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Family Vacation


Milz
"First Cruise"

Overall Rating: Good

TRIP INFO

Sail Date:01/25/2013
Destination:Caribbean - Eastern
Departed From:NYC
# of Nights: 8 Nights
Cabin Type: Verandah
Sailed As: Family

RATINGS

Food:<p>2</p>
Itinerary:Good
Cabin:Good
Entertainment:Very Good
Overall Value:Good
Spa/Fitness: Good
Embarkation: Very Good
Debarkation: Very Good
Staff/Service: Good
Overall Rating: Good

COMPLETE REVIEW

Our cruise left from pier 88 in NYC. The embrakation was fast and easy, as was the debarkation process. We were 2 days at sea before arriving at Port Canavaral, FL where we decided to take a cab with a few folks that were also on our cruise ($25 per person, roundtrip) to the Kennedy Space Center ($50 per person, admission) for a total of ($75 per person). Excursions purchased directly from K.S.C. or Carnival started at $100.

This particular port was amazing because the night before my boyfriend and I decided we would wake up extra early to see the sunrise on the top deck and as we were there watching the sunrise, we were greeted by dolphins. I was even able to get a few good shots.

The next day we arrived in Nassau, Bahamas and at last minute decided to purchase an excursion to The Atlantis, Paradise Island ($99 per person) We didn't know what to expect but we ended up having a great and relaxing day. We were given wristbands and escorted to buses that took us to the resort. Once at the beach, we were given plain beach chairs, towels and plastic recycled tote bags to put our things in that we were able to keep. Although, we were restricted from certain areas we were allowed into the casino and aquarium and given lunch vouchers, which could be used at 5 different locations. Unfortunately, only one was open the day we were there. The best part about this excursion was the beach! I was there in January but the water was still decent enough for us to get into and enjoy. The only complaint I have is that there was always someone, somewhere, trying to sell something and it became annoying.This excursion was pretty pricey but I still recommend it, still worth it.

The following day we docked at Freeport, Bahamas and decided not to disembrak. The overall feel of the cruise ship itself was relaxing and fun. The decor was nice but wasn't child friendly. The food was decent but they didn't offer a big selection. They brag about how they offer 24 hour free room service but the only thing on the menu was ice tea, coffee, pizza, icecream and simple sandwiches.

The entertainment was pretty good and so was the sit down dinning. We were very impressed with our third dinner when our servers, I. Putu, I Gusti and Made welcomed us all by name. We were amazed since they didn't ask what they were and yet got all of them correct. Job well done!!!

On the other hand, upon arriving in our room, we were disappointed that our stateroom steward, Jaime Miller Reid hadn't finished cleaning it, didn't bother to introduce himself and didn't even bother to remove the old stateroom stewards name tag. It wasn't until the third evening we came back into our room that we notice that the name tag that was previously there was switched out. Not good!!!

Overall, and in my opinion Carnival Miracle did NOT meet my expectations. However, I have nothing to compare it to as this was my first cruise.




User Feedback



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Congratulations on taking your first cruise, and thanks for sharing your review with us! Sorry the cruise didn't meet your expectations, but the good news is that you can book another so that you have something to compare it to-LOL!

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Glad to hear the majority of your cruise was to your liking! I have found over time that NOT every cruise is the same. I have had excellent cruises and less than good cruises. My idea of a bad cruise is when the ship would sink!! :) My sister sailed the Miracle from N.Y. a few years ago and she was not impressed either with the Miracle. Did you do some homework before planning your cruise? There are many reviews across the web that can give you a first hand look at what other passengers that sailed the ship you are planning experienced. Keep in mind when reading these reviews though, there are some people you just can not impress regardless of the cruise!! I usually read the average consensus of the ship/cruise line over the prior year to get the best idea. When it comes to your cabin steward, it sounds like the original steward wasn't assigned to your cabin for some reason and the assignment was thrust upon the new steward at the last moment (hence the old stewards name placard). Please keep in mind, the crew that deals directly with the passengers (cabin stewards, dining room staff etc.) work 12+ hours a day. And everyone has a bad day occasionally. I realize that this may not be a viable excuse for your vacation, but may help you understand a bit better. Finally, as I always recommend to cruisers, send a letter to the cruise line and explain your total cruise experience with them. This affords those crew members that went above and beyond for your cruise recognition and those that failed you, correction of their mistakes. The cruise line will usually send you an incentive in the form of added On-Board discounts or other offers when or if you book with them in the future.

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Thanks for your review. Wait staff can be hit and miss on most ships. I have had awful and excellent cabin stewards. I suggest trying another line, sometimes it takes several tries to find the one for you.

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Thank you for sharing your review. I hope you will give cruising another try possibly with another line. Personally I have lines that I would not sail on again while I really enjoy other lines.

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Thanks for sharing your review with us. Sorry that this cruise didn't live up to your expectations, but hope that the next ones all do. My husband and I said we would never go back on Carnival after a bad cruise back in the 1980s, but after a wonderful cruise on the "Liberty" in 2009, we have another one booked on the "Breeze" for this fall, and hope that one is just as good. We are Celebrity fans, but have enjoyed our last cruise on Carnival, so will cruise with some friends on the "Breeze."

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Also wanted to let you know that you can also try other x websites where you can get valuable information regarding cruises. Google cruise critics and you will find tons of information on different ships, ports, pre-cruise reviews, post-cruise reviews, etc... Sorry your cruise didn't go as planned, but there other Carnival ships, which I am sure you will enjoy. Don't give up on Carnival, it's a great cruise line.

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Also wanted to let you know that you can also try other x websites where you can get valuable information regarding cruises. Google cruise critics and you will find tons of information on different ships, ports, pre-cruise reviews, post-cruise reviews, etc... Sorry your cruise didn't go as planned, but there other Carnival ships, which I am sure you will enjoy. Don't give up on Carnival, it's a great cruise line.

I agree. There are many sites out there that can be helpful in planning your cruise. But in my opinion, Cruise Critics has really began to fail in it's moderation of posts. When I booked our cruise on the Brilliance for this November, I looked at Cruise Critics for recent reviews of the ship and itinerary. I posted a question about RCCL luggage tags (because we never sailed RCCL before) and was "Flamed" (insulted) by 2 different posters. They said I should have done a search for the info on the site before wasting their time. That's the difference between "them" and "us"!! Cruise Crazies is a fully family friendly site and Flaming is not tolerated. If you choose to search outside of Cruise Crazies, before posting a question to that other site, give us a try. You may be surprised!!

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