FINALLY! My really long Victory review 1/17-1/24/10 with MEGA pix!!

[gustacruise]

Nice review ! THX !!!

[scraphappylady]

After all these years ... still a wonderful review! I'd love to hear about the other Victory cruise you took!

 

Nice review ! THX !!!

 

Thanks guys!! Wow! Glad I caught this! Wasn't expecting to see it revived again. :eek:

 

As for our other Victory cruise, maybe someday when enough time has passed, I'll be able to write a full review for that one. Long story short, I went with my two aunts. Coming back from our first excursion, out of St. Thomas, the boat carrying us shifted as we were getting back on. My aunt's leg went through the crack and she ended up with a broken knee. (their fault) :mad: She had to be flown home, etc, etc and my other aunt and I were not close enough relations for our insurance to cover us going with her. We finished the cruise, but of course it wasn't the same.

 

However: same aunt (who broke knee) is trying again and coming along on our upcoming Victory trip in 36 days (YAY!!) and my DH and I have vowed we aren't letting go of her each time until she is safely on/off any ships! :D

[CShelly]

Thanks guys!! Wow! Glad I caught this! Wasn't expecting to see it revived again. :eek:

 

As for our other Victory cruise, maybe someday when enough time has passed, I'll be able to write a full review for that one. Long story short, I went with my two aunts. Coming back from our first excursion, out of St. Thomas, the boat carrying us shifted as we were getting back on. My aunt's leg went through the crack and she ended up with a broken knee. (their fault) :mad: She had to be flown home, etc, etc and my other aunt and I were not close enough relations for our insurance to cover us going with her. We finished the cruise, but of course it wasn't the same.

 

However: same aunt (who broke knee) is trying again and coming along on our upcoming Victory trip in 36 days (YAY!!) and my DH and I have vowed we aren't letting go of her each time until she is safely on/off any ships! :D

 

Can't remember now how I ended up on your review...someone on another thread mentioned how good it was I think, and so glad they did. I love reading reviews from those who loved the Victory so much they book her again. I went this past November and as soon as it was over I booked it again for this coming May with my grown children and their friends.

 

Your details are the best and your photos are so lovely. I look forward to your review from your upcoming April trip!

[wlivingston04]

Awesome awesome AWESOME REVIEW!!!!!! probably the best I've ever read....took me 3 work days to finish it lol

 

Thanks again for the time and effort you put into it :)

[pbmsmile]

As soon as we left the air conditioned terminal, the humidity hit like a blanket. We knew we were going to swelter for a bit, but our cold-adapted bodies still took awhile to get the message. :eek:

 

We knew where to head for a taxi (the orange kiosks outside of the baggage area) and only spent about 10 min. in line, but others who arrived after us had to stand in a line that snaked for quite a ways around the outside of the building. We didn’t even get a card with the fare written on it – as fast as the taxis arrived, they were filled. I remembered to ask the attendant what the rate was, and to go to the Doubletree Hilton, in Condado, was $15, plus $1 for each bag.

 

It took us about 10 minutes to get there, with no major traffic. The hotel itself was pricier, and just a bit business like in décor, but nice.

 

 

 

The sliding frosted doors to the bathroom and shower were upscale touches, as well as the bowl sinks and Neutrogena toiletries. We also had a fridge, microwave, single cup coffee maker and safe. And the king bed was very comfortable. The lobby was small, but well laid out. It contained a few computers that I believe were free for hotel guests, a nice touch if you needed to confirm a flight out. And the staff at the desk were very low-key, pleasant and accommodating. One interesting note – everything was very eco-friendly. The light bulbs were all CFL’s and the in-room garbage cans were all sorted according to plastic, paper, etc.

 

Since we weren’t at all tired, we quickly changed to warm weather clothing, then headed out for supper. While convenient, the hotel restaurant did not look very appealing. Since there were no restaurants we wanted to try within easy walking distance, and we would be taking a taxi wherever we went anyway, we opted to head over to Ajili Mojili, on Ashford Ave., about eight minutes from the hotel. ($10 one way)

 

It never occurred to us, that being a Saturday night, we might need reservations, but the hostess was very gracious, and quickly found us a nice table for two. I had wanted to get more of the ethnic taste of San Juan, and this restaurant certainly obliged, but with what I felt was a much more “upscale” feel to it. The meal was worth every upscale penny we paid, though.

 

We started with Tortitas Cuchi Cuchi (“lovey-dovey tortitas”), which my DH claimed I made him order just so he would have to say the name aloud, but which turned out to be quite good. It was made from shredded plantain and yucca, covered with stewed fish.

 

Jon then went for the house specialty, Arroz con Pollo Borracho, which was marinated rice and chicken, bathed in rum. He said it was very good. I got the Filete al Caldero, an angus beef filet, cooked with mushrooms and rum salsa. I have never had such a deliciously cooked piece of beef in my entire life. I ordered it medium, and it could not have been cooked better. We rounded the meal out with a coconut type of custard (sadly, I don’t remember the name) and coffee, and waddled out, quite happy.

 

The hostess called us a cab to get back, and we were back at the hotel by 8:45pm. We decided to visit the 24-hour grocery store across the road now, rather than wait ‘til morning. I was happily surprised at the variety available. We ended up getting a six pack of Coke, and some light breakfast food, then settled in for the night, to finish watching the Arizona v. New Orleans game.

 

Tomorrow . . . sailaway!!

Looking forward to more!

[scraphappylady]

Can't remember now how I ended up on your review...someone on another thread mentioned how good it was I think, and so glad they did. I love reading reviews from those who loved the Victory so much they book her again. I went this past November and as soon as it was over I booked it again for this coming May with my grown children and their friends.

 

Your details are the best and your photos are so lovely. I look forward to your review from your upcoming April trip!

 

Thanks! We really do love both the Victory and the itinerary. I see you understand! I'm kinda sad they're going to be replacing the ship for this itinerary. But for now, I'm really getting excited - going to start the single digit dance tomorrow! And I can't wait to have my kids experience everything we did! I promise to do another review when we get back.

 

Awesome awesome AWESOME REVIEW!!!!!! probably the best I've ever read....took me 3 work days to finish it lol

 

Thanks again for the time and effort you put into it :)

 

Glad you enjoyed it so much. Told ya' at the beginning I'm just a long-winded writer! LOL

 

Looking forward to more!

As soon as we get back, I'll try and clear the schedule to write up another review, I promise!

[Lady Librarian]

We followed pretty much the same routine again today, with breakfast on the Lido deck and then watching as we pulled into port (not that I’m complaining in the least, mind you!)

 

 

 

The Thompsson Destiny was already in port when we arrived. We kinda towered over her!

 

 

The Destiny was once the RCCL ship "Song of America" and was the first cruise ship I'd ever been on. Still have lots of great memories of that cruise.

[welshcorgie]

AWSOME REVIEW!!! Really enjoyed the pics. Brings back great memories. We will be on the Glory in Nov. and will have the mirror cabin to yours-6483. Great cabin pictures also. Love the sunrises and sunsets. Thanks again.

[scraphappylady]

The Destiny was once the RCCL ship "Song of America" and was the first cruise ship I'd ever been on. Still have lots of great memories of that cruise.

 

Hard to believe that used to be a Royal ship, when you see how huge some of the ships in their current fleet are! Thanks for that tidbit!

[scraphappylady]

AWSOME REVIEW!!! Really enjoyed the pics. Brings back great memories. We will be on the Glory in Nov. and will have the mirror cabin to yours-6483. Great cabin pictures also. Love the sunrises and sunsets. Thanks again.

 

Thanks for the kind words! I had a lot of fun doing this one and am enjoying writing about our most recent trip on the Victory even more! Just trying to pay back for some of the wonderful reviews I've read in the past that helped me so much!

[maxamuus]

Great review!! Loved every minute of it.

[scraphappylady]

Great review!! Loved every minute of it.

 

Wow! This review just keeps on going even without me! And you read and commented on both of 'em - thanks!! Labor of love - I enjoy writing each and every word. And comments like this just keep me going. Thanks again!! :)

[sjn911]

I had so much fun last 2 hrs reading this..I hope i have not commented before...this is the very best review i have had of a great trip feeling like you really were there,,,there was relaxation with the real visits..and it all was not so spotty that you felt like you were hardly there..i felt the tropical wonder and beauty and relax that i feel in Hawaii..I amn much more ready to see more of Caribbean now...the esperiences just soundedf wonderfu and what i like...the beauty, some good snorkling. some history, good shopping, a few chances to have meals on the islands without feeling you were wasting your "prepaid" meals...and.. on a ship that just feels as pretty to me as the Spirit did...I need to feel a little "pretty" with the wild carnival decour..it is a part of it to me...and the ship looked great too..oh those islands were wonderful..finally really got a feel for the good Caribbean..thanks so much..Sarah

[PunkinsDad]

Once everyone was back on board, we sailed on a little further and anchored off shore for lunch. It was sheer torture to have to look at the beautiful shoreline and gorgeous homes, and realize just how far out of our league they were. If I remember correctly, our guide told us that the one we were closest to

 

 

 

rented for $1,000 a day, with a two week minimum stay. If I’m not quite correct on that, I’m not too far off cost-wise. Certainly, not your casual little mini-vacation by any means. Oh, well. At least the views were free.

 

Lunch was a casual buffet affair and once again, the food was delicious. It consisted of cold spiced chicken, fish (marlin) cooked with more spices, pasta salad, a feta cheese/olive/veggie salad, regular salad and rolls. Plus as much of that delicious rum punch (or beer, soda, orange juice, etc) as we wanted.

 

After we ate, we had the opportunity to swim or snorkel again, for about an hour. I swam around some, but we were in deeper water and the snorkeling wasn’t really worth it here. Plus, I was pretty stuffed by this point.

 

As soon as we were on our way back to port, I stretched out for some sun time, while Jon took more pictures. In contrast to our excursion in St. Thomas, we actually were allowed to sit or lay on the roping here as we sailed, and it was a most pleasant way to travel.

 

 

(And no, I'm not a double fisted drinker . . . i was holding Jon's drink for him as he took the picture. Really!)

 

On the trip back, our guides brought out yet more food, this time in the form of carrot cake (mmmm), and freshly made pina coladas. In addition, we were given cold washcloths with which to cool off. Yep, we were indeed spoiled.

 

We passed near the Victory and the other ships keeping her company in port, as we came back to where our catamaran was to dock. (See the crane that I talked about earlier, next to Victory?)

 

 

We also noticed another ship in port later that, as rumor had it, belonged to a Russian millionaire. It looked like a cross between a ship and a submarine, and was said to be made for deep ocean travel and heavy seas. I can believe it.

 

 

That type is called a "Tumblehome" hull shape, and yes, it's built for speed and stability in all sea conditions, but particularly in heavy seas. It's actually one of those "Back to the Future" kind of things. Early 20th century warships used a variant of that hull design, then it was rediscovered and improved in the last couple of decades. Current US Navy future destroyer projects include that hull type.

[aberthelot]

Hi, Love your review. Were you staying in cabin # 6434?

[scraphappylady]

Hi, Love your review. Were you staying in cabin # 6434?

Yep! As much as we weren't sure if it was worth it at the time, we are definitely believers now - the aft wrap was certainly the way to go!! With this latest cruise of ours, it was nice to have the whole family gather there at the end of the day. :)

[aberthelot]

Yep! As much as we weren't sure if it was worth it at the time, we are definitely believers now - the aft wrap was certainly the way to go!! With this latest cruise of ours, it was nice to have the whole family gather there at the end of the day. :)

Hi! Great to hear! I just booked this cruise for January! We will be staying in this room!!!!