Carnival really outdid themselves with this one. This is my third cruise and I was extremely impressed with the Miracle. Previous sailings were on Princess and Holland America. Service was exceptional, the ship dEcor was extremely fun (we were in constant awe) and impeccably clean. The food was fabulous. If I had to find something wrong - the only thing I could come up with is that there was not a lot of things for the teens to do after 10:30 p.m. that might sound late but on a cruise ship that is the middle of the evening.
We traveled with a group of 20 people (6 families total 12 adults and 7 teenagers (ages 13-17) I put this cruise together to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Carnival was more than accommodating they made you feel like you were their only guest.
Embarkation - They say 1:30 to 3:30 is embarkation. When I called Carnival they indicated sometimes they let people on at 12:00. Therefore, we arrived at embarkation right at 12:00 noon we basically walked right up to the counter to register. After registration you were then assigned a number and had to sit and wait till you number was called. Within 15 minutes our number was called and we boarded the ship by 12:30. Rooms were not ready yet but the Lido deck and the bars were open. The room was ready by 3:00 p.m. as promised.