Cruise Travel....

New Ship Review:
CARNIVAL MIRACLE
Wherein Farcusian Fiction Becomes Reality

Joe Farcus has gone and done it again. The long-time ship designer has had a hand in more than a score of Carnival Cruise Line ships, and he continues to develop new and interesting themes that keep passengers--and Carnival executives--guessing.

The new Carnival Miracle is no exception, with Farcus devining yet another design theme to make this fourth member in the 2,124-passenger Spirit Class quite distinct. Even though the ship has the same “bones” as the Carnival Legend (2002), Carnival Pride (2001), and Carnival Spirit (2001), the theme of “fictional icons” gave Farcus the opportunity to break new ground with the design of the Carnival Miracle’s many public spaces. (The Carnival Spirit has architectural styles as a theme, the Carnival Pride's image revolves around icons of beauty, and the Carnival Legend highlights legendary people and places in its public spaces.)

With fabled fictional icons as the unique theme for the newest Spirit Class-mate, Farcus has created a very real ship. Though there are no current plans to add to the 88,500-gross-register-ton line of ships, Carnival’s president and CEO Bob Dickinson did say during the Carnival Miracle’s inaugural cruise that they would welcome the chance to add another of these workhorses--given the right financial conditions for building one back in Finland.

Constructed at Helsinki’s Kvaerner Masa-Yards at a cost of $375 million, the Carnival Miracle crossed the Atlantic to the Port of Jacksonville, Florida, where on February 27, 2004, former Army private Jessica Lynch fulfilled the role of godmother at the official naming ceremony. Still walking with a cane, the emotional ceremony ended with Lynch breaking the traditional bottle of champagne across the bow of Carnival’s newest “Fun Ship.”

There was then a three-night inaugural cruise from the shiny new terminal, where it’s quite apparent that Jacksonville is ready, willing, and able to welcome cruise ships in a bigger and better way. The short cruise provided plenty of time for passengers to explore what perhaps is the best theme yet for Farcus and his team.

Farcus, who is obviously a voracious reader and a fan of all types of entertainment, was inspired by characters from novels, songs, poems, myths, movies, plays, and much more. A wide variety of fictional icons were chosen for the styles that evoke a different mood in the Carnival Miracle’s many public rooms and spaces. Wandering passengers will find that the ship reveals herself like a novel, with surprising plots twists and small details that add up to a masterpiece.

From the mythical muses of antiquity to the fictional hometowns of Batman and Superman, Farcus and his team allowed their imaginations to roam freely between genres and centuries. “We haven’t done anything quite in this style before,” he said. “It creates an entirely new look. It has classical elements, re-interpreted in a sort of post-modern way that combines clean lines with decorations that are simply delicious.”

The public spaces evoke an Art Deco style, but there’s much more to meet the eyes in every direction. To set the tone, Farcus designed the dozens of doors in public areas to feature wood inlays of Clio, the muse of history and creator of the Greek alphabet. Who better than Clio could provide a thematic symbol throughout the ship?

The lobby and atrium areas are named Metropolis, for Superman’s home city, while the foyer is the Batman-inspired Gotham Lounge (the Joker card room furthers the caped crusader concept). The lobby bar is called the Jeeves Lounge, for the unflappable Jeeves, valet to the batty Bertie Wooster in P.G. Wodehouse’s novels.

Fountainhead, the lower promenade is derived from an Ayn Rand novel whose main character (like Farcus?) is an idealist architect. The upper promenade is called Kane’s Way, thanks to the famous Orson Welles film, Citizen Kane.

The main dining room, which was definitely the talk of many passengers on the inaugural cruise, is inspired by Bacchus, the Greek god of wine, with its annex bearing the name of his wife, Ariadne. The large two-level restaurant features grape vines on the walls, with round grape-like light coverings adorning the vines. Farcus was apparently unhappy with the original color of these lights which, when on or off, looked more pink- than grape-colored. He had already developed a solution by the time the ship sailed from Jacksonville--dip the light bulbs inside each light covering in blue paint and then replace all 4,000 bulbs!

Horatio’s, the casual Lido Deck dining area, takes its name from C.S. Forester’s fictional British naval captain, Horatio Hornblower. The spacious interior features larger-than-life three-dimensional Hornblower figureheads that look like carved ivory sculptures. The nautical theme is enhanced by wooden beams, arches trimmed in brass, anchor motifs, and models of 18th- and 19th-century sailing vessels.

The final piece of the tasty dining puzzle belongs to Nick and Nora’s, another of Carnival’s supper clubs that have become quite popular on the specialty dining food front. Named for Dashiell Hammett’s characters, Nick and Nora Charles, the elegant ebony-paneled room is situated at the top of the atrium and under a red skylight that’s actually part of the ship’s funnel. The centerpiece of the room has to be the large black-and-white mural depicting a photo of New York from the 1930s.

Other black-and-white photos from the same era give Nick and Nora’s a very sophisticated feeling, which matches the cuisine. Modeled after New York’s premium steakhouses, Nick and Nora’s serves the finest aged prime beef, along with double-cut lamb chops, lobster tail, sea bass, and Alaskan king crab claws. Creative appetizers, side dishes, and desserts are complemented by a hand-selected wine list. The popular, by-reservation restaurant carries a $25 per person fee.

The Phantom show lounge obviously takes its theme from The Phantom of the Opera, which Andrew Lloyd Webber developed into a musical from the 1911 novel by Gaston Leroux. Farcus designed the lounge’s windows with Phantom masks in white enamel. He also said he fashioned the curtains to look like capes (they are raised and lowers on the diagonal). Candlesticks and stained-glass lamps recall the Paris Opera House, where the book and the play took place.

Below the Phantom, the smaller Mad Hatter’s Ball cabaret lounge has visitors feeling like they’ve just chased the white rabbit into Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. The sloping walls feature the three-dimensional Mad Hatter and White Rabbit having tea. When the ship was being built in Finland, Farcus received an email saying the Mad Hatter actually looked like him. During the inaugural cruise, Farcus denied designing it that way, but didn’t deny the obvious likeness.

Dr. Frankenstein’s Lab (the dance club) was built to resemble an old gothic castle in ruins. Neon flashes of static electricity give the room a unique feel, as do the chairs--which are upholstered with stitches just like the those of the fictional monster. Just off the dance floor, a huge Frankenstein is often brought to life with electrical arcs.

Mr. Lucky’s, the casino, was inspired by the 1943 Cary Grant movie and 1950s television show in which Joe Adams (“Mr. Lucky”) ran the Fortuna, an illegal gambling boat out of Manhattan. The interiors of this bustling room are as yacht-like as possible (even though the entire Fortuna could fit inside the Carnival Miracle’s casino). Oblong portholes show the New York skyline in the distance, and the bar tops have coiled ropes imprinted “Fortuna”.

Maguire’s, the sports bar, gives a nod to the sports agent movie Jerry Maguire. The walls of this interesting “Irish sports bar” are lined with more than 300 framed and autographed photographs of athletes from virtually every sport imaginable. Farcus and his crew found and purchased most of the pictures online, but future passengers should try to find the autographed photo of Farcus during his high school basketball days (hint--it’s to the right of the long bar). Lots of TVs and bar-top gaming machines keep this place popular with mostly male passengers.

Sam’s, the ship’s piano bar, is named after the famed ivory-tickler from Humphrey Bogart's club in Casablanca. The room takes passengers to Bogie’s Morocco, thanks to a Moorish design that includes columns, grillwork, fabrics, and wood-planked banquettes.

The Raven Library (which is really more of an excellent Internet cafe) borrows its title from Edgar Allen Poe’s great poem. Beautiful woodwork, rather than books or computers, is the highlight of this functional room.

Finally, a tour of the public spaces ends with a ship’s chapel, which also hosts onboard weddings. The intimate setting features stained-glass windows, along with a central aisle leading to the stage (and a private dressing area). Weddings can be held in the Gothic-style facility while the ship is still docked in her port of embarkation. Carnival’s fleetwide wedding program is expected to attract more than 2,200 couples in 2004!

Along with providing fictional themes throughout the ship, Farcus amassed another eclectic international collection of classic and contemporary art to enhance the ship’s interiors. Ranging from bold paintings to ornate glass vases and much more, the Carnival Miracle features a diverse selection of artworks, which all highlight the fictional theme in some way.

Even the passenger corridors feature art. For them, Italian Augusto Vignalli prepared 18 original paintings of legendary fictional characters, including the Phantom of the Opera, Sherlock Holmes, Philip Marlowe, and Captain Ahab. Finally, each of the staterooms features original motifs by American Janine Alter, whose works are inspired by her world travels. For the Carnival Miracle, Alter painted a series of warm and serene natural images.

As for the cabins in general, the standard ocean view stateroom with balcony makes up a majority of the accommodations. They are more than adequate on all fronts, with space, layout, storage, bathroom facilities and amenities all well designed.

Of course, Carnival is family-friendly and the Carnival Miracle is no exception. The line’s complimentary “Camp Carnival” is typically in full swing on the ship. The focal point of many Camp Carnival activities is Pinocchio’s Club, a 2,400-square-foot play area that is among the largest in the industry.

Located forward with a great view, the two-level spa and gym features just enough of all the modern exercise machines and free weights, plus a nice little hot tub for soothing tired muscles. The European-style spa offers lots of exotic treatments, a large full-service beauty salon, and an airy aerobics studio where an array of scheduled fitness classes are offered daily.

All in all, this ship is another keeper in the Spirit Class. Many fans of these workhorses hope Carnival will plan a fifth one--and that Farcus’s thematic creativity gets another spirited chance

From September 5 through October 24, the Carnival Miracle embarks on Sundays from Baltimore for weeklong roundtrips to Key West, Nassau, and Freeport.  On November 7, she will launch seven-day “exotic” Caribbean cruises from the Port of Tampa, becoming the newest and largest ship based there year-round, replacing the Inspiration on this one-of-a-kind seven-day four port itinerary, which features visits to Grand Cayman, Mexico’s Costa Maya and Cozumel, and Belize. Football fans may be interested to learn that the Carnival Miracle has been selected by the Jacksonville Super Bowl Host Committee to serve as a “floating hotel” for those attending Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6, 2005. During Super Bowl festivities in Jacksonville, the Miracle will be docked on the St. Johns River near ALLTEL Stadium from Wednesday, February 2, through Monday, February 7.

For more information contact your travel agent or Carnival Cruise Lines (Cruise Travel Magazine), 3655 NW 87th Ave., Miami, FL 33178 or log on to www.carnival.com