We always cruise with Carnival and have always been satisfied with them. The Miracle was a good cruise, especially being a smaller ship with less passengers. Although, this has an affect on the number of the crew as the bar service was slow most of the time. The shows were underwhelming, but the Comedy Club was outstanding! The ports of call were all good, especially Mahogany Bay and the beach excursion with Carnival. I would recommend the Miracle, especially if you haven't cruised on a spirit size ship with Carnival. It's a different experience.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We use Carnivals "Faster to the Fun" option and embarkation is always excellent. We were in our room before noon.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Carnivals food is always consistent, its just average, nothing special. The exception is the Steak House which is exceptional. Well worth the extra money.
Nick & Nora's Steakhouse
4 out of 5
The steakhouse is always great on all Carnival ships. We did have a small problem with our reservation though. The hostess wouldn't let us sit at our table because we were 10 minutes early and we had to wait at the bar. We thought this was ridiculous as the dining area was not crowded at all.
Mad Hatter's Ball Lounge
5 out of 5
All the Comedy shows were here and they were excellent. You just need to get there at least 30 minutes early or you won't find a seat.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We usually don't participate in any physical activities on the ship or use the pool. We do spend a lot of time in the Casino. It is our favorite activity on the ship on a sea day or in the evenings.
Mr. Lucky's Casino
4 out of 5
We spend a lot of time in the Casino, and here is were we became real good friends with a bartender who really gave us great service! The only downside is that the Miracle doesn't offer any live entertainment in the Casino as the other Carnival ships do.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We were disappointed with the musicians. Most of the music was too laid back and not very upbeat which made for a low key atmosphere. We're use to more of a higher energy party mood. The stage shows were just okay, nothing special. The exception was the comedy club were there were excellent performers. I never stopped laughing during the shows.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
The service was just okay, nothing outstanding. There was an excellent bartender in the Casino who we got to know very well and he gave us great service. We found quite a few of the bars were understaffed and the wait time was long.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship is older and definitely outdated. The decor will turn some cruisers off, especially the main dining room, but we were okay with it. The ship was always very clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We always book a balcony cabin. This cabin was at the end of a hallway and close to the elevator and stairs. We didn't experience any extra noise and loved the convenience. Everything in the room was good. The only complaint was the weight of the balcony door. It seemed extra hard to open and and hold open while going to and from the balcony. We spilled drinks more than once attempting to hold the door open.
Ship tip
The ship is smaller than most of the rest of Carnival's fleet and less crowded. It never seemed crowded as the rest of our cruises. This was a great plus!!
We did a beach excursion through Carnival and this was outstanding. We had a private beach with lounge chairs provided. The beach was excellent with food and drink close by and security people in the area to watch your personal belongings while you were in the water.
This was undoubtedly the worst part of the cruise. This was our 1st time in the Port of Tampa and it was a nightmare! Customs is so severely understaffed its unbelievable!! We waited in line on deck on the ship for almost an hour just to get inside the customs building, and then waited in more lines for another 45 minutes to get through. To our astonishment there were only 2 customs agents working. This will be our last time cruising out of Tampa.
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