : batter/ coating was too crisp, not easy to bite into, not very flavorful.

Love love love the St Louis ribs and ordered them as an appy teaser for all of us to share.

My Wife and DD are so picky about mac'n'cheese...only like the blue box stuff you can get at the "CRAFT Store" if you know what I mean..

well I ordered it as an appy teaser one night, and all three ordered it as their Main Course!! Try it, it is YUMMY!!

 

TEENS:

 

DD and friend are 16, and looked forward to meeting other teens and having a grand old time.

The Club rarely did the scheduled activity, and in general they did fine meeting others, but wished that the organized stuff were better organized.

 

PORTS:

 

PUERTO VALLARTA:

 

Over-nighted_ off ship around1 pm, headed to Playa De Las Muertos.

Yellow cab outside the terminal was 150 Pesos, about $10.

Driver spoke excellent English, took us to La Plapa, had the owner take care of us. We were seated under a Palapa hut right on the boardwalk. It had a fan, thankd Goodness as it was over 95 degrees with equal humidity.

Yhe staff took excellent care of all 4 of us.

Put up a NO Gracias sign to try to keep vendors away.

DD and friend jet skied for 600 Pesos, about $40.

We ate, had numerous drinks, chips, guacamole and great service for 700 Pesos including a nice tip.

 

we wanted to walk to Rio Cuale to shop, but after a few blocks the heat and humidity did us in, and we headed back to the Miracle.

 

Day 2;

 

We booked the Los Veranos Zip Line. online $ 67 per person.

My wife was nervous about the girls going alone, and at last second we added her on .

The girls had the absolute time of their life. The guides are handsome, flirty, funny and very good about making everyone feel good.

My wife was screaming the whole way, and after the 3rd run was crying and shaking.

She made it to the end and asked me to give a very generous tip as the guys were amazing.

I cannot do these things due to back issues.

 

We had a few anxious moments when I was worried we would not get back to the ship by the 2:30 deadline.

We made it.

 

A side note, Carnival NEVER made announcement that Puerto Vallarta is 1 hr ahead of Ship's Time.

It seems odd that on the first night we set our clocks forward 1 hr. Then why not another hour in Puerto Vallarta??

Some of our Los Veranos group had to take a $25 cab ride to make the tour time because they were an hour behind.

We knew about the time thing from having ogne before.

Still can't quite figure whry Carnival does not make sure the guests know.

 

 

Cabo:

 

We tendered in, just waited an hour for lines to diminish, I HATE lines.

 

Again, muy moocho caliente and humid.

I got a guy that wanted $80 each to Para Sail. Settled on 1,750 Pesos including the ride only for DW. Again, I can not even handle the little boat ride.. That came to about $116.

They had a blast, but waited in the small boat with no shade for over an hour waiting to get transferred onto the Para Sail Boat. Then there were 3 other folks also , so it took another hour or so for the whole ride.

 

During this time, I went to a little place with Wi-Fi to get caught up back home.

While there, I sat with Octavius, our dinner bar server.

It was awesome to get to know him, hear about his family.

He was very appreciative that evening when he saw us at dinner to find that I had treated him for his lunch at the retaurant.

Just a little thing to show how much we appreciate his being away from his family so that we can enjoy being with ours.

 

Sail the Miracle!!!

[Richjoxyz]

We'll be onboard soon! Thanks for the review.

[cruisinitaliano]

People often ask about " secrets" onboard.

we think we found a couple.

 

1- Go to the coffee bar on deck 2. Christian is the sweetest, kindest man.

Get the Coffee Mug Special. For $8.99 you get the well built Carnival Coffe mug and a Free Large Specialty Coffee. You then get a coupon for a free coffee after buying 6.

Christian quite often double clicked our coffee card ( we did tip an extra buck for each coffee, maybe that's why? )

DW loved the White Chocolate Raspberry Latte!!

Me, I drink Decaf with steamed cream, simple.

 

2- The Sports Bar has a large bag of Moody's Peanuts for $1.25.

Something similar in the gift shop would probably be over $5 bucks.

AND... a FRESH BAKED HOT SOFT PRETZEL WITH MELTED CHEESE AND MUSTARD is only $ 1.25, also.

Are You kidding me???

Those are my secrets for enjoying a great low cost snack.

 

3- Get a free deck of Carnival playing cards at the service desk if you enjoy as a souvenir or to use to pass time.

 

Though there was a line for any time dining, what we discovered was that there was no need to line up to get seats for the Comedy Shows or Main Phantom Showroom.

Oh, sure, folks did line up, but never saw a full theatre, always seats available on main floor for all the game shows and main shows.

 

The Comedy acts are just flat out hilarious. Family friendly are more bantering with the audience.

X Rated are just belly gut busting funny!

 

Corey, our current Cruise Director is leaving soon.

At the question and answer, it was asked if Carnival was going to bring back the magicians and jugglers....Pa- Leaze!!

After watching these new shows, why on Earth would anyone want what for so long has been complained about??

 

Corey said they are having a Cruise Directors conference, and he and others want to bring back the Variety Shows.

I guess you should express your opinions to Carnival.

Me, these shows were awesome. i can do without the magicians and jugglers.

Have them to entertain the kids.

 

One night a guy would not let Corey go because he could not understand why the Old Game where you had to find items in your purses, or have husbands wear wives high heels was not played anymore.

We ask for NEW and when we get it, some folks want OLD back.

 

Don't see the kind of Pizza you want on the menu, ask, they make it!!

Did not see regular Eggs Benedict on the Breakfast Buffet, asked and they made it.

And as I have said on this thread, I tip extra.

If I am asking for extra, giving the Deli Maker, or Pizza maker or Breakfast Grill maker an extra buck or two is worth it to me.

 

Last comment regarding the Coffee Mug in the Coffee Shop for $8.99 plus a discount card and Free tall...the same mug can be bought in the Gift Shop, for $9.99.

So, seems logical to get it and the coffee for less.

[cruisinitaliano]

I am an early riser. Plus it allows Dw and DD and Friend to get dressed an rady without Old Dad hanging around.

That being said, I would get breakfast, then head to Serenity to grab a Clamshell to hog, er, oops, I meant use for the day.

usually my wife joined me by 10 am or so.

 

The first 2 days the serenity Area did not fill up till after 11 am or so.

Did I see CHAIR HOGS, yah, sure, as early as 7 am laying out their towels, never to bee seen till way after noon in many cases.

I did see Pool Attendants moving items when fellow guests asked them to be removed....

 

The area never had loud obnoxious guests in the 3 days we used this area. Never saw kids that needed to be asked to leave.

I feel badly for the cruisers that have their vacations disrupted by those issues, and others.

I just wanted to point out that the Miracle, on this cruise, on the days we used Serenity. lived up to what was promised.

And we appreciated the cold lemon water that was provided by the Bartender on this deck.

[carinainacar]

I was on the Miracle the week before you! I agree with you so much on the entertainment. Chris William's the Flying Scotsman (I think that's what his production show was called) was amazing! :) Definitely miss being on a cruise right now :(

[cruisinitaliano]

As i re-read my previous posts, I want to apologize for the multiple typos.

I have lost the eyesight in one eye, and have been struggling to adjust.

Hopefully most of you got the intent, and were able to by pass the errors.

 

THE DRIVE:

 

 

We left San Diego around 10 am on Saturday. My goodness, is there never wall to wall, bumper to bumper traffic heading North or South on I-5 any more?

Anyway, we arrived, dropped of luggage, parked, lined up and were onboard by 1:30PM.

 

Heading home- We were dis-embarkation number 18, scheduled for around 11 am. We were called around 10:15.

Headed straight to gangway, no crowds, got luggage and on way home by 11 am.

Traffic home was never over 55 MPH. Long stretches of 5-10MPH driving.

The good old days of getting to and from Long Beach in under 2 hrs are gone.

Can you imagine if there were an accident and that added significant time.

 

I guess I am just warning that if you are driving to anticipate the traffic.

 

Deck 5-

 

Quiet, never heard running up and down halls, doors slamming, loud hallway talking.

 

That to me is refreshing. My pet peeves are all of the above.

This crotchety Old Man did OK on this cruise!!

 

WOW, SURPRISED MYSELF:

 

Never had an ice cream cone this cruise.

 

Only 2 Deli Pastrami Sandwiches, ( first onboard lunch ) when normally it is 1 a day.

 

Had only 2 D zerts in Dining Room all week, the Bitter and Blanc and the Grand Marnier Souffle.....was disappointed with both.

That could have been me with my taste buds just getting older.

 

Only had Pizza once, my Dd complained of little sauce and cheese.

When i ordered mine, I asked for a Margherita with Extra sauce and cheese with pepperoni on it...he made it it was yummy and sooo good!!

But surprised myself and only had the one.

 

Oh, I ate plenty, was very happy with the food, ( well, the Chinese at the Buffet was MEH! ).

 

Last Notes for now:

 

My DW vows we will never cruise this time of year again.

When I found that all four of us could go, including tips, insurance, for $2800, and then we got the Balcony upgrade, well it was a very good deal.

 

We normally go Spring Break or in January. The weather is much nicer.

It was stifling hot and humid.

After returning from the tender in Cabo, the rest of our time was inside in lounges, reading, trivia, playing cards.

Much nicer than on deck in the heat.

 

Overall a great cruise, enjoyed all aspects of the Carnival experience and feel that they do provide excellent value for the price.

[lollylew]

I will be sailing in about three weeks so it's always fun to read reviews of the ships I'm going on [emoji4]

[Buckett]

Ciao, cruisinitaliano! Really enjoyed your review of the Miracle. I will be sailing on her for the 4th time in March. I really like that ship. :D

[BalzacBill]

Thank you for the review, and the great advice. We sail on the Miracle on Sept 19th.

[Sheebah]

People often ask about " secrets" onboard.

we think we found a couple.

 

1- Go to the coffee bar on deck 2. Christian is the sweetest, kindest man.

Get the Coffee Mug Special. For $8.99 you get the well built Carnival Coffe mug and a Free Large Specialty Coffee. You then get a coupon for a free coffee after buying 6.

Christian quite often double clicked our coffee card ( we did tip an extra buck for each coffee, maybe that's why? )

DW loved the White Chocolate Raspberry Latte!!

Me, I drink Decaf with steamed cream, simple.

 

2- The Sports Bar has a large bag of Moody's Peanuts for $1.25.

Something similar in the gift shop would probably be over $5 bucks.

AND... a FRESH BAKED HOT SOFT PRETZEL WITH MELTED CHEESE AND MUSTARD is only $ 1.25, also.

Are You kidding me???

Those are my secrets for enjoying a great low cost snack.

 

3- Get a free deck of Carnival playing cards at the service desk if you enjoy as a souvenir or to use to pass time.

 

Though there was a line for any time dining, what we discovered was that there was no need to line up to get seats for the Comedy Shows or Main Phantom Showroom.

Oh, sure, folks did line up, but never saw a full theatre, always seats available on main floor for all the game shows and main shows.

 

The Comedy acts are just flat out hilarious. Family friendly are more bantering with the audience.

X Rated are just belly gut busting funny!

 

Corey, our current Cruise Director is leaving soon.

At the question and answer, it was asked if Carnival was going to bring back the magicians and jugglers....Pa- Leaze!!

After watching these new shows, why on Earth would anyone want what for so long has been complained about??

 

Corey said they are having a Cruise Directors conference, and he and others want to bring back the Variety Shows.

I guess you should express your opinions to Carnival.

Me, these shows were awesome. i can do without the magicians and jugglers.

Have them to entertain the kids.

 

One night a guy would not let Corey go because he could not understand why the Old Game where you had to find items in your purses, or have husbands wear wives high heels was not played anymore.

We ask for NEW and when we get it, some folks want OLD back.

 

Don't see the kind of Pizza you want on the menu, ask, they make it!!

Did not see regular Eggs Benedict on the Breakfast Buffet, asked and they made it.

And as I have said on this thread, I tip extra.

If I am asking for extra, giving the Deli Maker, or Pizza maker or Breakfast Grill maker an extra buck or two is worth it to me.

 

Last comment regarding the Coffee Mug in the Coffee Shop for $8.99 plus a discount card and Free tall...the same mug can be bought in the Gift Shop, for $9.99.

So, seems logical to get it and the coffee for less.

 

Welcome home! What fantastic tips- thank u. Wish I'd seen these before our 8.29 sailing

[cruisinitaliano]

I was wondering how I could hear from you.

I do not see how we can go back to look at old Roll Calls.

I thought maybe folks that met on those were able to keep in contact on that site.

 

Sooo, did you get some good filming on the Miracle?

Wasn't Chris Williams, the male lead in the production shows amazing??

 

Don't know if you read full review, or not.

My DD and I tried the upgrade Main Dining Room Steak.

She had Fillet, I had New York...not impressed. We did it, now we know.

 

Soo, are you going to write a review? If not, fill us in on your perspective of the week.

 

Hoping to chat soon...

[Sheebah]

I was wondering how I could hear from you.

I do not see how we can go back to look at old Roll Calls.

I thought maybe folks that met on those were able to keep in contact on that site.

 

Sooo, did you get some good filming on the Miracle?

Wasn't Chris Williams, the male lead in the production shows amazing??

 

Don't know if you read full review, or not.

My DD and I tried the upgrade Main Dining Room Steak.

She had Fillet, I had New York...not impressed. We did it, now we know.

 

Soo, are you going to write a review? If not, fill us in on your perspective of the week.

 

Hoping to chat soon...

 

Yes, I read your whole review. Sounds like a great cruise. I'm sorry the steak was a let down. I will remember tha Sounds like the weather was a bit warmer for you. We had heat and humidity for sure and a lightning and rain storm in cabo that was terrifying (we were in the ocean@ medano with out little one and our water taxi was nowhere to be found) but it wasn't quite as suffocating as I thought it would be.

We did get the footage but it will be weeks before I post the review and full video tour - hubby is editing away but it's a process. We loved the refurbs just wish they'd replaced that laggy waterslide!!

 

You'll be ashamed, we didn't hit a single show on this cruise so I missed the entertainers..we had 6pm dining and couldn't hit the 7:15 show and by the 9:15 show I was too tired from days of swimming and sun!!

 

You can definitely go back to the roll calls and comment after a cruise,.but usually they get quiet once the cruise is over.

 

See ya around!!

[dettlja]

We are sailing on the Miracle the first week of November. It sounds like they still have the old menus. Is that right? Or did they go to American Table?

[cruisinitaliano]

Yes, to my knowledge it is the " Old Menu ".

Is there an advantage for American Table?

Have the reviews been positive?

IMHO the food and menu that exist beat our normal dining menu at home.

[shark&minnow]

Thank you for the tips. I'm going to check out that coffee mug! I can relate to your traffic complaints!! Why does the traffic always stop in San Clemente?!!

Thanks again!

[Laurie S.]

Did they have the Legends show or the Talent show?

[OceanDreams]

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us. Really enjoyed reading about the "secret" information. Now getting more excited about our cruise.

 

[erewhon]

Pleased that you thoroughly enjoyed your cruise.

Thank you for your review.

[OceanDreams]

Was the Comedy Club held in the smaller lounge or in the main theater?

[cruisinitaliano]

No, the Legends show was not on this ship. Nor the Talent show.

 

Don't fret, the Production Shows are truly very good.

I will not be able to vow that the new Male Lead will be as good as Chris Williams, he truly is an exceptional talent.

 

The Comedy Club is in the smaller lounge one floor beneath the Phantom Showroom. Plenty of room, no need for us to line up.

There are a few sightline issues with support posts in the showrooms, so maybe though seats are available, you may want to not wait to have to sit behind a pole.

[OceanDreams]

No, the Legends show was not on this ship. Nor the Talent show.

 

Don't fret, the Production Shows are truly very good.

I will not be able to vow that the new Male Lead will be as good as Chris Williams, he truly is an exceptional talent.

 

The Comedy Club is in the smaller lounge one floor beneath the Phantom Showroom. Plenty of room, no need for us to line up.

There are a few sightline issues with support posts in the showrooms, so maybe though seats are available, you may want to not wait to have to sit behind a pole.

 

Thanks for the info. My sister is in a wheelchair....so we probable will go early to avoid the rush for the comedy club....the main shows I'm not to concerned about. Like you said they always have plenty of room.

[~~~CaliCruiseFamily~~~]

Thanks for the Great Review!:) looking forward to our miracle cruise Nov 7!!:D