Miracle review 1/22/06

[Aces35]

This was my first cruise in over 25+ years, (Flavia), so for all practical purposes this was my first adult cruise experience as well as my DW and another couple we were traveling with. We had booked the cruise through another agency other than Carnival, and we given at the time of booking a free shore excursion. We opted for the Stingray City in Grand Caymen. More on that later.

 

We booked two rooms on the Upper level (5) balcony that is obstructed. I was not as concerned about looking over the rail straight down at the water, as much as the balcony being either partially or mostly obstructed. We were in rooms 5172 and 5176.

 

Embarkation - We arrived at around 9:45 am at the peir, unloaded the van using the valet service, $10 additional dollars and money well spent, and stood in line awaiting the doors to open. There were approximately 10-15 people that were in line ahead of us. We started talking to our soon to be shipmates that were ahead of us in line and shortly thereafter the doors opened and were allowed to go inside. The process was painless and we were assigned the #1 boarding number. We waited until the ship was cleared, and our number was called. We boarded the ship first, and made our way to the Lido deck for lunch, until our cabin was ready.

 

There are two suggestions for first timers. Eat lunch upon arrival, and when you are finished eating you have the opportunity to take pictures without people everywhere in other areas,(they are eating lunch then). Also Lido, and Horatio's fill up quickly as others are coming aboard.

[Aces35]

We were able to go to our cabins at around 1:30pm. We were very happy with our cabins. My fears about the obstruction were quickly removed. We looked out of our balcony and could clearly see in every direction except straight down. The top of the Lifeboats were almost even with the balcony floor. Our room was spacious and we had ample closest space. The bathroom layout was efficient, the counter space was large, and the water pressure of the shower was great. There was never a shortage of hot water and pressure.

 

The in-room TV features for ship information, GPS, Ship cams, and the Folio (S&S card info), were very helpful.

 

Our first sea day was relaxing and many activities were offered. We opted for some Sun and Balcony time. I will say that when I cruise again, I must have a balcony room, it's the only way to go.

[Aces35]

Grand Cayman - We tendered without any problems and arrived looking for our Stingray City Tour. We eventually found where we were supposed to be, and waited while others continued to arrive. There were eleven of us on this particular tour which was great. We took a small bus and arrived at a pier where we boarded a boat and headed out for Stingray City. We arrived at SC and found that there were several large groups already there. They were all kind of "herded" together. Our guide set anchor a couple hundred feet away from the closet boat. We immediately began seeing these beautiful, graceful creatures swimming with us. The guide gave instructions on the Do's and Don'ts, and we all had a great, memorable experience. This is a must DO in GC.

 

After getting back to the peir area after the SC tour the girls wanted to explore the land and shop. They found several Must Have's, and we went back to the ship on the last tender.

 

I am going to mention here the names of the people that made this a great Cruise for us. Our cabin Steward was Victor from Peru. ALWAYS smiling, and always tidying up after we were in the cabin for just a few minutes. Our Head Waiter was Julius Cesear (Philippines), and his assistant was Ni Ketuten (Indonesia). He was absolutely hilarious, and we had so much fun during our meals in the Bacchus Dining Room. Ni Ketuten was such a sweet person. She absolutely wanted everything to be perfect for us each evening. We hated to eat at any other place at night because we didn't want to miss what Julius and Ni would have in store for us.

 

The CD Steve Kneisley (sp) was fantastic. He was at what seemed like all the events, was very humourous, and made all announcement and information processes painless.

[Aces35]

Cozumel - When we arrived in Cozumel the hurricane damage was obvious and severe. Hotels were basically left as empty shells, and the piers that once allowed cruise passengers easy access were decimated. But the power of the storm was also evident by the way virtually all the beachfront vegetation was ripped from the trees and branches. But for all the sadness and destruction, Coz was still beautiful.

 

We tendered to shore, which they was again without issue. Upon arriving we found a nice shopping area, which delighted the girls. After milling around for awhile went took a taxi to Paradise Beach. We got a table and lounge chairs, ordered lunch and drinks and had a great time. Paradise Tom came over, and we enjoyed talking to him for a awhile. There are many things to do at Paradise Beach, one of which we missed due to time contraints and that was the snorkeling excursion. Maybe next time.

 

We made our way via taxi to Downtown for more shopping at the Forum Stores. This is where the girls piled it on. I did find a great Backgammon set there that I bought.

 

We went back to the pier shops where we found a table and waited for the girls to finish up last minute shopping before the last tender left.

[iluvdoxies]

Glad you made it to Paradise Beach--it' just so beautiful there. Tom is a sweetie.

[popcorngal]

I'm enjoying reading your review since we were one of the last ones off the ship while you were waiting to board. I think we got off around 9:30. You must have been in that line we saw outside the door, though by the time we took off on the shuttle, the line was around the corner! Great ship wasn't she???

[Aces35]

She was a great ship, with a great itenerary. I will post more of the review later today. Thanks...

[lynninsc]

Thanks so much for the review so far, can't wait to finish reading it, as we are thinking of booking this cruise for April.

[emjayel56]

Thank for your all the information; we are taking this cruise in 2 weeks so I am reading every word you write. How's the food? Even with all the damage to the pier and such, you would recommend getting off the ship? I'll be looking for your updates so keep writing. Thanks.

maryjo & joe

[Aces35]

Belize – Because of all the great things posted about the Cave Tubing in Belize, it was decided that this would be our excursion. Also we had decided that we would book through an independent company. The tour was booked and we were anxious to go. We were waiting for the tender when some of our shipmates indicated that the cave tubing had been cancelled due to torrential rains 3-5 days before our arrival, and the caves were flooded. Those who booked with Carnival knew that the cave tubing excursion was cancelled, but we did not know that yet, at the least confirm the cancellation. We tendered to Belize, (the longest distance to tender) of all the ports. The boats were large and everything went well.

My thought was to find our tour rep if he was there to see if it the tour was still on or not. I went ahead of my group to see what was going on. My DW in the mean time started talking to a Tour Guide for another tour. I did not find our guy, which did not surprise me. Upon getting back to my group my DW said that the guide was offering a tour of Belize City, the Mayan Ruins at Altun Ha, and a speedboat tour of the River Wallace that ended back at the pier. Hum, sounds pretty good, although I was completely bummed about not going Cave Tubing. And here’s the kicker, all for under the price of Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Jerome Bettis’ jersey number, per person. So we decided to go. We were directed to a motorcoach where we met up with other shipmates, including the Carnival Miracle Nurse.

At the start of the tour, the guide sent a clipboard around to each person and asked everyone to sign it, except the four in our group. At the time, I didn’t give to much thought about it. The city tour was interesting, not stimulating, but interesting. The guide was funny, and kept things flowing. We turned upon a one lane “semi-paved” road and were told that for the next 12 miles it would be a little rough in spots. It was in spots, but not unbearable. I don’t believe it would have given anyone a backache.

We arrived at Altun Ha and were allowed to use the facilities, and then proceed to the ruins. If you like history, archeology, exploring, this is right up your alley. Although we did not have great deal of time here, we were able to climb to the top of one of the ruins, which was awesome. This was a really neat place, and we all enjoyed it. We were given a couple minutes to look at items a couple of local vendors had for sale, and were told also that there was some items at another stop that would be better.

We arrived for the River Wallace portion of the tour and found upon arrival that a group was waiting for us to get off the bus so they could take the Altun Ha portion of the tour after just completing the River Wallace excursion. There were several vendors here selling items, Mahogany and Grenadine Bowls, and other souvenir type items. Facilities were offered, as well a plate lunch of BBQ chicken, rice and beans for $5 that was tasty.

After eating and shopping we were ready to start the River portion of our tour. We were introduced to the driver and spotter, and were told the driver today was not the usual driver. We were underway and quickly we were shown Iguana’s and Howler Monkeys. We were also told that there would be parts of the excursion where we would need to hold on to our hats, which was fun. He opened it up on a couple of occasions, but couldn’t too much because of all the debris in the river from the heavy rain. He stopped two different times to show us crocs on the bank of the river, which was neat. Each time the driver made sure that everyone that wanted pictures got them. Then we reached the mouth of the river that meets the Sea. This is where it got hairy.

We ran aground. The water was so brown from the heavy rain you could not tell how deep the water was or what we were even hung up on. The driver tried many times to maneuver the boat off of silt/mud/sand? Finally they both got in the water and attempted to get the free the boat. They couldn’t move it. They then asked for volunteers to get in and help. Six of us got in the water. We got in and the mud/silt went up to just under our knees. There were sticks, and no telling what else that we were stepping on. The boat started moving, and we pulled for a couple minutes until we thought we could get underway. We all got back in the boat and noticed that several of us had cuts on the bottom of our feet. The boat was freed and we were underway again.

We were heading back to the pier when the driver saw dolphins jumping out of the water. He turned around so that everyone could get a look. When he turned an oil line burst on the steering motor and shot oil on all the passengers sitting in the back half of the boat. So we were again stuck. Another small boat was heading back to the pier and we flagged him down. They pulled along side, and instead of pulling the boat to shore, it was decided that we would offload everyone on to this smaller, more narrow boat. I was very concerned about getting everyone off the boat safely without capsizing the good boat. We had several seniors on board and I was especially concerned for them. We got everyone on board and back to the pier safely.

The tour guide did not collect money for us until after the tour, and as soon as we were off the boat there was not a thank you, sorry for the inconvenience, nada. It is my belief that the guide pocketed our proceeds. This is just my opinion, and that and 50 cents will get you a bad cup of coffee. I have no proof of that, but there is no explanation for not signing the register at the beginning of the tour. We were also told that the Carnival Excursion for the tour was $65. Granted we got a great deal, but if something would have happened to us, there was no record anywhere. This was a Carnival Shore Excursion, but not for us, since we did not book it until we reached the pier. Not knowing that our Cave Tubing was cancelled for sure added to the mêlée.

Let me say this….The tour was really good. Things sometimes happen that are out of everyone’s control. My concern is that there was no official documentation/ ticket that was purchased or received. For that I have to take some responsibility also. Tomorrow …..a great day in Costa Maya…..

[Aces35]

I will get into more detail on the food later, but it was great. I would recommend going to Nick and Nora's. It was really nice, and the service was exceptional. Well worth the $30pp.

[Aces35]

Yes - you definately want to go ashore. The tender drops you very close to shopping and transportation to downtown or wherever else you wish to go. A cheap cabfare $3pp one-way to Paradise Beach for a some R&R would be worth it even if thats all you did. You definitely want to explore Cozumel.

[popcorngal]

Wow! That was some excursion! That's the main reason I've always been hesitant to book independently. We did go with Capt. Marvin in GC which worked out fine, but I am just leary about Belize.

 

Anxious to hear your thoughts on the food and Costa Maya. We had a wonderful day there and thought the food on the Miracle was some of the best we've had. And Nick and Nora's, fantastic!:D

[Aces35]

Costa Maya – I had a real good feeling about our upcoming day in Costa Maya. After reading the advice from many people on this great site, we decided to spend a relaxing day at Tequila Beach. The first great thing about Costa Maya is the pier. No worries about tendering, even though we did not have any problem with the tenders. From our balcony we got a view of what Cozumel looked like before the Hurricane. The coastline at Costa Maya was lush and green, occasional palm trees and scattered beach areas. I think the coastline of Costa Maya and Coz is similar.

The pier is long, and a free trolley is offered that runs back and forth all day. The walk is really not bad at all. The area adjacent to the pier has a lot of shopping, a saltwater pool with swim-up bar, and is very neat and clean. After some browsing, we went to find transportation to Tequila Beach. A young gentleman approached us and before he could get a couple of words out we asked him about TB. Just so happened we went to the right person. He showed us several different “packages” and we told him what we had in mind. The men wanted an hour each on Wave runners, and the girls wanted massages. We discussed price, and then turned around and left. We looked around a little bit longer, and came back with the DW’s. We agreed on all the food we could eat, open bar, 2 Wave runners for an hour, massages for the girls, table, umbrella, chairs, and loungers, plus if we wanted to take their Snorkel cruise it was only an additional $15pp, for the grand total of $67 each including round trip transportation. A Sweet deal considering that the wave runner alone was $65 an hour.

We had perfect weather, sunshine and breezy, 85 deg. It was a perfect beach day. Our waiter was Jorge. He took great care of us all day long. The food selection was off of the combo menu. Sandwiches, Quesadilla’s, nachos, guacamole, which was good “beach” type food. We were ingesting most of our refreshment in the liquid form. The drinks we good and sometimes really stout. SB margarita’s and Pina Colada’s were very popular.

After settling in for a while the girl’s decided to grab some rays while DH’s decided to utilize the wave runners. We donned our life vests and headed out. The sea had 4-6 ft swells so jumping waves was a blast. We asked to the girls if they wanted to go out with us, but they opted not to. Once we got out there, we realized it was best that they were not out there because we were getting some serious air time. The Wave runners, as expected, were awesome. After riding for an hour, we got back to the table, bellied up, and relaxed. The DW’s enjoyed the massages, and indicated that the folks knew what they were doing. The beach area was nice, and people were snorkeling right off of the beach. They also offered a 2 person speedboat for rent, but I don’t know the price.

One of the families that was on the Stingray City Tour in Grand Cayman with us was walking off of the pier after taking the snorkeling excursion. We asked them how it was and they mentioned that the waves were pretty strong, and that the water wasn’t as clear because of it. They said what they did see was real nice, and would have been better under more ideal conditions.

We spent all day at TB, allowing 45 minutes to get back to the pier. It was about a 5-7 minute taxi ride. There was one tiny glitch. I failed to get my S&S card back from when I rented the wave runner. The problem was that I was at the security check at the pier, and the S&S card was at TB. This was at 4pm and we sailed at 4:30pm. I grabbed a taxi, got there, they handed me the card, and got another taxi and was back by 4:20pm. Note to self: Make sure and get your S&S card! Tomorrow…..Fun day at sea and food review plus entertainment.

[Indyjones]

Great review. How would you rate the beach? I went to Majahual and it was beautiful, like a Corona commercial, so I would assume TB would be the same?

[dh Chrisva]

Great review Aces.. Do you happen to have a picture of your cabin you could post? We are staying in 5172 when we cruise in Dec.. Thanks:)

[Aces35]

Indy - The beach area was really nice. The day that we were there, we shared the beach with only 25-30 people. It was real nice. By the way, I'm a fellow Hoosier from Evansville, Go IU!

 

dh ChrisVa - I will try to get a couple of pictures posted within the next day or two. You will really enjoy the location, midship and midlevel. It was very quiet, and the only thing we ever heard was the closing of an occasional balcony door.

[tazmanrmv]

Indy - The beach area was really nice. The day that we were there, we shared the beach with only 25-30 people. It was real nice. By the way, I'm a fellow Hoosier from Evansville, Go IU!

 

dh ChrisVa - I will try to get a couple of pictures posted within the next day or two. You will really enjoy the location, midship and midlevel. It was very quiet, and the only thing we ever heard was the closing of an occasional balcony door.

 

Did you utilize the water slide at all when you were on the ship? Also, did you notice if the slide goes into the pool, or leaves you by the side of the pool? DW is dying to use the slide and is always hounding me for information, lol

[MSUcruiser]

Hey Popcorn Gal, what was your cabin #? We are in 8268 in April??

[Aces35]

Days at Sea – After having four days of excursions and beach time, we opted to sleep in a little. We made our way for a “later” breakfast, thinking that most folks would stay close to the normal routine and the Lido/Horatio’s areas may not be as crowded. We were correct. When we arrived we quickly found a table in Horatio’s and had some brunch. On days that we had excursions there was never a problem finding a table.

There were a lot of activities going through the week, Trivia contests, Not so newlywed game, (which is a must see), art auctions, Jackpot Bingo, Bingo for a free cruise for two, casino, sunning, napping, relaxing on the balcony, just to name a few. The sea days also allow time to utilize the exercise facilities. All state of the art stuff, but here is something you don’t want to miss. Take a shower in the health club. Don’t worry, it’s all private showers, but there multiple shower heads and it feels great. When I got home I took a hammer and beat my crappy shower head just to get a new one (not really).

It was real nice to just relax, although it had not been strenuous (except for Belize). We did experience 48mph winds on the last sea day, and the ship was rockin’ a little. I did not see anyone “loosing it” though and the only time you really noticed it was when you were walking down a long straight corridor. It just made you look like you have absorbed too many adult beverages. In the room, while lying on the bed, it was just a gentle rock like mama putting you to sleep. Or maybe that was just because I had my belly full and was ready for a siesta.

Food – Let me first say that I love to eat, and I love to eat. I have extensive restaurant management experience, so I have some credentials regarding food quality and presentation. I thought that the food overall was excellent. We ate each morning in Horatio’s and had the Breakfast Buffet. There is one thing that you can say for certain. If you could not find “something good” to eat it’s your own fault. The breakfast selection ran the gamut of all breakfast food. An omelet Station, Fresh Fruit, Danish and pastries, eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, etc…There are so many choices, and it’s good.

For Lunch we would frequent the Deli Station for Rueben’s, Roast Beef Baguettes, Grilled Steak Sandwiches, and Cheeseburgers. There were other sandwiches offered at the Deli Station, I never got past the ones that I just mentioned. If you’re a CB person, don’t miss the burger. I know your thinking…..all this other stuff and he’s talking about Hamburgers. Get the Burger, trust me. I am a sandwich person. Each day a different Countries cuisine would be featured. I never did partake, others is our group said that everything they had was good. We never did eat Breakfast in the Bacchus Dining Room for Breakfast or Lunch.

Dinner – We chose the late seating because we did not want to rush back for dinner and take any time away from when we were on shore. This way we were able to come back, rest if desired, clean up, and then meander down to the dining room. The in-room TV gave daily menu selections for the Bacchus Room, and Nick and Nora’s. This was always nice to “plan” what was going to be selected. Our table number was 341, which was upstairs. As I mentioned earlier our serving team was excellent. Julius Caesar (head waiter) and Ni Ketuten (assistant) did an excellent job the entire week. We always received great service, and Julius always had us laughing. Between the four of us, no one ever had a dish they did not care for. Twice during the week, I opted for Fish (not my first choice). The Tilapia and Red Snapper were excellent. I have a shellfish allergy so I am very careful when opting for Fish. The Chateaubriand, Prime Rib was wonderful and must orders. The desserts I thought were good. I really enjoyed the Lemon Raspberry crème brulee.

Nick and Nora’s – On the last Formal night, (last Sea Day), we made reservations and N&N’s. We arrived at 7pm and was shown our table, with grand total of 15 other patrons in the room. It was very nice, and the live music and vocals added to the ambiance. The service was meticulous. The presentation and food quality were second to none. Surf and Turf for the ladies and 24oz Porterhouse’s for the gents. The dinner was well worth the $30pp charge. The Grand Ol’ Opry was represented on this particular cruise with about 600 patrons. We dined next to Charlie Pride, Roy Clark, and Pam Tillis.

Entertainment – This is the only area that I am going to say I was slightly disappointed in. I’ll start with the comedians. I really enjoy listening to comedians, but when you’re in the audience and you can feel the guy is struggling, you just want to sink down into your seat, that’s how it was. Now, each comic had good moments, no question. Each Comic also did a midnight ‘R’ rated show, and they seemed more comfortable in this realm. The Juggler was exceptional, and we did not attend the Hypnotist evening performance. One improv show we enjoyed was put on by the staff. The format was very similar to the show “Whose line is it anyway?” We laughed real hard during that show.

The Carnival Dancers – The two shows that were offered in my opinion was excellent. The music was very good, and the dancers provided two high energy shows.

Music – The band that played in the Phantom Theatre was great. The sound quality was excellent and the musicians were exceptional. The night that the Juggler performed, a female vocalist accompanied by the band, did a short set of songs. I enjoy many different genres and she did the older ballads very well, Funny Valentine i.e. she had a very smooth voice. In the Atrium, please stop during the cruise sometime and listen to the Chamber trio, Piano, Flute, and Violin. They are an excellent trio. The Band that performs on the Lido Deck poolside is great as well. There is another trio that plays in the Cigar Bar, String Bass, Piano, and Drums. They were good, but the environment (smoke) is not conducive for asthma. We would pass through this bar on the Third Deck to go to the Bacchus Dining Room. The guy in the piano bar was good musically, but the vocals were not that good. Overall the music offerings on the cruise are really good.

Tomorrow…..Debarkation

[Aces35]

Taz - I didn't use the water slide. I do know that the slide does NOT land you in the pool. I will have to check my pictures, but i'm not sure how close to the pool the slide discharge is located. Hope this helps!

[Aces35]

Debarkation – There was one moment during the cruise that I was frustrated. And it had absolutely nothing to do with debarkation. It had to do with our inability to find a seat for breakfast. It was very crowded in Horatio’s, and we arrived at 7am. We were told that it opened at 7am but the area was full. Obviously it opened earlier. We had three options. First, walk in circles around the dining area until we found a table, it took over 15 minutes. Second, have breakfast in the Bacchus Dining Room. Third, arrive earlier. I would not have planned to get to breakfast any earlier; we had a 14 hour drive ahead of us. The Bacchus may be the best option next time.

 

Once we finished breakfast, we went back to the cabin. We opted to utilize the “Self Assist”. This is the way to go if you do not have too many bags. We waited just outside the Casino for the OK to leave. We were given the OK to leave and preceded through customs, with no hassles. We had nothing to declare, showed our ID and passed on through. We went to the valet attendant, walked across the street, and three minutes later were loaded and sitting in the van. From the time we started down the ramp, to sitting in the van was 10 minutes. It was a very painless process. It was a great Cruise, and a great itinerary.

[4funkyjunk]

Thanks for the review! I'm sailing on the Miracle in 5 days:D !! Hopefully the river in Belize will be a behave by then:confused: . The only excursion we planned ahead of time was through xstream cave tubing. Fingers crossed!!

I was just wondering if you, or any one, could advise me about debarking. We also want to "self assist" when we leave because we have a fairly early flight. Are there taxis at the boat terminal or is that something I should plan ahead of time?

Again, thank you for your review! It helped pump me up for my own trip;)!

Lisa

[sd1029]

Did you utilize the water slide at all when you were on the ship? Also, did you notice if the slide goes into the pool, or leaves you by the side of the pool? DW is dying to use the slide and is always hounding me for information, lol

 

I was also on the this cruise and I went down the waterslide. It was fun, it does not dump you off into a pool, it just stops. then you walk down a few stairs.

[popcorngal]

Hey Popcorn Gal, what was your cabin #? We are in 8268 in April??

 

We were in 7298 on the last two cruises. It's the port side wrap around balcony cabin. And after checking the deckplan, you will be right above that one. You will LOVE it! There is no other cabin on any ship other than the Spirit class ships that has rooms and balconies like that. Trust me, you will not want any other cabin after having that one!

 

4funkyjunk, when you walk out of the terminal, you will be inundated with cabs and shuttles. We opted to jump on one of the shuttles which was actually a van. I think it was $9 per person, and dropped us off right at our airline. It was a little cozy with all the luggage, but we had no problem.

 

Thanks again for the great review Aces35. Our experience was very similar to yours, including the high winds. But we experienced them for most of the cruise. Some nights the winds were 53+ mph. It got pretty funny walking down the hall in a string of people. The last one usually said something about us all walking like a bunch of drunken sailors. When one would weave and bounce, the rest would follow suit. We loved the Miracle and would choose her again in a heartbeat.