Is Partying a problem on Miracle or Conquest?

[gstepic]

I know I could have worded this better (or spelled correctly) but I am wondering if the Carvinal lines gets a bad rap as far as parties. I am 58 years old and my wife is 49. We are old but not dead. I have no problem if there are parties on the ship, I would have problems if we had a hard time getting sleep because of a lot of noise. We can adjust our schedule to go to bed later than usual, so noise or music up to around midnight would not cause any problems, depending on how loud and if we could escape it if we wanted to. Now a lot of noise past mid-night could be aggravating to us if we could not get away from it. I am sure we need to spend some time figuring out just what cabin to get as that probably can be a huge factor as far as noise. Hopefully I can search for rooms and get input. Also hope if we book in a couple of weeks for a cruise mid November to early December we will have a decent choice of rooms.

 

We have never been on a cruise and we are thinking of booking the Miracle from Tampa, it is a seven night Western Caribbean cruise. Another choise is the Conquest out of Galveston. I am looking forward to being able to have a drink or two with my wife, listen to music (my wife likes country, I like just about everything except urban). I enjoy meeting people but we also enjoy finding time to ourselves. I know some people can never be made happy, but I am hoping to find a ship that has various entertainment, interesting ports to visit for photography, and also has some quiet spots I can enjoy with my wife so we don't have to stay in our rooms. Am I asking too much or will the Miracle and/or Conquest be ships we could find some quiet spots on as well?

[Cotton]

Hi again. I replied on your other thread on First Time Cruisers. Hope it helped. Glad you made your way over here. Others will chime in soon, I'm sure.:)

[caribbean dreams]

On either ship, i have never had a problem with noise from late night parties, this also depends on what time of year you cruise, spring break you may run into a problem, summer is mostly families with children, you will always be able to find a quiet spot for you and your wife somewhere on the ship. Your choice of Nov. or early Dec. is perfect.

[gstepic]

I really appreciate the input and the articles. I feel like I will have a much better idea what I am getting into by taking advantage of the forums. I know I will enjoy any cruise, but it really helps to have this info to get the most out of cruising.

[Caliber1]

We were on the Miracle in May and it was actually pretty quiet. The disco is down by the galley and the other clubs never were very loud IMO. Beautiful ship and great itinerary. Enjoy.

 

That time of year the little ones should be in school too.:D

 

Jess

[cruisevers]

We did the Conquest in November and had no problems with partying. I am 51 and hubby is 46. We are not night owls and heard nothing after we retired at 11-12 pm. Late for us! LOL Being a Texas cruise there were a lot of people that enjoyed country! The ports were very good but again they are what you make them!

[gstepic]

This probably should be a seperate thread, but thanks to the replies I have narrowed my choices to the 7 day Western Caribbean out of Tampa or the 7 day Caribbean out of Galveston. The one out of Tampa is my favorite so far mainly because we stop in 4 ports instead of three (the Galveston/Conquest Cruise). What is most appealing is the port of Belize. I would love to get plenty of jungle/Mayan ruins photos and my guess is Belize and Cozumel will give me a lot of photo opps. On the other hand the cruise from Galveston stops at Montego Bay which sounds interesting.

 

So would I still be able to get some good jungle/Mayan ruin photos from just going to Cozumel or would Belize be a must stop port? Never being on a cruise I am wondering if I would value that extra day at sea the Galveston trip offers. One reason why a cruise appeals to me is my wife runs me ragged on our vacations because she wants to get up at sunup and see whatever we can see to sundown. We have a time share and never take advantage of the resorts because we get back to our room so late or are too tired to mix and mingle when we do get back from our day of sightseeing.

 

And if any of you get to know us when we cruise and you bring up what I said to her I will deny every word! Seriously, I want to see a lot of sights but also feel rested when I get back from a vacation, and my wife needs to slow down a little so we can spend some time together. She loved our Hawaii vacation just for that reason and because of this I think she will enjoy a cruise even more or as much. So I would like to find a balance between seeing sights and kicking back and enjoying the fact I don't have to drive anywhere and can find time to read a book.

 

So any thoughts comparing the Carnival Miracle cruise out of Tampa (Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Belize, Cozumel) and the Conquest out of Galveston (Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Cozumel) are welcome.

[Scorpiorose]

Actually we weighed all that you just said ourselves last year. We chose miracle and our friends went with the conquest.

 

1st - we are in our 40's and not into the late partying, this wasn't a problem on the miracle as far as we could tell. A lot of activity by the pool but that's to be expected, we wandered elsewhere.

2nd - Being scheduled for 3 or 4 ports doesn't mean you'll get to them all. We missed Costa Maya due to weather and I've heard that happens a lot. I think if we'd only had 3 ports and missed one I'd feel a little cheated only going to 2. That's why I'm happy we were on the miracle. If you are tired just make one of the ports a rest day and strole around the pier area and get back on board!

3rd - We LOVED Belize and since I scheduled another cruise on Valor next year I did that especially to go back to Belize. We signed up for a private tour with www.smugglersrunbelize.com and Trevor took us to the ruins, just us, and them on a horseback ride and homemade authentic lunch at his lime plantation. It was like being with friends and very personal. Not much either compared to other tours. We loved the ruins!

 

If you'd like pics or private tour info let me know and I'd pass it on. You'll love the miracle if you decide to go. Except......the dining room food was so so....less weight to gain I think! :) Enjoy

[Schasz]

My reply to the OP is that you cannot go wrong with a cruise. We have become addicted and just got off our 5th cruise since we moved to Florida in late 2000. Both my wife and I are young active 57 year olds who like to party. We will be on the Miracle for the Dec. 10th cruise and Tampa happens to be our home port.

 

We have been to all of the places on this itinerary and in the case of Cozumel and Grand Cayman several times. When we were in Belize we did the cave tubing that many folks opt to do. We love to do anything associated with the sea, and we are strongly considering getting certified for scuba as there are some nice scuba dives in Cozumel, Belize, and Grand Cayman. We are thinking about doing the ruins when in Costa Maya.

 

We are looking forward to the Miracle as it is a sister ship of the Pride and we had one of our best cruise vacations on the Pride.

 

John & Shari

[gstepic]

I know we don't have to go to the ports but you don't know my wife! I am leaning toward the Miracle cruise and you are helping me tilt that way even more. I may want to start looking into that tour becuase for me that would be something I would love. We have a few week time period we are trying to decide on so the availablity of that inland tour could make a difference as to which week we book.

 

I am hoping we make some friends on the ship because that can solve some problems. My wife and I have much in common but we don't always have the same interests, not unlike most other couples. I can do things on my own with no problem but she does not feel comfortable doing that so I am hoping we can get to know some couples well enough where she can do what she likes at some ports with some newly made friends while I do what I like. We are not extroverts by any means, but I do enjoy getting to know people so it appears we will have plenty of opportunities to know other couples. My guess is making some new friends can be part of the cruise experience.

[Guest YesitDonna]

Wow I have been on 15 cruises and not once have we missed a port due to weather or any other reason. I don't know what people call... happening a lot but we haven't ever had it happen.

[Payd]

This probably should be a seperate thread, but thanks to the replies I have narrowed my choices to the 7 day Western Caribbean out of Tampa or the 7 day Caribbean out of Galveston. The one out of Tampa is my favorite so far mainly because we stop in 4 ports instead of three (the Galveston/Conquest Cruise). What is most appealing is the port of Belize. I would love to get plenty of jungle/Mayan ruins photos and my guess is Belize and Cozumel will give me a lot of photo opps. On the other hand the cruise from Galveston stops at Montego Bay which sounds interesting.

 

So would I still be able to get some good jungle/Mayan ruin photos from just going to Cozumel or would Belize be a must stop port? Never being on a cruise I am wondering if I would value that extra day at sea the Galveston trip offers. One reason why a cruise appeals to me is my wife runs me ragged on our vacations because she wants to get up at sunup and see whatever we can see to sundown. We have a time share and never take advantage of the resorts because we get back to our room so late or are too tired to mix and mingle when we do get back from our day of sightseeing.

 

And if any of you get to know us when we cruise and you bring up what I said to her I will deny every word! Seriously, I want to see a lot of sights but also feel rested when I get back from a vacation, and my wife needs to slow down a little so we can spend some time together. She loved our Hawaii vacation just for that reason and because of this I think she will enjoy a cruise even more or as much. So I would like to find a balance between seeing sights and kicking back and enjoying the fact I don't have to drive anywhere and can find time to read a book.

 

So any thoughts comparing the Carnival Miracle cruise out of Tampa (Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Belize, Cozumel) and the Conquest out of Galveston (Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Cozumel) are welcome.

 

I have to admit I am biased to the Miracle because I loved the ports. Have been to Cayman twice - once to seven mile beach and then to Stingray City and snorkelling (Stingray City is a must do!!) Cozumel while devastated was still worthwhile-the positive spirit of those who lost almost everything is amazing. Costa Maya was nice too got a great massage in Majhual (sp?) laid on the beach and had lots of beer ($3 for 2 beer), the shopping area at the port was nice too. Belize was really neat. Unfortunately a rain storm the day before our arrival forced cancellation of our cave tubing excursion as they were concerned about flooding (interesting that Belize is at sea level not much rain results in flooding). It was a privately booked excursion so upon our arrival when we were informed that cave tubing was not an option we were given at least 4 or 5 other choices. We went with the Belize Zoo and a stop at a private beach, not cave tubing but a very nice day. The Miracle was a fabulous ship (we got used to the pink lights in the dining room during our first dinner) with a crew that I would rate first or second out of five cruises. The best part of sailing out of Tampa is going under the bridge (mind melt can't remember the name of it) about 2-2 1/2 hours into sailaway. All that said...I have not sailed Conquest or out of Galveston. Take some time to read lots of the member reviews.

 

Most of all enjoy the research, anticipation and most importantly the cruise!!!

[Scorpiorose]

If you'd like to meet ppl before you cruise go to the roll call section and look up your ship and date and start chatting. Your wife can meet lots of ppl that way and have some chances of ppl to do things with if you want to do something else. There's so much to do on the ship itself too. My fiance likes to gamble, I don't so I go to the spa or gym. We met a couple at dinner and I wandered around with the gal a bit while our men went and spent $ at the art auction. There's so many things to choose. I can't say enough about Trevor and his treatment of us in Belize. He was approached by Carnival to do this tour for them and he said no so far, so get in on this while you can and it's still private. Keeping it small makes it more personal which is what he wants, the money isn't his main motivation. He'll adjust things for you, he did for us.

 

If you read the boards ports are missed all of the time due to weather so it's always a possibility. We like ports so the miracle was for us! We were also scheduled for more ruins and the village in Costa Maya but like I said, weather did not permit us to port there so I'm glad we saw them in Belize.

Have fun!

[Schasz]

The bridge is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and we went under it last year on a RCI ship. Weplan to be top deck to see the Miracle go under the bridge. To the OP if you are saying that your wife is not a water enthusiast then surely she enjoys shopping as I have met few women (my wife included) who do not like that sport. There will be some pretty cool shopping opportunities on this cruise. Both my wife and I have made some purchases at some of the ports that the Miracle visits. I have not experienced missing a port yet either, although we came very close to missing Curacao in a Southern route cruise last week.

 

John & Shari

[LHP]

Come cruise with us on October 8th on the Miracle!!

 

Being 51 and hubby is 46, we enjoy entertainment but are not big party folks.

We love the Spirit Class ships (of which the Miracle is one). The layout of the ship was designed for a fun but more laid back crowd.

 

If you go while school is in session, you will have less children or college age folks.

 

We sailed on the Conquest when she first came out and it is also a fine ship...but (for us) the Spirit gives you all the amenities of the Conquest without as much walking!!

 

We also love the Tampa port. We are staying at the new Embassy Suites - Convention center. It is a $20 -25 taxi ride from the airport and located right at the port.

 

Some tips:

 

1. fly in the day before the cruise. Flying in the day OF the cruise is way to stressful.

2. do not pick a cruise specifically for the ports. While it has never happened to us, ports are missed for various reasons (weather, mechanical problems, etc)

3. once you make your decision, do not second guess. Sometimes when you read a review of your upcoming ship, one person's opinion can make you feel like you have made a mistake. Whether it is the Miracle or the Conquest, you can not make a mistake.

 

Happy Cruising!

[Island Annie]

gstepic,

 

I was on the Miracle last March & it was mostly fellow passengers in your age group who were of course out to have "fun", but were by no means the "party-hardy" bunch that would keep you awake much past 10pm.

 

You shouldn't have any problems with noise on the Miracle. And she's a BEAUTIFUL ship with many quiet places for you & your wife to enjoy time together.

 

Enjoy!

 

Annie

[caribbean dreams]

I do enjoy getting to know people so it appears we will have plenty of opportunities to know other couples. My guess is making some new friends can be part of the cruise experience.

 

If you want to have great conversation and make new friends, ask your travel agent to request a 10 top table for you in the dining room, that way there will be 8 other people to have conversation with at dinner.

We always request that and have always had great tablemates.

[JudyKa]

Wow I have been on 15 cruises and not once have we missed a port due to weather or any other reason. I don't know what people call... happening a lot but we haven't ever had it happen.

 

Donna, you are very fortunate......it doesn't happen continuously; but happens every once in a while due to rough seas, bad weather, etc. A person just needs to not be surprised if this happens on their cruise and go with the flow......it's for our safety. We had a rather good time on the Sensation last July when we had to miss both ports that were scheduled due to a hurricane. We received a 50% off letter toward a future cruise which made us feel alot better....lol.

[gstepic]

We are now leaning toward a cruise on the Glory for October 2nd. We have a time share in Orlando that we have not used so we can combine a trip to Disneyworld and a cruise for a real nice vacation. I wanted to cruise later in the fall to increase the odds of missing any Hurricanes but October 2nd is the date that will work best for us.

 

I think as long as we don't have our heart set on any certain port we will totally enjoy the cruise. The ports will not go away and hopefully there will be more cruises in our future.

[NRWO]

I'm not sure I understand. Are you all planning to set up camp and sleep in the kereoke bar or outside the casino? Or maybe you're worried the drunken conga line will end up outside your door in the hallway.. In my experience I've never seen that.

[stephanie76]

I know we don't have to go to the ports but you don't know my wife! I am leaning toward the Miracle cruise and you are helping me tilt that way even more. I may want to start looking into that tour becuase for me that would be something I would love. We have a few week time period we are trying to decide on so the availablity of that inland tour could make a difference as to which week we book.

 

I am hoping we make some friends on the ship because that can solve some problems. My wife and I have much in common but we don't always have the same interests, not unlike most other couples. I can do things on my own with no problem but she does not feel comfortable doing that so I am hoping we can get to know some couples well enough where she can do what she likes at some ports with some newly made friends while I do what I like. We are not extroverts by any means, but I do enjoy getting to know people so it appears we will have plenty of opportunities to know other couples. My guess is making some new friends can be part of the cruise experience.

 

Hi we have a roll call thread with many different cruisers. Many of them alot of fun and in your age group. Feel free to stop by. We are on the Miracle 10-01-06. Not sure when you are loking to cruise but I think we will have a blast. I will post a link to our thread. And also a link to our Miracle Misfits web page one of our fellow cruisers made us.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=287990&page=166

 

http://home.comcast.net/~chitowncruisers/

 

check us out. Good luck with your decision.

[stephanie76]

I hear "glorious" things about the Glory too. But I still would think that Tampa would be less "party hardy" being so close to retirement sities and all. I could certainly be wrong though.

[gstepic]

I think my concern is legit and if you read some of the other posts you would understand I was mainly worried about too much noise that would interfere with sleep. From the answers it is obvious this will not be a problem. I am not opposed to a lot of people having a lot of fun, as long is their fun does not impose on others getting rest, and we all know loud parties can impose on other peoples rest and relaxation so this concern should not be surprising.

 

If my wife and I had to choose a trip that was too party like or too boring, we would choose the trip that was too party like, we do want to have fun and not stay in our cabin much. But we also want to be able to escape and find quiet places and times, and it appears on Carnival ships we will have no problem doing that.

[stephanie76]

You should not have any problems at all. I think Carnival is fantastic. You should be able to get some great tips picking out your cabin and as long as you want good rest, that is probably the key.

[gstepic]

Stephanie, I think I posted my quick reply to the wrong post, sorry! I wanted to address the poster that could not understand my concern. Orlando has become more appealing because we own a timeshare that we have not used in Orlando so we are thinking we could combine a few nights at our timeshare and our cruise. We still may choose the Miracle and the time you are going is now more then likely when we will want to go.

 

You know there are problems in life and then there are real problems. I wish all of my problems were as difficult as choosing which cruise ship to take! LOL!