Spirit or Miracle to Alaska?

[craig01020]

Good morning. I was checking out the July & August 2026 Alaska cruises on Spirit and Miracle. They have identical itineraries. I've never been on either ship, but I believe they are identical. Are there any factors why you would choose one over the other? Thanks.

[jsglow]

The only difference I can think of is that Miracle will have a big Lido TV by then and I'm not sure if Spirit does. The other factor might be one's departure date; Tuesday v. Thursday.

 

Do note that Luminosa will also likely be doing the Alaskan itinerary that summer and that itinerary has yet to be announced. So you may want to wait just a bit to evaluate her as an option.

[UPNYGuy]

Personally, if itineraries are identical, it is whichever ship is to your liking. IMO I feel the miracle has the worst decor in the carnival fleet. The mdr looks like a Tuscan theme gone wrong, and all the bathroom doors have heads with mouths at awkward heights 😆  

[craig01020]

1 minute ago, UPNYGuy said:

Personally, if itineraries are identical, it is whichever ship is to your liking. IMO I feel the miracle has the worst decor in the carnival fleet. The mdr looks like a Tuscan theme gone wrong, and all the bathroom doors have heads with mouths at awkward heights 😆  

Thanks. I've been on the Splendor which is pretty wacky. I have three Miracle cruises booked for next year, so I guess I'll find out. 😂

[UPNYGuy]

Just now, craig01020 said:

Thanks. I've been on the Splendor which is pretty wacky. I have three Miracle cruises booked for next year, so I guess I'll find out. 😂

That’s the MDR

[craig01020]

7 minutes ago, UPNYGuy said:

That’s the MDR

Looks like the Splendor's atrium (see pic).  Joe Farcus at his best.

 

Edited August 28 by craig01020

[UPNYGuy]

26 minutes ago, craig01020 said:

Looks like the Splendor's atrium (see pic).  Joe Farcus at his best.

 

Yup. I prefer the more subtle decor of the vista and excel class, but lots love the farcus era. Personally, I’d prefer the decor of the vista class on the spirit class ships (love the spirits). 
 

I’ll never *not* cruise on a farcus designed ship though, and I will probably miss them when all the ships look the same inside. 

Edited August 28 by UPNYGuy

[jsglow]

Yeah, Miracle and Splendor are certainly over the top. But it'll be darn boring when everything in life is muted beige. Ever notice how all the cars nowadays are about nine different shades of grey? Booorrring.

[craig01020]

22 minutes ago, jsglow said:

Yeah, Miracle and Splendor are certainly over the top. But it'll be darn boring when everything in life is muted beige. Ever notice how all the cars nowadays are about nine different shades of grey? Booorrring.

I agree. I don't mind wacky, but it took my eyes awhile to adjust on Splendor. 😵‍💫

Carnival cruisers tend to be colorful, not beige anyway.

[UPNYGuy]

30 minutes ago, craig01020 said:

I agree. I don't mind wacky, but it took my eyes awhile to adjust on Splendor. 😵‍💫

Carnival cruisers tend to be colorful, not beige anyway.

Loool. DW and I started on HAL, and wound up on Oceania, and tried Carnival… flatly the reverse of what most people would do. There are others in there too. We tend to alternate between RC, Carnival, and MSC now. But I prefer the HAL / Oceania / MSC decor styles. MSC is very modern, HAL less so, Oceania is in the middle. 

[UPNYGuy]

58 minutes ago, jsglow said:

Yeah, Miracle and Splendor are certainly over the top. But it'll be darn boring when everything in life is muted beige. Ever notice how all the cars nowadays are about nine different shades of grey? Booorrring.

 

…. In comes the person with a grey car 🤣

[n6uqqq]

Of the two ships the Spirit has a much toned down decor. The Spirit and Miracle are both going into dry dock early next year. The Spirit already has the big screen ( much smaller than newer ships) by the pool. The Miracle decor doesn't bother me in the least. I am not into the newer ships that look like shopping malls and their hotel like appearance. Give me gaudy 😁

[Old Fart Cruisers]

3 hours ago, jsglow said:

 Ever notice how all the cars nowadays are about nine different shades of grey? Booorrring.

 

I didn't want that boring gray, so I went a very interesting color midway between black and silver.

[UPNYGuy]

27 minutes ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

I didn't want that boring gray, so I went a very interesting color midway between black and silver.

Blilver?? 

[KyloRen]

I just walked off the Miracle on Monday. (Aug 16/26 Alaska). I swear to you I am

 no Karen and I have another 5 cruises booked on Carnival. (I take between 3-5 cruises a year) 

 

The last time I sailed on the miracle was September 2021. I have to say, and my husband completely agrees that this was the absolute worst food I have ever had in my entire life. The guys burgers were even dry. Guys is usually the saving grace!
 

 The buffet was only open until 9:30 PM at night,  and the staff was highly aggressive both at the bars (except a couple shout out to Jens and Lili) and about getting rid of the food as soon as they deemed the bigger was closed. They had line signs like at comic con that said END OF LINE NO MORE/CLOSED,  it was super weird and off putting.

 

 In the plus side the steak house and wow the sushi was perfect!
 

 What as worst is that very little things that had flavor in it, or as not cold or dry. 
 

I was very much not alone in that in that so many people were complaining on the group chat for this boat o.o

 

 they need to fire the head chef and bar manager

Edited August 28 by KyloRen

[KyloRen]

Just now, KyloRen said:

I just walked off the Miracle on Monday. (Aug 16/26 Alaska). I swear to you I am

 no Karen and I have another 5 cruises booked on Carnival. (I take between 3-5 cruises a year) 

 

The last time I sailed on the miracle was September 2021. I have to say, and my husband completely agrees that this was the absolute worst food I have ever had in my entire life. The guys burgers were even dry. Guys is usually the saving grace!
 

 The buffet was only open until 9:30 PM at night,  and the staff was highly aggressive both at the bars (except a couple shout out to Jens and Lili) and about getting rid of the food as soon as they deemed the bigger was closed. They had line signs like at comic con that said END OF LINE NO MORE/CLOSED,  it was super weird and off putting.
 

 What as worst is that very little things that had flavor in it, or as not cold or dry. 
 

I was very much not alone in that in that so many people were complaining on the group chat for this boat o.o

 

 they need to fire the head chef and bar manager

 

[craig01020]

7 minutes ago, KyloRen said:

as soon as they deemed the bigger was closed

???

[KyloRen]

19 minutes ago, craig01020 said:

???

Buffet. Sorry 

 

oi I made a lot of errors (that’s what i get for using text to talk) I really hope the miracle goes in for that dry dock! I’m on her for July 2025 in Europe. 
 

I’m then on the Legend for Aug 04-14 25 in Alaska. 

Edited August 28 by KyloRen

[ABQrobin]

Just got back from the Spirit in Alaska a few weeks ago.  We LOVE the ship.  It has a full sized Bonsai Sushi and the Miracle does not.  Probably everything else is the same.  

[rbelshaw]

I was on the Miracle twice in 23-24 - short hops to Catalina/Mexico. I love the ship. I characterize the decor as the result of taking Farcus to Disneyland and then to one of the older hotels on the strip in Vegas, where they fed him LSD and sat him down at a drawing board with the big box of crayons. Hence all the "Alice" tributes.....

[KyloRen]

48 minutes ago, rbelshaw said:

I was on the Miracle twice in 23-24 - short hops to Catalina/Mexico. I love the ship. I characterize the decor as the result of taking Farcus to Disneyland and then to one of the older hotels on the strip in Vegas, where they fed him LSD and sat him down at a drawing board with the big box of crayons. Hence all the "Alice" tributes.....

 

LOL ALL OF THIS! Gatsbys garden is a trip, like a garden prominade inside the Titanic. With all that said the ship is very well maintained. I took this video just the other day. 

[BlerkOne]

Either ship is fine. No complaints. We did a 14 day Alaska on Miracle last year, but have gone on both ships.

 

 

 

[nc762shooter]

Splendor decor reminded my wife and I of a pink TARDIS.😂

 

Say what you will about the Farcus interiors, they are definitely unique and always make me feel like I'm on a cruise ship as opposed to in a bland hotel or somewhere else. I'll miss them when they're gone!

[KyloRen]

5 hours ago, nc762shooter said:

Splendor decor reminded my wife and I of a pink TARDIS.😂

 

Say what you will about the Farcus interiors, they are definitely unique and always make me feel like I'm on a cruise ship as opposed to in a bland hotel or somewhere else. I'll miss them when they're gone!

Totally agree! I don’t think anyone is talking shite here. But it’s definitely unique eh? Splendor and radiance ftw!

[nc762shooter]

3 minutes ago, KyloRen said:

Totally agree! I don’t think anyone is talking shite here. But it’s definitely unique eh? Splendor and radiance ftw!

For sure, not to mention there was always something magical about walking into the atrium for the first time on the Fantasy-class ships that is hard to beat for me.