REVIEW: Carnival Victry 2/7/10 -2/14/10 Southern Caribbean

[milokitty]

Looking forward to hearing more. We were on the Victory in January and loved it. I'd love to do this cruise again--enjoying your review!

[Dirkgun]

Ok I am back... sorry about the delay I have busy the past few days.

 

St Lucia – Our day in St Lucia is one that I was really looking forward to. It was another full day tour with a reputed awesome tour guide. We chose to go with Spencer Ambrose after doing a lot of research on the CC boards. Let me tell you it was a great choice. St Lucia is one of my favorite Islands… it is similar to Dominica with its raw beauty, but it is a little more commercial…. Not too much so, just a little more comfortable with the tourism side of things where Dominica is still relatively new at it.

We got up early and had breakfast at the buffet, it was good as usual. Early is definitely when you miss the crowds on the Victory…. I don’t think we had to wait in a line for the buffet unless we ate later than 8:30. Anyway we got off the ship and made our way through the shops of the port at Point Serraphine in Castries. We found Spencer Ambrose very easily he guided us to wait for a minute then he would organize us into which vehicle we were going in. He has himself and two brothers and then a couple of cousins that help him out with driving and being the tour guides. From everyone I have talked to they are all good. We ended up going with John (his Cousin) and we thought he was awesome. We started off in a van with our group of six and then three other people, but I guess there were some no shows and one of the vans was empty almost so he (Spencer) took the group of three and put them on the emptier van to let everyone have a little more room. The Drivers were in contact with Spencer all the time to make sure everyone was ok. They provided a cooler with drinks in it…. Water, pop, fruit juice, local beer, and rum punch. We got on our way and headed south through the city of Castries and up the hill where we got to see some of the historic sites of the Island… Churches, schools old prisons etc. all interesting. We then visited a banana plantation where we learned the process of harvesting and growing bananas. Did not know that each banana tree only yields one bunch of fruit, so they have to manage the trees in such a way to have an old one that has yielded its fruit and been cut down (to keep it nutrients in the ground) then the current fruit bearing tree and the next generation growing in the shade of the big tree. It is a continuous cycle. We got to have a banana from this plantation…. Man are they good. A little smaller than we are used to but, so much sweeter, wow.

After we saw the rows and rows of banana trees at this one plantation we moved on. We stopped to see a place where they were making flour and cereal from Casava’s. There was a guy that was kind dry roasting it… he was stirring it in a big pot just keeping it moving and it would dry oit out and they told us it would end up like a hot cereal kind of like a cream of wheat consistency. They also made bread from this flour and we got to sample some of this bread. It was delicious, kind of like a sweet dense whole wheat bread with sweet raisins inside…. Very filling.

 

 

 

 

 

We were on our way down to the Caribbean’s famous Drive in Volcano. This Island has so much to see it was kind of like you were on sensory overload… so much lush green and vegetation along with the gorgeous panoramas. It was a long drive to the southern end of the Island but it was not a bad drive because of the great narration of the scenery and the different things we saw. We went through a fishing village and got to see and learn about their everyday lives. The Volcano it self is not what you would think about when you think volcano but it is definitely still active with heat and sulphur. They tell you that it is a good thing to smell the sulphur because if you don’t that means there is an eruption imminent. They drop you off and the (volcano) park guides take you on a walk to show you the different parts of the geology and workings of this volcano.

 

 

Edited March 2, 2010 by Dirkgun

[Dirkgun]

Not sure what happened with my font size sorry bout that.

 

 

 

Pretty much this stop and the ones previous are all on the way to the Pitons which is really what St Lucia is most famous for…. The twin peaks that just come jutting out of the water, steep and tall. They are very impressive. I live in Utah so I see mountains (big ones) all the time but these are so sudden and steep that you are in awe of them. Now just for the record this was my third time to come to St Lucia but the first time to see the Pitons at all. The first time… it was so stormy we could not see them even from a tour that went right by them. Then last year we did not see them other than a faint glimpse on sail away but again kind of rainy. This time WOW great day no rain and you could see them even at dawn when we were coming to the island.

The plan is to go to Jalousie beach which is a beach that is nestled in between the two Pitons. To get there we had to come in to the city of Soufriere which used to be their capital. Then we had to take a water taxi around the point and into the cove in between them. This was quite a ride. Jalousie is French for Jealous… that’s what I am told anyways. It seems as though there is some contention with this area. The beaches on St Lucia are all public but there is an exclusive resort there just off the beach and the resort does not like the fact that people that are not staying at the resort can come there. Therefore there are certain things you can’t do at the beach… don’t touch their fences or structures IE tables or chairs…. I guess if you bought drinks at their bar they might let you but who knows??? I guess the resort owners want the Government to sell them the beach to make it private but they won’t so they kind of throw a little hissy fit in retribution anyways kind of funny. The workers there are nice and they do apologize for having to do their jobs but … dem are da rules. The beach is beautiful and supposedly the best snorkeling because the water is so crystal clear and there is so much structure under the water for the fish to be in. I talked to a guy that said he saw a few octopuses and a big school of squid along with the normal bunches of pretty fish and a turtle or two. We did not bring our snorkel stuff along but if/when we go back we definitely will.

 

 

 

 

[Dirkgun]

More Jalousie Beach...... In fact I am jealous that I am not there right now....:(

 

 

 

Under water just putting the camera in...

 

 

Lunch at Jalousie ....

 

 

[Dirkgun]

After lunch and when we were ready to leave we got in a water taxi again and headed back to the van along with our Driver. Once again a very pretty boat ride. All of this is included in your price of the tour… you definitely get your moneys worth.[/size][/font]

 

 

 

We then headed to a waterfall… I want to say it was named Toraille falls but I could be wrong on that …. Like I said sensory overload Lol. It was very pretty and there were people getting in it to swim or just get under the falls but we did not want to get wet for the ride back to the ship. Along the way today there was plenty of vendors that were selling their wares so you do get the opportunity to shop (for those of you that were worried we missed out on it) I think my Dad bought 11 or 12 necklaces… not because he wears them all the time but I think more because they were cool and he can’t say no. On our way back to the ship we stopped at a house and John went in and came back out with some fresh (hot) bread that was great bread… I love the local flavor of this tour.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Dirkgun

[Dirkgun]

We also stopped at a gallery that we went to last year on our Celebrity Cruise. They work with wood carvings … very beautiful stuff. We asked our driver to stop and he had no problem with it. St Lucia has a unique product that I have not seen anywhere else and that at first sounds crazy but you just have to try it. Banana Ketchup…. Yes that is right. It is yellowish but it tastes great…. It is really good with hot fries or with eggs yum. Our driver (John) had never tried it before and they had some at this gallery so I bought him a bottle also. It is one of my … Have to buy souvenirs. If you go to St Lucia you need to try some. When we got back to the ship we had John drop us off by the shops in town so we could shop a little. They have a cool little market area… on one side of the street it is touristy stuff and the other side it is local market stuff like produce and meats and things the locals buy. When we were done we had a walk back to the ship. We kind of shopped a little long so we kind of had to speed walk and it was a little farther than it looked or than I remembered. Oh well we made it back in plenty of time, so we went in dropped of our thing in the rooms and then up on deck for sail away….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow what a day. I don’t think we could have packed another thing in. After sail away we got a snack then went to the rooms and took a short nap. After all had to get some beauty sleep … tonight is second Elegant night. Dinner was great as usual. It is nice to be able to sit and relive our day talking with each other about our favorite parts etc. What more can you ask for, great food, great service, and great conversation with people you love. Another awesome day in the books. Tomorrow is St Kitts.

[cruisecamp]

Great review so far!! I love reading about your trip because we are sailing on the Victory this Sunday!!

 

Wondering what were the types of food available for lunch at Jalousie Beach?

Are there places to order from right on the beach?

[ShannLC16]

I am interested to know where the local shop with the wood carvings is located. I always try to buy something hand made(typically a fish statue) at every island I visit. Could you tell me where this place is?

 

Thanks!

[Dirkgun]

Great review so far!! I love reading about your trip because we are sailing on the Victory this Sunday!!

 

Wondering what were the types of food available for lunch at Jalousie Beach?

Are there places to order from right on the beach?

 

It looked like there was people getting lunch there and I assume you can order there. Our lunches were provided in theose containers by our tour guides. There weree not the types of beach vendors that other beaches have because of the private resort. It might be a little more expensive but I am sure you can order food there. I saw people get drinks from them. Enjoy your cruise on the Victory. :D

[Dirkgun]

I am interested to know where the local shop with the wood carvings is located. I always try to buy something hand made(typically a fish statue) at every island I visit. Could you tell me where this place is?

 

Thanks!

 

 

Eudovic studios is the name of the place I believe. I googled it and seems to be a fairly well known artist so most of the cab drivers would know how to get there. It is in Goodlands which is kind of a small suburb of Castries.... about 10 minutes south. I think you go up by the Morne Fortune hill and then on the way down you go by it. It is a small old group of buildings but really great work. We purchased a plaque that has the island carved on it out of Mahogany then some wooden combs and other little trinkets.

[Dirkgun]

St Kitts - Today we are in St Kitts. We got up and went to the MDR to get a nice relaxed breakfast. This was the first day that we did not have a tour scheduled so we took advantage of it and had a more leisurely meal and going ashore process. The ship docks in St Kitts main port and there is a nice little mall of shops there at the end of it. There are shops of all kinds there... there is even a few local crafts type booths the farther east you go. There are lots of taxis available and tours being offered so we knew we would have no trouble finding a ride later. Our plan was to shop until we wanted to leave and then we were going to go to the beach. It always seems that my time frame of when we have had enough shopping ... is muuuch different than my DW or DD (I think they would still be there). Anyways there some cool things there. There are a few guys walking around letting you hold and take pictures of their monkeys.... for a price, if you work them a bit you can get pics for about $2 a piece. We did the pictures last year when we were there so we did not need any ourselves but it was kind funny... this one guy kept having trouble with his baby monkey. It wanted to wander around and see the folks... not be carried. So he got away a few times. My wife ended up catching him for the guy (twice, about 30 min in between the 2 times) the second time we took some picture of him until the guy caught up with his long lost monkey, then he had the nerve to want us to pay him some money for the pictures.... instead of thanking her for catching him again.

 

 

 

Here is the little renegade monkey... if you look close you will see the leash/rope that is attached to him (under my wifes foot)

 

 

There was a cute little group of school kids... looked like they were on a field trip to see the big ship and all the crazy tourists. Lol

 

 

 

After we were done with shopping.... finally. We went and got our beach stuff and headed out to the beach at Shipwreck beach. This beach is just a cool little beach where there is a restarant/bar (open air) and chairs and umbrellas. The beach is not ever very busy so it is very relaxing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way to Shipwreck beach there is an overlook where you can see the two coasts of the island Atlantic on the left and Caribbean on the right. The beach is on a dirt road turn off to the right just before the next big hill in the back ground.

Edited March 5, 2010 by Dirkgun

[Dirkgun]

This beach also has great snorkeling ... lots of cool fish and easy to get in and out of the water.... close to the beach. It also is great for just swimming and lounging... not many vendors other than the occasional braid or aloe vera massage vendors.

 

Here is my son flipping up a conch shell he found.

 

 

Caribbean lobster...

 

 

Some version of a flounder.

 

 

Little puffer fish hiding in the rocks.

 

 

 

 

I have no idea what it was but very interesting looking...

 

[barbevrn]

This beach also has great snorkeling ... lots of cool fish and easy to get in and out of the water.... close to the beach. It also is great for just swimming and lounging... not many vendors other than the occasional braid or aloe vera massage vendors.

 

Here is my son flipping up a conch shell he found.

 

 

Caribbean lobster...

 

 

Some version of a flounder.

 

 

Little puffer fish hiding in the rocks.

 

 

 

 

I have no idea what it was but very interesting looking...

 

 

Ok, Now I have to go back and see if you have said what kind of water camera you used.

[Dirkgun]

Ok, Now I have to go back and see if you have said what kind of water camera you used.

 

 

I am using a Canon Powershot D10.

 

 

 

 

[Dirkgun]

This beach is fun... we have gone there twice now and really enjoyed it both times. IT has a nice homey atmosphere and beautiful scenery. There are a bunch of monkeys that run around the mountain side along with a few mongooses (what is the plural of Mongoose?) that have a blast harrassing each other. The people that run the bar/grill seem like they were once just vacationers that just fell in love with the island and stayed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dirkgun]

Now we head back to the ship. A nice relaxing day on St Kitts. Looking forward to another great sailaway and evening onboard. We first have to stop and get some more pictures of this great island.

 

 

This van was at this scenic overlook and I thought it was funny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sail away

 

 

Another fantastic sunset...... they are something to behold there.

 

 

Tomorrow is St Maarten.... really looking forward to it since nobody in our party has ever been there. It will all be brand new.

[phinfan63]

We used Scooby Doo last March when we were there. He was a great tour operator.

 

I'm really enjoying your review ~ I would love to do this cruise again.

[Dirkgun]

We used Scooby Doo last March when we were there. He was a great tour operator.

 

I'm really enjoying your review ~ I would love to do this cruise again.

 

Thanks for the nice comment. Yes we would like this cruise on a yearly basis..... it is a fun itinerary. It would take a while before you were bored with all the things to see on each island.:D

[Wags67]

This beach is fun... we have gone there twice now and really enjoyed it both times.

 

 

 

I LOVE Your review, Dirkgun! Amazing...

Do you recall the name of this beach? We visited Cockelshell Beach last time we visited St. Kitts...is this beach near Cockelshell? I would love to visit this one next time we are there:)

[Dirkgun]

I LOVE Your review, Dirkgun! Amazing...

Do you recall the name of this beach? We visited Cockelshell Beach last time we visited St. Kitts...is this beach near Cockelshell? I would love to visit this one next time we are there:)

 

 

It is called Shipwreck beach it is just a small restarant and bar but they have a number of chairs and umbrellas and usually don't charge for them..... especially if you buy anything from them. I think it is just a little farther up the island from Cockleshell.... When you go south and get to the point in the island where the Atlantic side and the Caribbean side are really close together.... Shipwreck is there just before you go up the hill on your right hand side.

 

 

 

 

Both of these pics are of the same place. Just past the pond on the right hand side there is a small dirt road that leads to the beach. All the Taxi drivers know where it is. It cost us about $6 per person to go there.

[Wags67]

Thanks, Dirkgun...Shipwreck Beach is alot closer then Cockelshell Beach...Gonna have to stop there!

[Dirkgun]

Thanks, Dirkgun...Shipwreck Beach is alot closer then Cockelshell Beach...Gonna have to stop there!

 

 

You are welcome.... we lucked out on it. Last year when we did the southern with Celebrity we just got told by a guy on the ship that it was a laid back beach. So we tied it and really liked it. :cool:

[cantwait06]

I am so excited for St. Lucia and your pictures just made me even more excited, thank you! Also, I wasn't that interested in St. Kitts but its looks like you had a blast there, so thanks for getting me really excited about St. Kitts too! :)

[Dirkgun]

I am so excited for St. Lucia and your pictures just made me even more excited, thank you! Also, I wasn't that interested in St. Kitts but its looks like you had a blast there, so thanks for getting me really excited about St. Kitts too! :)

 

 

You are welcome. Yeah St Kitts is kind of a laid back place to catch up on relaxation.... and if you want I guess there some cool excursions also. Enjoy your trip.:D

[Dirkgun]

Sorry for the delay.... have had some computer issues. Hopefully have them fixed long enough to get this review done. Our last Island stop was supposed to be St Maarten, but when we arrived there apparently the swells were too big and there was some wind. Long story short .... we were not allowed to dock along with a couple of other ships that just waited around the port for a while. Then they made the decision that we were just going to head back to Puerto rico and have a day at sea. It made me really sad kind of because we had never been to St Maarten before so we were all really looking forward to it. But it was not in our control so we tried to just roll with the waves as it were. Usually I am not against sea days... in fact they can be quite relaxing. However this sea day was not planned so we were up at the usual 7:00 am breakfast on Lido to get an early start on the Island (with all of our gear in tow) so when they made the announcement that they were delaying letting people off the ship, it was disapointing. Then about 30 min later they made the announcement that we were not going to do it at all... what a hollow feeling. Normally you can plan for a sea day and sleep in or have things to do, but not this day. Oh well we are on a great ship and in the middle of the Caribbean.... just how bad could it be Right? (I would give anything to be back there right now)

 

We actually were at the dock... just could not get secured safely.

 

 

 

 

DM, DS, DF enjoying the sun on deck after we were back out to sea enjoying DOD's (virgins of course)

 

 

 

DW getting a little more sun, enjoying the relaxation....