by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
Jacksonville’s floating hotels opened their doors Wednesday night giving a crowd of more than 2,000 the chance to eat, drink, dance and sing the night away.
The Carnival Miracle’s opening night featured a cocktail hour and four-course meal that gave way to a party that spilled into the ship’s numerous clubs and lounges and carried on into the early morning.
The ship’s Las Vegas-style show played to a full house in the ballroom, but as many guests chose to entertain themselves in the Miracle’s dance clubs, piano bars and karaoke lounge.
Much of the crowd was local. Some were staying on board as a prelude to the game, others saw it as their opportunity to participate in a Super Bowl party largely reserved for high rollers.
“We can’t afford thousands of dollars for tickets or to get into some of the parties, so this is it,” said Charlene Lee as she sipped a glass of red wine during dinner. “We decided this is our night to splurge.”
Charlene and her husband Chuck were one of many Jacksonville couples that paid $600 to spend the night on the Miracle. They followed dinner with dancing at the ship’s Frankie and Johnny club.
Jake Schickel, a partner at Coker Myers, Schickel, Sorenson, Higginbotham and Green law firm, got a last-minute invitation to spend Wednesday night on board the Miracle and wasn’t disappointed when he stepped off the walkway into the ship’s vaulted-ceiling ballroom.
“Isn’t this fantastic?” said Schickel. “I’ve never been on a cruise ship before. I can’t believe how nice it is.”
Not everybody was partying, however. Security was serious. Every guest had to pass through a metal detector and passed through several security checkpoints, each one asking for tickets and identification.
Dozens of police officers kept watch on the pier while, several Coast Guard small boats patrolled the waters surrounding the cruise ship.