Just back from the Miracle - Any Questions

[WorkingMomNeedsaVacation]

We just got back late last night (actually early this morning) from our Miracle cruise. Other than our travel difficulties yesterday, not CCL's fault, we had a wonderful time. I'll post a review later and lots of things I learned that I hadn't read here - but in the meantime, please feel free to shoot me any questions.

 

Here are a few tid-bits for you Miracle lovers out there:

 

The Cruise Director is named Tory and the Asst Cruise Director is Brad.

 

There are hairdryers in the cabin, but you have to hold down the button at all times to make them work. (Didn't use it - brought my own.)

 

The lights in the dining room are overwhelming the first night, but by the 3rd night we forgot they were there.

 

Camp Carnival was fantastic - there were 450 kids on board and virtually all of them seemed to be well behaved and kept occupied.

 

I read lots of stuff about sign in/sign out procedures at Camp Carnival - must be same parent, etc. Not true. You just need to list the other parent as authorized when you sign your child in. No problem.

 

Folio review on the TV was a little confusing. Each passenger gets their own folio # on their S&S card. You can enter in your number from your cabin. I was the responsible person (the one who signed the credit card receipt at embarkation) so I could see all charges. If I typed in my husband's folio, I could see his charges. At first, I thought we were being double charged - but it is just so you can see it broken down by who charged what.

 

Also - OBC's are a bit confusing too. First, we got a slip of paper our 1st or 2nd night showing the OBC's that had been applied to our account. When you get your folio, however, it is lumped in as a cash deposit. So are any pre-paid excursions. I had booked an excursion and paid for it a month before sailing. The charge for the excursion shows up on your folio, but then there is a cash deposit credit which reflects your payment for the excursion plus any OBC's posted to your account.

 

We had 2 cabins and were able to get a single folio at the end of the cruise, which was very convenient.

 

Our 2 cabins were connecting balconies. We had the inside door and balcony divider open. Tons of room for a family of 4. Plenty of closet and storage space.

 

The forward part of the ship definitely feels the motion more. We had a pretty rough first night at sea and walking in the forward part of the ship was challenging. Everything they say about mid-ship is true. Smoothest part of the ship. We were just past the aft elevators - a little rocky one night, but otherwise very good.

 

We never heard any noise in the hallways from our cabin. The soundproofing was amazing.

 

The pools are filled with sea water - if you have kids, they may want goggles.

 

I know I'll think of more - plus I will write a review in the next few days. But right now I am still rocking and very tired! Feel free to send your questions and I'll try to answer them. This forum was so helpful in my planning - time to return the favor!

[going2cruz]

Glad you had a good time!!!

 

Were sailing April 1st and was wondering if they offered any dance classes on the Miracle?

[going2cruz]

Board didn't move..........

[WorkingMomNeedsaVacation]

I didn't check any out, but I have my capers here and I remember reading about some line dancing lessons.

 

Here is what I see:

 

Sunday - Ballroom dancing

Tuesday - Country line dance class

Saturday - Country line dance class

 

There are lots of other opportunities for dancing - just not lessons. There is a whole section on music and dancing every day in the capers. We loved "Cocktail Piano Music with Claude" every night in the Atrium. There is a dance floor if you wanted to dance, but we didn't see anyone dancing.

[JenniGail]

DH and I are going on the Miracle on 3/18 (can't wait!)- can you tell me what nights the formals are? I really want to plan for those (we love getting all dressed up.) Also, did you try the supper club? We are planning on trying it at least one night, but would love a recent review if you tried it out. Thanks for the tips on the OBC's as well. We also prepaid for an excursion, so glad to know how that works.

 

Jen:)

[js]

Can you guys please help me.

My family of 4 (kids 13 and 9) cruise often but usually on RCCL. Planning summer 08 cruise for my daughter's 8th grade graduation and although summer 08 is not posted on RCCL site, just looking at this summer, prices are almost $8000!!!!! We usually cruise over Easter, get balcony/inside connecting which usually runs $5,000. We want to cruise out of NY/NJ.

My friend suggested checking out the Miracle since newer ship and has the balcony/inside connection. I checked out prices last night for summer and came to a little over $5,000, more in line with what we usually pay.

Have you ever cruised RCCL? We love RCCL the kids love RCCL, what are the differences? Kids love the kids club and beg to hang there late on RCCL. Do you have experience with the kids clubs on CCL? If you have cruised on both, may I ask your opinions on the pros/cons?

I may have to make the leap since I will not/cannot pay $8,000 for a trip that is not our only vacation during that year.

Thank you all VERY much.

[WorkingMomNeedsaVacation]

DH and I are going on the Miracle on 3/18 (can't wait!)- can you tell me what nights the formals are? I really want to plan for those (we love getting all dressed up.) Also, did you try the supper club? We are planning on trying it at least one night, but would love a recent review if you tried it out. Thanks for the tips on the OBC's as well. We also prepaid for an excursion, so glad to know how that works.

 

Jen:)

 

The formal nights were on Monday and Friday. Monday was a sea day, so that was nice. Friday is Costa Maya - so be sure to allow yourself time to get ready. We skipped Friday and ordered room service. All that relaxing on the beautiful beach can really take a toll on you!!!! LOL! Monday night is also the captain's welcome party. We had the early dinner seating and I didn't see a single man in a tuxedo. Most of the women wore cocktail type dresses - some wore dressy pants and a few had sequins, but that was the minority. I didn't see if the later seating was dressier - so just my observation.

 

We didn't make it to Nick and Nora's, but would have liked to. I was trying not to make this a commando style vacation so we could truly relax and it just didn't fit in. Next time, I will make a point of going. We heard people raving about it so I highly recommend it. I thought the dinner in the dining room was okay - some dishes were excellent, others just okay. So I think Nick and Noras would have been a nice treat.

 

I don't remember which night - maybe Tuesday or Wednesday - but the main dining room had a stuffed mushroom appetizer that was simply to die for! I wished I had ordered 2 and skipped my entree. It was so delicious! They have a few signature dishes from CCL's executive chef - and that was one of them. Mmm-mmm good!

[WorkingMomNeedsaVacation]

Can you guys please help me.

My family of 4 (kids 13 and 9) cruise often but usually on RCCL. Planning summer 08 cruise for my daughter's 8th grade graduation and although summer 08 is not posted on RCCL site, just looking at this summer, prices are almost $8000!!!!! We usually cruise over Easter, get balcony/inside connecting which usually runs $5,000. We want to cruise out of NY/NJ.

My friend suggested checking out the Miracle since newer ship and has the balcony/inside connection. I checked out prices last night for summer and came to a little over $5,000, more in line with what we usually pay.

Have you ever cruised RCCL? We love RCCL the kids love RCCL, what are the differences? Kids love the kids club and beg to hang there late on RCCL. Do you have experience with the kids clubs on CCL? If you have cruised on both, may I ask your opinions on the pros/cons?

I may have to make the leap since I will not/cannot pay $8,000 for a trip that is not our only vacation during that year.

Thank you all VERY much.

 

I haven't sailed on RCCL, but we've done a bunch of family vacations and I can tell you what my kids liked about Carnival. My kids are 11 and 7 and absolutely loved Camp Carnival, playing basketball, ping pong, chess (they have the giant chess pieces near the aft pool), the slide, 24 hour ice cream, etc. The camp counselors are great and my 11 y/o loved the Inters Late Night Party on Friday night. They have all sorts of activities from 10 pm to 3:30 am (ice cream eating contest, capture the flag, dodge ball, etc.) and the counselors deliver the kids to your stateroom at 3:30. I never thought he would make it - but he did, and he had the best night ever. The next day was at sea, so he slept until 11:30! They both made great friends and loved every minute of the cruise.

 

Contrast that with our Disney Cruise experience 2 years ago. I'm not sure why but my kids hated the kids camp program there. Similarly, they weren't fond of the kids camp at Beaches, but loved one at Club Med and one in Hawaii. I didn't meet a single kid on the cruise who checked out the kids camp that didn't love it. The nice part for your kids is they are old enough to sign themselves in and out. So if they don't want to be there, they can leave with friends, play ping pong, get an ice cream, whatever. I think the key is going to the welcome party on the first night. My kids made friends right away and that made the rest of the week a hit!

 

The one thing I will say about the connecting balcony/inside cabins on the Miracle is to be careful of their location. The ones I am aware of are on Deck 5 all the way forward right next to Pinochio's Club (Camp Carnival). When we first walked down there, my husband and I looked at each other and said - No Way. First of all, IMO, you feel the ship's movement way more in the front of the ship. Second, there is a lot of traffic down that hallway with kids coming and going from camp. I found our cabin on Deck 7 to be fairly soundproof from hallway noise, but don't know if the extra traffic on Deck 5 would make a difference. Some people rave about those cabins, so it is just a personal preference. But based on the forward location and the proximity to the kids club, I don't think I would have been very happy there.

 

But to sum up, I think your kids will have a great time on either RCCL or CCL. If you are thinking of booking connecting cabins, book them now. There aren't many of them so they are in high demand. You can always cancel later if you decide to go with RCCL.

 

Happy planning!

[mainer208]

How did the early seating work since it's at 5:45?. We did early 6:15 on the Glory and it was great but 5:45 seems a little too early but 8:30 is too late for us. What were the return times back on board for the ports?

 

Thanks!

[WorkingMomNeedsaVacation]

How did the early seating work since it's at 5:45?. We did early 6:15 on the Glory and it was great but 5:45 seems a little too early but 8:30 is too late for us. What were the return times back on board for the ports?

 

Thanks!

 

Yes, 5:45 is a bit early for us, but we decided the late seating (8:15) was just too late. If you have kids, most of their activities start around 7pm, so the early dinner allowed them to eat with us and then run off the camp carnival. Indeed, some nights they just ate with the camp, but it was nice to eat as a family a few times.

 

We only made it to the dining room promptly at 5:45 once and the line went on and on. Once the open the doors, it takes 5 - 10 minutes for everyone to work their way inside. We tried to get there at 5:45 each day, but it ended up being more like 5:55 and we were still ahead of at least 2 other tables for our waitstaff. I'm not suggesting people go in late - that does make it difficult - especially if you are a table of 8. We were just the 4 of us and managed to sit down and order even before the larger tables who got there before us.

 

In Grand Cayman, the last tender returns to the ship at 3:00 so there is plenty of time to get ready for dinner. We docked in Cozumel so we had to be back on board by 5:30 - too late for early dinner - so either get back sooner or make other plans that night. In Belize the last tender returns to the ship at 4:00 so that is manageable. In Costa Maya, we had to be back on board by 4:30 - also manageable, but all of these depend on what you did in the port, how tired you are, etc. It worked for us, but we skipped the dining room twice. We skipped in Cozumel because it was just too tight and we didn't want to rush. We ate at Horatio's Buffet that night. IMO, not a great dinner option. Lunch is enough there. We also skipped the 2nd formal night on Friday night. We had spent the day at the beach and the sun, plus a few coronas made me sleepy. I just didn't have the energy to get all dressed up. We just grabbed some pizza and hung out in the cabin.

 

So, early can definitely work and has its advantages. We did a cruise a couple of years ago and I was way too commando - insisting we go everywhere, do everything, be everywhere and we didn't have a great time. This time, we truly relaxed and enjoyed our vacation. We didn't worry if we missed the dining room or skipped a show - we just did what we felt like doing and figured we'll just have to go back for another cruise to try what we missed! BTW, that may sound simple to you - but not for this Type A personality... it took a lot of work for me to just sit back and go with the flow, but I really had a better time!

[berkley123]

We got off the Miracle on the 18th and had a fantastic time. I would highly recommend her to anyone who has cruised before on another line or is a first time cruiser. We will definetly sail on her in the future. The Miracle is big enough to offer something for everyone while remaining intimate and accessible. Can't say enough good about her.

[js]

Thank you very much for helping me. Is the Miracle one of the bigger ships in Carnival's fleet or midsize?

Workingmom, my kids love the kids club on RCCL but really didn't like it on DCL. I too thought RCCL club was much better and had specific things for the kids to do, whereas I found DCL clubs to be more of a free for all.

My kids love to be in the clubs and for that reason it is important for me to find something that they will enjoy too. Happy kids, happy mom and dad LOL

[teanbean16]

:) :) We sail on the Miracle on Sunday!!!!! We are sooooooo excited.:) :) :)

[WorkingMomNeedsaVacation]

Thank you very much for helping me. Is the Miracle one of the bigger ships in Carnival's fleet or midsize?

Workingmom, my kids love the kids club on RCCL but really didn't like it on DCL. I too thought RCCL club was much better and had specific things for the kids to do, whereas I found DCL clubs to be more of a free for all.

My kids love to be in the clubs and for that reason it is important for me to find something that they will enjoy too. Happy kids, happy mom and dad LOL

 

I'm not a Carnival expert, but I heard them describe the miracle as the largest ship that can still fit through the Panama Canal. It was quite large and impressive when you saw it docked - yet it didn't feel so large that you got lost. The layout is really nice and quite simple actually. All your outdoor decks for pools, lounge chairs, etc., are basically on decks 9 and 10. And most of your indoor things (restaurant, theater, bars, internet, shops, casino, pursers desk, etc.) are on decks 2 and 3. Yet, I was surprised how many lounges there were. They had a sports bar, a piano bar, a few lounges that served as lobby areas, a disco, a 2 story theater, a movie theater/karaoke place, and more. We never even made it to many of them.

 

Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with either. If you liked RCCL, I think you will like CCL. I agree Disney's camp was a free for all - although they definitely had MUCH more space. The Club on the Miracle is quite small. Think of one of the rooms on the Disney Magic, cut in half. But really only the under 5s were there all the time. The 6 - 8s were there sometimes but also spent time in other parts of the ship and the 9 - 11s were hardly there at all.

[JenniGail]

Workingmom- thanks so much for the tips. We are so excited- I feel like I am about to bust! We'll be sure to try Nick and Nora's at least once. I am sure I'll think of some other questions to ask too.

[JenniGail]

We have sailed both Carnival and RCCL with my children who are now 11, 6 and 1 (the little one hasn't been on a cruise yet though.) My kids preferred Carnival over RCCL, but definitely liked them both. We haven't done them on the Miracle, but did on two other CCL ships. On CCL there were a lot of activities and my kids liked to plan their days around that. They would join us for lunch, but then made us promise to have them back in time for Sand Art and other things like that. My oldest loved the scavenger hunt where they took them around the ship to find things on their 'map.' CCL was really good about the take-home things too. My kids got Sand Art pens, t-shirts to color and rewash, and lots of items that they made along the way. We really enjoyed RCCL, but for the price and the quality of the kids program feel that CCL is really the best value for our money.

 

Jen:D

[Charmedone619]

Workingmomneedsavaction, do you remember what type of glasses came in the cabin. In some pictures it looks like there are wine glasses.

[mainer208]

Thanks to the original poster for the response back on early dinner and port times. As I mentioned, we had 6:15 seating on the Glory and know what you mean about the lines...but felt badly for the wait staff whose tables showed up 20-30 minutes late. Not a good thing! Were there many tables for 2 in the dining room?

[JAM810]

WorkingMom -- Any review on the Miracle spa? We are sailing in June 2007 out of NYC for an 8 nighter. We are psyched! Sounds like a lot of great news here about her though; so we are even more excited. But was wondering about the spa. Usually my DH and I will splurge on a massage on a cruise as we did with NCL, so I was wondering how the Miracle spa will fair. Any comments are appreciated! Thanks!!! :)

[samickgirl]

We are sailing July 6th on the Miracle out of New York. Will there be 1 or 2 formal nights. I have assumed that there will be 2 but don't know for sure.

[TrippDiver]

We just returned from sailing on the Miracle 02/18. We will definitely sail on her again. We were in the Forward cabins on deck 5 just a few cabins down the hall from Camp Carnival, and didnt here a thing. Very quite, and the extended balcony was wonderful.

 

Tripp