Carnival Miracle Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Disclaimer: This is our first vacation from work in 6 years, so having the time off to do this was a bonus in itself. This will give readers perspective of my optimism.
Fact: This vacation is as good as you're willing to make it. Go in with an open mind and a positive attitude and you should have fun. Yes, I was the the silly guy going around the ship high-fiving everyone (guests and staff alike) saying "Cruise time -- lets's celebrate!!"
Embarkation: Fortunately, we have friends who live near the port so paying the parking the outrageous $150.00 parking fee was not an issue as we parked in the garage in their house for free and were transported back & forth. The fee is a rip-off, but I paid for breakfast for their extended family and a generous gift card for their daughter's university graduation. Point being: I'd rather pay for a meal and time with my friends and something that could benefit a college graduate than waste the money on a "rented" 14 x 8 worthless space of concrete for 7 days. There's really no other choice for travelers driving in and I'm grateful for great friends offering to drive us. Also, there was no need to purchase the Faster to the Fun pass since checking in & getting our Sign & Sail cards went quickly. I would have fully regretted spending that extra money since we stayed in our window of 1:00 - 1:30 pm check in time.
Cabin Review
Extended Balcony
Extended balcony cabin number 7195 & spotless. This cabin has a connecting door inside leading to cabin 7199. Since we did not know our neighbors, the door was really a wall to us. Extended dimensions on the balcony (10 x 6 as opposed to 10 x 4 standard size) was really a bonus as we invited friends for snacks and drinks before our dinner in the main dining room. The room is spacious for 2 adults. This is a starboard cabin where you see sunsets on the way south to Mexico and sunrises (and lights of the cities in the distance at night) on the way back to Long Beach. Spent lots of time out there!! Mid ship and doesn't rock back and forth much. Shout-out goes to our room steward Mayura (goes by "May") for keeping us stocked with extra towels and ice every day. I took the advice of one reviewer & put some bright yellow duck tape on my door so I could find it easily. Otherwise, all doors look the same.