Our family, my husband & myself & 3 boys 8, 12, & 14. recently returned from a New Year's Eve. Carnival Cruise. This was our second carnival cruise & 7th cruise. Embarkation was speedy and crew were friendly when the 5 of us boarded the ship, handing out info. about Camp Carnival & Carnival Capers. We checked in late so our room was ready. Bogdan our cabin steward was fantastic! He introduced himself, & always kept us stocked with extra towels throughout the trip. Our rooms were always done & he always had a pleasant greeting. Cabins WE had 2 adjoining balcony rooms on the empress deck. Spacious with lots of storage space, very comfortable bed. Bathroom was small but adequate. Food We chose the early seating 5:45 & arrived around 6. We were curious to see the dining room since so many reviewers were distressed over the decor. Get over it and stay home. Yes its over the top but its fun & you are not living with it. Martin our server was friendly & always offering us different things to try. Service was good, presentation was good, food quality was average to good. When our 12 year old disliked his prime rib Martin got him an Angus burger & always brought him large servings of Caesar salad after the first nite. Food was better on Holland America but Carnival's is much more kid friendly. Pasta with grilled chicken good for kids & adults. Pizza on the Lido deck was good & you could get a grilled chicken Caesar for lunch. The kids enjoyed the 24 hour ice-cream dispensers. If you are travelling with kids buy them a fountain card. It's only 1 week & our boys loved the luxury of unlimited soft drinks. (They also liked the fries on deck)

The Ship & Activities The Miracle is easy to get around & our older 2 kids loved the freedom of being able to roam. Basketball court & pingpong tables are a nice touch. Pools were small but the boys enjoyed them anyway & also the hottub. Onboard organized activities are not our thing, but enjoyed watching the ice sculpture,walking around deck, swimming, & just hanging. Camp Carnival was good for younger children but activities for 12& up "lame" Having said the boys were never bored & had a great time at sea days----by the way Carnival brochures show children & families if you don't want kids on your cruise go elsewhere!!!

Entertainment One southern, Jeff Foxworthy type comedian very funny, other comedians jokes very tired. Everyone seemed to enjoy the Ticket to Ride Show. Mad Hatters is a fun place to see a movie unfortunately films are shown very late. Read more