My eighth Carnival cruise was my first on Miracle, after having previously sailed on Splendor, Freedom and Inspiration. Size, decor and destination of the various Carnival ships notwithstanding, most of the cruises themselves are fairly similar and offer most of the same amenities, dining alternatives, trivia games, gambling, etc. This time out, Miracle was offering a six-night cruise from Long Beach to Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta (no Mazatlan this time). Like the other Carnival ships, Miracle was full of friendly, hard-working crew members from Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, et al. I continue to marvel at their ability to remember so many names and appear so upbeat amid what is certainly back-breaking toil with very little free personal time.

One of Miracle's specialty features is a premium Steakhouse, where you'll drop $50 per passenger meal that found to be slightly underwhelming—I'd stick to the Bacchaus dining room or even the Lido restaurant if I cruised Miracle again. I have been to the Mexican Riviera many times in the past, and did not get off the ship at Cabo, but I chose a shore excursion in PV because I have never swum with the sea lions before, and I recommend this fun and informative jaunt (although be advised that you will drop $85 per photo package, minimum).

During my cruise, there were a few debits worth mentioning. First of all, if you're staying on Deck 8 as I was, you should expect blaring music from the Lido Deck (9) to keep you up until at least 1:30 a.m. while they party into the wee hours. Note also that several bars (fore), casino and atrium (mid) and dining room (aft) are all located on Deck 2 of Miracle, which means that walking from fore to aft (or reverse) will force nonsmokers to breathe in the disgusting stench of accumulated cigarette smoke filling the ship from the Casino. (I dearly wish the Casino could be located away from a place where adults and children alike must be exposed to smoke. It is truly repellent, and several of my friends and acquaintances mentioned it as well.) Read more