The World’s Longest Miracle Review, Part 11featured
It was sad waking up today and realizing that the next time we woke up on the boat, we’d be preparing to go home. But it was looking nice outside and we still had plenty we wanted to do, so we wasted no time in getting ready, having a quick breakfast and then heading to the adults-only pool for some sun. This morning was the debarkation talk and free cruise bingo, but having been on many, many cruises with Carnival (the most recent being four months earlier), we just didn’t feel like we needed to. Besides, it runs on a constant loop on the TV so if we felt we needed to watch it, we would. And we never win bingo, so we skipped that, too. So we headed outside for some sun.
It was getting rather crowded and hot and Stephanie and I decided to take a dip in the pool. The adults-only pool is small. It’s miniscule compared to the mid-ship pools. A woman decided to jump in while Stephanie and I were in the pool and swim laps. She splashed us. She took up the entire pool. People were making fun of her in her bikini (she was a bigger woman) and I would have felt bad for her, except she was awfully rude. This wasn’t her personal pool. This wasn’t a lap pool. And it was our last day at sea and I wanted to kick around the cool water. Every time I tried to move closer to Stephanie and got in her path, she’d bump into me to get me to move. I would have loved to see her attempt to do this in the mid-ship pools. The kids would have jumped all over her. As is, the people around the pool rolled their eyes, made fun of her (some of them were just too harsh) and waited for her to vacate. The pool filled up with people when she left, but Stephanie and I had our fill and decided to lay out for another hour before drying off and going back to the room to change.
Today was the big Chocolate Extravaganza up on the Lido deck during lunch and we knew from experience if we wanted to eat at a table, we’d have to be there early. This was a theme throughout the ship: if you wanted a seat somewhere during a prime time, you had to be there early. This extended to all of the shows, tea time and even the chocolate buffet. I think we showed up 15 minutes before it opened. We take quite a bit of time out of our “fun time” during the week to ensure we have places to sit at tea or good seats at the show. We could spend that extra time in the pool, in the sun or in the casino. But we don’t. So I don’t feel bad for anyone who shows up last minute and expects a good seat (or a seat at all), especially since most of them copped an attitude when the people around them wouldn’t (or couldn’t) accommodate them. There were many people lining up early for the chocolate fountain and many tables were already occupied, so we weren’t the only ones who knew how fast the large restaurant would fill up.
The chocolate buffet really should be renamed Death by Chocolate, because if you don’t watch yourself, the sugar rush will kill you (or give you an awful tummy ache). They have at least a dozen chocolate cakes, a chocolate fountain (with cheesecake, doughnut, rum ball and fruit dippers), milkshakes, plenty of candies and even chocolate truffles. They have a station where a server will make you an ice cream swan (your choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream and chocolate or raspberry drizzle). And they have strawberry bisque for any strawberry soup lovers like me!
We made a few plates and shared, but we didn’t take more than a few bites of anything. It was all very good, but very rich and we were craving a more traditional lunch. I almost wish they had the chocolate late at night. They were serving rotisserie, deli and Chinese, but none of it appealed to us. We debated going to the MDR, but Stephanie and I had a lot of packing to do, so we decided that Stephanie and I should go pack and Mom would order room service and we’d eat on the balcony.
When we got back to the rooms, we discovered that our balcony divider was put back up. No more private corridor and super, super long balcony for us. A harsh reminder that the cruise was nearing it’s end. Stephanie packed first. I put off packing for as long as I possibly can. I hate packing when I have a cruise to look forward to, let alone packing to leave this beautiful floating resort for home.
Room service took a bit over an hour to arrive. I had a PBJ sandwich and a veggie plate and it hit the spot. Perfect light lunch to fuel our packing. Stephanie just wanted some pretzels, but they sent over a plate of pretzels and chips. I didn’t know they would do this, but it’s nice for snacks if anyone’s having a meet up in their cabins. Mom had the chicken fajita wrap. It smelled good, but I wasn’t hungry enough to ask for a bite. Grandma ended up having some pizza from upstairs (one of the best things about staying on deck 8 was the close proximity to the Lido deck restaurant for pizza or drinks).
We hung around the balcony a bit. We were still very disappointed over how grandma couldn’t use hers, despite being labeled a “handicapped balcony room.” We wouldn’t have been able to take her out without tipping her wheelchair, and we weren’t comfortable doing that. She really did take it in stride, but we were all disappointed that we couldn’t all hang out on the balcony and watch the water, or have a quiet breakfast on the balcony together. Had we known, Mom and grandma probably would have opted for an interior room, as Mom doesn’t care for balconies and it would have saved us all the disappointment of grandma not being able to use hers.
After we all had our lunches, we decided to go shopping for a bit and walk around the ship. With everyone up on deck enjoying the sun or at the chocolate buffet, the rest of the ship was pretty empty.
We split up after a bit because Stephanie and I wanted to do the backstage tour and Q&A. I was always curious about how they put on such grand and elaborate shows twice a week with so many sets and costume changes. The tour met in the Phantom and was hosted by Joe (one of the dancers) and four tech people (one of the sound people, one of the stage people, the stage manager and the lighting person). Once everyone gathered, we were allowed backstage to take an at-leisure walk-through. We could take pictures, but no video. It’s crazy backstage. It’s very small and cramped, and there’s wigs and clothes and set pieces everywhere. I don’t comprehend how they can put it all together so seamlessly! After the walk through, we all gathered for the Q&A.
Most of the questions seemed to go to Joe (who has danced on Carnival for over a decade), who really held nothing back. As a cost-cutting measure, he told us that Carnival let go of two female dancers on every ship six weeks earlier. We corroborated this with our Capers from January, where there were indeed two more female dancers on board. It was very hard on him and the rest of the dancers, not just because of the close relationships they have with each other, but with the logistics of the shows that now had to be reworked with two less dancers. He also told us that they do not have any dressers, hair people or makeup people backstage. They dress themselves, they do their own makeup and they do their own hair. I was amazed by this…with all of the quick changes, hair piece changes and the elaborate makeup the women wear, I never imagined they were doing it all themselves. I always imagined that cruise ship dancers have a bit of a cushy job because it seemed they danced three times a cruise and then spent the rest of the time out in ports and at the clubs and bars (they’re allowed in the passenger areas and we’ve seen them there frequently on every cruise), but they really do have a lot of work to do with very little help. He also told us that while they have a tailor that comes on when someone new joins the cast for fittings and such, they do not have a seamstress on board and the dancers take turns filling the role weekly for any alterations that need to be done to the costumes (it was a male dancer that week).
Joe was very frank and I enjoyed his candor. I really learned a lot about the backstage goings on from him (and a lot about him- he was a soccer player before deciding to be a dancer in his late teens or early 20s). The other people on the panel were very informative, too, and had lots of insight into putting on such big shows, and I found this tour really interesting and would suggest it to anyone.
After the tour, we headed back to the room to check back in with Mom and grandma, but they were out (probably shopping) so we hung out on the balcony before they came back so we could all go to tea.
We headed to tea early, again, and as early as we were, there were already many people there and many tables already occupied with people saving seats for their families and friends. I don’t think many people realize that when someone finishes their tea time, the servers reset the table and continue to serve, so if you can’t find a table, you can always come back a half-hour or so later and a table might have opened up. Tea today was a little quieter and we enjoyed being able to hear the soft music with our tea.
I left tea a bit early so I could start packing a little. Mom mandated that I pack and have my luggage out before dinner or else I couldn’t leave the room until I was done and I was certainly not in a position to argue (especially considering how close I usually cut it to the midnight deadline). I got most of my packing done and then went over to chat with grandma and she wanted some ice cream, so Stephanie and I took her up to the ice cream parlor that was set up in the aft every sea day from 3:00-5:00pm.
I think the ice cream parlor is only on the Spirit-class ships (I don’t see it on the deck plans for any other ships), but I wish Carnival would put it on all of their ships because it’s just such a nice thing. It’s the kind of ice cream sundaes you would get on Princess for $4 or so at their ice cream place and I don’t think any other mainstream cruise line gives their passengers an unlimited ice cream parlor with many toppings and sauces like Carnival does for free. You can choose from the soft serve or they have hard ice cream behind the counter for a server to serve to you (grandma went with the packed chocolate, some sugared almonds, peaches and melba sauce). No whipped cream or cherries, but I think Carnival offers every other imaginable topping- and then some.
Today, they had the makeup Generations show for the one that was cancelled, so we headed down to that after grandma had her ice cream. We passed the chips and salsa and Margarita Madness party they were setting up in the atrium. They had a drink special in the lobby every night and I thought they did a very good job with the theming and making it seem fun.
Generations was just as good as it was the first time, but it was kind of weird seeing a show at 4:30 in the afternoon. They drew the curtains and it was pretty dark in the Phantom, but it was still a bit weird. The show filled up, but it wasn’t hard to find a seat when we got there 15 minutes early. We took grandma back to the room after the show, where Mom was watching Bride Wars and resting. We went back to the room and I continued to pack, but I still wasn’t done by the time dinner came. Almost, but not quite. All my clothes were packed, but my shoes and my hair and makeup stuff still needed to be packed, but that was good enough for Mom.
It’s really sad on the last night in the dining room because if you have a good staff, they almost feel like part of the family by the end of your cruise. As nice as Jephson and Joanalyn were, we were more upset to say goodbye to Dewey and Karuna because they just spent so much time talking to us and getting to know us, even beyond the MDR.
Dinner tonight was okay. It’s certainly not my favorite menus of the week. Mom started with a fruit cocktail and a caesar salad, and both were as good as they’d been all week. She had the baby back ribs for dinner since they were offered again and thought they were excellent, and had the Grand Marnier souffle for dessert and thought it was too heavy. Stephanie started with the navy bean soup and it was one of her favorites for the week, and then had the fruit with peach schnapps and thought it was good, as well. She gave me a taste and I thought it could use more schnapps, but I really like peach schnapps. She also had the ribs for dinner and said they were fall-off-the-bone tender and really good. That’s a supreme compliment from her since she really doesn’t like meat much. She had the warm chocolate melting cake for dessert and it was hot, gooey and really rich and she liked it a lot. I started with the mushroom appetizer and it was fantastic- the mushrooms were firm and tangy from the balsamic vinegar. It’s one of my favorite starters. I had the appetizer portion of the fettuccine with mushroom cream and chicken and I didn’t care for it. I had a bite or two of the pasta and a few bites of the chicken, but the pasta lacked flavor and the chicken didn’t have much, either. I had the prime rib for dinner and it was too overcooked for my liking and it was served with some spinach that was downright bad tasting (and I *like* spinach). I had the Grand Marnier souffle, also, and thought it was a bit too eggy and very heavy, but the sauce was excellent. I only had a few bites and I was stuffed.
American Navy Bean Soup
Grilled Portobello Mushroom and Handpicked Mesclun Lettuce
Fruit Cocktail
Chilled Supreme of Fresh Fruit
Grilled Chicken Breast with Fettuccine in Mushroom Cream
Caesar Salad
Barbecued Baby Back Ribs
Tender Roasted Prime Rib of American Beef Au Jus
Grand Marnier Souffle
Warm Chocolate Melting Cake
On the last night, many people will elect to give their servers an extra tip for their work during the week. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. We will for service that goes the extra mile, consistent good service, a pleasant demeanor, etc. That said, we kept our tips on the card (as we always do), but didn’t elect to give our servers an extra tip this time because while they were nice, the lapses in service were too much. We were never offered freshly grated cheese for our salads or pastas, the timing of the meals were off, my meal was forgotten in the galley, it took more than 10 minutes to get some horseradish for my prime rib both times they served it, our drinks were rarely refilled without asking and we felt more attention was paid to the larger tables where they could get more tips. Our servers didn’t seem overworked, as they only had a six tables or so (a few didn’t show up the entire cruise), only one of them large. Most were two people. We did, however, give an extra $20 to both the room steward and his assistant because they were excellent during the week, both in our room and in Mom’s, and they were diligent in making sure the room was cleaned while grandma was at dinner, even though it threw their schedule off. And they made excellent towel animals.
After dinner, we stayed for the “Leaving on a Funship” song (our servers weren’t really “into” it) and we went to say goodbye to Dewey and Karuna. They both asked us when we’d be back on the Miracle. We don’t know, but I’d love to see them on another ship sometime. They’re such remarkable young women and the dining room runs so smoothly because of their hard work. There’s nothing they won’t do to ensure you have the best experience possible.
It must have rained while we were at tea and during dinner because it was wet outside and the sun was just breaking back through the clouds before setting. I promised Mom I’d finish packing so I went back to the room and found our last towel animal waiting for us on Stephanie’s bed.
Stephanie helped me finish packing and then headed out to sit on the balcony for a bit. The only show tonight was the Legends show and that wasn’t until 10:30, so we had plenty of time to dawdle before the show. I finally finished packing and Stephanie tagged our luggage and I put it outside. Mom was proud of me for finally getting packed before 11:55pm (my usual) and now I could enjoy the rest of the evening.
We took grandma upstairs for dinner and she decided on pizza, salad and some of that yummy garlic bread again. Really, the pizza on Carnival is fantastic. It isn’t nearly as good as the deep dish Chicago-style pizza we have at home, but it’s truly fantastic. They have plenty of different pizzas, and they’ll also make you an entire pie to order if you want it (I think Stephanie did that once and brought it back to the balcony).
It was nice and cool out, so we took grandma outside to watch the sunset since she couldn’t do that on her own balcony. She got a little chilly, so she and Mom went back inside and Stephanie and I went to take some pictures. It was really wet and slippery out, but I have these cute Crocs flats that look nothing like traditional Crocs (they even have bows on them!) and it’s pretty hard to slip in them. I also found the kiddie pool up on deck 10. I’m pretty sure they don’t allow babies in diapers up in there, either, but there isn’t pool security checking like there was downstairs, either. We stayed out for a bit before heading back to the room and sitting on the balcony.
When the skies got a bit darker, we headed over to Mom’s room and we all went to the shops. Stephanie was unsure of if she wanted to buy some alcohol (she ultimately didn’t) and the rest of the shops had their standard fare. I actually prefer the shops on Princess, as I found many more things I wanted to buy there. Sometime in the last year, Carnival started carrying a line called “World of Good” in the jewelry store that is fair trade, handmade goods with the proceeds going towards third world countries and various charities and I really like the WoG stuffs. I bought this really pretty journal for future use on my travels. I just forget too much going by memory.
We headed to the atrium next. Stephanie, grandma and I sat and people watched and listened to the piano music while Mom checked on her bill at the Purser’s office and put some cash towards her S&S bill.
We stopped in the casino for a bit before heading to the Phantom for the Legends show and for our last umbrella drinks of the week.
The Legends show was just alright. No one really stood out except for James Brown and Garth Brooks, and everyone else just wasn’t very good. But they all actually sang and most of them knew the words (compared to the lip-syncers and lyric sheets we saw in January), but we had been spoiled on previous cruises by some really talented singers, but not much on our last two cruises to really sit in awe of. The high point of the night was Leonnie and Simon as Sonny and Cher, but I was hoping Sam would be in there somewhere. He’s a cutie.
We walked around the ship for a bit after the show. We were bummed that Music Unlimited wasn’t playing tonight, but they deserve a night off, too. Around 1:00am, we headed upstairs to the Lido deck and it was PACKED. I think Stephanie and I split a hot dog and a slice of pizza and then headed to our room to watch movies. I put off sleep until I just couldn’t keep my eyes open. I could sleep in the car on the way home, or at home. This was my last sleep on the boat and I didn’t (and still don’t) know when the next one would be and I wanted to experience as much of the boat as I could, even if it was just enjoying the rocking of the boat while watching movies.
Up next: “Was that the Statue of Liberty?” and the long drive home.
Today’s Lido Lunch Menus
Today’s Lido Dinner Menu
