Carnival Miracle 2013 7-Day Alaska Cruise Review
Day 2      June  12, 2013            Day At Sea                                              
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Day's Overview:   Today was the second day of the cruise and a day at sea.  This day of the cruise was also one of two formal nights.  The ship was rocking throughout the morning and early afternoon.  Although the ship did not rock side to side, it rocked up and down and vibrated more than normal.  The constant vibrations and a headache are not a good combination. Two other people in my family did not feel so well because of the constant vibrations.   Otherwise, this day of the cruise was fun and the entertainment staff did a lot of fun activities.  The constant vibrations decreased in the afternoon because the ship was entering the Inside Passage. 

Future Cruise Desk

Beverage AD

Storage area's doors were open

Weather:    It rained some during the morning of our first sea day.  The temperature was cold, but it did not feel as cold as Seattle. 

Looking towards back of ship

Mouth of the ship

Deck 9 looking towards the front of the ship

I don't think this pool was heated.

Inside the Retractable Roof:   The retractable roof stayed closed for the entire cruise.  This "outside" area of the ship was warm.   People were using this pool throughout the day.  I felt the water using my hand and it was lukewarm.  

Heated Pool

Glass Staircase

First Breakfast Onboard:   In the buffet there was a large variety of foods to eat.  There was a fruit bar, pastries line, omelet station, and some general breakfast food lines that had almost the same foods.  Today was french toast day.  Carnival rotates pancakes and french toast on their breakfast buffet lines.   Throughout the entire cruise I got to serve myself bacon!  The line at the deli never had a bacon policeman!  I saw that other lines had a crew member serving 2 slices of bacon. I had a family member ask a bacon policeman for another two slices and the crew member asked them "Are you sure?".   The crew member must not have realized that when a person asks for more bacon they are wanting more.  

Fresh Fruit

Fruit Bar was in same place as the Salad Bar.

Inside Horatio's

Horatio's Lido Buffet was easy to navigate and had a great design.   This is now one of my favorite Carnival Lido Buffets.   I liked that the atrium was "in" the lido.  Nick & Nora's Steakhouse was directly above the lido buffet. 

Skylight in Horatio's

Milk & Yogurt

Hot Chocolate (good!) and coffee machines

The Bacchus Dining Room was open for breakfast today.  I did not eat in the main dining room during breakfast on this cruise.  I liked the design of the Bacchus Dining Room because of the grapes.  The pictures below are of the lower level of the dining room.   At dinner the lower level was used for people who had assigned seating.  Here are some pictures I took in Bacchus in the early morning: 

Bacchus Dining Room Lower Level 1

Bacchus Dining Room had a staircase to get to upper floor.

Bacchus Dining Room

Jeeves Lounge

Jeeves Lounge

Elevator Area Looking Towards Jeeves

Pizzeria:    The Carnival Miracle had the new pizza menu.   I was upset that "Pan" pizza was no longer offered.  It was my favorite on all of the other cruises that I have been on.  The new pizza was thinner and had much less red sauce and cheese.  The cheese was put on in small chunks.  The pizza would have been much better if more sauce was added.  Below are some pizzeria pictures: 

Pizzeria Dough

Pizzeria

Pepperoni Pizza

Deli

Deck 10 - Looking Towards Front

Whale Spotting!

Calm Water At The Front of the Ship

Deck 9 - Lido

View from balcony of waves ship is creating.

Formal Night Dinner: 
 Tonight's dinner was very good!  I had lobster and a side of a baked potato.  The dress code for the evening was "cruise elegant", but I saw some people wearing a t-shirt and jeans.  The photography staff was going around to different tables to take pictures.   Also many photography stations were set up around the ship for passing people to take pictures with a backdrop.  


The Warm Chocolate Melting Cake was really good!  The first night it was 95% cake.  On this night it was almost all melted chocolate.  The chef did a much better job tonight! 


Enjoy some food pictures: 

After dinner the stateroom was turned down and had another towel animal and more chocolate mints.  I think that tonight's towel animal was my favorite.  The daily newsletter, Fun-Times, for the next day were also delivered. 

Towel Animal in Stateroom

Deck 3 -    Deck 3 is where the lifeboat embarkation stations are located.  This deck is a great deck for walking.  About 3 laps around the entire ship on this deck make a mile (approx.).   To use this as a walking path pick a place to start and then walk towards the front of the ship.  You will come to what looks like a dead end with a metal door saying "Gatsby's Garden".  That door will not open! Go through the front automatic doors which are on the side. Then go through Gatsby's Garden on the inside.  Go around to the other side of the ship and then exit through the automatic door on the other side.  Continue this path for as many rounds as you want to go.  Below are some pictures of the walking path and then inside Gatsby's Garden: 

Waves At Back of the Ship

Deck 3 Facing Front

Deck 3 Facing Front

The first two pictures were taken inside Gatsby's Garden.  The third picture was taken inside the Fountainhead.  This fountain actually had water flowing into a small pond.  It was hard to get a clear picture because of the lighting. 

Gatsby's Garden

Gatsby's Garden

Fountainhead

The Taste Bar:    The Taste Bar served small snack foods in the evening on select nights.  Each night featured something different.  For example, one night was a steakhouse sample and then another night was from the Blue Iguana  on 2.0 ships.  Some of the samples were better than others.  
Later in this review I will be posting a Taste Bar Menu. The menu is posted on Day 3- Tracy Arm Fjord.

The second picture that you will see below is of the Fun Finds Shopping Desk.  It was stocked with brochures about shopping in the port of calls. 

Taste Bar

Fun Finds Desk

Phantom Theatre

Day 3  -  Tracy Arm Fjord    -   Click Here To Continue Reading This Review