If it’s a great cruise…..It’s a Miracle!

[keeponrolling]

OK, it was a great cruise. My wife and I sailed into a tropical paradise and came back tanned, relaxed and amazed. And with the first trappings of a cruise ship cold. Oh, well…it was great, not perfect!

 

The itinerary (12-13-10) of Fort Lauderdale to St. Martin, St. Lucia and St. Kitts really appealed to us. With the cushion of four sea days, it gave us the time to enjoy the subtle pleasures of the ship and to spend long uninterrupted time with each other. A real luxury, for sure.

 

We tend toward more independent travels, so I can’t shed too much light on the activities and gatherings that appeal to many cruisers. The Miracle staff does a great job of keeping things lively throughout the day and evening.

 

I was most impressed by the kids and teen programs. There were many children on the ship, but very few spent time unsupervised. It was very cool to suddenly hear the sound of two dozen tykes singing in call and response to their counselors, as they suddenly appeared parading through a promenade hallway. Circle C and Club 02 for the teens are situated discretely in forward sections of the ship. And very well attended, it seemed.

 

Our Room

 

This was our third cruise. We booked back in March, early saver rate. We booked directly with Carnival, and I was well pleased with the service and the follow up. In the past, I made every effort to book the highest deck possible, forward inside room. Booking early helps. We like the idea of getting close to the Lido or any open deck. I’m fond of legging the open areas at any time of the day, and especially love early mornings for ocean sunrises and port approaches. Cruise ships are very different places at these times, and the feelings of quiet and solitude on the seas is a real pleasure.

 

We booked 8135, and we were pleased with the location. First room in the hallway, close to stairs, one deck up to Lido. Much to our surprise, two days before we flew out, Carnival called and offered up an extended balcony upgrade……300 bucks, out the door as they say. Combined with our early saver rate, our cabin charge was less than $1400. Bring on the ocean breezes!!

 

I understand the feelings of cruisers who book a balcony……once you try it, you never go back…and we were thrilled to experience it, but if we ever cruise again, I probably will book on my original inside premise and welcome an upgrade offer. We enjoyed cabin 7184.

 

One great indulgence was room service at dawn on the balcony. Coffee, tomato juice, fresh fruit and yogurt…….alone on the vastness of an ocean planet…….We miss that already. Fill out your room service card in the evening, hang it out on your door, and it’s all pretty seamless from there. A couple of bucks for the delivery is the accepted courtesy.

 

The balcony was roomy, comfy and we were constantly drawn to it throughout the day. It was great for sail aways, or just to sit and gaze at the panorama of the islands while docked.

 

The Ship

 

For us, the Miracle seemed a pretty big place to be. The design can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but after watching an interview on the cabin TV with Joe Farcus, the ship’s designer, we gained an appreciation for what he tried to accomplish. Details extended to ceiling murals and fanciful architectural twists, with classical, literary, nautical and mythical themes integrated from one environment to the next. What we enjoyed most were the public spaces on the Promenade and Atlantic decks, all full of very comfortable furniture. These were hangouts for snugglin’ and relaxin’ (S & R)……..our main focus of the cruise. We were pleased with the results.

 

On Deck two, Promenade starboard aft is Jeeves Lounge. With a bar and bandstand, it served as a place for early evening entertainment for karaoke and live jazz, or for many as a stop before dinner in the adjacent Bacchus restaurant. Couch and chair arrangements extend forward all the way into the main lobby to the casino. To go forward from here to the Fountainhead café meant trudging the walk of death that is the smoke filled pit of the casino. Fountainhead may well have been our favorite place for S & R. It was just uniquely comfortable. Afternoon piano was played, and it seemed to be a natural meeting spot for others. After a few days we realized that the stairway there wound up to Deck three Atlantic, and the Internet/Library area. A good way to avoid the casino.

 

On Deck three forward was also a favorite place, Gatsby’s Garden. This charming retreat winds all the way forward and back around to port side. It seemed well hidden and sparsely used, with tables for two all along the window-lined walls.

 

Towards the back of the deck is Gotham Lounge. Quiet and relaxed during the day, it picked up the pace in the evening. Set with a bar and piano, each evening Elizabeth, one of the ship’s pianists would play for an hour. Half of deck three Bacchus restaurant is set aside for any time dining, and the Gotham is where people waited with their beepers for seating during the busiest dining hour.

 

The lobby, framed by the nine deck high atrium, is visually stunning, day and night. Spacious and beautifully lit, it is flanked by a wall of three glassed elevators. These elevators became our main point of orientation and transport. Three sets of four elevators with wide adjacent staircases are also available: forward, mid and aft.

 

For some reason, for the first few days, it was ridiculously easy to get ourselves turned around and headed in the wrong direction or down the opposite side hallway in search of our room. At the head of each hallway off the elevators are full size decorative panels of literary figures. These extend down the hallways, also. Captain Nemo, Dorian Gray and many others are represented. They make great reference points. For us it was Long John Silver, aft elevators, and Captain Nemo leading the way from the mid elevators. This was very helpful.

 

Restrooms are numerous, big enough to matter, and always kept clean. Deck three’s winding Yellow Brick Road leads you through the gift and liquor shops. They seemed pretty popular.

 

The Lido deck is vast. The middle, of course, is the interior Buffet area. Aft is the adult pool/hot tub area. There, a covered deck has ample tables and chairs, a bar and soft ice cream stations. For those who complain of a lack of seating, there are long stretches of covered tables all along the port and starboard sides of the two forward pool areas. They are a perfect place to eat.

 

Eats

 

Let me make a full-throated endorsement. Carnival makes a strong effort to present food that is delicious, full of variety, beautifully presented and very easy to enjoy. There are clearly professionals in charge. This is not the Old Country Buffet, and the Dining Room ain’t Applebee’s. It’s not cafeteria food, and anyone who says otherwise is talking bull…..

 

The food is better. Beyond better. Sure, you’re at the busiest, and only full service restaurant within one hundred miles, so there are bound to be some hiccups. There are 2,000 mouths to feed. In about three hours. The dining room selections are different every night, unlike Applebee’s, and the range is vast and creative. And you can have whatever you want.

 

But what the hey. I love free food and lots of variety, but I got pretty damn tired of it by the fourth or fifth day. Maybe I just got discouraged by the sight of piles of wasted food left on tables and in hallways. Or the 24-hour food cycle the ship operates. Temptations are overwhelming, food is a constant, and I finally hit a wall of exhaustion. Oh well, you still gotta eat.

 

We ate dinner in the dining room the first four nights and lunch there on the first two sea days. We discovered that the evening buffet area was almost completely empty after eight o’clock. They served most of the same things as the dining room. For the remainder of the cruise we served ourselves leisurely and sat out in the warm soft breeze of the back deck under the stars and a full moon. Perfect.

 

A word, too, for the Bacchus dining room and Horatio buffet crews. In Horatio’s, servers were everywhere, clearing tables and offering drinks and assistance. Those behind the serving lines were friendly and helpful, many times beyond the call of patience.

 

In the dining room, Seema, the lead hostess and her team handled each evening flawlessly and with perfect charm. Our server most nights was Joselito, with his assistant Maximo. They work magic. The same could be said for everyone we encountered. Shame to anyone who cancels their gratuities.

 

Ports

 

St. Martin……..Our first stop in paradise. We knew there would be five ships in port, one of them the Allure of the Seas, the megamall that passes as a cruise ship. With over 11,000 passengers free, we kept our itinerary loose. Our first choice was the beach at Simpson Bay, close to the airport. It’s a wide crescent of sand with great views, but apparently not yet popular with cruisers. Second were the bars at Dawn Beach. There were persistent showers all morning, with blustery winds, so we fell back on option three, the water taxi to Phillipsburg, shopping and a stroll on the Front Street beach.

 

St. Lucia………Anticipation made this the highlight of the cruise. We reserved with Herod’s island tours for the Land and Sea Adventure, which would take us on a two taxi caravan south to the Pitons, with many stops for photo ops and island highlights and get us back to the ship by high speed boat along the coast. Herod asks for a ten-person minimum, so we posted on our Roll Call and our group sized up at 14. A fantastic time, right at 6 hours. The photo ops alone are worth the price. A full review can be seen on the St. Lucia board, or on Tripadvisor. The highest praise to Herod and Dixon for their efforts. A stunningly beautiful island.

 

St. Kitts……..After much consideration of the many options available, we decided to tour the old Clay Villa Plantation. On their website, they offer private island tours that include their home, so we signed for the “Beyond the Ordinary” option. It also included a tour of Basseterre and Romney Manor and a trip to Timothy Hill to see the view of the Atlantic and Caribbean from atop the peninsula. Our taxi man was excellent, full of passion and eager to see positive change for his home, and he showed us much more than expected.

 

Debarkation was handled very well. We sat comfortably on Deck three and when our Zone was called, we walked down the stairs and off the ship. Impressive. And the end to a great cruise.

[hockeyluver]

Thank you for the great review. I will be sailing on the Miracle again in 42 days and cannot wait!!! We are doing the other itinerary but did this one last February.

[mississauga]

Great review! Thanks for sharing.

[golfadj]

Thanks for the review. We do the same itinerary on Miracle end of next month.

[Delta Dear]

Thanks for the comprehensive review. We're also on the Jan. 30 sailing. Can't wait. I plan to do more list making and more packing this week.

[SkyMaster]

GREAT review. I agree that the service and food aboard "Miracle" is excellent! She's a great little ship.

 

"SKY"

[okwriter]

Looks like a great itinerary! Also love your review---very well done! Will you be posting pictures?

[Lady Arwen]

Thank you so much for your review. We'll be on the Miracle in 10 days and just can't wait.

[Crusing Nut]

Great Review! We love the Miracle. Hubby and I love the size, the really big ships do not impress us. We have to try them out but we always come back to the Miracle. Sailing Jan 30.... and have started to pack !

[sandij]

Thanks for the memories, we did your itinerary two years ago and will be doing the other side in March. We too have the extended balcony room, in fact the same one we had in 2009. It is a lovely ship.

[Dave_&_Lisa]

Thanks for the review. We are leaving on the same itinerary in 17 days and can't wait!

[LynneL]

January 6th for us on the Miracle, though different itinerary. Can't wait! Especially when looking out at a blizzard right now - lol. Guess I should use this time to start packing & count my blessings that we weren't supposed to fly out today.

[Delta Dear]

Hi Cruising Nut, We're cruising on Jan. 30, too along with a group called the Miracle Maniacs. Jump over to our thread if you want to, it's been like a roll call for that trip. See you on board.

[Dave_&_Lisa]

January 6th for us on the Miracle, though different itinerary. Can't wait! Especially when looking out at a blizzard right now - lol. Guess I should use this time to start packing & count my blessings that we weren't supposed to fly out today.

 

I too am looking out at a blizzard and am thankful we are not flying today!! Enjoy your cruise!!