We chose Carnival Miracle this time because of the week it was sailing and our work schedules. We have no particular preference and have been happy with Royal, Carnival and Celebrity cruise lines. While the ship, staff and itinerary were all to our liking, there were a few things, good and bad,that I should mention for future travelers.

We were very fortunate to have met two great couples at our dining room table. We were all about the same age with similar interests. Carnival either did a great job choosing dinner partners or it was a lucky break, but they made the cruise even more enjoyable. We went to shows together some nights and hung out often during the at sea days. I understand you can change your seating arrangement if not happy, so try to find a good fit and dont settle for an arrangement you are not happy with.

Most of the entertainment was good, not excellent. I have enjoyed other shows, comedians and musicians on past cruises and was a little disappointed. We usually plan our day around piano players, pool deck bands, etc, but we actually enjoyed very little entertainment. One keyboard player, Tony Ray, was exceptional though. We asked him for his schedule and enjoyed classic rock and 70's music whenever we could find him. He was usually in the casino lounge and we would have prefered to see him on the pool deck or another, less noisy lounge. Read more