Miracle to Hawaii

[Sea and Me]

We have never sailed on Carnival. I was wondering to those of you that sailed on the Miracle your experiences. I'm looking at the sailing for Hawaii on the Miracle.

Thank you for your response.

Carol

[MrPete]

I have cruised the Miracle, and cruised to Hawaii, but not at the same time.

 

Miracle gets 10 thumbs up for being a Spirit class vessel, and Hawaii gets 20 thumbs up as a place to cruise to.

[Nannydd12]

We have cruised on the Miracle and we love the smaller spirit class ship. It is so easy to navigate around. We are thrilled to be cruising to Hawaii on the Miracle in April 2014. Will be nice to get back aboard this great ship.

[CRUZBUDS]

The Spirit class is a great layout. You'll find an older and somewhat more reserve demographic on an Hawaii cruise because of the length.

 

We've never done the Miracle, but we've done Hawaii on the Spirit and 8 other times. Hawaii is awesome!

 

Here is the stack of the Spirit and Aloha Tower

 

[Tatka]

Miracle has nice design, but horrible decore. Google main dining room.:D

[Pisgah]

We booked the Miracle to Hawaii on Sept 17, 2013. We sailed on the Miracle on an 8 day one other time and loved it. After 9 cruises it is our favorite ship.

Join us on our Hawaii cruise. We have a great roll call with 100 people. Check it out.

 

Rick

[jsfromsc]

Miracle has nice design, but horrible decore. Google main dining room.:D

 

IMO the main dining room is the only tacky décor on the Miracle. The rest of the ship is lovely. We enjoyed the literary themed hallways, the lounges and the other nice areas to hang out like Kane's Way and Gatsby's Garden. We did the 8 day Southern Caribbean cruise on the Miracle and really enjoyed the ship. But you're right about the dining room. It was pretty gaudy.

 

Oh, and as someone who has been to Hawaii many times but never cruised there, I would love to return on a cruise. It would be nice to visit multiple islands without having to pack and unpack or take inter-island flights.

[Tatka]

If I had to choose between Carnival ships now I will probably go with Spirit class. I like how pools area planned, and some other features.

 

Cannot agree about decor though... I believe these areas are tacky too

 

 

 

 

Hallways are OK though. It was pretty interesting to guess heroes.

 

Dining room

 

 

 

 

But... if you compare this ship to Conquest class ships, it is much much better designed. So all you need is to psychologically adjust. Took me 8 days though :D

[CRUZBUDS]

Yikes! :eek:

 

It makes the Spirit seem subdued in comparison :)

[jsmac3]

We have never sailed on Carnival. I was wondering to those of you that sailed on the Miracle your experiences. I'm looking at the sailing for Hawaii on the Miracle.

 

Thank you for your response.

 

Carol

 

We just spent 15 days on the Miracle during its repositioning cruise. If we could take the time from work, we'd be on one of the Hawaii cruises. It is a great ship with a great crew.

[boaterette]

I have sailed to Hawaii on a Princess ship. It had a lot of cultural activities geared towards Hawaii. Does Carnival do this? We had lei making, hula lessons, ukelele lessons and other things. I have been on sister ships like the Pride and Spirit. I love the design of the ships. It is generally cold on the way there and the way back but nice once you get to Hawaii. We had some pretty big waves there and back. Others have had smooth sailing.

[tiggerman101]

I have been on the Miracle for two different 8 day cruises. I think the decor is pretty bad as well. I absolutly hate the MDR and I think the rest of it looks really cheap. However, the layout is fine and it certainly wouldn't stop me from cruising her again.

 

I also did the 15 day Hawaii cruise (but on the Spirit). It is a fantastic cruise if you are looking for a lot of R&R with great ports inbetween. Some people complained of lack of activities, but I could have cared less. I had fun doing my own thing.

[bogeydi]

We just spent 15 days on the Miracle during its repositioning cruise. If we could take the time from work, we'd be on one of the Hawaii cruises. It is a great ship with a great crew.

 

Couldn't agree more. We were on the repositioning too and loved the ship. So much so we've booked the 9/14 sailing to Hawaii - in an aft wrap! Decor is very tacky - in places - but the size is perfect and the staff is great!

[bogeydi]

I have sailed to Hawaii on a Princess ship. It had a lot of cultural activities geared towards Hawaii. Does Carnival do this? We had lei making, hula lessons, ukelele lessons and other things. I have been on sister ships like the Pride and Spirit. I love the design of the ships. It is generally cold on the way there and the way back but nice once you get to Hawaii. We had some pretty big waves there and back. Others have had smooth sailing.

 

We sailed to Hawaii last year on the Golden Princess. Loved the cultural activities as well. Was planning on sailing the Star or Sapphire back to Hawaii next year - until we experienced the Miracle on the repositioning. Hoping Miracle has some kind of Hawaii themed activities as well. Liked the Carnival itinerary better than Princess too - 16 days out of Vancouver instead of the 15 day with Ensenada. Plus there are 6 port days as opposed to 4 on Princess. Still love Princess - but you can't beat the Miracle.

[NotWthOutablcony]

I too have sailed Hawaii via Princess and we loved it! Got a last minute upgrde from a mini suite to a full suite with all the perks! Memorable is the perfect word!

We are booked on the Miracle for October 19th to Hawaii, we're getting married on embarkation day (yippeee!) We too like Carnival's itinerary better than Princess' with Kona added. Got to get me a good cup o' joe in Kona!

We haven't sailed the Miracle, but did sail on the Spirit last year which is her sister ship and loved it. Like others have mentioned, the size of the Spirit class are just perfect, not too large that you feel lost in the crowds and not too small that you're getting cozy with your neighbors. And, as others have mentioned, the Spirit class is very easy to navigate. The Splendor was like that as well. Carnival is a lot like Princess, their ships' layouts are all fairly similar.

I definitly say book it! You can't go wrong with a cruise to Hawaii!

[Mulege]

Would pick Princess over Carnival. They have programs tailor made for Hawaii cruising. Better ships and food.

[Tatka]

I cannot agree at all that Carnival ships are similar in design to Princess ships. You can say that Spirit class pool areas slightly remind Princess, but others. :confused:

[Sea and Me]

Thanks to all of you that have posted. The pictures were great. My DH didn't mind the MDR tackiness:D although I will admit it is different from other ships we sailed on.

We have sailed to Hawaii in '07 on the Serenade of the Seas (RCCL) but never visited Kauai. We will be celebrating our 50th ann. next year and are thinking or doing another Hawaii cruise. Seems Carnival has a better itinerary than other lines that is why I'm looking at the Miracle.

Thanks again.

Carol

[labsnabys]

Seems Carnival has a better itinerary than other lines that is why I'm looking at the Miracle.

 

Thanks again.

Carol

 

Go for it! You will not regret the choice. We loved the Miracle on our recent Mexican Riviera cruise.

[Tatka]

Have you checked NCL Pride of America? She does cruises around Hawaii.

[firefly333]

Have you checked NCL Pride of America? She does cruises around Hawaii.

 

The price Im paying is lower and it leaves and comes back so I can fly to a U.S. mainland city. (Im flying to Seattle on SW points and taking a bus to Vancouver and checking in to my hotel the same day. with the time change I get to Seattle early in the morning)

 

To fly to Hawaii would cost me at least double flight costs to board NCL.

 

Im doing the Hawaii repo this Sept because I got such a great deal.

 

It would cost me a lot more for NCL's 7 day cruise than what it will cost me to do Carnival's 15 day cruise. Im fine with sea days both ways.

 

Not that it would be a deciding factor to some, it wasnt to me, but its a nice bonus. With a 15 day cruise .. I asked to apply a FCC, $200 OBC, and I will get $250 OBC for owning stock. This will officially be my 25th milestone cruise, so Im going to try and get the 25% of the fare applied as OBC .. so I will be swimming in OBC, enough to do Carnival excursions and buy myself a nice watch etc.

[serene56]

 

Im doing the Hawaii repo this Sept because I got such a great deal.

.

 

 

How does a repo cruise from Hawaii work?

 

That might be of interest to me some day

[firefly333]

How does a repo cruise from Hawaii work?

 

That might be of interest to me some day

 

Its not from Hawaii. .. at the beginning and end of the Alaskan cruising season, the Alaskan ship is moved to or from Calif.

 

So, I have to fly to Vancouver (Seattle) and then fly home from Calif. (if you do it google the train stop in Seattle, my date has 2 trains for $29 and 3 buses for $45 I can choose from to get to Vancouver to cross the border. )

 

Carnival has also the last couple of years done a round trip to and from Calif for 15 days, stops in Encenada in order to have a foreign port. There are a couple of round trips from calif listed, also 15 days, but I expect more $$, though I dont know.. I was booked so dont watch those prices.

 

I got a hugely discounted rate on the TA from Vancouver .. so I couldnt resist it, since I used to live in Hawaii for 10 years, even though Carnival would not let me move the Alaskan cruise to be a B2B (jones act), so its stupid Im flying up to seattle twice in 2 weeks.

 

I never saw alaska before, so I dont want to cancel and there was no group rate I could move that that worked at the time I could have moved my Alaskan cruise. I need the cruise to Alaska to reach #25 for Hawaii too .. so not cancelling it.. but its not going to give me much time between #24 and #25 to get OBC for milestone applied.

[xbatt8]

How does a repo cruise from Hawaii work?

 

As Carnival repositions the Miracle from its summer posting in Alaska to its winter posting in Long Beach, it goes by way of Hawaii. It's a 15 night cruise with 5 1/2 days at sea, followed by 5 ports in Hawaii, followed by another 4 sea days back to Long Beach.

 

I'm trying to talk DW into doing this cruise. I think she is weakening.... :)

 

Bob