Cruise Ship Reviews : Carnival Cruise Lines Reviews
csaunders saw things this way:
Could have been better but fit in with our dates, May 12, 2017
Reviewer: csaunders
Pros: Just unpacked, ate, sleep, had entertainment, and ports were good
Cons: Linen yellow, quilt stained, towels had holes, no explanation about ship's time
Date of cruise: May 29, 2017
Departure port: long beach
Region visited: Mexico
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 5168
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
This trip was the only cruise to mexico that fit in with my business plans. We feel that it was a reasonable trip but Carnival could have done much better. There is no excuse for stained linen and holes in towels except that the company wanted to save money and not replace them! The cruise director at no time explained how the 'ship's time' worked compared to the local time and we nearly missed a tour due to that. We had not experienced this 'feature' on any other cruise.
eri10 saw things this way:
Everything was absolutely EXCELLENT!!, May 3, 2016
Reviewer: eri10
Pros: Everybody was very nice and I only want to go on this ship!
Cons: Nothing at all
Date of cruise: April 22, 2023
Departure port: Long Beach, CA
Region visited: North America
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8160
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
When I got on there was only one person that I knew I would enjoy being around my entire trip. He was my assistant stateroom steward, Hari. He was so nice and always joked around with my sister and I. Then there was Dora, my stateroom steward. She was so nice and even helped me to find my mother. The food was absolutely incredible!! It was so good that now I refuse to eat any food because I want food from the boat so badly. I went to Circle C one of the days and it was very entertaining. Now I'm a teenager so I don't do kid stuff, but I admit I had fun. I didn't go in the pool on the boat so I can't really say anything about that. I could never say a negative thing about this boat. It was just AMAZING!!!
arabian saw things this way:
Better than expected, May 14, 2015
Reviewer: arabian
Pros: Ship is immaculate, food better than expected, staff excellent
Cons: Interior decor--bordello. Cold temperatures in public places. Engine vibrates
Date of cruise: May 2, 2015
Departure port: Long Beach, California
Region visited: Mexico
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 4224
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: No
Just out of drydock but ship had noticeable engine vibration when exceeding 10 knots. My 4th level aft cabin's bed definitely vibrated which made for poor sleep. If you live in earthquake country, you don't want to feel your bed shaking! Lower level MDR would have water in glasses vibrate the nearer you sat to rear of ship. Not pleasant. Temperature of interior public areas, theaters and MDR very cold, many people wearing heavy sweaters and some parkas. This was a Mexican Rivera itinerary so the cold temperature on board was especially notable. I was really offended by the interior paintings, used as wallpaper, of anatomically detailed naked women. These larger than life size paintings are everywhere on the ship. Walls, ceilings, restaurants, atrium, etc. are covered in paintings in varying levels of good taste. If you are bringing children aboard you might re-think this ship. Whoever signed off on this "soft porn" theme should be fired. So much for a "family cruise line". I had a BC level aft balcony cabin on 4th deck, quite good size, very small balcony. Comfortable bed only after having attendant add bed pad. Good storage, closet space. Refrigerator is really a cooler. No ice provided. Extremely quiet. Biggest cabin issue was the significant vibration from the engines. I would strongly recommend a cabin as far forward and as high up as possible. Food in MDR was always very good. Lobster and chateaubriand offered one night with lots of unique dishes not usually found on cruise ships. "My Time" dining never a problem being seated. Entertainment would probably have been better if I had had a whole lot more to drink. The comedians ranged from a very angry, unfunny old guy to a very untalented, unfunny guy who basically replicated bodily function noises with his mouth into the microphone. Lots of people got up and left. The theater shows were typical cruise shows, but not very good. Hey, music from the 80s is not something to celebrate. The casino was surprisingly very good, slots very "loose." Lots of players winning. I won $99 on penny slots and a woman won $8,000 playing blackjack. There are two pools but the pool areas are somewhat cramped. The Solarium is a great idea which needs to be better developed. There are a few cabanas but more could be added. Unfortunately people arrive prior to 7 a.m., leave their towels and other items on the cabanas and then don't return for hours. No Solarium attendants paid any attention to this all day reserving of cabanas. They also have two double hammocks in the Solarium. The Solarium is supposed to be adults only but numerous children were there using loungers and hammocks and running about yelling. Again, no involvement by attendants. The gym was excellent with new, professional level equipment. Gym also had very good Jacuzzi. Sauna and steam rooms complimentary. The embarkation and disembarkation were some of the fastest I've encountered -- the Port of Long Beach, U.S. Customs and Carnival have really gotten their act together in getting you on and off the ship. I would not pay extra for the Faster To The Fun service since embarkation is really fast. I showed up at noon and was in my cabin by 12:30, no waiting at all. Would I take this cruise again? Probably. The two other Carnival ships which do the Mexican Riviera are basically old ships which need to be sold off. The Miracle (11 years old) has benefited from the drydock. If Carnival keeps the fare low enough then the Miracle is a good, inexpensive week vacation.
bettty45 saw things this way:
Hawaii cruise was so-so, December 28, 2014
Reviewer: bettty45
Pros: Room was quiet and clean, great steward, great orchestra
Cons: Internet, TV, club music, debarkation
Date of cruise: December 6, 2014
Departure port: Long Beach
Region visited: Hawaii
Cabin category: Outside
Cabin number: 1199
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Ship is in fair shape, food was good, desserts were poor, not much variety for a 15-day cruise, loved Serenity area, comics were good, main shows were so-so, our room steward was great as were all staff. We are platinum members so we enjoyed free laundry and other perks. Our bathroom always smelled like sewer and our thermostat knob was gone so that wasn't pleasant. Not much variety in day-to-day activities. The ship is going into dry dock in March. Needs some repairs on decks,etc. Beds were comfy and we had a large window. We had rough seas so they totally rearranged our itinerary. Never made it to Maui. Debarking sometimes was very congested and slow. We were back-to-back cruisers so getting off at Long Beach for the day was a horrible time. They need to improve this.
Registrarln saw things this way:
First and last time on Carnival, March 30, 2014
Reviewer: Registrarln
Pros: Extended aft balcony
Cons: Everything else!
Date of cruise: March 23, 2023
Departure port: Los Angeles
Region visited: Mexico
Cabin category: Balcony
When they say you get what you pay for, they are not kidding. This is not my first cruise, but first (and last...) on Carnival. From the start... Our room was dirty. We had to get a supervisor to come in and clean it. The surfaces and cabinets were full of food particles. The balcony and chairs were filthy. The plexiglass on the balcony was so filthy, we couldn't see out. I ended up reaching over the railing to try and clean it myself. Our pool towels were used...not clean....and still damp. The closet door didn't close. We requested two beds, we had one and had to wait hours for them to correct it. Bath towels kept being taken but not refreshed. Had to keep asking for them. Our AC didn't work and the room was freezing. After a tech finally came, it stopped working. Not a very comfortable room. Beds lumpy and uncomfortable. Comforter was dirty...my guess not changed from last cruise. Disgusting! Let's continue... The food was not edible! Absolutely horrible! he buffet, the restaurant....awful! The wait at restaurant tables was non existent and not friendly. The eating areas always filled with dirty dishes; no one clearing tables. On the Lido deck, the ashtrays were overflowing and there were plates filled with cigarette butts. Obviously not being emptied. There were no staff around at all outside. Your serenity lounge...not serene. Just 20-somethings, loud, obnoxious. The entertainment... In Jeeves lounge, while trivia games or karaoke were going on, lines of people were walking through, between the cruise directors and audience. Very ill planned setup, microphones too loud, bad overall experience. Oh, and let's not forget the rescue at sea that caused us to have to turn back and lose time in PV. Not that it was the guests' fault, but your cruise line should have done more to compensate their customers. All in all, the absolute worse cruise I have ever been on and will never sail with you again if this is what your ships are like. The food alone will keep me from returning. I love cruising, I love my extended aft balcony, but I will do it on Princess, Royal Caribbean or Celebrity.
Trucker Mark saw things this way:
Was it norovirus or just a mass case of food poisoning?, January 26, 2014
Reviewer: Trucker Mark
Pros: Nick & Nora's Steakhouse was great, the Baccus was OK, and the Lido???
Cons: My wife getting really sick and being confined to our cabin was not so great!
Date of cruise: January 12, 2014
Departure port: Los Angeles
Region visited: Mexico
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 5273
Trucker Mark - January 24, 2014 My wife and I sailed on Carnival Miracle from LA to the Mexican Riviera on a 6-day cruise Jan. 12-18. On that cruise she got extremely sick with what was later diagnosed as a lower GI infection, and as the cruise progressed at least 50 other passengers got really sick either from the same lower GI issue or from seasickness even though seas were quite calm the entire voyage. I am thinking that the diagnosed lower GI issue was really food poisoning. I suspected either the chicken or lettuce on the January 13 dinner service, after 28 hours at sea, or perhaps their house blue curacao cocktail mix. My wife was miserable on Tuesday, January 14, and after visiting the ship's infirmary she was confined to her cabin on January 15, the day that we were in Puerto Vallarta and had a beach excursion planned. While Carnival refunded our planned Puerto Vallarta shore excursion they refused to refund even a portion of the all-you-can-drink alcohol pass that we purchased, even though my wife was too sick to even drink alcohol for half of the cruise. For whatever reason Carnival did not charge us for my wife's two visits to the ship's infirmary, and on our second visit my wife saw a computerized list of passengers on sick restrictions that was more than a single webpage in length. We also were forced to make an unscheduled stop on our way back to LA from Puerto Vallarta on January 16 when an older male passenger had to be evacuated at Cabo. We don't know whether he got really sick, whether he had a heart attack, or maybe suffered a fall, but one of the port tenders came out after we stopped and he was evacuated on it. On January 17 another passenger two cabins forward of ours also got very sick and was confined to her cabin. Other than my wife being confined to our cabin for two days the Miracle is a decent ship and we very much enjoyed their Nick and Nora Steakhouse experience as well as their Beatles show and their comedy club, and we also enjoyed their adult only lounge out on the end of the Lido deck too. We were in Cabin #5273 if anyone wants to know, which is a balcony toward the rear of the ship, two decks above the dining room. We would like to know how many other passengers got sick on the same cruise, as we personally only knew of several, other than the number of names on the infirmary computer page, and if anyone has been diagnosed with norovirus rather than Carnival's generic lower GI diagnosis.
carkeyv saw things this way:
Poorly managed ship, no heat although leaves from New York, January 4, 2013
Reviewer: carkeyv
Pros: Left from New York so no travel required
Cons: Children running amok, no heat, poor service, horrible food
Date of cruise: December 24, 2012
Departure port: New York, NY
Region visited: Bahamas
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 5107
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: No
Approximately 98 percent of the children onboard were running around unsupervised. Crew members watched them climb on tables and other objects, run through public areas and commit rude acts toward adults but they did nothing to address the issue although numerous passengers made complaints. Our balcony door was not airtight so it hissed. Maintenance guy seals the door with nails. When we asked the customer service rep to have him unseal the door, we were told Because of winds, you cannot go outside on your balconysay what? After stern words, then the balcony door was ordered to be unsealed. The food was awful and the desserts were less than desirable. The menu in the dining room was monotonous. We were on this ship for its maiden voyage in 2005, what a sharp contrast in 2012. The service, food and overall experience sharply declined to the point that we will not sail with Carnival again. We had a similar experience on the Carnival Legend in September 2012. In our humble opinion, the cruise line has gone to the dumps and were not willing to spend another penny to patronize their atrocious services and dine on their subpar food. If by chance you get on this ship, avoid being placed on the Deck 5 forward near Camp Carnival what a nightmare! Also, you hear the noise from the theater which is quite overpowering.
arfern saw things this way:
Worst cruise we have ever been on, January 1, 2013
Reviewer: arfern
Pros: Best thing about this cruise was departing the Miracle on the last day
Cons: Everything, read my review
Date of cruise: December 8, 2012
Departure port: New York
Region visited: Bahamas
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 5111
We took the Carnival Miracle cruise out of New York on December 8, 2012. If this had been our very first cruise on Carnival, we would never sail Carnival again. However, we have been on eight other Carnival cruises and all were outstanding. I guess we finally hit the bottom of the bilge on this cruise. Here are some of the highlights we experienced: Day 1, had to have them come and clean our cabin after we checked in as the cabin was not just dirty, but filthy. Dried food stuck on the desk and table surface, sink had hair in it from the previous guest. Welcome lunch on the Lido deck was the worst food we ever had. Day 2 through 8: We ate dinner in the main dinning room and 15 minutes after we were done eating, our dirty plates were still in front of us and not one waiter in sight. We did, however, have four bar/drink servers ask us if we wanted something from the bar. We walked out and no one noticed. We attended the PunchLiner Brunch and ordered breakfast. I had to go find our waiter to ask where our breakfast was after 30 minutes and he said "I already delivered it to your table." I asked him to show me where our food was and he took me to another table where our breakfast was sitting, COLD. There was no one at this table and we never sat there. We reordered breakfast and finally got it. Then I had to go find him again to ask for more coffee which never arrived and again, three different bar/drink servers came by and offered us drinks. The best meal we had was from Room Service and it was a BLT. Best breakfast was cold cereal. At the Lido Buffet, the salt and pepper shakers were all hidden and if you wanted any, you had to ask the staff for them. On more than one occasion, we had to clean our own table including getting the cleaning supplies to clean the table. During breakfast in the Buffet, staff members were standing at the front of the line passing out trays, plates and silverware while guests were wandering around trying to find a clean table. We were not the only ones doing this DAILY. Overall, the Lido Buffet was usually dirty and the staff did not start cleaning tables (unless asked by the guests) until the buffet closed after breakfast, lunch and dinner. Almost every public restroom was filthy and stunk. Nothing to do on this ship at all unless you wanted to do what they advised which always only included the stuff that would cost you money on your Sail and Sign account. The only free things available were the main shows or sitting on the Lido Deck and watching the ocean pass by. We will continue to cruise on Carnival but will avoid the Carnival Miracle like the PLAGUE.
catrina105 saw things this way:
Lot of sickness on boat. No info from Carnival about what was going on., December 9, 2012
Reviewer: catrina105
Pros: NOTHING IS GOOD ABOUT GETTING SICK
Cons: Lot of people were sick and Carnival staff never informed passengers
Departure port: New York
Region visited: Bahamas
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8234
There were many people sick on the ship. Only way we even figured it out was that buffet staff started dispensing food so passengers were not touching utensils. Smart idea.. why don't they do that all the time. I talked to several people at the end of the cruise who were sick. Carnival Miracle staff knew what was going on but didnt tell people about it. Non-sick people could have been a lot more careful if they were told what was going on. Bad on Carnival's part.....
Leesaover saw things this way:
There were some bumps but overall it was a nice cruise, May 3, 2012
Reviewer: Leesaover
Pros: Awesome steak house
Cons: Room Service-poor quality food & didn't bring cups or sugar for pot of coffee!
Date of cruise: April 20, 2012
Departure port: NYC
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8133
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Upon entering our Extended Balcony room it was set up for 4 people but there were only 2 of us. There was also a bottle of wine there for room 8137 but we were in 8133. We found our steward and he put one of the bunks back in the ceiling and said he'd be back later to "unmake" the other twin bed (to convert it to a couch). When we told him about the wine he just said "I didn't put that there". The next day we realized that our Steward didn't leave us a "Fun Times" letter with the activities for Saturday in it. We got one from guest services. We didn't receive a Fun Times the next day either so I went to guest services and told them that if our Steward didn't shape up I was going to reduce his tip. After that our Steward bent over backward for us. (And he did eventually take that bottle of wine to the appropriate room). It's not Carnival's fault but the weather was awful and the water was very rough. We only had 3 days nice enough to lay by the pool out of 8. (Our cruise went from NYC to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas & Grand Turk) We found things to do inside, there were various activities throughout the ship and we visited the gym, which was very nice. I ordered room service a few times. The first morning we had ordered our breakfast the night before to be delivered between 8 & 8:30. It was delivered on time. All we ordered was coffee and fruit. When it was delivered they brought a coffee pot and a plate with one tiny sliver of water melon, 1 tiny sliver of canteloup, 1 tiny sliver of honeydew and a strawberry. There were no cups for the coffee or sugar or cream. We didn't realize this till after they left so we had to call and wait for them to bring cups so we could drink the coffee. Another time I ordered a "Chicken quesidilla with guacamole on a jalepeno pepper wrap". What arrived was cold chicken and lettuce wrapped in a stale tortilla. No guacamole, no cheese and not warm like a quesidilla. Although the room service was not good at all, the lido buffet and main dining room foods were really good. We especially like the Pizza! Yummy! The meatloaf was also really good. We went to Nick & Norah's Steak house for dinner one night and it was EXCELLENT! We signed up for the free 1 hour session with a photographer to have sunset pictures taken on the deck through "Dreams". When we had our photos taken, the photographer, Jay, was taking a bunch of close up pictures of just our faces looking at each other in various places inside the ship. When he would finish in one location he would dart off to another and expect us to run after him. After about 15 minutes of this I told him that this is not what we wanted that we had signed up for outside pictures. He then took us outside for about 5 more shots. The entire thing lasted about 25 minutes. Far from the 1 hour they advertise. When the picutres were ready we found out that the cheapest package was $500 or you could buy each 8x10 for $30. The pictures were nice but not what I asked for when I signed up. The entertainment staff was very entertaining, especially Malcolm the Cruise Director. We met lots of people and had a really good time.
epaairnow saw things this way:
Excellent time on the Miracle - 1st Carnival Cruise, November 16, 2011
Reviewer: epaairnow
Pros: Food better than expected, staff great, ship was easy to navigate.
Cons: No real cons - great cruise!
Date of cruise: November 2, 2011
Departure port: Fort Lauderdale
Region visited: Caribbean - Southern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 6250
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
The food was better than I expected - Nick and Nora's was awesome. I can eat a ton of food - but I could not finish my 24 oz porterhouse steak and only could topple 1/2 my dessert. My wife has 2 comfort dishes during the cruise -and I tried them - and they were pretty good. No complaints and I am a food lover. I know it may vary by ship etc. - but I thought MDR food was really good. The pizza - yes the crust is not that good - but it is the edible. That could be improved. Getting onboard took 1 hr - dropped off by Embassy Suites shuttle at 10:45am - making a call home on the lido deck at 11:45am. Didn't see cruise director - only knew what he looked liked from the TV. Maybe 2 announcements per day - which I liked. I expected constant interruptions. HOWEVER my wife and I mainly hung out at the back adult only pool on sea days - didn't really do any ship activities. Did see family friendly comedy one night - that was good....and the Ticket to Ride show -which we enjoyed. Did the tea time one sea day -that was nice as well. Service was great - very friendly people. Did the bar coupons - my bartender always charged the $1.15 extra for the DOD - but all of the drinks were strong. My wife got 2 DODs just with the bar coupons - not extra charge one time. Not a pain to keep up with - keeps sign/sail balance down somewhat. Island stops painless - had a great time with Bernard/Cosol/Royston Torus on St. Maarten/St. Lucia/St. Kitts, respectively. Had a balcony - loved it except smokers on both sides... doesn't bother me but it does my wife- so every time we tried to enjoy coffee/sunrise - or reading - the neighbors were out. Not sure if I would do balcony again unless price was right - spent more time laying in the pool chairs. Cruise did not feel crowded - testament to Spirit Class probably - so it seemed like most people could get a lounge chair.
dkillebrew saw things this way:
Weather and illness made this the least enjoyable cruise of 10 we've taken, December 26, 2010
Reviewer: dkillebrew
Pros: Great rate for balcony cabin, good itinerary, excellent embark/debark process
Cons: Food quality and service was less than we have experienced on Carnival before
Date of cruise: December 13, 2010
Departure port: Ft Lauderdale
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8125
Weather is obviously beyond the control of any cruise line but cool windy weather set the tone for the entire trip. There were few opportunities for enjoying the open decks. Weather was good only on port days at St Lucia and St Kitts. My wife became very ill with Norovirus-like symtoms late on the third full day and spent most of the remainder of the trip in bed. She is not prone to sea sickness so it was caused by something else. I came down with the same thing the day after we returned home. Unfortunately, these issues prevented us from enjoying other aspects of the cruise so there is not much else positive that can add to this review. As noted by other reviewers, the Miracle is showing signs of age and the overall condition of the ship was less than that of other ships we have sailed. This was the first cruise we have taken in almost 20 years where tips were automatically deducted from our onboard account and where there were no opportunities provided or encouragement to supplement the mandatory amount. It seems that the quality of service may have been affected by this policy, especially in the service provided in the dining rooms.
Biggparkin saw things this way:
Family friendly, wonderful service, good entertainment, September 1, 2010
Reviewer: Biggparkin
Pros: The Bacchus restaurant was a pleasure to be in
Cons: Not enough security, too many kids allowed to run wild
Date of cruise: August 19, 2010
Departure port: New York
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 4209
Good for teenagers: Yes
This is a very confusing review for me to write. First, it was the most enjoyable cruise I've ever been on. I'll try and take things in order, so maybe they'll make sense. First, the food. We ate in the Bacchus restaurant every dinner and the food was wonderful, the service was excellent, and to top it all....the waiters' show was hilarious. The decor wasn't too sparkling, very dated, but overall, the best dining experience I've ever had on a cruise. On the reverse side of this was the buffet breakfast and lunch. Usually the food was not hot enough, a bit all over the place, so if you wanted different things from different stations the food was usually cold by the time you got sat down. Next, the accommodations yet again were quite confusing. For the first time we booked a room with a balcony. We had these great plans that the three of us would have breakfast on the balcony every day. Never happened once. There were only two chairs and a minute table, so we never ended up eating anything on the balcony. On the other hand, the weather was gorgeous the whole trip, so we sat out regularly, reading and having a beverage or two. I wouldn't go on a cruise without a balcony ever again. The room was quite nice and there was enough to watch on the TV, including lots of free movie channels, which isn't always the case nowadays. The three islands we visited, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and Grand Turk, were all totally different from each other, but all three were a wonderful experience. The entertainment was usually very good. There was a twice-nightly show in the Phantom Theater, different every night. I especially liked the juggler, Marcus Monroe, who turned out to be a fantastic comedian. Trying to get a sunbed near the pools was quite difficult. Apparently if a towel was left on a bed unoccupied for more than 30 minutes, security were supposed to confiscate it. This never happened and some of them were left for hours on end. We ended up on the very top deck, a long way from any pools, which upset our daughter somewhat, but it was the only place we could find any empty beds. I suppose that's the reverse side of having beautiful weather every day. I'll take the beautiful weather and the top deck any day. The mini-golf was quite novel, although was definitely in need of some repairs, but still enjoyable to play. The only real complaint I have about this cruise was the lack of security, or more to the point, the lack of security doing anything. I've already mentioned about people hoarding the sunbeds and nothing was done. Also, we witnessed adults smoking and drinking in the pools and nothing was done. The most dangerous by far, though, was the kids being allowed to just run wild, anywhere they wanted. Nobody ever said a word. I was run into twice by kids running down the corridors and on at least five or six occasions had to avoid being mowed down by children running in the dining room. I hope this review doesn't confuse too much, but overall I would say that this was by far the most enjoyable cruise I've had.
jansarts saw things this way:
Great eight-day cruise but ship in very poor repair, August 17, 2010
Reviewer: jansarts
Pros: Best food of any cruise
Cons: Ship constantly had repair men working, from 5 a.m., ship in poor shape
Date of cruise: March 13, 2010
Departure port: ft.lauderdale
Region visited: Caribbean - Southern
Cabin category: Balcony
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
The Miracle cruise was an overall very nice trip, except the ship needs to go into drydock for repairs. Workers were repairing and replacing stairways, pools, and lights constantly. We were awaken every morning at 5 a.m. with hammers and saws and paint fumes. We had a fire on board at 1 a.m. and it took one hour for anyone to come to the floor as at least 10 cabins were trapped in the hallway, terrified, inhaling black smoke. The fire was in the AC unit but contained within the fire barriers. So no AC for the rest of the night. Aside from the ships' condition, and if you could find an area not being repaired, it was a good trip. Best chef at sea on this ship, I would cruise the Miracle if it goes to drydock first.
JUDY GOINS saw things this way:
This is my ship from now on as the crew was so helpful, This was the best, May 10, 2010
Reviewer: JUDY GOINS
Pros: service I have experienced.
Cons: Nothing
Departure port: Ft Lauderdale
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 532
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
I have some special needs in my diet and the crew bent over backwards to accommodate me and everyone was so nice. The check-in was very quick and I thought the ship was very clean. The only thing I could complain about was the cigarette smell as we had to go through the casino to get to the theater and the smell of cigarettes in that area would almost make you sick. I do not believe those people have lungs.
Carnival Miracle reviews
Average customer rating:
3.54 / 5
3.54 / 5Average Rating based on 15 Reviews:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
3.60
3.80
3.14
4.33
3.64
3.00
3.25
4.00
3.53
3.80
3.14
4.33
3.64
3.00
3.25
4.00
3.53
csaunders saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
3
2
2
4
4
2
3
3
4
2
2
4
4
2
3
3
4
Could have been better but fit in with our dates, May 12, 2017
Reviewer: csaunders
Pros: Just unpacked, ate, sleep, had entertainment, and ports were good
Cons: Linen yellow, quilt stained, towels had holes, no explanation about ship's time
Date of cruise: May 29, 2017
Departure port: long beach
Region visited: Mexico
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 5168
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
This trip was the only cruise to mexico that fit in with my business plans. We feel that it was a reasonable trip but Carnival could have done much better. There is no excuse for stained linen and holes in towels except that the company wanted to save money and not replace them! The cruise director at no time explained how the 'ship's time' worked compared to the local time and we nearly missed a tour due to that. We had not experienced this 'feature' on any other cruise.
eri10 saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
Everything was absolutely EXCELLENT!!, May 3, 2016
Reviewer: eri10
Pros: Everybody was very nice and I only want to go on this ship!
Cons: Nothing at all
Date of cruise: April 22, 2023
Departure port: Long Beach, CA
Region visited: North America
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8160
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
When I got on there was only one person that I knew I would enjoy being around my entire trip. He was my assistant stateroom steward, Hari. He was so nice and always joked around with my sister and I. Then there was Dora, my stateroom steward. She was so nice and even helped me to find my mother. The food was absolutely incredible!! It was so good that now I refuse to eat any food because I want food from the boat so badly. I went to Circle C one of the days and it was very entertaining. Now I'm a teenager so I don't do kid stuff, but I admit I had fun. I didn't go in the pool on the boat so I can't really say anything about that. I could never say a negative thing about this boat. It was just AMAZING!!!
arabian saw things this way:
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Better than expected, May 14, 2015
Reviewer: arabian
Pros: Ship is immaculate, food better than expected, staff excellent
Cons: Interior decor--bordello. Cold temperatures in public places. Engine vibrates
Date of cruise: May 2, 2015
Departure port: Long Beach, California
Region visited: Mexico
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 4224
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: No
Just out of drydock but ship had noticeable engine vibration when exceeding 10 knots. My 4th level aft cabin's bed definitely vibrated which made for poor sleep. If you live in earthquake country, you don't want to feel your bed shaking! Lower level MDR would have water in glasses vibrate the nearer you sat to rear of ship. Not pleasant. Temperature of interior public areas, theaters and MDR very cold, many people wearing heavy sweaters and some parkas. This was a Mexican Rivera itinerary so the cold temperature on board was especially notable. I was really offended by the interior paintings, used as wallpaper, of anatomically detailed naked women. These larger than life size paintings are everywhere on the ship. Walls, ceilings, restaurants, atrium, etc. are covered in paintings in varying levels of good taste. If you are bringing children aboard you might re-think this ship. Whoever signed off on this "soft porn" theme should be fired. So much for a "family cruise line". I had a BC level aft balcony cabin on 4th deck, quite good size, very small balcony. Comfortable bed only after having attendant add bed pad. Good storage, closet space. Refrigerator is really a cooler. No ice provided. Extremely quiet. Biggest cabin issue was the significant vibration from the engines. I would strongly recommend a cabin as far forward and as high up as possible. Food in MDR was always very good. Lobster and chateaubriand offered one night with lots of unique dishes not usually found on cruise ships. "My Time" dining never a problem being seated. Entertainment would probably have been better if I had had a whole lot more to drink. The comedians ranged from a very angry, unfunny old guy to a very untalented, unfunny guy who basically replicated bodily function noises with his mouth into the microphone. Lots of people got up and left. The theater shows were typical cruise shows, but not very good. Hey, music from the 80s is not something to celebrate. The casino was surprisingly very good, slots very "loose." Lots of players winning. I won $99 on penny slots and a woman won $8,000 playing blackjack. There are two pools but the pool areas are somewhat cramped. The Solarium is a great idea which needs to be better developed. There are a few cabanas but more could be added. Unfortunately people arrive prior to 7 a.m., leave their towels and other items on the cabanas and then don't return for hours. No Solarium attendants paid any attention to this all day reserving of cabanas. They also have two double hammocks in the Solarium. The Solarium is supposed to be adults only but numerous children were there using loungers and hammocks and running about yelling. Again, no involvement by attendants. The gym was excellent with new, professional level equipment. Gym also had very good Jacuzzi. Sauna and steam rooms complimentary. The embarkation and disembarkation were some of the fastest I've encountered -- the Port of Long Beach, U.S. Customs and Carnival have really gotten their act together in getting you on and off the ship. I would not pay extra for the Faster To The Fun service since embarkation is really fast. I showed up at noon and was in my cabin by 12:30, no waiting at all. Would I take this cruise again? Probably. The two other Carnival ships which do the Mexican Riviera are basically old ships which need to be sold off. The Miracle (11 years old) has benefited from the drydock. If Carnival keeps the fare low enough then the Miracle is a good, inexpensive week vacation.
bettty45 saw things this way:
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Hawaii cruise was so-so, December 28, 2014
Reviewer: bettty45
Pros: Room was quiet and clean, great steward, great orchestra
Cons: Internet, TV, club music, debarkation
Date of cruise: December 6, 2014
Departure port: Long Beach
Region visited: Hawaii
Cabin category: Outside
Cabin number: 1199
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Ship is in fair shape, food was good, desserts were poor, not much variety for a 15-day cruise, loved Serenity area, comics were good, main shows were so-so, our room steward was great as were all staff. We are platinum members so we enjoyed free laundry and other perks. Our bathroom always smelled like sewer and our thermostat knob was gone so that wasn't pleasant. Not much variety in day-to-day activities. The ship is going into dry dock in March. Needs some repairs on decks,etc. Beds were comfy and we had a large window. We had rough seas so they totally rearranged our itinerary. Never made it to Maui. Debarking sometimes was very congested and slow. We were back-to-back cruisers so getting off at Long Beach for the day was a horrible time. They need to improve this.
Registrarln saw things this way:
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First and last time on Carnival, March 30, 2014
Reviewer: Registrarln
Pros: Extended aft balcony
Cons: Everything else!
Date of cruise: March 23, 2023
Departure port: Los Angeles
Region visited: Mexico
Cabin category: Balcony
When they say you get what you pay for, they are not kidding. This is not my first cruise, but first (and last...) on Carnival. From the start... Our room was dirty. We had to get a supervisor to come in and clean it. The surfaces and cabinets were full of food particles. The balcony and chairs were filthy. The plexiglass on the balcony was so filthy, we couldn't see out. I ended up reaching over the railing to try and clean it myself. Our pool towels were used...not clean....and still damp. The closet door didn't close. We requested two beds, we had one and had to wait hours for them to correct it. Bath towels kept being taken but not refreshed. Had to keep asking for them. Our AC didn't work and the room was freezing. After a tech finally came, it stopped working. Not a very comfortable room. Beds lumpy and uncomfortable. Comforter was dirty...my guess not changed from last cruise. Disgusting! Let's continue... The food was not edible! Absolutely horrible! he buffet, the restaurant....awful! The wait at restaurant tables was non existent and not friendly. The eating areas always filled with dirty dishes; no one clearing tables. On the Lido deck, the ashtrays were overflowing and there were plates filled with cigarette butts. Obviously not being emptied. There were no staff around at all outside. Your serenity lounge...not serene. Just 20-somethings, loud, obnoxious. The entertainment... In Jeeves lounge, while trivia games or karaoke were going on, lines of people were walking through, between the cruise directors and audience. Very ill planned setup, microphones too loud, bad overall experience. Oh, and let's not forget the rescue at sea that caused us to have to turn back and lose time in PV. Not that it was the guests' fault, but your cruise line should have done more to compensate their customers. All in all, the absolute worse cruise I have ever been on and will never sail with you again if this is what your ships are like. The food alone will keep me from returning. I love cruising, I love my extended aft balcony, but I will do it on Princess, Royal Caribbean or Celebrity.
Trucker Mark saw things this way:
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Was it norovirus or just a mass case of food poisoning?, January 26, 2014
Reviewer: Trucker Mark
Pros: Nick & Nora's Steakhouse was great, the Baccus was OK, and the Lido???
Cons: My wife getting really sick and being confined to our cabin was not so great!
Date of cruise: January 12, 2014
Departure port: Los Angeles
Region visited: Mexico
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 5273
Trucker Mark - January 24, 2014 My wife and I sailed on Carnival Miracle from LA to the Mexican Riviera on a 6-day cruise Jan. 12-18. On that cruise she got extremely sick with what was later diagnosed as a lower GI infection, and as the cruise progressed at least 50 other passengers got really sick either from the same lower GI issue or from seasickness even though seas were quite calm the entire voyage. I am thinking that the diagnosed lower GI issue was really food poisoning. I suspected either the chicken or lettuce on the January 13 dinner service, after 28 hours at sea, or perhaps their house blue curacao cocktail mix. My wife was miserable on Tuesday, January 14, and after visiting the ship's infirmary she was confined to her cabin on January 15, the day that we were in Puerto Vallarta and had a beach excursion planned. While Carnival refunded our planned Puerto Vallarta shore excursion they refused to refund even a portion of the all-you-can-drink alcohol pass that we purchased, even though my wife was too sick to even drink alcohol for half of the cruise. For whatever reason Carnival did not charge us for my wife's two visits to the ship's infirmary, and on our second visit my wife saw a computerized list of passengers on sick restrictions that was more than a single webpage in length. We also were forced to make an unscheduled stop on our way back to LA from Puerto Vallarta on January 16 when an older male passenger had to be evacuated at Cabo. We don't know whether he got really sick, whether he had a heart attack, or maybe suffered a fall, but one of the port tenders came out after we stopped and he was evacuated on it. On January 17 another passenger two cabins forward of ours also got very sick and was confined to her cabin. Other than my wife being confined to our cabin for two days the Miracle is a decent ship and we very much enjoyed their Nick and Nora Steakhouse experience as well as their Beatles show and their comedy club, and we also enjoyed their adult only lounge out on the end of the Lido deck too. We were in Cabin #5273 if anyone wants to know, which is a balcony toward the rear of the ship, two decks above the dining room. We would like to know how many other passengers got sick on the same cruise, as we personally only knew of several, other than the number of names on the infirmary computer page, and if anyone has been diagnosed with norovirus rather than Carnival's generic lower GI diagnosis.
carkeyv saw things this way:
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Poorly managed ship, no heat although leaves from New York, January 4, 2013
Reviewer: carkeyv
Pros: Left from New York so no travel required
Cons: Children running amok, no heat, poor service, horrible food
Date of cruise: December 24, 2012
Departure port: New York, NY
Region visited: Bahamas
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 5107
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: No
Approximately 98 percent of the children onboard were running around unsupervised. Crew members watched them climb on tables and other objects, run through public areas and commit rude acts toward adults but they did nothing to address the issue although numerous passengers made complaints. Our balcony door was not airtight so it hissed. Maintenance guy seals the door with nails. When we asked the customer service rep to have him unseal the door, we were told Because of winds, you cannot go outside on your balconysay what? After stern words, then the balcony door was ordered to be unsealed. The food was awful and the desserts were less than desirable. The menu in the dining room was monotonous. We were on this ship for its maiden voyage in 2005, what a sharp contrast in 2012. The service, food and overall experience sharply declined to the point that we will not sail with Carnival again. We had a similar experience on the Carnival Legend in September 2012. In our humble opinion, the cruise line has gone to the dumps and were not willing to spend another penny to patronize their atrocious services and dine on their subpar food. If by chance you get on this ship, avoid being placed on the Deck 5 forward near Camp Carnival what a nightmare! Also, you hear the noise from the theater which is quite overpowering.
arfern saw things this way:
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Worst cruise we have ever been on, January 1, 2013
Reviewer: arfern
Pros: Best thing about this cruise was departing the Miracle on the last day
Cons: Everything, read my review
Date of cruise: December 8, 2012
Departure port: New York
Region visited: Bahamas
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 5111
We took the Carnival Miracle cruise out of New York on December 8, 2012. If this had been our very first cruise on Carnival, we would never sail Carnival again. However, we have been on eight other Carnival cruises and all were outstanding. I guess we finally hit the bottom of the bilge on this cruise. Here are some of the highlights we experienced: Day 1, had to have them come and clean our cabin after we checked in as the cabin was not just dirty, but filthy. Dried food stuck on the desk and table surface, sink had hair in it from the previous guest. Welcome lunch on the Lido deck was the worst food we ever had. Day 2 through 8: We ate dinner in the main dinning room and 15 minutes after we were done eating, our dirty plates were still in front of us and not one waiter in sight. We did, however, have four bar/drink servers ask us if we wanted something from the bar. We walked out and no one noticed. We attended the PunchLiner Brunch and ordered breakfast. I had to go find our waiter to ask where our breakfast was after 30 minutes and he said "I already delivered it to your table." I asked him to show me where our food was and he took me to another table where our breakfast was sitting, COLD. There was no one at this table and we never sat there. We reordered breakfast and finally got it. Then I had to go find him again to ask for more coffee which never arrived and again, three different bar/drink servers came by and offered us drinks. The best meal we had was from Room Service and it was a BLT. Best breakfast was cold cereal. At the Lido Buffet, the salt and pepper shakers were all hidden and if you wanted any, you had to ask the staff for them. On more than one occasion, we had to clean our own table including getting the cleaning supplies to clean the table. During breakfast in the Buffet, staff members were standing at the front of the line passing out trays, plates and silverware while guests were wandering around trying to find a clean table. We were not the only ones doing this DAILY. Overall, the Lido Buffet was usually dirty and the staff did not start cleaning tables (unless asked by the guests) until the buffet closed after breakfast, lunch and dinner. Almost every public restroom was filthy and stunk. Nothing to do on this ship at all unless you wanted to do what they advised which always only included the stuff that would cost you money on your Sail and Sign account. The only free things available were the main shows or sitting on the Lido Deck and watching the ocean pass by. We will continue to cruise on Carnival but will avoid the Carnival Miracle like the PLAGUE.
catrina105 saw things this way:
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Lot of sickness on boat. No info from Carnival about what was going on., December 9, 2012
Reviewer: catrina105
Pros: NOTHING IS GOOD ABOUT GETTING SICK
Cons: Lot of people were sick and Carnival staff never informed passengers
Departure port: New York
Region visited: Bahamas
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8234
There were many people sick on the ship. Only way we even figured it out was that buffet staff started dispensing food so passengers were not touching utensils. Smart idea.. why don't they do that all the time. I talked to several people at the end of the cruise who were sick. Carnival Miracle staff knew what was going on but didnt tell people about it. Non-sick people could have been a lot more careful if they were told what was going on. Bad on Carnival's part.....
Leesaover saw things this way:
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There were some bumps but overall it was a nice cruise, May 3, 2012
Reviewer: Leesaover
Pros: Awesome steak house
Cons: Room Service-poor quality food & didn't bring cups or sugar for pot of coffee!
Date of cruise: April 20, 2012
Departure port: NYC
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8133
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Upon entering our Extended Balcony room it was set up for 4 people but there were only 2 of us. There was also a bottle of wine there for room 8137 but we were in 8133. We found our steward and he put one of the bunks back in the ceiling and said he'd be back later to "unmake" the other twin bed (to convert it to a couch). When we told him about the wine he just said "I didn't put that there". The next day we realized that our Steward didn't leave us a "Fun Times" letter with the activities for Saturday in it. We got one from guest services. We didn't receive a Fun Times the next day either so I went to guest services and told them that if our Steward didn't shape up I was going to reduce his tip. After that our Steward bent over backward for us. (And he did eventually take that bottle of wine to the appropriate room). It's not Carnival's fault but the weather was awful and the water was very rough. We only had 3 days nice enough to lay by the pool out of 8. (Our cruise went from NYC to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas & Grand Turk) We found things to do inside, there were various activities throughout the ship and we visited the gym, which was very nice. I ordered room service a few times. The first morning we had ordered our breakfast the night before to be delivered between 8 & 8:30. It was delivered on time. All we ordered was coffee and fruit. When it was delivered they brought a coffee pot and a plate with one tiny sliver of water melon, 1 tiny sliver of canteloup, 1 tiny sliver of honeydew and a strawberry. There were no cups for the coffee or sugar or cream. We didn't realize this till after they left so we had to call and wait for them to bring cups so we could drink the coffee. Another time I ordered a "Chicken quesidilla with guacamole on a jalepeno pepper wrap". What arrived was cold chicken and lettuce wrapped in a stale tortilla. No guacamole, no cheese and not warm like a quesidilla. Although the room service was not good at all, the lido buffet and main dining room foods were really good. We especially like the Pizza! Yummy! The meatloaf was also really good. We went to Nick & Norah's Steak house for dinner one night and it was EXCELLENT! We signed up for the free 1 hour session with a photographer to have sunset pictures taken on the deck through "Dreams". When we had our photos taken, the photographer, Jay, was taking a bunch of close up pictures of just our faces looking at each other in various places inside the ship. When he would finish in one location he would dart off to another and expect us to run after him. After about 15 minutes of this I told him that this is not what we wanted that we had signed up for outside pictures. He then took us outside for about 5 more shots. The entire thing lasted about 25 minutes. Far from the 1 hour they advertise. When the picutres were ready we found out that the cheapest package was $500 or you could buy each 8x10 for $30. The pictures were nice but not what I asked for when I signed up. The entertainment staff was very entertaining, especially Malcolm the Cruise Director. We met lots of people and had a really good time.
epaairnow saw things this way:
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Excellent time on the Miracle - 1st Carnival Cruise, November 16, 2011
Reviewer: epaairnow
Pros: Food better than expected, staff great, ship was easy to navigate.
Cons: No real cons - great cruise!
Date of cruise: November 2, 2011
Departure port: Fort Lauderdale
Region visited: Caribbean - Southern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 6250
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
The food was better than I expected - Nick and Nora's was awesome. I can eat a ton of food - but I could not finish my 24 oz porterhouse steak and only could topple 1/2 my dessert. My wife has 2 comfort dishes during the cruise -and I tried them - and they were pretty good. No complaints and I am a food lover. I know it may vary by ship etc. - but I thought MDR food was really good. The pizza - yes the crust is not that good - but it is the edible. That could be improved. Getting onboard took 1 hr - dropped off by Embassy Suites shuttle at 10:45am - making a call home on the lido deck at 11:45am. Didn't see cruise director - only knew what he looked liked from the TV. Maybe 2 announcements per day - which I liked. I expected constant interruptions. HOWEVER my wife and I mainly hung out at the back adult only pool on sea days - didn't really do any ship activities. Did see family friendly comedy one night - that was good....and the Ticket to Ride show -which we enjoyed. Did the tea time one sea day -that was nice as well. Service was great - very friendly people. Did the bar coupons - my bartender always charged the $1.15 extra for the DOD - but all of the drinks were strong. My wife got 2 DODs just with the bar coupons - not extra charge one time. Not a pain to keep up with - keeps sign/sail balance down somewhat. Island stops painless - had a great time with Bernard/Cosol/Royston Torus on St. Maarten/St. Lucia/St. Kitts, respectively. Had a balcony - loved it except smokers on both sides... doesn't bother me but it does my wife- so every time we tried to enjoy coffee/sunrise - or reading - the neighbors were out. Not sure if I would do balcony again unless price was right - spent more time laying in the pool chairs. Cruise did not feel crowded - testament to Spirit Class probably - so it seemed like most people could get a lounge chair.
dkillebrew saw things this way:
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Weather and illness made this the least enjoyable cruise of 10 we've taken, December 26, 2010
Reviewer: dkillebrew
Pros: Great rate for balcony cabin, good itinerary, excellent embark/debark process
Cons: Food quality and service was less than we have experienced on Carnival before
Date of cruise: December 13, 2010
Departure port: Ft Lauderdale
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8125
Weather is obviously beyond the control of any cruise line but cool windy weather set the tone for the entire trip. There were few opportunities for enjoying the open decks. Weather was good only on port days at St Lucia and St Kitts. My wife became very ill with Norovirus-like symtoms late on the third full day and spent most of the remainder of the trip in bed. She is not prone to sea sickness so it was caused by something else. I came down with the same thing the day after we returned home. Unfortunately, these issues prevented us from enjoying other aspects of the cruise so there is not much else positive that can add to this review. As noted by other reviewers, the Miracle is showing signs of age and the overall condition of the ship was less than that of other ships we have sailed. This was the first cruise we have taken in almost 20 years where tips were automatically deducted from our onboard account and where there were no opportunities provided or encouragement to supplement the mandatory amount. It seems that the quality of service may have been affected by this policy, especially in the service provided in the dining rooms.
Biggparkin saw things this way:
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Family friendly, wonderful service, good entertainment, September 1, 2010
Reviewer: Biggparkin
Pros: The Bacchus restaurant was a pleasure to be in
Cons: Not enough security, too many kids allowed to run wild
Date of cruise: August 19, 2010
Departure port: New York
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 4209
Good for teenagers: Yes
This is a very confusing review for me to write. First, it was the most enjoyable cruise I've ever been on. I'll try and take things in order, so maybe they'll make sense. First, the food. We ate in the Bacchus restaurant every dinner and the food was wonderful, the service was excellent, and to top it all....the waiters' show was hilarious. The decor wasn't too sparkling, very dated, but overall, the best dining experience I've ever had on a cruise. On the reverse side of this was the buffet breakfast and lunch. Usually the food was not hot enough, a bit all over the place, so if you wanted different things from different stations the food was usually cold by the time you got sat down. Next, the accommodations yet again were quite confusing. For the first time we booked a room with a balcony. We had these great plans that the three of us would have breakfast on the balcony every day. Never happened once. There were only two chairs and a minute table, so we never ended up eating anything on the balcony. On the other hand, the weather was gorgeous the whole trip, so we sat out regularly, reading and having a beverage or two. I wouldn't go on a cruise without a balcony ever again. The room was quite nice and there was enough to watch on the TV, including lots of free movie channels, which isn't always the case nowadays. The three islands we visited, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and Grand Turk, were all totally different from each other, but all three were a wonderful experience. The entertainment was usually very good. There was a twice-nightly show in the Phantom Theater, different every night. I especially liked the juggler, Marcus Monroe, who turned out to be a fantastic comedian. Trying to get a sunbed near the pools was quite difficult. Apparently if a towel was left on a bed unoccupied for more than 30 minutes, security were supposed to confiscate it. This never happened and some of them were left for hours on end. We ended up on the very top deck, a long way from any pools, which upset our daughter somewhat, but it was the only place we could find any empty beds. I suppose that's the reverse side of having beautiful weather every day. I'll take the beautiful weather and the top deck any day. The mini-golf was quite novel, although was definitely in need of some repairs, but still enjoyable to play. The only real complaint I have about this cruise was the lack of security, or more to the point, the lack of security doing anything. I've already mentioned about people hoarding the sunbeds and nothing was done. Also, we witnessed adults smoking and drinking in the pools and nothing was done. The most dangerous by far, though, was the kids being allowed to just run wild, anywhere they wanted. Nobody ever said a word. I was run into twice by kids running down the corridors and on at least five or six occasions had to avoid being mowed down by children running in the dining room. I hope this review doesn't confuse too much, but overall I would say that this was by far the most enjoyable cruise I've had.
jansarts saw things this way:
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Great eight-day cruise but ship in very poor repair, August 17, 2010
Reviewer: jansarts
Pros: Best food of any cruise
Cons: Ship constantly had repair men working, from 5 a.m., ship in poor shape
Date of cruise: March 13, 2010
Departure port: ft.lauderdale
Region visited: Caribbean - Southern
Cabin category: Balcony
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
The Miracle cruise was an overall very nice trip, except the ship needs to go into drydock for repairs. Workers were repairing and replacing stairways, pools, and lights constantly. We were awaken every morning at 5 a.m. with hammers and saws and paint fumes. We had a fire on board at 1 a.m. and it took one hour for anyone to come to the floor as at least 10 cabins were trapped in the hallway, terrified, inhaling black smoke. The fire was in the AC unit but contained within the fire barriers. So no AC for the rest of the night. Aside from the ships' condition, and if you could find an area not being repaired, it was a good trip. Best chef at sea on this ship, I would cruise the Miracle if it goes to drydock first.
JUDY GOINS saw things this way:
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This is my ship from now on as the crew was so helpful, This was the best, May 10, 2010
Reviewer: JUDY GOINS
Pros: service I have experienced.
Cons: Nothing
Departure port: Ft Lauderdale
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 532
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
I have some special needs in my diet and the crew bent over backwards to accommodate me and everyone was so nice. The check-in was very quick and I thought the ship was very clean. The only thing I could complain about was the cigarette smell as we had to go through the casino to get to the theater and the smell of cigarettes in that area would almost make you sick. I do not believe those people have lungs.
