Miracle 12-14-09 Western Review w/Pics

[CinWin]

To NCTribeFan: In a few weeks I will be boarding the Miracle so was interested in reading the excellent review of your cruise. However, since my husband and I are "oldsters", I felt sad that you dislike sailing along with people of our age group. Just thought I'd let you know that there are very few cruise lines who refuse our bookings. Sorry 'bout that! :p

Cindy

[poptart]

Thanks for the wonderful review. I started it earlier this evening and kept sayikng I would stop and head to bed and now it's 11:37 and I'm just finishing. Just couldn't quit reading. 6 a.m. is going to get here early tomorrow. :D

Thanks again, I enjoy the read and pictures.

 

Good luck on a new job and many future cruises.

[NCTribeFan]

Thanks everyone. I really will try to scan the Capers today.

 

Jackie, sorry we didn't meet you. Were you at our sailaway? I thought I met everyone there, but we left just before 5 to go to the Spa drawing.

 

Hayloburger - I addressed the ship size concerns in my Glory review. When I sailed Miracle the first time, it was my largest ship. I had sailed 3 consecutive Fantasy-class cruises (I love that class ship) and had been worried that Miracle would be too large. Needless to say, I loved it. Then I was really concerned that Glory would be too big with too many people. I liked her a lot more than I thought I would. Victory & Triumph are slightly smaller, but I really couldn't see the differences (other than no Fish & Chips :( ). But I really don't care for the floating shoebox design, although if I move west, I imagine I'll end up on Splendour at some point.

 

I had a conversation with the young man at the excursion desk about the ship. He said he loved working on Miracle and loved that class ship. He said they function perfectly and work just as they were designed to work, and that he hoped to be able to work on the others in that class because he (and apparently other staff members) just love them. Maybe that's why the staff & crew seem so happy and friendly (genuinely, not just as though they've been trained to be that way).

 

Michelle - I don't think we're supposed to give names. All I have is his first name (Mark) and don't even have his email address or I'd have you email me. Sorry!

 

Cindy, I didn't mean to insult anyone. After all, I'm not all that young! But I have never seen so many walkers, canes, scooters, and wheelchairs on a cruise. I realize that longer cruises attract an older demographic, simply because retirees don't have to worry about getting vacation time or the kids getting out of school!

 

I hope to be an oldster who cruises up until the point that I physically am incapable of doing so. I'll just try to keep my scooter or cane from tripping people in the walkways. :o

[michelle1836]

I didnt think you were allowed to give names either but I am pretty sure there is more than one Mark! was nice to hear that he called you after your cruise to see how you liked it. that is a great PVP!

[CinWin]

NCTribeFan:

Even if the day comes that I have to use a walker, cane, wheelchair or scooter, you'll still find me on a cruise ship. :D

Cindy

[sgfun]

Thank you for all the info. We are doing this same cruise in Feb. and have enjoyed your insight. Look forward to seeing the Capers if you get those posted. Good Luck with you future endeavors.

[NCTribeFan]

Thanks. One of the worst parts about being unemployed was sitting around doing nothing. When you work all the time, you don't have the time to travel. When you aren't working, you have plenty of time but no money.

 

I'm ready to jump in the car and drive to a port to take another cruise, but that isn't reasonable. I shouldn't have gone on this one, but couldn't stop myself. :p

 

I made progress with the Capers. I carried them upstairs and put them on the desk! Next up, I'll actually scan them! :o

[NCTribeFan]

OK, so I'm worthless and just plain lazy. Still haven't scanned the capers. :o

 

I just remembered something that happened when I saw a post about laundry rooms on Miracle.

 

We were sitting in the cabin one late afternoon and there was a knock on the door. I thought it was probably the steward wanting to know if he could straighten up.

 

Nope. It was a young lady (probably early 20s). She wanted to know if our cabin was the laundry room!

 

Uh, no. It's a cabin!

 

"But," she said, "someone told me the laundry room was down here at the end of the hall!"

 

"Well, yes," I replied. "But it would be THAT room," as I pointed to the door right across from our next-door neighbors. You know, the one that says "laundry room" on the door! :p

[sgfun]

Can't wait to see the Capers thanks again.

[blondi_21]

Sunday, 12/13, Durham to Fort Lauderdale

 

I booked the 1:50 nonstop flight on Southwest Airlines from RDU to FLL. I had booked an airport taxi online for 11:30 pickup. I’d taken the dog to the vets to board on Saturday, so just had some last-minute packing to do (you know the stuff – making sure all my little bottles of liquids were actually in a zip bag, making sure we had cross-packed two checked bags and had sleepwear, swimwear, undies, etc. in the small roll-on case). The weather was in the 40s and rainy, and generally unpleasant. I was looking forward to getting to southern Florida, even though we’d had some glorious late fall weather here. But not this day! Got to the airport in plenty of time and got some lunch. Flight was uneventful and on time.

 

We went to the baggage claim and I went to the phones to call the Hyatt Place for pickup. Although luggage was already on the belt, I was told she couldn’t send the driver until I had the bags and was ready to go to the pickup point. So, about three minutes later, I called again and said we were ready. I was told to exit the terminal and go past the end of the building all the way down to a sign that said “off airport hotels” or something similar. So off we went, wearing our cold-weather clothing, dragging our bags down the sidewalk. Of course, the couple of benches were occupied, so we stood there for a bit, feeling rather warm and uncomfortable. I looked back toward the terminal, and there was the little Hyatt Place shuttle, sitting right in front of the door to the terminal. So, I left DD with the bags, and I walked back to the bus and asked the driver why we’d been told to walk all that way. He had no idea. So I boarded and he drove down and picked up DD and the luggage. In a few minutes, we were at the hotel.

 

Check-in was quick and painless. Unfortunately, our room didn’t face toward the port, but I walked down to the end of the hall later (searching for the ice machine), looked out the window, and saw a large ship pulling out, just at dusk. I believe it was the Celebrity Solstice. A couple of guys from our Roll Call were disembarking her after a transatlantic, boarding Miracle the next day, then flying to California to board HAL’s Amsterdam for a Panama Canal crossing. I try to not think too much about how nice it would be to have the money and time to travel like that, because I really don’t like being envious of others, but it’s hard to keep from thinking, “Why not me? Why don’t I have that life?” Instead, I try to just be grateful that I’ve been able to travel as much as I have. Given my situation, I may be living in a box under the freeway by this time next year, so obsessing about what I don’t have or can’t do is pointless.

 

 

 

 

I’d been told about an Irish pub near the hotel, so off we went for supper. Had very good fish & chips and a couple of pints of Guinness, while DD had the steak and kidney pie and a Strongbow cider. I was so stuffed! Just getting myself tuned up for all the overeating I knew I’d do on the ship. I didn’t sleep very well, probably due to the overeating and the excitement of boarding the ship the next day.

 

Are these photos of the hotel or the cruise you went on?

[Froufie]

Are these photos of the hotel or the cruise you went on?

 

Those are definitely pics of the Hyatt Place hotel and not the cabin on the cruise!!!

[NCTribeFan]

Ha, yes. Those are the hotel. I only wish I had a cabin that large!

 

I never did scan the capers. Oh well. Too late now. :o