Victory Review Oct. 4-11

[HarperSays]

We just returned from our fabulous Victory cruise and I can tell you this is an awesome itinerary! I would go on this same cruise again in a minute. For a little background it was myself (age 32) and DH (age 30) and 2 other couples around the same age. We flew out of Atlanta to Puerto Rico on Saturday evening before the cruise. We arrived in Puerto Rico around 8:45pm so the airport was empty and we jumped straight into a taxi to our hotel, Le Consulat. Taxi was $19 plus $2 for the 6th person and then $1 for each bag. I will warn you the taxi drivers drive crazy so hold on. We chose Le Consulat because it was the only room we could find that would hold 6 people in one room. If we had it to do over, we would get 2 rooms. The hotel was fine, nothing fancy, but we didn't feel it was dirty or unsafe, so it was fine for us. The fold out couch bed was not for sleeping on though - you could feel each and every spring. We grabbed a late dinner at a restaurant down the street around 10pm and while we never felt unsafe, the street was definitely one of the party streets in town with lots of people out and about. The next day the front desk called us a cab and we headed to the port. We arrived around 11am and there was no line. We each walked straight up to the counter and checked in. However, we couldn't board the ship until 12:30, so we each received a zone. Not sure how they figure this as one couple got zone 1, one couple got zone 2 and one couple got zone 6, and we were all checking in at the same time. Not a big deal because we all arrived on the ship within minutes of each other anyway. We then went to the liquor store. We bought 2 bottles along with soda and water. I stashed the liquor in our carry on and when our zone was called we went through security with no problems. You could clearly see the liquor on the security screen, but no one said a word. However, if the liquor was not in your carry on bag, Carnival employees confiscated it at a table on deck and you wouldn't be able to get it until the end of the cruise. The ship was nice and I liked the ocean decor. Like I read in other reviews, the sea horses at the stairwells will get you and leave bruises.:o We dropped our carry on bags in the room even though they were not ready yet and then went staight to the Lido deck for our first lunch. The buffet was tasty, but most days for lunch we opted for the burgers/fries/chicken fingers at Mississippi BBQ. The deli was really good. After lunch we went out to explore Old San Juan. We walked up to the San Cristobal fort which was cool. Then we decided to take the free trolley to the next fort, but after waiting and waiting for the trolley in the heat, we decided to go back to the ship. Then dinner and our first melting cake---yum!:) Next stop---St. Thomas!

[HarperSays]

The next morning we got up and ate breakfast at the Lido buffet. It was so crowded that morning and it took us forever to get through the line. We didn't have any plans for this port except for relaxing on a beach. This was our 2nd cruise and the other couples' 1st cruise, so all of the ports were new to us. We decided on Magen's Bay. We caught a taxi $8 per person one way. We arrived around 10am and it was still quiet and not many people. We LOVED Magen's Bay. It is absolutely beautiful there. I have many pictures, but I have no clue how to post them on here. We were the only ship in port, so I have a feeling this contributed to not many people on the beach. The water was perfect and we stayed here till around 2 or 3. Then we went back to the port for a little shopping. I wasn't sure if I would like St. Thomas because it seemed to be more commercialized than some of the other places, but I fell in love with this place. I could definitely live there. That night was our first assigned dinner and we met the other couple that was assigned to the table with the 6 of us. I must say Carnival does an excellent job assigning tables because this couple was our age and lived just 2 hours from us. Our waiters were Dennis & Valentyn and we absolutely LOVED them. We all had so much fun at dinner every night and met 2 new friends for life. All in all, an awesome day! Next stop---Dominica!

[Dirkgun]

Great start... Thanks for doing the review it sounds like you had a good time. If you do want to add pictures... the best way to do it is to go to a free photo hosting website like ... photo bucket dot com there you can load your pictures and then when you go post them you can just paste what is in essence a link to that picture through the picture site then the pic just appears for us to see. Good luck and we hope to hear and see more about your cruise.:cool::D

[HarperSays]

This morning we decided to try the dining room for breakfast since the buffet was so crowded. Good decision so we opted for the dining room for breakfast from here out. We had a tour lined up with Levi from Bumpiing Tours (thank you cruise critic). I can honestly say this was one of our favorite tours. Levi was so nice and laid back. Nice air conditioned van with a cooler full of water, soda and local beer. The roads were very winding and full of sharp curves, but Levi was a great driver and missed any bumps in the road. I can't remember the exact name of our tour, but we went to Titou Gorge and Trafalgar Falls. I was a little nervous about Titou Gorge because I'm kind of a girly girl. DH is making me a little more outdoorsy though;). I am so glad I didn't chicken out for this---it was awesome! Titou Gorge is a cave like place that you swim through and there is a waterfall inside. There was a short hike to get there. The water was cold, but you get used to it. DH and Levi had a running joke that DH's name was Michael Phelps. Going through Titou Gorge Levi handed out swimming belts and when DH opted to go without one, Levi said who are you, Michael Phelps? We all laughed and Levi called him Michael Phelps the rest of the tour. This will turn out to be very funny later in the week, but I will you that story when we get to St. Lucia. Next we went to Trafalgar Falls. After a short hike we get to the viewing platform of the twin falls. They were very beautiful. You could hike closer to one of the falls through a hot springs and rocks if you wanted. If you don't hike well or don't have good shoes, I would advise not to continue passed the viewing platform. Several people couldn't make it and were slipping on the rocks. But if you can, it was beautiful and there was a nice hot springs you could soak in. We also saw a sulphur spring since Dominica has several volcanoes on the island. We had the option to continue to Champagne Reef and do some snorkeling, but we decided to go back to the ship for late lunch and shopping at the port area. It was around 2:30 or 3 when we got back to the ship. Another amazing day. I would HIGHLY recommend Levi if you get the opportunity to go to Dominica. It is such a beautiful place and Levi was an excellent tour guide. Tuesday was the first formal night and we had an excellent dinner as usual. Tomorrow---Barbados!

[HarperSays]

Great start... Thanks for doing the review it sounds like you had a good time. If you do want to add pictures... the best way to do it is to go to a free photo hosting website like ... photo bucket dot com there you can load your pictures and then when you go post them you can just paste what is in essence a link to that picture through the picture site then the pic just appears for us to see. Good luck and we hope to hear and see more about your cruise.:cool::D

 

Thank you-I will go ahead with the review and then try to post my pictures later when DH is home to help!;) Hopefully I can figure it out. Words sometimes just can't do it justice!

[HarperSays]

Wednesday we arrived in Barbados. We had a snorkeling tour lined up with Thriller (thanks again cruise critic). We had to take a taxi to the marina where Steve's boat was docked downtown. The taxi/bus was $2 per person. Steve and his assistant Matthew were great. We first went to snorkel with the sea turtles. The turtles were awesome! The only negative thing I can say about this was the fact that there were so many boats in the sea turtle area that you couldn't really snorkel and really see the turtles because we constantly had to come up and make sure boats in the area weren't getting too close. DH and I were almost hit by a boat floating in the area. It was just way too crowded. Then we went to a reef to snorkel. I loved it here because we were the only boat and Thriller only takes 14 people so it was just us. The reef was beautiful and we saw lots of pretty fish. Next Steve took us to snorkel ship wrecks. It was crowded in this area also, but cool to see the ship wrecks. Then he took us to a beach where we could swim and lay out for an hour or so. He had to tender near the beach, so you have to swim in a little way to the beach. Steve also had local beer, soda, water and the best homemade rum punch I've ever had. He waited until after all the snorkeling before he offered us rum punch. Again, another wonderful day. Are you starting to see a trend here???:D Next stop---St. Lucia!

[HarperSays]

Thursday we arrived in St. Lucia. We had an island tour lined up with Spencer Ambrose (thanks again to cruise critic). We met him easily at the port and were surprised to find we were the only 6 going with him for the day. I cannot say enough about this tour and Spencer. He was such a nice man and had a nice air conditioned van. He also had a cooler with local beer, rum punch, water and soda. Our first stop was a banana plantation where Spencer explained the growing process and bought us some bananas. He took us through several local villages and stopped for photo opportunities along the way. He was also constantly stopping to buy us fruits and breads such as sugar cane, plums, coconut muffins and yummy creole bread. He took us to the only drive-in volcano which was really cool. We stopped to see the famous boa constrictor. He also stopped at a picturesque waterfall. Then we stopped for lunch in Soufriere and had a fabulous plate of food piled high and consisting of jerk chicken, mac & cheese, potatoes, yams, veggies and avocado. After lunch we boarded the water taxi and went to Jalousie Beach, which was beautiful and nestled in between the Piton Mountains. Here we had the opportunity to snorkel. Snorkel rental was $15/hour if you didn't have your own. On the way back to the ship Spencer asked us what we did in Dominica so we told him a tour with Levi. Come to find out Spencer is good friends with Levi so we told him the story of Levi and Michael Phelps. So Spencer handed his cell phone to DH and told him to look through his contacts and call Levi. Levi answered and DH said "Hey Levi, it's Michael Phelps." Levi said "Oh hey Mitch." We all busted out laughing. The roads in St. Lucia were also very winding and curvy. Spencer is an excellent driver, but DH started feeling a little sick after all day in the heat and a few beers, so just be prepared for this and maybe limit alcohol on this tour. Spencer and his wife LOVE almonds and they aren't able to get them in St. Lucia, so if you sign up for this tour, bring him some almonds. We are going to mail him some. I would recommend Spencer's tour to anyone. It was such an excellent day we hated to leave. Thursday was also the second formal night. The first formal night everyone seemed to be dressed up, but the second formal night was much more casual. Next up---Antigua!

[HarperSays]

We chose to tour with Lawrence in Antigua. We met him at the port easily and boarded his van which was very nice. He took us to English Harbor, Shirley Heights and Nelson's Dockyard for photos and a tour of the dockyard. I really wanted to see Devils Bridge, and when I asked him, he said we weren't going there. I was really disappointed, so DH talked him into stopping there since it was just the 6 of us and 2 other couples and they all agreed it would be nice to see. I'm so glad he took us there. Devils Bridge was really beautiful. Then he took us to Turner's Beach for 2 hours. Turner's Beach was ok. There was a restaurant, built in umbrellas for free and you could rent chairs for $5. It was crowded and you had to wait a long time at the restaurant. Jolly Beach resort was closed for a few weeks while the owners were on vacation. If I ever go back to Antigua I would spend the day at Jolly Beach from all the good reviews on cruise critic. I'm glad we were able to visit the places we did, but the tour was a let down after Levi & Spencer. Lawrence wasn't really personable and we weren't crazy about Turner's Beach. Traffic in town was really busy, so make sure you don't cut it close to getting back to the ship. Next stop---St. Kitts!

[HarperSays]

I meant to tell you Lawrence also had local beer and water on his tour. We were exhausted by the last day in St. Kitts so we opted to take a taxi to Cockleshell Beach since we read good reviews about this beach on cruise critic. Taxis to Cockleshell were expensive if you were the only 2 going. I can't remember the exact price, but we were the first ones on the beach. If you have 6 or more people it was $6.50/person. We saw monkeys crossing the road on the way which was really cool, but unfortunately we passed too quick to get any pictures. Once at the beach we saw the giant wild boar, goat and monkey (in the cage). There were also several dogs at the beach. Cockleshell had a restaurant and umbrellas/chairs for rent for $5 each. We tried snorkeling for $10 rental fee, but because of the rain the previous days, it cause mud to run from the hillside into the ocean at the beach. So the water was really cloudy. We really didn't enjoy the beach because there was so much debris and mud in the water. So we left around noon and went back to the ship for lunch and then out to do some shopping. Unfortunately, the next day we were going to be kicked off the ship kicking and screaming. Debarkation next:mad:

[HarperSays]

Unfortunately the end had come. We were staying an extra night in San Juan, so we had #23 to debark. We ate breakfast in the dining room and then went to get our bags and wait for our number to be called. Debarkation went smooth and we got off the ship around 11am. The other 2 couples we were traveling with decided to catch an earlier flight home and not stay the extra night, so we cancelled Le Consulat and DH and I walked over to the Sheraton to get a room. Our room wouldn't be ready till 3 so we stored our luggage behind the front desk and took off for El Morro fort. It was really hot this day, so we grabbed a taxi back to eat lunch at Hard Rock Cafe. While at El Morro we saw the segway tour that I had heard so much about on cruise critic. The concierge at the hotel also recommended it, so we decided to give it a try. What an AWESOME tour! We opted for the 45 min tour since we had already been to both forts. If not, we would have done the 2 hour tour that includes both forts. I wish we had done this segway tour our first day in San Juan. The 2 hour tour was $84/person and the 45 min was $42/person. Jose was our guide and he was great. He really gave us a history lesson about OSJ and helped me get comfortable on the segway since I am a naturally clumsy person:cool: After the segway tour it was 3:00 so we went back to the Sheraton to get our room. Come to find out, since they were so low capacity on a Sunday, they upgraded us to the suite. It was really nice with a living room, office area with a big closet, dining room, bed area, bathroom and 2 flat screen tvs. And a nice view from the 9th floor! I wish we had booked the Sheraton our first night in San Juan also. Excellent service, staff, etc. The 6 of us had originally booked a bio bay tour for this night, but since it was just the 2 of us now, the shuttle wouldn't come for just 2. So Carlos, the concierge, arranged for us to rent a car through Charlie's Rental Car (great company). Charlie's picked us up from the hotel and took us back to the office to complete paperwork and get our car. DH drove from there to Fajardo. We were scheduled on the 7:00 bio bay tour with Akuventures. The Fajardo area was so crowded and traffic was horrible. Apparently on Sunday nights the locals come out to the park area there at the bay to listen to music and there are vendors set up offering food, beer, etc. So we realized we would be late for the 7:00 tour and called to let them know. They said no problem, that we could do the 8:30 tour. Perfect. We finally arrived and found a parking spot around 8:15 after grabbing a bite to eat. They told us they were running a little behind because the 7:00 tour started late. Finally at 10:30pm we got started. The one tour guide was flirting with a bunch of college girls and the other tour guide was no where to be found. It was disorganized from the start. Unfortunately this was the only company that we found open on a Sunday. The bio bay itself was excellent and really a cool thing to see. The tour company was less than satisfactory. All of the other people on the tour were not happy, including DH and I, when we got back at midnight. We still had over an hour drive back to the hotel. I'm so glad he got to see the bio bay, but I would definitely plan to go a different night and go to Vieques instead.

[HarperSays]

Overall, we absolutely LOVED this cruise and this itinerary. We cruise based on the itinerary and since DH and I are not crazy about days at sea, this cruise was perfect for us with a port a day. I felt like we got more bang for the buck because we got to experience 6 ports vs. the normal 4. The Victory staff was awesome and we loved our room stewards and waiters. The ship was nice and maintenance was always happening somewhere like painting, replacing deck chairs, etc. We saw the Living in America show which was entertaining. The mid week show (forgot the name) was really good - it basically went through all the decades of music and featured music from The Beatles, motown, KISS, country, etc. We missed the last show - Legends - because we were exhausted and needed to pack our luggage. We chose the late dining simply because we could come in from our tours in port, grab a late lunch and then nap and have plenty of time to get ready before dinner. This seemed to work well for all of us. There was also a country singer named Chris on this ship and he was excellent. DH and the other men went to the adult comedian and said he was funny. His show was late one night and I went to bed before it started. We did have a fair share of loud people on our hall and we would hear them yelling coming down the hall at night anywhere between 2am and 4am. This disrespect was really annoying, but it happens on all cruises and any hotel anywhere, so it's just something you have to deal with. Other than that, we didn't spend much time on the ship so that was a good thing. I never went to the pool so I can't comment on that. There always seemed to be deck chairs available. There weren't alot of kids on this cruise - I think I heard the CD say there were 300. I think we cruised at a good time since they should have been in school. The Newlywed game was funny as usual and the CD Brad was funny also. Like I said before, we would do this itineray again in a minute. If you have any questions, please ask and I'll try to answer as best I can. I will try to post some pictures this evening from all the places, so hold tight for photos. I can't wait to print all the photos and relive this cruise all over again!:)

[Havinsnest]

Wonderful review! Thanks. We'll be on Victory in May so I'm watching for every review I can see to help planning and preparations.

[Dirkgun]

Awesome... makes me itchy to go. We go on this cruise in Feb on superbowl sunday and I can hardley wait 116 days and counting. What zone or area is the hotel you stayed in precruise and how much did you pay for it? I think the three main zones are Isla Verde (by the airport) Condado and then old town San Juan.

[HarperSays]

Awesome... makes me itchy to go. We go on this cruise in Feb on superbowl sunday and I can hardley wait 116 days and counting. What zone or area is the hotel you stayed in precruise and how much did you pay for it? I think the three main zones are Isla Verde (by the airport) Condado and then old town San Juan.

 

Le Consulat was in Condado area I think. Not on the beach though. The price for the room that sleeps 6 was around $150/night and the cab ride to the port was $30. When we rented the car, the price was $33 and we kept it overnight and then turned it in the next morning and Charlie's shuttle took us to the airport. I felt this was a really good deal since we would have had to pay for a cab from OSJ to the airport. Our room at the Sheraton was a little more expensive at $159/night, but it was top notch and the bed was so comfy!

[SFCruisers]

Thanks for your great review. You took me right back to my cruise on the Victory last year. This is such a beautiful itinerary, and yes I will do it again, probably 2 more times. There is so much to see and experience on this cruise.

[HarperSays]

Dirkgun---beautiful picture by the way!

[Cigar Dude]

It is indeed a great cruise! We did it in early September. My review is in my signature. I'll probably do this cruise again someday. I loved being somewhere new every day!

[HarperSays]

Can anyone tell me how to upload pictures through snapfish? When I post it shows the link and not the actual photo. Is this normal?

[ktm62]

great review!! we go in feb. cant wait! where was your cabin located?

[henny38]

We leave for the Victory this weekend. Can't wait! Your review was great, and makes me even more excited to go.

 

We're celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, and have booked our first aft balcony.

 

Thanks for the review!

 

Karen

[HarperSays]

great review!! we go in feb. cant wait! where was your cabin located?

 

You're going to have a blast! We had cabin 2395, an inside cabin. Actually, this was a bad choice because if you look at the deck plans, there is blank space directly above our room. This blank space is where the galley was located for the crew to get the buffet and breakfast prepared. So starting around 3am or so, you would hear banging, dishes clanging and many more loud noises. I slept right through it, but it kept DH awake all night. He voiced this to guest services and they told him they would make the crew aware of this and to keep the noise down, but it never happened. So by Thursday they offered us another room on the 7th floor, but we were too tired to pack all of our stuff and then unpack again, so another couple we were traveling with decided to take it. They were in 2396 and heard the same noises. But such is life and it didn't ruin our cruise.

[HarperSays]

We leave for the Victory this weekend. Can't wait! Your review was great, and makes me even more excited to go.

 

We're celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, and have booked our first aft balcony.

 

Thanks for the review!

 

Karen

 

I'm so jealous you're leaving this weekend...can you pack me in your suitcase? Congrats on your anniversary, that is awesome! You will LOVE the aft balcony. DH and I both said we should have sprung for a balcony on this cruise. The weather was perfect all week for us. It only rained for 10 min in St. Lucia and it was while we were in the van, so it didn't ruin anything. Hope you have a wonderful time!

[Dirkgun]

Thanks for the great review. Are you having any luck with pictures?:confused:

[terrielynn]

What a great review!! We were there with you as well and had a GREAT time too. I am trying to get back into the swing of things before I write my review. I totally agree about Levi in Dominica!! We did the major hike with Alvin and had a blast! I would do this itinerary again in a heartbeat!!!

Terrie

[HarperSays]

Thanks for the great review. Are you having any luck with pictures?:confused:

 

No luck with figuring out the pictures - do you know if I'm supposed to put the link in the post or does the actual picture pop up?