4-Night Cruise: Long Beach, Catalina Island, Ensenada

Carnival Miracle Cruise Review

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 19
Helpful Votes: 291

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
Carnival Miracle

4 Night Catalina & Baja Mexico (Los Angeles Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 03, 2024

Ship: Carnival Miracle

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 2 months ago

Review summary

Four-night cruise going to Catalina Island and Ensenada Mexico.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
It was really easy. We showed up about an hour early and had to wait about an hour in the terminal although all the seats were super comfy and it didn’t take long for them to start boarding.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
All the food is really good. It was our first cruise where they had the new menu. I would definitely suggest the Szechuan shrimp. Also, all the quick eateries like Blue Iguana Cantina, and Guys Burger Joint are always really good. The ship is smaller than most carnival cruise ships, and the crowds are never a problem.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
Even though the ship is a lot smaller than most, it has so much to do. There’s a jogging track, mini golf, basketball court, and a really fun Carnival Waterworks. The weather was nice enough for us to try all four slides. Even though Green Thunder seems really intimidating, it is a lot of fun to go down and a really fun rush. The Twister waterslide is slow but good for kids. There is also a small splash pad. On the back of deck nine, there is Serenity Adults Only Retreat. This place is really large, and they’re a bunch of comfy clamshells. On deck three, there is a wraparound deck, below the lifeboats, and that is also one of my favorite features.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
The entertainment was really good. There were many good musicians. Also, some of the comedy shows were really funny. We didn’t go to any playlist production shows, but there was so much to do where we didn’t have to. Although we did hear good things about them.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
All the crewmembers were so good. They remembered our names and our preferences. The dining staff were phenomenal and we got all four courses of food served within 45 minutes. Our room Stewart was also great, and always friendly and chatty in the hallways.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
This was our first time going on a spirit class vessel, and we love it. It is the perfect size everything is so clean and well-maintained. The only problems we had was having an aft atrium. Although it wasn’t really a problem, it just confused us since most other carnival ships have the at in the forward part of the ship.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
It was large, and had everything we could possibly need. It was an extended balcony being able to go out in the balcony and just listen to the waves and actually see the ocean passing below is a great feeling. The beds are really comfy and the bathroom had enough space for everything. same can be said with the storage.

Ship tip

Go down Green Thunder. Also go to the steakhouse.

Ports of call

Catalina Island, California

5 out of 5
There’s so much to do on the island, we went for a 8 mile hike up to the ridge and back. Although most cruisers probably wouldn’t do this, the views are spectacular and doing it is totally worth it. We have been to this island many times before and I’ve done golf carts and even just walk around. We have not had a bad day yet on Catalina Island. I also definitely suggest going to the fudge shop. We thought we may have bought enough to bring some some home, but we did not.

Long Beach (Los Angeles), California

5 out of 5
We didn’t do anything besides board the ship, but the queen Mary is right nearby so you can always go look at that or stay on it. The weather was nice.

Ensenada, Mexico

5 out of 5
We did not book an excursion, and instead just walked around the downtown area. It was kind of nice just to enjoy ship day. The weather was nice and warm and perfect for sunbathing. In the past we have done excursions here, and some of our favorites are the horseback riding or deep-sea fishing

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Very quick and had no problems. The facial identification system is a real timesaver.
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