JenniVamp

We were on this cruise and although it wasn't the relaxing vacation that we'd hoped for, Carnival took a difficult situation and really wowed us with their handling. We opted to stay on board for the duration, and the last two days of the cruise were amazing. We made sure to tell the crew members how much we appreciated their positive attitude, as it made it so much easier for us to remain positive.

Half the passengers debarked in San Diego on Thursday, and we had a nearly empty ship for the last two days of the cruise. One of the things Carnival did was to make the arcade "free" and while I spent Friday in a wonderfully empty spa, my husband was able to entertain the kids in the arcade. I loved having extra time to chat with crew members without feeling like I was keeping them from helping other passengers. It was nice!

Even better was getting home and booking a "do-over" cruise that is giving us the chance to sail on the Vista in January! Yay for a free cruise!

We had a future cruise presentation and a future cruise desk a few days ago on the Miracle.

We have found these people to have less knowledge of Carnival than many of the people posting here.

We also attended the Future Cruise Presentation on the Miracle last week. It was not informative in any way. Previous presentations have included handouts that described the basic facts about each of the Carnival ships, but I didn't see anything like that available this time.

Thankfully, I had done my research before our cruise and knew exactly what ship, what dates, and what cabin types we wanted. I had notes of the pricing I was able to pull up from home and could compare it to any specials available while onboard. We were able to get connecting rooms, which we've only ever been able to book by phone or onboard, so that ability was worth booking at the future cruise desk. It was a little crazy trying to book a cruise for 9 while sitting between the casino on our left and a lively 80's music trivia game on our right, but we got it done.

It's always a good idea to do your research ahead of time and to know what you want. The line for the future cruise desk is usually long, and the bars are close, and it's easy to have had a couple of drinks by the time that you reach the front. I think that is one reason why we've ended up booking suites on a couple of our previous cruises (Yikes!!!$$$)

I hope that the Future Cruise desk stays. Booking future cruises while onboard has become a tradition for mom and I! The onboard credits have always been nice, but with or without them, I'd still rather book in person than online or by phone.

We just returned from a cruise on the Miracle and were very sorry to see the Taste Bar replaced with the Sushi place. I used to love being able to grab a beer at the Red Frog Pub and then step over to try one of the tasty items offered at the Taste Bar. Was really looking forward to those meatballs!

Just back from the Hawaii cruise on the Miracle. There were 30 kids on board. That's it. The employees of Camp Ocean (the kids club) said they had over 300 on the previous cruise. At any given time there were probably 5 Camp Ocean employees to between 4-10 kids at the kids club. This particular cruise is an excellent choice for anyone who prefers to cruise with fewer children on board. Although the average age seemed to be around 55-60 (a surprising number of 30 - 40 year olds this trip!) there were more injuries this trip than any other cruise I've been on. I think that we had ambulances at every single port. Our thoughts were with all of those taken off the ship and we hope that they were able to receive the best possible medical care at those ports.

The trivia games were lively, and more often than not were sing-a-longs as much as they were trivia games. On "younger" cruises, I've seen the trivia become pretty intense, so this was a fun change.

All in all, good times. I would recommend this cruise to anyone. Fun is where you make it.

We're heading out on our second Hawaiian cruise on the Miracle next week. These cruises definitely have a different vibe to them. With my 4 kids making up 20% of the children on these trips, we have a blast. It's like being surrounded by a few thousand ready-made grandparents! The cruisers tend to be more seasoned, and less whiney, in general. Yes, there might be a higher chance of medical emergencies, but it's all taken in stride. Last trip, we had to make an emergency trip back to the Islands and the only thing I can remember about it was the Carnival wait staff walking around with trays of Whiskey Sours for everyone as we eventually sailed away!

Our family loves sea days, and so we enjoy these longer cruises.

I will say that being platinum on this cruise is not quite as special, since there are so many platinum and diamond cruisers on these trips. Luckily, the result is that everyone is made to feel special. I'm perfectly OK with that!

Depending on what you're used to (and baby's age) you might want to bring something from home to use as a "breathable bumper." For toddlers, hubby just used towels to form a barrier to keep arms and legs inside the crib.

We have received amazing help with our kiddos from the staff. As you enter, there is someone standing at a podium thing near the entrance. I'm not sure what the official title is, maybe host/hostess?

On the cruises I've done solo with my 4 kids, that's the person who's arranged help, or helped us herself. They've gone to get drinks for us, brought over extra plates and silverware, ran to get chicken strips and fries and a time or two kept an entertaining eye on the kids while I stood in line (never out of my line of sight, and not farther than 10 feet away). Mostly they helped to keep the kids entertained enough that the twins (2 years old then) didn't run into people traffic trying to reach me.

The staff was amazing with the kids. Sometimes, having an extra plate carrying set of hands was just the help we needed.

There was no way I was going to hide away with the kids and stay out of the buffet area, but I was worried that I'd spend the week eating fries and chicken strips with the kids. With a little bit of help, we managed to eat all of our meals as a family. And, momma was able to eat grown up food!

Look for tables nearest to the food stations you might enjoy most.

You'll have a great time!

Jennifer

On the couch bed, we stack the back cushions up against the open side.

Maybe put a mattress in the floor? Or, make a "nest" using cushions, towels and blankets.

We've also pulled a chair around to block the edge. That worked well until we tried it with a wiggler...

Consider stacking up empty suitcases to use as a barrier.

At home, our 3-year old sleeps in his converted crib (low to the ground), and daddy puts down pillows just in case he tumbles out.

It's a challenge! If you can maneuver the bed against a wall, you'll only have one side to worry about.

Jennifer

Love these discussions! We frequently cruise and usually drive to the port. Our next trip will be the first that includes a flight.

Because we have 4 little kids, we have to make sure that my hubby and I can carry 90% of the family luggage. Too much luggage adds incredible stress for us.

So, we limit our luggage and have laundry done on board. We're cruising B2B an will be traveling for 15 days this trip. We have 6 carry on's and 6 backpacks. All but the youngest can manage a carry on, and hubby and I can both carry two. In a pinch, we'll bring bungee cords to strap carry on's together, but I think we'll be fine.

Our kids don't own 15 outfits each, so we pack for about 4 days and then do laundry. (Have laundry done.)

So, we decide on the luggage we'll use, pack the kids stuff, pack the minimum needed for hubby and I and then decide if we take "this" or "that" for the rest of the space. So, my fancy dress with full petticoat stayed home because I'd rather have room to bring the kids fancy clothes than one dress for me. My extra tennis shoes stay home so I can bring extra swimsuits and cover ups.

Because of the flight, we decided to try working with 6 carry on's instead of the 4 checked bags we use when driving. Essentially the same packing space, but without the need to wait for bags.

I like knowing that I can lift and carry each of the bags. Though hubby usual does all the lifting, it feels good know I could help.

When we packed more I found that we only used half of what we were bringing. And, packing to leave the ship wasn't pleasant.

Kids each have their own backpack and that will be for their swimming masks, fins, school work, tablets, snacks, sweaters and any toys/blankets/ lovies that they need. If they have room they can pack extra (they won't have room!)

I'll miss my pretty dress, but I have less bulky dresses I'm bringing instead.

Limiting the liquids we take is the biggest change. But packing light will save us several hours and hundreds of dollars. It takes longer to plan and pack, but is much less stressful.

Until I can find a travel butler to handle packing and transporting our luggage, I'm stuck leaving the ginormous 30" suitcase with nice matching carry on satchel at home in the closet.

Jennifer

For first aid, I'd just add gas drops to the list. My little ones tended to end up constipated at some point during the cruise, so a treatment or remedy for that is also good. We made due with chamomile tea and apple juice that were available on the ship, but that was a problem I hadn't planned ahead for!

For the baby (first cruise at 6 months) we brought a breathable crib bumper thing to put around the crib provided by the ship. Otherwise, the baby's arms would hang out of the crib slats while he slept. Made due by weaving towels around the inside of the crib, but found it easier to pack the mesh bumper.

Peace of mind is the key. On our Hawaii cruise there was a young family scrambling to find a place in port to buy pull-up pampers for their not as potty trained as they thought little girl. They'd managed 5 sea days without and were desperate. At least it was easy enough to grab a taxi and head to the store once we reached Hawaii.

We've never needed any of our baby meds, but it was good to have, just in case.

Jennifer

We usually pack up our own bags and walk them to the new cabin after first running over to new cabin and getting an ok from the new cabin steward.

We once waited for several hours as instructed for someone to bring a luggage cart and finally gave up. It took a couple of trips, but at least by moving things ourselves we knew everything would make it to the new cabin. In hindsight, we could have left the bags ready for our steward to transfer them at his convenience or when his morning schedule allowed and been just fine.

I am intrigued by the idea of being able to have them move our things without packing up the hanging clothes. It wouldn't have been an option on our recent B2B's, but maybe when the kids are older and more of their clothes are hung up.

For now, we try to keep the same room.

I'd definitely ask guest services and/or the room stewards what would work best.

Love, love, love cruising back to back!

Jennifer

Love the review. Thank you for the pics of Little French Key. I'm going to be sure and save this thread just in case we have an opportunity to cruise there in the future.

It's always the beach and food pics that help me to convince hubby to book "just one more" cruise!

Jennifer

Somehow, with all of our cruises on the Miracle, we've never made it to the spa. I'm going to add it to my list of "must do's " for our Hawaiian cruise next fall!

Thanks for the information.

Jennifer

On our Hawaiian cruise I would ask for just white bread for my kids who would only eat bread and butter for breakfast. Lots of smiles and laughs from people who watched me walk to the table with half a loaf of sliced bread each morning! Carnival has always been exceptionally accommodating with my picky eaters. Only place we ran into trouble was at the Sea Day Brunch. We've never managed to get just an order of fries there. They pretty much stick to the printed menu there.

One of our picky eaters discovered a passion for salmon while on a cruise. You never know when a kids palate will "mature". A bite from grandpa's fish and she was hooked!

Enjoy the experience. Best part is having someone else cater to the kids' for their picky habits. I love that!

Jennifer

We travel with six and since four of the six are too young to carry their own luggage, we pack less and have laundry done. We send our laundry out on B2B's, since it gives me an hour or more of vacation time at a cost that's much, much lower than my billing rate as a CPA! (That's always my "measuring stick" to determine if something is worth the cost. Probably the reason we'll spend $$ on laundry and pictures, but tend to avoid some of the fancier excursions, and also why our beer budget stays pretty tame [emoji3]. Cost per hour- that's what we look at!)

Made the mistake last B2B of waiting for the $15 bags to show up instead of asking our room steward for them on day one. Since we only pack for 3 days, we were were too close to having no clean pj's by day 3. So, better to ask for the bags on day one if you know you'll be having laundry done.

They do wash in hot water, so you may not want to send everything out. On one cruise, we lost two single (tiny toddler) socks, but that was the only problem we've had. Clothes have always come back neatly folded. Our room steward usually tells us to fill the bag even more, to the point where one stuffed full bag of dirty clothes usually yields 5-6 bags of clean, folded laundry.

We're flying out for our next B2B, and planning to stick to carry on's only. We'll be sending out laundry by day 2, and probably every 3 days or so thereafter.

We've learned to budget for laundry. We probably spend about 7+ hours a week at home doing the laundry. Unless they set up a free bar in the self-service laundry rooms on the ship, I won't be spending any time there!

Perhaps if our kiddos were old enough to be saddled with the onboard laundry chores we'd skip the extra cost and just make them do it. Luckily, we'll hit platinum on our Hawaiian cruise next fall and the $$$ we spend on laundry will be available to increase my beer budget!

If you're planning to do laundry on embarkation day of the second leg of your trip, be sure to ask about if/when the water might be turned off. They usually do and it would be no fun to have it happen in the middle of a wash cycle.

Enjoy your trip!

Jennifer

I'd vote for the Pride. It's a good size ship to take an infant on. My youngest's first cruise was a 7 day on the Miracle - the same class as Pride.

Lots of quiet areas to sit with the baby, easy to take a stroller all over the ship since you could walk from one end of the ship to the other on all decks. And not having to take a baby on the plane is a bonus. (Changing pampers on the plane was an experience I'm thrilled to never have again!)

Have fun, whatever you decide.

Jennifer

We use odd patterned duck tape. Last trip, I think we slapped on some purple and pink pirate tape.

I think it will be pink Hello Kitty tape for our next cruise. I hate gumming up brand new luggage, but when you travel with 6, there's a lot of luggage to risk losing. Plus, it helps us to make sure we've grabbed all the "Hello Kitty " when extended family helps us carry bags. Much easier to tell them to grab all the Hello Kitty taped bags than to try and point the bags out one by one.

Great ideas and tips!

Jennifer

I have breastfed my youngest while on Carnival cruises, at 6 months and again when he was a year old. I found the employees to be very helpful and accommodating. Never got an odd look, or any indication that I should cover him up during feedings. In fact, there was always someone available to cut up dinner for my other children, (and a few times, my dinner!) or grab drinks for us.

I felt as comfortable nursing in various spots on the ship as I did at home.

Jennifer

Can't wait to hear more! We cruise B2B on the Freedom in August. Would love to know any details about the process. Did you have to get off the ship to go through customs between cruises?

All of our B2B's have been out of Long Beach and the process has been difficult each time. I'm dreaming of a B2B where we actually get back on the ship quickly and don't get stuck hanging out in a "holding spot" for hours and hours while the ship is cleared. I like for that extra day between cruises to be special.

Jennifer

Because I have to pee. Seriously. I don't know about ports other than Long Beach, but I want to get on the ship as early or quickly as possible because the potties outside the terminal are a nightmare.

When you have 4 kids, three of whom are still potty training or too small for a regular potty, making sure no one has an accident before boarding is tough!

I love these pictures! So nice for preparing my kids for what to expect on our cruise(s) in August. They are used to the Spirit class ships, so this is going to be a fun change.

Oh, now that's another idea! Maybe I'll think about staying on the ship in Nassau instead of Freeport!

Thanks for the great info on the logistics of getting to the Grand Lucayan. We're still debating whether or not to just stay on the ship in Freeport. $10 pp plus the day fee adds up pretty quickly when it's for six of us! It's good to know how easy it would be to get there, if we decided to go.

Thanks!

Jennifer

BUT... If you had to choose, which one would you choose?

Deck 4! It's also an easy walk to the shows and closer to the main dining rooms for dinner.

Jennifer

Deck 8 is nice because you're close to the lido buffet and can quickly grab a snack or bring a picnic back to your room.

Deck 4 is great because you're closer to the water and can see more of the sea life.

We've experienced both. Love the Miracle!

Jennifer