Ship Highlights

• Award-winning Camp Carnival program for kids
• 1,100-seat theater showcasing Vegas-style entertainment
• Four swimming pools, one with a cascading waterslide
• 14,500-square-foot health spa offering luxurious treatments
• 16 bars and lounges including a two-level dance club, sports bar, and live music venues
• Mr. Lucky's Casino designed in the retro style of a 1950s yacht
• Upscale Norma Desmond's reservations-only supper club at the top of the ship
• Gatsby's Garden, an indoor promenade with trellises and pebble-lined paths
• Outdoor jogging track
• Internet cafe and video game room

Overview

While not necessarily "miraculous," there were a lot of pleasant surprises onboard Carnival Miracle, the 19th ship in Carnival's massive fleet. First of all, the ship is just plain pretty, understated in comparison to flashier creations in the fleet -- interior architect Joe Farcus is known for super-showy designs. Still, Farcus always has a theme, and Miracle's is "fictional icons" -- guest hallways feature drawings of famous literary characters like Robin Hood and Robinson Crusoe (and the more obscure French detective Hercule Poirot). The lobby and atrium are named after the Metropolis of "Superman" fame, and there's even a Gotham lounge that gets its name from "Batman." Carnival Miracle is also laid out exceptionally well -- I've never found it so easy to find my way around a ship, maybe because it is just skirting the high side of mid-sized at 88,500 tons and carrying 2,124 passengers.

The service and the cuisine also exceeded my expectations. This is the first cruise I've been on in a long time, on any line, where I've been approached regularly and cheerfully for drinks service in the lido buffet -- and after years of being under the impression that the food on Carnival was nothing to write home about, I can honestly say the fact that I managed to gain eight pounds during my cruise speaks volumes about the improvements (much to the chagrin of the Weight Watchers police). Rolls were warm and crusty; fish was tender and flaky. Oh, and whoever came up with the idea of offering the pasta dishes in a smaller portion as a starter dish should get a raise!

Carnival Miracle is the fourth (and possibly last) ship in the Spirit class, which introduced some significant firsts for Carnival: alternative restaurants and onboard wedding chapels. Spirit-class ships also offer an impressive 80 percent ratio of outside cabins, as well as lots of nice little touches -- like museum-quality artwork and "designer" martinis.

Why the positive changes? Carnival is pushing to change its reputation in the industry and it shows, even in the little upgrades like softer bedding and big, plush pool towels. In fact, as Bob Dickinson writes in the welcome letter in the in-cabin directory, "A cruise onboard 'Today's Carnival' is significantly different from even a few years ago, as we've gone to great lengths to enhance virtually every aspect of the 'Fun Ship' vacation -- from expanding dining opportunities and entertainment options to upgraded spa and children's facilities."

However, even with the upgrades, Carnival has maintained its appeal with its traditional core audience: unpretentious and outgoing folks who like to party, and enjoy the rowdy and sometimes off-color pool games (though I'll never understand why the winner of the Hairy Chest Competition had no hair to speak of). Drinking and dancing still goes on until the wee hours of the evening (ahem, morning). So even though this ship -- perhaps the mainstream line's nicest -- may have some people wondering, "Are we on Carnival?" the answer is definitely "yes."

Public rooms

Passengers enter the ship in the Metropolis Lobby at the base of the atrium, named after the Metropolis of "Superman" fame and done up with Art Deco-meets-classic furnishing and blue Murano glass lights. The lobby's Jeeves Lounge is a natural meeting place for pre-dinner drinks, particularly when the ship's classical trio begins playing (piano and strings). The Gotham Lounge is another popular spot for pre-dinner drinks, right near the main entrance to Bacchus.

There is an outdoor promenade on Deck 3 as well as an enclosed "winter garden" promenade fashioned after Gatsby's garden in the novel "The Great Gatsby," with white trellises and a faux stone floor, which we found oddly quiet at all times of the day compared to other public areas.

Frankenstein's Lab is the pretty nifty two-deck disco. Neon "electricity bolts" line the walls along with slabs of grayish purple stone, gargoyles hold up the bar stools and cocktail tables, and a gigantic light-up Frankenstein patrols the dance floor. This is used for a teens-only dance party each evening, but becomes a hot spot for adults much, much later -- think way after midnight.

The photo gallery is located on Deck 3, around the perimeter of the lobby. The gift shops are located near here as well, selling the usual logo wear, souvenirs, sunscreen, perfume, duty-free liquors and cigarettes, T-shirts and jewelry. The Formalities shop rents out tuxedos.

Mr. Lucky's casino is enormous with table games and slot machines galore. I was particularly enamored of the precious Garfield (yes, the cartoon cat) nickel slots, but every time I passed through the casino there was a line to play at both machines! I finally got my chance to sit down and play one afternoon, plunked down my entire gambling budget of $10, and left with $20! For low-key card playing, check out The Joker, a small card room located forward on Deck 2.

Sam's piano bar features live music each evening, and the pianists take requests -- there's actually a huge binder of songs to flip through and microphones along the bar for guests with a little gusto (we watched one girl get up on the piano and sing "I Will Survive"). I myself was content to sit in the corner and hum along to the Eagles' "Peaceful Easy Feeling." One neat feature here is that the piano is on a platform that spins ... though this may not be so neat for anyone feeling a little seasick!

Maguire's sports bar is packed with television screen and bar-top gaming machines, but never too many people, unfortunately. Still, stop by and look carefully at the more than 300 signed photographs of athletes on the wall -- pictures of Joe Farcus and his design assistants are scattered among them (in Farcus' case, a high-school yearbook photo of him playing basketball).

Right next door is Frankie & Johnnie's (the name is licensed by the steakhouse of the same name in New York City), a secondary show lounge with "hot" red walls, chairs and floors. If you like 50's, 60's and 70's classic rock and R&B, check out the "Music Unlimited Band." This lounge is also the setting for daytime activities like Family Feud tournaments.

The Raven Library is pretty in dark mahogany-style wood, with loveseats and tables, but the selection, as usual on Carnival ships, is pretty sad (why even bother to have a library, frankly?) -- there is only one glass case of books (three cabinets of five shelves each) and about three random board games. It also doubles as the Internet cafe, and houses 10 computers and a printer. Connectivity is sold in packages or a la carte, though per-minute prices are lower when you buy in bulk. A block of 100 minutes is $55 or 55 cents a minute, while a block of 250 minutes is $100 or 40 cents a minute; otherwise, expect to pay 75 cents per minute. Convenient and reliable wireless access is available to laptop users on Decks 2, 3, 9 and 10. Directly across from here is the small wedding chapel.

Note: Make it a point to ditch the elevator from time to time. There are beautiful glass vases on display in the stairwells, all very different and colorful and fascinating.

Activities

Entertainment

We've always found Carnival to do a good job with entertainment, and this sailing was no exception. The elaborate production shows onboard included a high-energy medley of popular music from the last few decades, called "Legends," and a Beatles-themed production that I unfortunately missed but was, according to fellow folks onboard, quite fun.

The three-level main show lounge was one of my favorite places on the ship design-wise, fashioned after the Paris Opera House and "The Phantom of the Opera." White enamel masks and mini candelabras line the maroon and gold walls, and almost feel magical. Stone figures hold up orange "stained glass" lights atop the entryways.

I usually balk at the gaudy, over-the-top themes invoked by Carnival's Farcus, but Mad Hatter's Ball, the alternate show lounge beneath Phantom, works beautifully. The entrance from Deck 2 is inviting with sparkling red hearts dancing down the winding staircase with really funky frosted lamps in red and ivory lighting the way. The lounge itself is very plush and fantastical -- like you fell down Alice's rabbit hole. There were several late-night adult comedy shows in Mad Hatter's Ball, and a friendly bartender who made fabulous appletinis, so I loved returning there.

I also really enjoyed the fabulous jazz trio that played in the Gotham Lounge after both dining seatings. During the day, cruisers participate in art auctions, trivia contests, ship-sponsored "pub" crawls, big-screen movies, bingo games, slot tournaments, fun contests and game shows like "Newlywed, Not-So-Newlywed" (which I wish wasn't so short, because it was awfully amusing).

Take a scroll from our various nightclubs to the fun seeking show lounges enjoying Carnival's nightlife. This "Fun Ship" is fully equipped with a variety of entertainment of choice. You can choose to be dazzled by our one of a kind Las Vegas-Style Shows and even enjoy our live entertainment that suites all preferences.

• Phantom Show Lounge
• Frankie & Johnnie's
• Maguire's Bar
• Gotham Lounge
• Full Gambling Casino

Fitness and Recreation

There are four pools onboard -- three main pools, each with a whirlpool, and one children's pool -- though none are particularly large. We found the midship Ulysses Pool area to be the liveliest of the bunch, housing the stage for live Calypso music as well as the grill and the Odyssey Bar. For a quieter swim, try Orpheus (forward; the whirlpool here is adult-only, though it can still get raucous after a couple of drinking hours have passed) or Sirens (on the other side of Odyssey Bar). The entrance to the twisty slide is up on the Sports Deck along with a jogging track (15.2 laps equals one mile), a ball court (for basketball and soccer) and a putting green. There are areas designated for shuffleboard and Ping-Pong as well.

Spa Carnival is run by Steiner Leisure, and is pretty run-of-the-mill with a small reception area and 10 private treatment rooms, and sauna and steam rooms available for men and women. Treatments are pretty much in the on-every-cruise vein, ranging from aromastone therapy and body wraps to facials and massages. A basic massage will soak you $109, though on port days you might get lucky and pay $10 or so less.

The multi-level fitness center, located far forward on Decks 9 and 10, was impressive even to me (and I consider a jog to the fridge a huge workout!). One wall is comprised entirely of picture windows overlooking the water, which offers a really nice view (though there is a strip of deck that wraps around here as well so passers-by can watch you through the glass, which I'm not crazy about). Steppers, bikes, rowers, treadmills and weights -- all high-tech -- are placed facing the windows on escalating levels that give the whole room an arena or stadium sort of feel. And there is a foamy, inviting hot tub smack dab in the center.

The fitness center offers Pilates, yoga and cycling classes for a fee of $10, but if you are interested in taking one, be sure to check in at the facility in advance because the start times printed in Carnival Capers may be wrong. I finally got up the guts on the last sea day to try cycling (and even picked up some cute Carnival shorts in the gift shop just for the occasion), but when I stopped by to sign up, the staff member looked at me like I was crazy and said there was no cycling class that afternoon -- even though, there it was, in black and white in the daily program. I was bummed.

For gamers, Wizards is an impressively sleek and specious arcade with at least two dozen new-looking machines and two air hockey tables (very important -- I find air hockey to be a fun afternoon diversion!). You may have to look twice for it though; it's tucked behind the Phantom Lounge (access it from the forward stairs leading out of Gatsby's Garden).

Family

Pinocchio's Club, the children's facility on Miracle, made me wish I could cruise as a kid -- in this day and age, of course. It is a colorful, adult-free hideaway (save from the very cool and cheerful youth staff), but what's inside is even better: five brand-new eMac computers, several small televisions hooked up to PlayStation consoles and a mosaic of wall-mounted screens for watching movies. There's also a huge flat-screen TV set up with Dance Dance Revolution, or DDR as it is known by followers, which is basically an arcade dance simulation game where you can create your own routines and even track the calories you burn -- loads of fun for the kids. There's also a game cabinet, bookshelf, arts and crafts tables, a candy art machine (so neat) and a spin art machine.

The actual children's program, Camp Carnival, is tailored for many age groups. Children are broken up into four categories: Toddlers (ages 2 - 5), Juniors (ages 6 - 8), Intermediates (ages 9 - 11) and Teens (ages 12 - 15). Activities are also tailored for the age groups, and baby-sitting services, basically a slumber party in the play room, are available for a very reasonable cost -- $6 for the first child and $4 for each additional child in the same family -- from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m. Toddlers do not have to be potty-trained to participate, as long as parents provide the staff with diapers and toiletries as necessary.

An all-you-can-drink Fountain Fun Card is available for children at $28 for a weeklong cruise; adults may also purchase a fountain card for $38.50, but I found this to be awfully expensive. Soft drinks range from just $1 to $1.50, so you'd have to drink a whole lot of soda to get your money's worth -- plus, while your buck-fifty can get you a fresh soda, we noticed that guests who proffered up the fountain card at the bar were served whatever dregs were left in already-open cans. Admittedly, kids consume more soft drinks (and less wine) than I, so parents may want to consider this rather than paying a la carte.

Fellow passengers

We noticed a lot of couples and groups of friends traveling together, with most passengers ranging in age from 25 to 55, plus a good number of families, though you'll find even more kids onboard in the summer and during school breaks. There seemed to be a lot of first-timers onboard our particular sailing. I overheard many folks asking questions about proper dress code, the difference between early and late dinner, and most importantly, what was and wasn't "free."

Dress

Our seven-night cruise included two formal evenings, during which most men wore dark suits rather than tuxes, and women opted for business-y pants suits or evening dresses -- some rather glitzy. All other nights are deemed casual (we saw everything from ratty jeans to pretty sundresses) or "elegant casual" (a skirt or pants and blouse is fine for women, and most men wore Dockers-type pants with a buttoned shirt or polo).

Gratuity

Carnival recommends $10 per person, per day, broken down to $3.50 to the waiter, $2 to the assistant waiter and $3.50 to the cabin steward; the amount is automatically added to your shipboard account but can be adjusted in either direction at the purser's desk. A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to bar bills. An envelope is provided on the last night for those who want to extend thanks to the maitre d'; the room service menu suggests tipping -- a buck or two -- as it's delivered.