My Dec 20 Miracle review, finally

[Matt62]

You will see why it took me so long when you see it.

 

If there are any truly important points to be taken from this review, it is that the ship and your experience on it and your ports of call, are what YOU make them. For example, St Lucia was both the most amazing place ever for some of the passengers with us on the Miracle and at the same time absolutely horrible for others. How can that be? Easy.

 

As for the ship, Carnival is not the Four Seasons, if it were there would be about a quarter as many passengers as crew, they do not and CANNOT anticipate your every personal need. If you need something, ask for it. We liked to have our ice bucket(s) and wine bucket iced down constantly. I wanted an extra pillow. I asked our wonderful steward, it was done. If you don't like what you are served in the MDR, you can complain about it or you can get something else but that choice is yours.

 

I will post some photos as the day goes on. As I note at the end my review, we (family of 4 with two high school kids, 18 & 15) were returning to Carnival after many, many years with a high degree of skepticism, fearing the worst (you name it, cabins with no A/C, not enough towels, bad food, surly service, chain smoking, etc), but we came home very glad we cruised on this ship at this time.

 

I just read a review from someone who took their 17 & 23 year old kids on a Disney cruise during the same week and while they loved singing along to the Disney songs they grew up with, they hated their week, they were bored, bored, bored. This was a main part of why I chose The Miracle during this week.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=94860

[cruisetexas]

Thanks, Matt 62.

 

We took this cruise four years ago, same stops, same ship, and will try to do it again. Love the Miracle and all three stops. Thanks for your honest opinion. We're on our 8th Carnival cruise and often wonder if we should 'jump ship' to RCL or another, but really can't find a good reason.

 

Sounds like you're living the good life! Enjoy.

[sarahleebones]

Great review Matt! Thanks! We are hoping to go on the Miracle in April/May 2013....just waiting for May's dates to be released. Toying with Premium Balcony vs. Ocean Vista Suite. We had a Vista balcony on the Glory last year (not a suite but a FANTASTIC balcony). Premium balconies seem to be "suite like" by way of the upgraded tiling and granite accents.

 

Anyway, thanks for the review. Glad you had a great time!

[Mary49]

Great review Matt! Thanks! We are hoping to go on the Miracle in April/May 2013....just waiting for May's dates to be released. Toying with Premium Balcony vs. Ocean Vista Suite. We had a Vista balcony on the Glory last year (not a suite but a FANTASTIC balcony). Premium balconies seem to be "suite like" by way of the upgraded tiling and granite accents.

 

Anyway, thanks for the review. Glad you had a great time!

 

Hi Matt, I love the Miracle been on her twice. Could you tell me what rock and roll band that did the Beatle Tribute? Also they usually play in Frankies and Johnnies. Thanks for the info.

[w8ing2cruz]

What a great, informational review Matt! Thanks so much for taking the time to write/post it! You hit the nail on the head in that people make or break their own vacations. Sounds like you guys made yours!!

[mermaidofmanhattan]

Thank you, Matt, for this review, I'm feeling really good about our Miracle booking in August after reading this.

 

We, too, are a family with two kids, boys, ages 10 and 15, all of us very well-travelled and we have a vacation home on a lake about an hour and half from Manhattan.

 

I, too, pondered over the choices available, although I only looked at sailing out of the NYC ports. After considering carefully all of our schedules, kid's ages and desires, my husband's and my need for privacy and comfort, I booked VS aft-wrap and adjoining aft-extended balcony for our 8-day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Miracle.

 

I'm feeling very confident that we made the right choice for this vacation after reading your clear and honest review, thank you so much! I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time!

 

By the way, I love Charleston, I've spent a few weeks there; loved touring Drayton Hall, the gardens of the city in the spring were spectacular and I had some terrific meals.

 

Cheers!

[Matt62]

Hi Matt, I love the Miracle been on her twice. Could you tell me what rock and roll band that did the Beatle Tribute? Also they usually play in Frankies and Johnnies. Thanks for the info.

 

You are correct, they were "Music Unlimited" and they played every night at Frankies and Johnnies. They are Thai I believe. When performing as the Beatles they had this smile on their faces that said, "ok, we don't look remotely like the Beatles but we are great musicians, are having fun and so should you"

[Matt62]

Thank you, Matt, for this review, I'm feeling really good about our Miracle booking in August after reading this.

 

We, too, are a family with two kids, boys, ages 10 and 15,

By the way, I love Charleston, I've spent a few weeks there; loved touring Drayton Hall, the gardens of the city in the spring were spectacular and I had some terrific meals.

 

Cheers!

 

Thanks for your kind words. I think Miracle is a great choice for kids in our age groups as long as school is out of session. I heard from staff that it is a very different age range, naturally, when school is in. On the same thought, we intentionally avoided Disney because we didn't want to be surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of very young children. Nothing wrong with young children except that they are not our kids ages. Been there, done that.

[mermaidofmanhattan]

Thanks for your kind words. I think Miracle is a great choice for kids in our age groups as long as school is out of session. I heard from staff that it is a very different age range, naturally, when school is in. On the same thought, we intentionally avoided Disney because we didn't want to be surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of very young children. Nothing wrong with young children except that they are not our kids ages. Been there, done that.

 

Exactly! All done with THAT!

 

I also have no desire to cruise on one of the enormous ships like Allure (it holds no allure for me), besides being with 6000 other people (like I don't already live in close proximity to thousands of people!?), I want a ship to look and feel like a ship, not a big floating apartment building.

 

NYC schools (as well as many North East schools) aren't back in session until a few days after Labor Day. Last day of school for 2012 is June 27th; so there will be plenty kids on our cruise.

[kcdancerkc]

Could you name the black sandy beach that you featured in your first post? Was it the best black sand beach?

 

Thanks!

[Matt62]

Could you name the black sandy beach that you featured in your first post? Was it the best black sand beach?

 

Thanks!

 

I don't know what it is called or if it really has a name but if you are traveling NW (counterclockwise) around the Atlantic side of St Kitts, it is not far past "Black Rocks", a popular stop on the Atlantic.

 

Here is the Google view of the area.

[Matt62]

Could you name the black sandy beach that you featured in your first post? Was it the best black sand beach?

 

Thanks!

 

ok, with a little closer look I did find the actual name of this (very) black sand beach. It is, "Sandy Bay" and it is between the village of Sadlers and Dieppe Bay Town. You can see it in the photo at this link.

http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/sk/images/StKitts02.gif

 

It is the most spectacular black sand beach I've ever seen and we'd just seen several great examples on St. Lucia.

 

If you are trying to get there, you need to be specific as there are several beaches with "Sandy" in the name on St Kitts. For example, "Sandy Bank Bay" is near the southern tip of St Kitts and while it is breathtakingly beautiful and almost always completely empty of people, it is not a black sand beach, all of which are around the northern more volcanic side of the island.

 

The attached photo is the view looking out over Sandy Bank Bay in the south. We were watching our kids surf. Not another person is sight but the guys given our daughter surfing lessons.