Background Information - We booked our cruise approximately three months prior to sailing direct with Carnival. The process was straightforward although their website took some getting used to. While we ultimately succeeded in booking everything we wanted it was not always clear-cut how to find certain items. Their day-to-cruise counter is a nice touch, however.
Ship Info - The Miracle turned out to be pretty much what we expected from the descriptions and other reviews. It's dEcor ranges from pleasantly comfortable in some rooms and areas to gaudy in others. All in all, we did enjoy it and it was a clean ship that didn't take too long to understand how to get around. The elevators did prove to be frustrating at times, either slow to arrive or nearly always full (they did seem to be a bit undersized for a ship of the Miracle's capacity). The fitness center is very well laid out and very nicely accommodates choices from aerobics to weights to treadmills and bikes. The hot-tub, steam room, sauna and shower facilities were excellent.
Activities - There were activities scattered throughout the day ranging from bean-bag tournaments to hair-chest contests. Not many of them interested us, but that may very well just be our taste in activities. We tended to hang around the pool quite a bit.
VERY quiet! We never heard any commotion from the hall or next cabins. The closets were roomy and the balcony was very private.