Miracle Review 10-22-07

[chitown cruisers]

Here goes....I'm not a writer, but I'll try my best.

 

Background: My wife Lorraine and I were with my SIL on the Miracle last year (10-01-06). We were part of a great roll call and had an absoutely wonderful time. We were home less than a week before we were booked to go back. This time I was taking the boys, Max(12) and Mitch(7) and my parents. We've all been on Carnival at least once.

 

The Beginning: My parents are snowbirds in FL so they drove across the state to meet us at our hotel, the rest of us had to fly in from Chicago. We had a 5:30am Limo pick us up for our 8:30 flight. Being it was a Sunday, things were calm at O'hare and we had an uneventful security check in and flight down to Ft Lauderdale. While collecting our bags from the conveyor I phoned out hotel for pickup and we were informed of the pick up point. It was about 20 minutes when the shuttle pulled up to the meeting point and we were on our way.

 

5 people 10 bags and 3 carry ons

 

The Hotel: When I had originally booked, I booked a Marriott tower on the beach, but switched to the Comfort Inn airport/cruiseport due to a recommendation from a fellow roll call cruiser. And the fact that the wife wanted to lower the evening rate. Usually she would rather stay on the beach. I was able to secure 3 rooms for the 7 of us for under $70/room. This rate included the shuttle and breakfast. My parents paid $6/day to keep their car there.

 

It was a nice hotel for the money within walking distance of a few Restaurants and shopping. It had clean basic rooms with a decent breakfast in the morning. I didn't try the evening bar facilities, for us the highlite was the pool. It had a beautiful pool where we enjoyed hanging around relaxing to start our vacation.

 

the pool

 

For dinner that evening we took the advise of the same CC'er and found Jaxons ice cream parlor for a fun meal. The meals were good and the ice cream....WONDERFUL!!!

 

Jaxon's

 

 

After the meal we went back to the hotel for an evening swim and to get ready for the next day........"the BIG day"

[Cincy Gal]

Okay you have me on th edge of my seat :). Can not wait for more.........

[henepup]

I'm about to fall off my seat!! More, please.

[chitown cruisers]

Official DAY!!!

 

We were up for breakfast prior to our 10:30am shuttle. They had breads, cereal, eggs, Belgium waffles, Danish and dough nuts. I don't like to wait, so we cleared our rooms at 9:30 to have our bags in line for the shuttle to the port. Come to fing out that morning that some folks werer paying close to $200 for their rooms, so I was REAL pleased with my rate under $70.

 

the wait

 

our bags plus mom and dad's

 

They had a nice mini bus (30 people ??) pulling a cargo trailer for the bags. It was a very easy process and shortly after 10:30 we were on our way. We caught first glimpse and were at the port in no time at all (20 minutes max)

 

There she is

 

 

We were very early to arrive so the lines for check in weren't long at all. Getting on board was a breeze. You have to keep in mind the the Miracle had just done the repo from NY....she sailed down a day or two before with no passengers on board. This put us in a rare circumstance that our cabins were ready at check in time.

[chitown cruisers]

Max and Mitch had interior cabin 5106 on the upper deck.....just 3 doors down from Camp Carnival (NICE)!! This was our first interior so I think it might be a bit smaller than the usual due to it's location. But for two boys...perfect size cabin (because I didn't have to sleep in it LOL)

 

cabin 5106

 

friends from the last Miracle Bon Voyaged them

 

 

[chitown cruisers]

As mentioned the boys were in interior cabin 5106 adjoining our balcony cabin 5108. My Sil Louise was in cabin 5110. For a thank you for previous things in my life I took my parents along and they had cabin 5112.

 

3 balcs and an interior

 

As soon as we were on board we went to the pursers desk to request the dividers be opened. Now to see our cabin for the first time. The Upper deck forward balconies are actually extended balconies and the glass is at an angle (I hope it's nice).

 

The cabin

 

 

 

Notice the adjoining door (LOCKED)

[nycruises]

Ok I had this cabin 5106 right before them, nice cabin bit odd of a design but ok. I did the cruise right before the repo to Ft. Lauderdale in NY. Worked well i won't stay there again as no window was very strange and no balcony was even stranger.

[chitown cruisers]

Like I said, everything was ready prior to us getting there so there wasn't a cabin steward in site and the phone system wasn't working.....I really wanted that door unlocked to ease unpacking with the boys......I probably looked like a stooge going out in the hall way to transfer socks and things from cabin to cabin.

 

The Balcony.....It always looked like the first one was bigger/wider and it was.....sort of.......they put a rail in the way.

 

 

under the bridge

 

Close to camp

[chitown cruisers]

Speaking of Camp.....it's right around the corner

 

we snuck a peek

 

 

 

 

 

It was real convenient having it just down the hall, and to be honest (I know some might be wondering).........I think I heard Camp kid noise twice over the whole 8 day cruise.

[chitown cruisers]

We then set out to explore the ship....it was still kind of empty (this was still shortly after noon).......(not sure if the camera time is correct FL time)

 

explorers

 

 

from on top of the bridge......ahhhh, nope can't see our balcony....or can you.....without something personal It's hard to tell

 

[chitown cruisers]

Off to check our seating......

 

Bacchus dining room......doesn't bother me as long as the food is good.

 

 

 

 

They didn't have table numbers out so we couldn't see our table. As it turns out they added a 7th chair to a six person round table near the back of the lower level.

[chitown cruisers]

Off to a meet and greet.......our roll call planned to meet at the aft pool bar by the big chess set....this worked well for our last cruise so why not try again.

 

Meet and greet...nice to put a face to the screen name

 

 

 

 

The meet and greet is nice, but don't forget to set a meet and good bye before the end. We didn't have one on my last Miracle so we scrambled to pull one together. So we set one for this cruise............unfortunately I was taking care of a family situation and missed the one that I set up.

[chitown cruisers]

Time to get in some fun before sail away......kids want to slide......:D

 

The Miracle has a slow slide......IF you don't know how to work it. The kids don't have as much of a problem, but lets face it....I'm not a small guy 6'4" 270'ish(pre cruise weight). I got stuck and had to pull myself down the first time........ummmmmmmm maybe I wan't wet enough!! Yes I will be faster the next time......sccccrrrrreeeeaaaaccchhhh to a hault and yell at the guy......"I think you need to turn the water flow up a bit".....as I'm dragging myself down the slide.

 

the kids....no problem

 

 

Come to think of it the kids went the first day I first went on one of the sea days on the way home (too lazy to go back and re type LOL). However I can say that when I did go on my third time........I followed some advise given and put pressure on my heels and shoulders, arching my back resulting with my rear being lifted off of the slide............I was like a freaking rocket!!! One of the runs I ran out of room in the landing shute and stopped at the stairs. Momentum was on my side.

[chitown cruisers]

Muster drill......what else can I say

 

don't know why this one is smiling LOL

 

I guess we must have just been happy to be on board again

[chitown cruisers]

Nice easy departure from port...not too long and you are outta there. Nothing exciting like the Skyway bridge or Statue of Liberty (I'd love to do a Miracle NY)

 

 

doing their drill

 

 

sail away.....

 

sand errosion and the storm is still commin'......gave us clouds and rougher seas most of the week......but we still had a great time

[chitown cruisers]

Back to the cabin to try to clean up for dinner........some baggage has started arriving....still looking like a stooge going out into the hall to go between cabins. I stop to sit with the wife to watch a bit more of the sail away. I go back into the cabin only to hear a knock at the door so I open it up, Mitch (7) is in the hall way waiting for me......he wasn't upset, just wanted to talk. Still no steward in site and the phone line not working, so I call the pursers desk to ask about unlocking the door........"you are on the list it should be unlocked in the morning". I do some running back and fourth and then find Mitch in the hall again. I called the pursers desk for a second time after dinner......"as I told you sir, you are on a list and it will be done in the am"...........I calmly asked how I'm supposed to enjoy my balcony for the evening if I don't know if my child can get to talk to me without waiting in the hallway............."Oh, so you are talking about an interior door not a balcony divider? We'll send someone right up" Within 10 minutes the Steward showed up and she unlocked the door.

 

Now this is why I booked it this way, balcony for me, lower $$$$ and the kids in their own cabin.

 

 

 

This made it MUCH easier to finish unpacking.

[chitown cruisers]

For almost a year I had thought about switching to the cabins I had last time (if it ain't broke, don't fix it), But I wanted the attached interior for the boys with the extended balconies that aren't above the lifeboats. There were 3 negatives on the pro/cons list. We all understood this going in and took the chance.

 

1) NOISE These cabins are located above the Phantom Lounge and by Camp Carnival

2) MOTION we've been forward on the Triumph and Mid(atrium) on the Miracle both had smooth seas and no problems.

3) WIND Just exactly how windy is the first balcony?

 

1) Noise I think I heard music once and kids just a couple times....NOT AN ISSUE!!

2) Motion......we were skirting bands from that storm the whole time...the most motion we've ever experienced, but nobody got sick...it was tolerable. NOT AN ISSUE!!

3) The wind.......BRUTAL!!!! That's how windy......those of you who have had a balcony know how heavy the doors are..........ours stayed open mid swing all by itself (no bungee needed LOL) because of the wind pressure. It would blow open a bit and then blow closed a bit.....open a bit and then close a bit. BIG issue, we knew going in it was a chance we were taking, so we tried out the other two balconies. They had half the wind volume that we did and it wasn't too bad. So we talked it out and decided that we would sacrifice the bigger space and NOT open the dividers to allow the other two cabins a shot at using their balconies without getting our wind problem. My wife was bummed, but hey....you book and learn!!

[chitown cruisers]

By the way, we had a nice first meal with Christina, Antonija and Warren and our cabin steward(es) was Tiffiana.

 

The wife and I had a great time in Sam's last year with Michael.....unfortunately he wasn't there any longer. Max was off with new found friends, Mom was in Mr. Lucky's, SIL was.....heck I don't know where she was and Dad wanted to relax so he took Mitch back to the cabin to play cards and let him fall asleep.

 

L and I took this time to check a few more things out....we went back to Sam's.................sat down and ordered a drink. We did not like the piano guy AT ALL.......he butchered a song so much it took me 3/4 of it to figure out what it was....we never went back. Before we got up I heard some rockin' comming from Frankie and Johnnies so we went there..........it wasn't Music Boardwalk or Music Unlimited but it was another 4 man band from the Phillipines crankin' out classic rock tunes Music Manila. They were good, just a stronger accent to the lyrics. I had no problem sitting listening to them.

 

Lorraine likes to walk the outer deck, so we decided to end that way. For those of you not familiar with the Spirit class......deck three wraps around the majority of the ship so It's wonderful for an evening stroll................but again....the winds were Brutal!!! Sound familiar.

 

 

Commin up:

First sea day tomorrow

 

 

 

 

but it'll have to wait until tomorrow.....g'night!!

[Sandi149]

Hey Craig, welcome back. Glad you had a great time, but I knew you would. :D Love your picture review so far. Can't wait to read the rest.

[cathyoo]

Excellent review. Of course if you want to do the Miracle out of NY join us on the 10/8/08 cruise. Check out our roll call.

Can't wait for the rest of your review. Love the pictures. Your boys are adorable.

[pacerzfan]

waitin for the rest of your review!

[sunrise2]

Gald you had a great time! Enjoyed the reading and pictures. Thank you. Really looking forward to our time on the Miracle May 17. We will be sailing out of NYC.....

 

OK so now it is tomorrow ....waiting for the rest.......

[sheri18]

great view.....cant wait to read the rest.......

[Ev1995]

Keep it coming, great so far.

[Seydlitz]

great reveiw , I loved your pitures. it is too bad the weather was on the wet side.