Hawaii 2014

Carnival Miracle Cruise Review to Hawaii

Hawaii2014

Contributor Level: Third Mate

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 49

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

15 Night Hawaii (Los Angeles Roundtrip)

Sail date: October 18, 2014

Ship: Carnival Miracle

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 10 years ago

Review summary

We had a wonderful trip! I would definitely recommend Carnival over Princess for two reasons:

1. The crew are very personable and by the end of the cruise it feels like you are leaving family behind, it is a bitter sweet moment! We took this same cruise on Princess and the crew were ALL grumpy and disdainful. NOBODY smiled, they acted as if they were just notified they would not be paid for this cruise. Also, even though we were right behind hurricane Anna, it was such a smooth ride compared to Princess. On Princess we practically had to tie ourselves to the bed to keep from rolling out! On Carnival, it was so smooth, every time I laid down to read a book, it rocked me to sleep-Carnival Miracle really was a 'Miracle'!!

2. Princess DOES NOT HAVE 'Ssshowtime' at dinner!! We loved watching our waiter sing and dance for us. We looked forward to it every time. Princess does one tiny performance during dinner, during the WHOLE 14 day cruise-the 'Baked Alaska' Congo line, ugh-No comparison!!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

We purposely booked our cabin on the opposite end of the ship from the dining room (for exercise) and vowed to eat in the dining room for controlled portions. It was worth the extra steps for the gourmet meals, Yum!

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

I could take it or leave it, some of the adult comedy was raunchy-but the family portion was suitable.

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

But not Carnival's fault!! There were only 20 kids on board in the 13 and above crowd. My 13 year old daughter would have liked some more companions-however; she loved the attendants that were in charge.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Happy staff makes Happy guests! 95% of the staff were excellent in this category, only a few sour grapes, we avoided them and sought out our favorites in the 'Dine anytime' category

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

I really liked the theme and decorating of the ship, it was beautiful and artfully done.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

First time with a balcony, I really enjoyed it. I don't think I can go back to Ocean view or interior.

Ship tip

The elevators are stupendous! We were amazed at the elevators-you could not even feel them move. On Princess, we just about flew out of the elevator and kissed the ground. They were herky-jerky no matter how many floors you were trying to move to. And always the WAAAAIT. On Carnival, hardly any wait

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