Carnival Miracle Long Beach CA

[Rosefloater]

Leaving on Sunday. Chance of rain, chilly and windy.

 

See ya there.:D

 

And we'll be prepared for the weather. :D

[2Shoes2Go]

We will scoot over when the rain slacks up. Staying at the Queen Mary, round the corner. :) Always excited to board!

[Taters]

If it is rainy and windy on Sunday, I will be waiting on the Queen Mary until about 1 PM. Can't wait to get on board Miracle, but I may delay going to the dome until I see people walking across the bridge to the ship.

Edited January 27, 2016 by Taters

[SadieN]

Boarded a while ago.

Hit the perfect combination of rain, wind, 500+ platinum, and a Coast Guard inspection. All checkin was outside. Only Diamond was in the Captain's Lounge. Boarding started around 12:30.

We arrived at noon and were in our cabin by 1:15.

Edited January 31, 2016 by SadieN

[SadieN]

....... and crew immigration check.

[2Shoes2Go]

Diamonds and Suites only in Captain's Lounge. Released all in the CL at 1215. Quite the boarding walk across that "bridge" through the driving rain and wind. But, we are good now! The clothes and jackets were soaked. We had a Bellman from QM bring our luggage over on a cart before the rain started at 1045; a good choice and so worth it. :) Happy crowd, nonetheless! :)

[Pattakins]

Not trying to start trouble, but this poster does have a legitimate gripe. Here in Las Vegas, where almost everything is service oriented, you have plans for things like illness, etc. Yes, it happens, and yes, sometimes people have to be patient, but lets face it folks....cruising is a very intense service oriented business. it is not good business to make people stand out in the

cold and rain for hours. Come up with a plan, like handing out times to come back to be able to board promptly, etc. (think Disneyland's fast pass)They could also give those who have to wait some kind of freebie to use once on board, such as an 8x10 photo, or a couple of free drinks at one of the bars. Even waiting in your car, or at a restaurant is much better than standing in line forever, once you know the cruise line cares about your feelings and comfort. This poster has a legitimate reason to never want to cruise on Carnival again, given that they didn't seem to care about him. It doesn't matter whose fault the long lines were...it matters that the poster felt the cruise line had no regard for his comfort. Carnival has to remember that a lot of business gained or lost is generated by word of mouth. ALL service industries should bear this in mind. Yes, there will always be those who complain no matter what, and you will never make them happy. But most long time cruisers know the difference. I have been on many different cruises and on many different lines. So far, Carnival has been my least favorite for a variety of reasons (I have been on 5 cruises with them, so yes, I have plenty to compare). Although I will still take a Carnival cruise, it is not my first choice, and I may forego them completely if they made me feel like I meant nothing more than $$$ to them. And for those who said the poster should have had the travel insurance, it's really not that easy. You've already taken the time off work, paid for the house/animal sitter, etc. Not to mention waiting all that time for your dream vacation, so no, it really isn't that easy to just say oh, well...maybe next time.

[dctex99]

I will post details of our fiasco Less than Miracle trip when well..start with worst Filet Mignon from "steakhouse" ever! !

[SadieN]

I will post details of our fiasco Less than Miracle trip when well..start with worst Filet Mignon from "steakhouse" ever! !

 

 

Don't forget the mention we had a full Coast Guard inspection and Crew 90 day Visa check added to embarkation. Boarding started an hour late. All crew had to go to lifeboat stations. It wasn't pouring rain or even that windy.

[willydoit]

Uh-oh,,,leaving in 2 weeks. Not sounding like a great time was had by all. Please share your stories when you get a chance

[rebelcruiser]

Boy isn't that the truth if the OP was at my dinner table that evening I'd offer him some cheese to go with his whine.

 

Oxygen thieves like him would whine if it warm because they would be hot. They would whine if they had a free upgrade to a suite as its not on their favorite deck. We had a prima donna like him at our table once. A 10 top. Him and his wife bellyached about everything. The rest of us started laughing at them. (They were really petty) The whiners got up and left the table. None of us saw them the rest of the trip. No loss though.........

[classic1]

We have FTTF passes. I have read all sorts of different opinions on when we need to arrive at Long Beach- anywhere from 9 - 1 PM. ( Carnival Miracle March 19th)

Can anyone please tell me when we REALLY should arrive? THANKS!!!

[Kayloves]

Ugh.., sorry OP you weren't prepared. classic1 - I don't know much about other ports, but My experience aligns with the OP. For LB, take a book, snacks, wear walking shoes. My embarkation, and that of friends I've transported to the port have been around 90 mins. Not sure if arriving early/later helps. We just plan for a 2 hr wait n shrug it off. I figure the ship won't leave without us. [emoji6]. I've done the wait for my cruises, and transported others who experience the same....the lack of staffing is a common excuse. Never tried FTTF Tho. OP, hope things got better for you.

[Happy2BCruisen]

If you purchase the "faster to the fun" excursion (only 1 needed per cabin) you can get the same priority as the Platinum/Diamond travelers. You literally would walk to the front of the line. Last January in Miami we were faced with the same issue. When I showed them my F2F decal they escorted us to the front and were on the ship in minutes. Unfortunately, the folks we rode with on the transfer bus were left at the rear. We've cruised Princess, RCC & Carnival; This will be my platinum cruise so I no longer will need to purchase but it's well worth it.

[MaiTaiMary]

If you purchase the "faster to the fun" excursion (only 1 needed per cabin) you can get the same priority as the Platinum/Diamond travelers. You literally would walk to the front of the line. Last January in Miami we were faced with the same issue. When I showed them my F2F decal they escorted us to the front and were on the ship in minutes. Unfortunately, the folks we rode with on the transfer bus were left at the rear. We've cruised Princess, RCC & Carnival; This will be my platinum cruise so I no longer will need to purchase but it's well worth it.

 

Yeah...... that may be true for Miami. Long Beach is a whooooole different story!

Even with FTTF we waited hours. We got to the port around 10:00a and didn't step foot on board the ship until around 1:30pm. That was WITH Faster to the Fun. The boarding in Long Beach is horrible.

 

Just bring your patience and as soon as you get on board the ship, grab a drink and start your vacation. :D

Edited February 24, 2016 by MaiTaiMary