Had Great Time...But not going again...

[H82seaUgo]

Maybe try the Pride out of Baltimore. I went on the Fascination with some friends who had been on the Pride and they thought the Pride was better for crowd control.

 

pride has the same layout as the miracle.

[cruise_girl2002]

cruising isnt always for everyone. try going on a fantasy class ship (ecstasy, fantasy, sensation etc. ) smaller ships and fewer people. my dads favorite carnival cruise ship was the sensation (however his all time favorite was the mardi gras but i think that is because he was hammered 100% of the time, it was the 70s lol) and go when kids are in school...early-mid september (even though hurricane sease, great prices) or while school is in session, less kids

[bjkTX]

We've only been on on Carnival cruise with a second coming up, but we've been on eight others in different size ships from large to small.

 

I would agree with the many other cruisers who said the time of year you go, and the itinerary, makes a big difference.

 

We once had the choice between a Caribbean cruise during Spring/Summer break, or a later one during hurricane season - ALWAYS choose hurricane season :-)

 

Large or small ship we've never felt crowded, but then we pick our time and itinerary to give us the best chances of that happening.

 

Sometimes because of work schedule you have fewer options and another type of vacation may be better. But don't write off cruising until you have the chance to do a different type of cruise!

[VickiD59]

I thought the Miracle was actually kinda... flow'ey. One continuous deck (3 & 4) to get from one end of the ship to the other. I agree.. if you want to sit right on the Lido near a pool you may have to inherit a spot in someone's will because you'll never find one otherwise. How freakin early do these people camp out?? :eek: We just went up one level to the Sun deck and had our pick of location and chairs. And I guess if you go to the buffet at any hour where most people are hungry, you'll find it busier than if you went in between times. I've never heard anyone disgruntled over the Miracle... ever... (not to say your opinions aren't valid.. it was your vacation and your experiences), it was just the first time I ever read anything negative about a spirit class ship.

Glad you had a good time in spite of the few annoyances :)

[jessemon]

I do want to try again and thanks for all of your suggestions....Its been 7 years since I was on a cruise and I just don't remember the crowds like I had recently on the Miracle.....Yes there are places to escape. we had a great balcony and since we had 3 together the dividers were open for all 3.....

 

I'm thinking offseason and smaller ship as well. its ashame all the smaller ships are "luxury" and lots more dough.

Try Fantasy class ships on CCL they are my favorites...Or the Statendam class on HAL (55,000 with only 1266 pax)...The HAL ships though are not as lively but not overly expensive.....

[BeadedGoblets]

Cheaper, yes. Less crowded? No. Carnival ships sail 100% full. They'll mark the cabins down as much as they need to in the last few weeks before sailing to make sure they sail full.

 

A retired couple living in central Florida within driving distance of Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Tampa could probably cruise several times a month for less than $50 a day if they could travel with less than a week's notice.

 

we live close to the port. can you give me hints on how to book a last-minute cruise? do i just use carnival's regular booking machine or go to one of the online TA's to check prices? i have been unsuccessful in the past trying to research last-minute and wonder what i'm doing wrong.

[KCMiller]

It's interesting how experiences vary - my recent experience on the Miracle was very different. Oh, we did have to wait on some lines at the buffet, and at dinner, if we didn't wait until just after the dining room opened at 8:15, we would have waited on a very long line to get into the room (but if we walked up at 8:20, we walked right in) but because we kept to the adults only pool area, we never had any problem finding a chaise lounge or a table during the day, and found the cruise to be very relaxing and amazingly upscale. We did walk around the ship during the day, and honestly never saw terrible crowding, even on sea days, although there was a modicum of chair saving going on right by the main pool. But we always saw empty loungers. We were on the 6/15 sailing, and they told us it was completely full.

 

The biggest line was when we tried to reboard in Grand Turk. Lord have mercy, that line was long. Don't know how to avoid that one, though.

 

We loved her, and plan on sailing her again next year.

 

KC

[Elmer McCurdy]

pride has the same layout as the miracle.

 

Yeah, but it Baltimore pulls a significantly different crowd that NYC. I've gone out of Baltimore twice and NYC three times and found the Baltimore crowd to be more geographically diverse, and just a bit gentler.

[FloridaCouple05]

we live close to the port. can you give me hints on how to book a last-minute cruise? do i just use carnival's regular booking machine or go to one of the online TA's to check prices? i have been unsuccessful in the past trying to research last-minute and wonder what i'm doing wrong.

 

Well, we aren't retired and can't yet do last minute travel, so we're no experts, but I'd recommend keeping an eye on ************* dot com, and also establish a relationship with a Carnival PVP. Ours sends us several emails a month featuring cheap last minute bargains.

 

We've been meaning to explore the web to see if anyone has cracked the code on the cycles of Carnival's pricing. Our unscientific research so far seems to indicate that there are usually two large and predictable dips in pricing - one occurs at about the 90 day prior to sailing point and lasts for a week or two. That's the date by which a passenger has to cancel to receive a full refund (unless they've booked an Early Saver fare). I'm guessing Carnival suddenly finds themselves with dozens of formerly booked cabins that are now empty, and drop the rate to re-fill them. The other dip occurs in the 30 day to two week window, when they're trying to fill those last few cabins.

[dodger501]

It's interesting how experiences vary - my recent experience on the Miracle was very different. Oh, we did have to wait on some lines at the buffet, and at dinner, if we didn't wait until just after the dining room opened at 8:15, we would have waited on a very long line to get into the room (but if we walked up at 8:20, we walked right in) but because we kept to the adults only pool area, we never had any problem finding a chaise lounge or a table during the day, and found the cruise to be very relaxing and amazingly upscale. We did walk around the ship during the day, and honestly never saw terrible crowding, even on sea days, although there was a modicum of chair saving going on right by the main pool. But we always saw empty loungers. We were on the 6/15 sailing, and they told us it was completely full.

 

The biggest line was when we tried to reboard in Grand Turk. Lord have mercy, that line was long. Don't know how to avoid that one, though.

 

We loved her, and plan on sailing her again next year.

 

KC

 

This has been pretty much our experience as well. On Destiny and Conquest-class ships. We tend to go to the Lido later than most, e.g., 9AM for breakfast, 1:30-2:00 for lunch, etc. No problems.

Hot, sunny sea days will bring difficulty in finding chairs but we always did.

[Cruiser from MS]

You could try a less crowded time of year, say Sept - 3rd week of Dec. or 1st week of Jan (right after the holidays). I am sure you would have a totally different experience. Less crowds, more relaxation.

 

We cruised on the Miracle in January, I to found the ship way to crowded. I like the larger ships a lot better. I'm glad to know I am not the only person that did not like the Miracle. I got totally blasted for posting my dislike for this ship.

[hubofhockey]

OP, I wouldn't give up on cruising or even larger ships. I would try a different line. I think Carnival can be hectic, crowded, and pretty loud. When we want to get away from it all (and don't have our kids) and relax, we go on Princess cruises. Even on the larger ships, the mood is relaxed and the pool areas are separate and there are places to escape and relax. The line is a bit more laid back. From what I understand, Celebrity is the same and we may look at a Solstice class Celebrity ship as well. Small ships can get crowded and large ships can give you a lot of room. I think you might be happier on a larger ship on another line than on a smaller ship on Carnival. If you look hard enough, hopefully, you'll find what you are looking for.

[Duanerice1]

I agree with the OP to some extent. But I have over 10 cruises so I guess the crowds don't bother me too much :)

 

We always get a balcony on anything longer than a weekend cruise. Makes all the difference in the world. Lot of quiet time.

 

We live is S Florida so I have no desire to sit around the pool on a sea day (see balcony above) Otherwise I too would be frustrated.

 

I never liked the set times for meals at 6 pm and 8:30 but thankfully anytime dining has pretty much been installed on most of the cruise lines. Still have the huge dining room but much better in my opinion. Favorite is still Celebrity Aqua Class where you get a separate dining room. More of a restaurant experience versus a banquet experience.

 

We never sail during holidays, spring break or the summer so the crowds are either a bit less or there are much fewer kids on board. We usually sail Celebrity which as a rule has fewer kids, but not always.

 

We are on the cruise to relax, not necessarily see ports, have entertainment, etc. They are all great, but just getting away without a care in the world, that is why we cruise. Everything is at your fingertips!

 

I still think there is not a better deal out there than a cruise. Do we take other vacations but try to cruise every year or 18 months.

 

enjoy,

Duane