Carnival Miracle
December 2005
Western Caribbean
By Patty Wikev
Eleven of us met to do a pre-holiday cruise. We had a ball. We loved the rooms with balconies. We had a problem with a handicapped room, but the Carnival people went way out of their way to solve that problem. The ship was lovely except for the tacky dining room with its over-the-top hot pink lights. We ate breakfast and lunch on the Lido deck which was absolutely delicious and fresh. There was a bit too much Carnival, employee talking at dinner and in the halls; however, we learned to tune that out.
We got off at every stop. Use private tours once you are on shore. On Grand Cayman Island we got a great tour to Stingray City which was longer and much cheaper [than excursions booked on the ship]. We had a great crew and photographer. Dont miss swimming and feeding the stingrays.
If you ever go to Belize City, contact Mark McField for the tour of your life. His email address is . He took two of us to the Altun Ha Mayan ruins. He was fascinating and very well educated. He trains many of the other tour guides. We had the best meal of the whole trip in a little, outdoor, thatched-roof restaurant near the ruins in the forest. He then took us to Old Belize City to see the beach and go through a museum. He will let you design your own tour. It was only $65 for 5.5 hours. If you have five or more people, its $55 each. It was the best $65 we ever spent. The other members of our group tubed down a river through a cave but didnt rave about it.
We all paid $20 each to go to a nice beach in Costa Maya. They probably lost money on us because it was all you can eat and drink, which included alcoholic beverages.
We shopped in Cozumel and had a great time bargaining with the locals. We bought most of the silver for $1.00 an ounce. All eleven of us had a great meal at an open-air restaurant a couple of blocks off the beach with a Mariachi band. The Mexican people are so open and friendly.
Dont miss the hypnotist on the ship especially the late night show. We never laughed so much and so hard in our whole lives.
On the days at sea I spent time at the water slide. It was fast and fun. A cruise is a great vacation for a group of people. We all did our own thing and met for dinner or other times. There is something for everyone to do. Carnival is a fun, lively, young cruise line.
