Disappointed

Item: Carnival Miracle
Rating: 2.1
Author: hellrikk

Carnival Miracle Cruise Review to Mexico

hellrikk

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 20

Overall rating:

2.1 out of 5

Verified Review

4 Night Baja Mexico (San Francisco Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 06, 2023

Ship: Carnival Miracle

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 6201

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

This was our first cruise, and probably our last cruise. It was a horrible experience and cost way too much money for our first cruise. Ensenada was not the same as it was 35 years ago when I was in the military and 30 they took advantage of us while we were in town charged my American Express $309 for four drinks I had to dispute this with American Express. Ensenada is very dirty and smelly. It smells like fish. I would not recommend Ensenada as a port to visit go further south to Cabo or areas one of the other resort areas. The whole experience wasn’t not good for both of my wife and I I would definitely recommend make sure you find out if the ship is new or older because this ship is an older ship. It’s a lot smaller than the new ships and it rocks a lot more on the water. The Buffay food was not that good we did have good food when you pay for the food the only part of the Buffay that was good was the breakfast omelettes those were pretty good. You could not hear what the captain was saying across the microphone because they did not have a speaker inside our cabin, I have hard hearing from the military so we did not get to attend a lot of the activities that they provided because we had no idea. It was our first cruise, so whenever they announced anything we missed it because it was only in the hallways that they had the speakers.

Embarkation

1 out of 5

We tried to reach spirit two days before embarkation. I left my phone number like they said so they could call me back. They never called me back. I tried to call the next day. I was on hold for an hour and a half. Very frustrating.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

The Buffay was subpar. The only good Buffay was the breakfast omelettes they were OK. The rest of the food really was awful.

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5

We were on an old dated ship that did not have rock, climbing or fitness centers that we knew about. The pools were closed a lot because the weather was horrible but that’s not the ships fault.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

They had some good entertainment and music.

Children's Programs

We did not go with our kids

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

All the service and staff workers were excellent. They work really hard and very friendly.

Ship Quality

1 out of 5

They were painting on the second floor by the casino, which permeated an awful chemical smell while we were underway. It filled the entire second floor, full of fumes, and several people complained. We thought the boat was leaking fuel because it was so strong, and I asked one of the crewmembers coming out from the engine room and he said someone was painting the upper stairs rooms and that’s where the smell was coming from. They told them to stop painting and why would they do that on a active cruise, but it was horrible for two days.

Cabin / Stateroom

1 out of 5

Very small cabin claustrophobic. I felt like I was in a Reno Casino Hotel very dated.

Ship tip

One piece of advice for anybody going on a cruise do not sale on the miracle ship it’s dated old not a lot to do we didn’t get our moneys worth that’s for sure.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

San Francisco, California

4 out of 5

Ensenada, Mexico

1 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

They cater to disable people to get off the boat that was a good experience because I’m a disabled veteran and I could not wait to get off the ship with my wife. We were just happy to be home not a good experience on the miracle.

9 Comments

smiddlet 1 year ago

The Buffay??? A scathing indictment of the educational system in America!

Thumbs Up 0

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Sogmoore 1 year ago

I get it. You expected more. Most issue or fun you have on a ship is what you make it. I hope you asked others on the ship because most veteran cruisers love to share tips. I hope this is not your last cruise because you will be missing out on a lot of fun. Carnival cruise line always have a military get to getter. Who knows you could run into some one you know from back in the day. Take care and thanks for sharing

Thumbs Up 2

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carolj68 1 year ago

All u had to do was use the Carnival Hub on your phone or read the Fun Times one is placed in your mail box each night. Better still go by Guess Services or any bar pick up one read it and go to any and all activities . Sorry u didn't like the ship or the choices u made.

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cruising2004 1 year ago

Carnival does not make general announcements in the staterooms. Sorry you were disappointed with your cruise.

Thumbs Up 3

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RetiredRay 1 year ago

One thing I learned in the military, research what you might volunteer for (in cases where you actually have a choice). According to two neighbors, the local VA does have a decent hearing aid program (not much else, but at least it is something)

Thumbs Up 1

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Lawnboy1956 1 year ago

All cruise ships do not make announcements in your cabin unless it’s an emergency. If you want to hear the announcements in your room, you need to put your TV on and choose the channel that shows the camera with the view out the bow. If you do that, do you know Spence will play in your room.

Thumbs Up 2

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Gwbigdog 1 year ago

Thanks for sharing

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NJCruiseGuy 1 year ago

Always research to know what to expect. A different reviewer of the same sailing said it exceeded their expectations.

Thumbs Up 2

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CruzeFan 1 year ago

Cruising is not for everyone. Most people love it, but a few don’t. Many of the issues you mentioned are common across all cruise lines. The size of the cabins on Carnival are actually larger on average than the typical cruise cabin on other ships.

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