All Things Miracle!!!!

[cv322]

My 5/1/08 Miracle cruise was one of my favorite cruises ever! Here's the review:

 

Love my Miracle

 

Embarkation & Cabin: We traveled to the port of New York by private car because we live only an hour away & parked at the pier ($240). Embarkation was a breeze. We were in the terminal at about 12:15 and were on the ship within 30 minutes. We did have priority embarkation, so that probably helped.

 

Because we couldn't get into our cabin yet we had a welcome aboard drink at the lobby bar where many people were doing the same thing, and then proceeded to our cabin to drop off the carry-on bags. Our cabin steward was actually there washing the balcony plexiglass railing & made us welcome. The cabin, 8200, was very close to the atrium & atrium elevators and extremely convenient to everything. It had 2 nice size closets and plenty of drawer/shelf space. The bathroom was more than adequate. The balcony was average size but big enough for the 2 of us. I would caution fellow cruisers however that this was probably the noisiest cabin we've ever had...alot of banging & thumping from above us (Horatio's - Lido buffet) even well into the night ...probably in the 1AM to 2AM range. I thought that was kind of odd because we generally book on the deck under the Lido (whether it's called the Verandah deck or Panorama deck, doesn't matter) & never had as much as a peep before. Law of averages I guess!

We then went up a flight of stairs to the buffet for lunch. They had many choices...deli or italian or salads and more. After lunch we returned to our cabin & found that 3 of 4 pieces of luggage had been delivered, woohoo!, so we unpacked just in time for the muster drill. The muster drill went smoothly & we returned to the cabin to find the last piece of luggage & made quick work of that. This was the soonest the luggage had ever been delivered I believe.

So now we were ready to really start our cruise! :D:D

Public Rooms: Stunningly beautiful in my opinion. The main dining room, Bacchus, was gorgeous...with a grape leaf motif and thousands of purple blown glass "grapes". The lounges were all visually pleasing and very comfortable. My favorites were Sam's, the piano bar, and Frankie & Johnnie's. The Phantom Lounge, the show theatre, was very pretty with many crystal chandeliers. The atrium area had countless sea blue and navy blue blown glass light fixtures...very very pretty.

Service: In every interaction with the crew, whether it was the dining room staff, bartenders, cabin steward, pool towel attendant....it didn't matter...everyone was beyond helpful and extremely pleasant. Probably the best crew we've ever cruised with.

Entertainment: Except for the Piano Man (Jason) who was witty and wonderful & could really maintain a crowd, I really can't comment on any of the shows. I could however, go on at length about how terrific the casino and the 2 Casino Hosts (Nicole and Guilty) (Yes, that's really her name) are! I'm a slot player and there were alot of different kind of machines to choose from. Only 1 day (the 3rd day) did I feel the machines were noticeably "tight". There was also Texas Holdem for my other half, which made him a happy camper. The Texas Holdem was at a separate table & dealt by machine rather than by human dealer. There was a real dealer on our Legend cruises, but my SO said this was better than nothing! During the 8 days they had 2 blackjack tournaments and 2 slot tournaments. I was very lucky & won the 2nd slot tourney!

Dining: We had breakfast 3 times in the Bacchus dining room & the service and menu was top notch. Eggs Benedict, and the usual dining room fare, but very nicely prepared. The other mornings we ate at the Lido buffet which was also excellent: omelettes, eggs over, waffles, fruit, french toast etc. I was only disappointed that lox & cream cheese (I'm a New Yorker...gotta have it :p) could only be had in the dining room & not the buffet...unlike other cruises. The coffee, in every venue, was absolutely delicious! This ship had 2 Starbucks onboard (for my iced caffe latte fix), one in the Lido buffet and one behind the casino on deck 2. A few times we didn't eat lunch, but when we did it was at the buffet or poolside grill. Those cheeseburgers with sauteed onions & mushrooms didn't disappoint. We had dinner in the main dining room all but 3 nights. The food was really excellent...I especially liked the lamb chops on the first night and the quail on the last night, but other nights were very good as well. The chocolate melting cake remains a favorite. Of the other 3 nights we ate in San Juan on one night (more about that below) and at Nick & Nora's twice. For those who don't mind the $30 supplemental charge I highly encourage you to take advantage of this very romantic supper club. The menu is outstanding as is the presentation. The food was delicious and the martini's were huge! The wine list was also more than expected. They have a singer & piano player and the ambience is perfect. We've also enjoyed dinner in the supper clubs on our other Carnival cruises on the Legend & the Glory, and Nick & Nora's was actually a notch above. I think it was because, in this case, everything was perfect. It was the complete package.

On our 2nd night there, the waiter took our picture... with the setting sun & ocean in the background through the floor to ceiling windows behind us. I just wanted a picture taken...but it was the waiter's suggestion to wait 5 more minutes for the setting sun that made it very special.

Shore Excursions: We did San Juan on our own...this time we just wanted to wander a little in Old San Juan, visit a few of the art galleries & craft shops and then have a fabulous dinner at a 3-star restaurant. I did my research ahead of time & we decided to have dinner at The Parrot Club. I was so happy we chose this restaurant...it was fantastic! Inside it looks very elegant-old-world-latin. The menu is authentic PuertoRican/Caribbean. For an appetizer I had the BEST calamari I've ever had in my life & then had a red snapper to die for. My SO said his empanada appetizer was from heaven & his grouper entree with mango salsa was unparalleled. We shared a chocolate mousse for dessert. The martini's were outstanding. Do yourself a favor & go there. They start serving dinner at 6PM & fill up fast.

In St.Thomas we booked shopping & Sapphire Beach with Godfrey, who we've used before & found to be a good tour operator. It was a beautiful day but a little on the windy side so the surf was up at the beach. But it was still a glorious day. At the beach you can rent all kinds of water toys or go scuba or snorkeling, etc. Regretfully the bar was closed for some reason that day & if we had known about that ahead of time would've gone to a different beach. 4 hours with nothing to drink was a little long.

In Tortola we went to Long Bay Beach via Carnival's excursion & it was another beautiful but somewhat windy day. The resort is very nice, with bathrooms, showers, bar, a little gift shop & they give you lunch. We had a great time but it went so quickly because it takes about 40 minutes to get there & then before you know it, it's time to go. That's the trouble with these half days in Tortola.

Disembarkation: We got back in to NY a little bit late that morning, docking around 9AM, because the Captain was going relatively slowly the night before...due to extreme fog. We opted to let Carnival take our luggage off rather than self-assist, and we were off at 10:05 and through customs/immigration & out of the terminal & on our way home by 10:40.

This was my 16th cruise, my 5th with Carnival, and easily one of my very favorite cruises ever. The seas were calm (only 1 short 3-4 hour episode of SLIGHTLY rocky & rolly seas on the last sea day), the ship was beautiful, the crew was wonderful and I had the absolutely best time! I fully expect I'll be booking the Miracle again.

 

 

[Sandi149]

What a wonderful review. So glad you had such a nice time. :D I thought I was the only one who loved the looks of the dining room....LOL!!!

 

We also went to the Parrot Club but not for dinner, we just had drinks there but the place was lovely and when I looked at the menu it looked very good.

 

The Miracle is a fabulous ship isn't she.

[kenteecruisin]

I just read the review above & it said there were 2 Starbucks on the Miracle??? Tell me it's true................:p

[pmoniz]

cv322 - Great review. Thanks for sharing. I read through it and shook my head saying "yeah, that's true!" through the entire thing. Except for our experience in the piano bar. I couldn't stand Jason. I thought he was arrogant and rude and not interactive with the crowd at all as I've experienced in other piano bars. I chalked it up as maybe he was having a bad week or something. You never know.

[Cruisin Suzin]

I just read the review above & it said there were 2 Starbucks on the Miracle??? Tell me it's true................:p

 

STARBUCKS ON THE MIRACLE// I just read the review above and it said there were 2 Starbucks on the Miracle??? Please tell me it's true..gotta have my coffee...:p

[KatSt]

STARBUCKS ON THE MIRACLE// I just read the review above and it said there were 2 Starbucks on the Miracle??? Please tell me it's true..gotta have my coffee...:p

I've never seen Starbucks on any Carnival ship. The OP probably meant 2 Specialty Coffee areas, unless Carnival has changed their vendor.

[Shayneele]

A real Starbucks on board? Or just a coffee house "like" Starbucks? How exciting to be able to have a spiced chai latte on my cruise... LOL..

 

Great review.

[KatSt]

A real Starbucks on board? Or just a coffee house "like" Starbucks? How exciting to be able to have a spiced chai latte on my cruise... LOL..

 

Great review.

Probably just a coffee house like Starbucks. I'll be on the Miracle in a few weeks and will find out for sure.

[Cruisin Suzin]

Probably just a coffee house like Starbucks. I'll be on the Miracle in a few weeks and will find out for sure.

 

Yeah that's what I'm thinking too that there is a speciality coffee area, not actually Starbucks, there goes my skinny vanilla latte...I'm sure it will be ok..actually I heard that the coffee on the Miracle is pretty good..if so I will order it for room service in the morning..

[KatSt]

Yeah that's what I'm thinking too that there is a speciality coffee area, not actually Starbucks, there goes my skinny vanilla latte...I'm sure it will be ok..actually I heard that the coffee on the Miracle is pretty good..if so I will order it for room service in the morning..

They may be able to make you the skinny vanilla latte. I have not had a problem with coffee on the ships. Sometimes I get the specialty coffee for a change. Every night in the dining room I order a capuccino after dinner. There's no charge for it in the dining room and it's good.

[cv322]

I just read the review above & it said there were 2 Starbucks on the Miracle??? Tell me it's true................:p

 

kentee...it IS true!! :D:D

 

Chris

[cv322]

cv322 - Great review. Thanks for sharing. I read through it and shook my head saying "yeah, that's true!" through the entire thing. Except for our experience in the piano bar. I couldn't stand Jason. I thought he was arrogant and rude and not interactive with the crowd at all as I've experienced in other piano bars. I chalked it up as maybe he was having a bad week or something. You never know.

 

Wow pmoniz :eek:...we must have had your piano guy's "good twin" lol...because Jason was really upbeat and fun, & interacted with the crowd very well. That having been said though...my very favorite Piano Man is Barry Miller from our Carnival Glory cruise 12/31/05. I'm always hoping we'll find him on our ship again one day!

[cv322]

I've never seen Starbucks on any Carnival ship. The OP probably meant 2 Specialty Coffee areas, unless Carnival has changed their vendor.

 

Trust me...there are 2 Starbucks on the Miracle :D. There was also one (but just one lol) on the Carnival Legend. I don't recall there being one on the Glory though.

[djwood24]

I have been on the phone for about a half an hour with carnival, and am trying to get an Internet access to the bon voyage dept/and what they sell, I can see the general selection of gifts and services on the web site, but I'm talking about purchasing hard liquor, such as vodka etc.,mixes, and they were telling me they have speciality sparkling waters etc..does any one know where I can see a list of what they sell I have tried every thing on the general web site..thanks..

 

 

I called the BV dept to order Absolut Citron for my room

$40 and has to be done on Phone

Bring 12 pack lemon seltzer call them and just ask they were extremely helpful...Grey Goose was $60...I cheaped out as they did not have any flavored

 

Sailing on the 25th and will post review when back...I owe it to everyone to pay it forward from all the info I have received

[cv322]

Probably just a coffee house like Starbucks. I'll be on the Miracle in a few weeks and will find out for sure.

 

I'm not an idiot lol :p...I know my Starbucks! The signs behind the coffee servers working in these 2 areas clearly said Starbucks, their animated signs offered all their many splendid coffees and their unique chai's. It was Starbucks.

[cv322]

What a wonderful review. So glad you had such a nice time. :D I thought I was the only one who loved the looks of the dining room....LOL!!!

 

We also went to the Parrot Club but not for dinner, we just had drinks there but the place was lovely and when I looked at the menu it looked very good.

 

The Miracle is a fabulous ship isn't she.

 

Somehow I KNEW I would love it based upon your review & other reviews & comments. I would have been very surprised if I didn't. Yes, lol...I loved the dining room decor and actually took many pictures of it! Next trip to San Juan do dinner! And a martini!

 

Chris

[Sandi149]

Somehow I KNEW I would love it based upon your review & other reviews & comments. I would have been very surprised if I didn't. Yes, lol...I loved the dining room decor and actually took many pictures of it! Next trip to San Juan do dinner! And a martini!

 

Chris

 

Did you by any chance have the Parrot Passion? Those were delicious. Next time I ever go to San Juan I will definitely go there for dinner. There are also a couple other restaurants owned by the same company. One is Aquaviva and I can't remember the other one but they are supposed to be quite good as well.

[cv322]

Did you by any chance have the Parrot Passion? Those were delicious. Next time I ever go to San Juan I will definitely go there for dinner. There are also a couple other restaurants owned by the same company. One is Aquaviva and I can't remember the other one but they are supposed to be quite good as well.

 

Nope, I had Pomegranate martini's, my favorite! And my SO had his usual classic martini made with Bombay Sapphire & a few olives. He said his were very well made also.

 

I think the other restaurant is an Asian fusion, no? I can't remember the name of it either...

[MonaCK]

CV: Thanks for the fabulous review! I am so very much looking forward to boarding the Miracle (and getting to STAY this time!) on the 25th :) Thanks for helping to wet my appetite :)

[pmoniz]

Wow pmoniz :eek:...we must have had your piano guy's "good twin" lol...because Jason was really upbeat and fun, & interacted with the crowd very well. That having been said though...my very favorite Piano Man is Barry Miller from our Carnival Glory cruise 12/31/05. I'm always hoping we'll find him on our ship again one day!

 

That's funny!! It must have been. Like I said maybe he just had a bad week. You got onboard when we got off so maybe he was told to smarten up!! LOL!! We had a great piano man on the Victory as well. I can't remember his name off the top of my head be he was sooooo much fun!

[KatSt]

I'm not an idiot lol :p...I know my Starbucks! The signs behind the coffee servers working in these 2 areas clearly said Starbucks, their animated signs offered all their many splendid coffees and their unique chai's. It was Starbucks.

Sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate you were an idiot. :o Some people just use Starbucks as a generic coffee place. Carnival must be changing over to Starbucks because I was on the Elation in February and the specialty coffee wasn't Starbucks.

 

I'm glad they're changing since I'm going to be on the Miracle in a few weeks. I'm looking forward to the great coffee.

[cv322]

That's funny!! It must have been. Like I said maybe he just had a bad week. You got onboard when we got off so maybe he was told to smarten up!! LOL!! We had a great piano man on the Victory as well. I can't remember his name off the top of my head be he was sooooo much fun!

 

You may be exactly right, no joke. On the Legend I remember so looking forward to the piano bar because we had such a great experience on the Glory...and believe me when I tell you that the piano man on the Legend was such a dud! He was begging for tips every time someone requested a song! We probably throw our fair share of dollars & fives into the jar...but this guy was really off-putting! Jason made out like a bandit though...people were crumpling up the bills and shooting them from "downtown" lol...nothin' but net!

 

But I wouldn't be surprised that if people on your cruise made negative comments on their comment card, or to the CD directly, that we ended up being the beneficiaries!

[cv322]

Sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate you were an idiot. :o Some people just use Starbucks as a generic coffee place. Carnival must be changing over to Starbucks because I was on the Elation in February and the specialty coffee wasn't Starbucks.

 

I'm glad they're changing since I'm going to be on the Miracle in a few weeks. I'm looking forward to the great coffee.

 

No problem no offense taken! There was often a little line for coffee :D.

 

To those of you with cruises coming up in the next few weeks...I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I'm kinda concerned that the group cruising right now may be experiencing some high seas, based upon what's rolling off the lower atlantic states right now plus what kind of weather they left on last Friday.

[Sandi149]

Nope, I had Pomegranate martini's, my favorite! And my SO had his usual classic martini made with Bombay Sapphire & a few olives. He said his were very well made also.

 

I think the other restaurant is an Asian fusion, no? I can't remember the name of it either...

 

Hmmmm pomegranate martinis sound quite good. :p My husband likes classic martinis made with Grey Goose vodka also with a few olives. :D Those are too strong for me....LOL

 

Yes, the other restaurant is asian fusion and I just now remembered the name. It's called Dragonfly.

[Cruisin Suzin]

No problem no offense taken! There was often a little line for coffee :D.

 

To those of you with cruises coming up in the next few weeks...I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I'm kinda concerned that the group cruising right now may be experiencing some high seas, based upon what's rolling off the lower atlantic states right now plus what kind of weather they left on last Friday.

 

yes my apologies as well, I did doubt you... I could actually kiss you, now I won't have to bring my small coffee maker..oh yes I would have:p ..I can still have my skinny vanilla latte..I think Dr. Phil calls it a hot milkshake...