I was very lucky to have a chance to go onboard the Carnival Miracle from Carnival Cruise Lines with my cousin to review the culinary and beverage department. For the most part, I was impressed by the culinary creations that the Carnival Miracle’s culinary staff provided their guests every day.
From Under the Toque: A Final Culinary Review of the Carnival Miracle is continued below…
More Cruise Reviews from Popular Cruising’s Carnival Miracle, Mexican Riviera 2013 sailing:
From Under the Toque: A Chef’s First Impressions of the Carnival Miracle Carnival Cruise Lines Exceeds Expectations
The Carnival Miracle offers buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner fare at Horatio’s; seaday brunch and nightly dinner in the Bacchus main dining room; and fine dining at Nick & Nora’s Steakhouse (as seen above).
The Carnival Miracle has a gem in Nick & Nora’s Steakhouse that offers patrons a beautiful fine dining meal in an elegant atmosphere with ocean views. All of the dishes that we enjoyed showed creativity, a solid understanding in flavor profiles, and unique plate presentations.
For me, the standout dish that I had was the lobster bisque with a lobster cake and puff pastry. I always love dishes that have different textures present and are classic dishes with a modern flare, and this lobster bisque certainly had all of these elements present.
Nick & Nora’s Steakhouse does have a supplemental charge of $35 per person, but the quality of the food is well worth the upcharge.
Another unique culinary area on the Carnival Miracle would have to be The Taste Bar that was located on deck 2. Four nights a cruise, The Taste Bar offers a sampling of signature dishes from specialty restaurants throughout Carnival Cruise Lines’ fleet.
I have not seen a venue like this onboard another ship, and I am wondering why I never have before. I think that this is such a unique and smart concept that allows you to highlight a variety of dishes from various cuisines. I did not realize that Carnival Cruise Lines’ specialty restaurants feature cuisines from all over the world, and I would love to try these other specialty restaurants sometime in the future.
There are however a few shortcomings when it comes to the cuisine onboard the Carnival Miracle. I noticed that many dishes, especially in the main dining room, generally were under seasoned and the flavors weren’t always cohesive with one another. I also noticed that temperatures varied quite often, and a majority of the hot items I tried came out on the colder side.
Overall, I think that Carnival Cruise Line’s culinary department does a good job providing multiple food options and venues to all of their patrons. The Carnival Miracle definitely lives up to its “Fun Ship” motto, and does have the makings of being a great vessel. If the Carnival Miracle elevates its culinary department slightly and tightens up its dishes, the ship would exceed the competition.
Ciao and remember to enjoy life one bite at a time!
For more information on the Carnival Miracle, visit Carnival Cruise Lines website here.
Have you been on a Carnival cruise? What is your opinion of the food onboard? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below…
HEADER IMAGE SOURCE: JASON LEPPERT