Carnival Miracle Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Hawaii was the final state for us to visit. We signed up for this cruise on a previous Carnival cruise and got $250 on board credit, plus $250 for being a stockholder! The 4 sea days going to Hawaii did not seem as long as the 4 sea days coming back. This was a 15 day cruise, so we were starting to get "cruised out" and our last stop was Ensenada before returning to Long Beach. The Miracle is well laid out, easy to navigate and the fastest elevators on any of the 12 or so ships we've sailed on previously. The Mad Hatter Comedy Club was spacious and finding a decent seat was easy as long as you got there at least 15 minutes before the show. The Phantom Theater was huge and again, finding a good seat was no problem. There were several areas of the ship where you could find some quiet time to read a book, relax etc. The food on the Lido Buffet (Horatios) was excellent. There were many food choices and always included a Carvery station for dinner. The pizza station was great, no long lines and the pizza outstanding! For breakfast I usually got an omelet and at 7:30 or so, there were no long lines. The cooks were fast, friendly and efficient. We ate most meals on the Lido, which is what we do on most cruises, this being the 11th Carnival cruise for us since 2010. We like to eat then go see a show and not have to get all dressed up. We had one dinner in the Steakhouse and one in the MDR. Missing on the Miracle is Guy's Burgers, Ji Jis, Guy's BBQ, and El Capitano Italian found on larger ships. We enjoyed the Miracle and signed up for a Journeys Cruise on her thru the Panama Canal in Dec 2018. We had balcony room 7242. Very quiet, comfortable and Rony the Steward was excellent. Embarkation out of Long Beach wasn't great. No inside seating and small restrooms in the plaza like area. Being Platinum and boarding first with a special seating area was appreciated. Long Beach is our least favorite port so far. It needs a lot of expansion and work!
Cabin Review
Balcony
Our cabin, 7242 balcony, was on the Port side near the aft (rear) of the ship. We were two floors below the Lido Deck and a short walk to the stairs that we used to get there. This room was very comfortable and quiet. We often take afternoon naps and it was easy to accomplish. Due to the cool and windy weather in the Pacific, we didn't get to enjoy our balcony as much as other cruises. The Lido and other outside decks were often closed off due to winds and rain at times on the Pacific.
Port Reviews
Kona (Kailua Bay)
You have to take a tender from the ship to Kona, they run about every 15-20 mins. Not a lot to do in Kona. We had lunch at the Fish Hopper Restaurant, just south of the dock area with a Kona Coffee stand adjoining it. Very good food. Their special salad with avocado, melon, shrimp and prawns was amazing. Not cheap at about $18, but this IS Hawaii! We bought some chocolate covered Macadamia Nuts at the ABC store across the street from the dock area. That is a large store that has about everything at reasonable prices. At the dock is a free shuttle to Target and Walmart and a nearby shopping area. It runs about every 30 mins. The "International Market" across from Target was a waste of time. Very few stalls are open and a small food court with two places serving Mexican food.