We really enjoyed the trip through the Mexican Riviera. For the price the Miracle is really a great option. As many have said in several other blogs or reviews, the parking at the terminal will cost you $133.00 but very convenient and safe for the week. I too would not get to the terminal until 12:30 or so as the lines become quite long, however something to consider is a covered parking space that may or may not be available if you were to wait until 12:30 to arrive.
Once you get through the long lines it is worth the wait as our room was already available (Balcony Deck 5)with our luggage delivered.
We rolled the dice and purchased the Carnival Cheers program. We were not sure we could get our monies worth ($50.00 per day per person per cabin) but to tell you the truth not having the worry of a large bar bill at the end of the trip was worth it!! We did not hit our 15 drink limit but really enjoyed the ease of drink access at every bar available including dinner and special coffees in the mornings.