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1st Timers - Victory 2/21 Why we chose it, review - "Sexist"

Haysiedaze

By Haysiedaze,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Haysiedaze

Haysiedaze

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This is a follow up thread to my “Carnival Sexist? You be the judge” thread.

 

Our family of 4 (DS 11, DD 10 (almost 11), DW and I) just returned from the 2/21/10 sailing of the Carnival Victory from San Juan. We had 2 cabins on the Lido Deck, an inside 9285 and a balcony 9283. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express precruise. I thought I would give you my perspective from a first time cruiser and how we arrived at our decisions on booking this particular cruise.

 

We have taken family vacations to Disney World (2x), an “everything but Disney” Florida tour (Sea World, Universal, Busch Gardens), an Arizona trip including Sedona, the Grand Canyon and a Guest Ranch to horse back ride in the desert and a Guest Ranch trip to the Gila Mountains in New Mexico. All 4 of us agree this cruise was the BEST of all of those and the others were pretty darn good :) . All had some issues but all the issues were outweighed by the overall experience we had as a family.

 

I’ll start with why we chose this cruise, a comment on our Lido Deck cabins, our choice of travel agent vs. booking direct, my Cruise Critic site experience, San Juan, the embarkation, a brief summary of our excursions and then my thoughts on the food, the shows, elegant night, the ship in general and finally a summary. These are things I wanted to know about before my first cruise. I’ll break it up into sections and will try to post some pictures later on this week. (we did not try to smuggle alcohol onto the ship so I cannot comment on it).

 

I reserve the right to my opinions expressed here. I have no cruise experience on Carnival or any other line. This is through my eyes and the eyes of my family. I know some will not agree with what I say. Some who were on this cruise might not. Also to those who think I am too wordy, don’t read it ;) . Spelling errors are included at no cost to you, dont botha two coreckt mee.

 

First we chose this cruise for the “island every day” itinerary and the cost. We were concerned about someone getting seasick and ruining this first experience. Our thoughts were that even if someone did get sick we would be off the ship each day minimizing their suffering. No one did get seasick. We were lucky, we had very calm waters for much of this trip. We felt very little movement. We paid much less for our balcony and inside rooms on Carnival then we would have for 2 insides on Disney and the same as if we had booked 2 insides on the RCCL cruises we looked at. We booked in July 2009.

 

Why 2 rooms? I snore (or so my wife says I have never heard me do it :D ) it keeps my wife awake. A tired wife is not a happy wife :eek: and it was not something I wanted to wake up to each day of the cruise. Besides my son and I wake up earlier than the other 2. I loved my balcony room. We enjoyed sunrises together on the balcony. My son and I also go to bed earlier than my wife/daughter. They went to some shows we didn't go to and I also heard rumors that they were wandering the deck looking for late night snacks after we were asleep. Everyone had lots of room and we were happy campers. It was worth it to our family.

 

For the cruise we used a large travel agency here in NH because we knew nothing about cruising (I booked my own flights). They directed us to the Lido Deck for the convenience and the quiet. I never would have considered it without their guidance. It was a great recommendation. We loved the Lido. The only noise we heard came from an infrequent person or two that were loud in the hallways. We did not hear the music from the Lido except very faintly when sitting on the balcony. It was great to wake up and then go out to grab a danish (or three), a juice and a coffee with my son and then retire to our balcony to watch the ship sail into port. It was also great for the kids to put on their bathing suits and be out on the slide or in the pool in a matter of a couple minutes or to go get a snack anytime of the day.

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Haysiedaze

Haysiedaze

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Back in July I made a really great decision and joined Cruise Critic and the 2/21/2010 Victory Roll Call. The people on it became friends even before we got to San Juan. No question went unanswered (no one on the roll call complained if it had been asked before on CC). We met many of them at a dinner on the Saturday night before the cruise. Mark, Heidi, Chris and Paul met us in the Holiday Inn Express Lobby that night to share a taxi with us. (Note - I will say it is interesting to see those CC posters who always find something to disagree with in a review, or who have no sense of humor or those that point out the message is too long, it is but a few and they actually generate a lot of fodder for those that do have a sense of humor so I guess it is actually good they are here now that I think of it :rolleyes:. )

 

Our cruise critic friends officially adopted us on Sunday and we shared a taxi to the port. They stayed with us and walked us through embarkation. I would say that the process is a cross between check in at an airport and a hotel. Nothing to be worried about (of course we were from the time we booked until it was over). Once on board Heidi went and had our early dining table changed so that 10 of us from the Roll Call could sit together for the week. We ate in the Pacific Dining Room (early) every night because of the friendships we established on the cruise. It was something our family looked forward to every day and was not to be passed up for the buffet. Thanks to Mark, Heidi, Paul, Karen, Jerry and Chris for making our family feel so welcome at the table. We worried with 2 kids how we would be received, the answer, like family :) .

 

Many of us from the roll call had a meet and great around the pool Sunday on the ship. It was great to put faces to the usernames. We had honeymooners, singles, families, and retirees, Puerto Ricans, Canadians, and Americans at the M&G. It was a great cross section of the ships guests. We ran into many over the course of the week on the ship or islands, often stopping to share the adventures of the day. Thanks Joan for setting it up. To other roll calls, make the time to meet. It made the trip more enjoyable for many of us :) .

 

I spent hours researching the islands on the Ports of Call board. Even though this was our first cruise we became comfortable booking private excursions using the info obtained there. Thanks to all who take the time to post reviews or to answer the questions people ask. I learned to throw out the “these guys will make you miss departure or steal your first born” reviews along with the “this tour walks on water or it beats Disney World hands down” ones. Reviews are subjective but somewhere in each thread you can find enough information to be able to choose the right tour for your needs.

 

Once I had narrowed the choices down to a couple per island I did a Power Point Presentation for the family ( I have worked in the high tech industry for 37 years now and have to apply those skills to just about everything, my family has learned to accept it). I was thrown from a horse last year in New Mexico so I had one rule “NO horseback riding on any beaches”. While I didn’t break anything (my pride was shattered :mad: ) I found I splat and don’t bounce anymore. We watched the slideshow together. At the slides of each port we voted on which of the excursions to take. This added to the build up of excitement for the cruise and got the whole family involved in the planning. We sipped virgin Pina Coladas while doing it. The cruise was much more to us than just the time spent on the ship.

Next the excursions

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Haysiedaze

Haysiedaze

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Glad you find it worth reading.

 

I will throw in the pre-cruise info here before the excursions. We flew to San Juan on Friday the 19th on a direct flight from Boston. We landed safely, our luggage was there and we were on time, all I could ever ask for out of a flight (especially the landed safely part). We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express (HIE). There was nothing special about it, a standard HIE. Small room, clean and the continental breakfast was just that, continental.

 

Now here are two of the not so good things on this vacation (neither related to Carnival). Our taxi driver almost got into a head on collision on the way to the hotel. I am talking a matter of inches from smash, bang, crash! It scared the (fill in the blank) out of us all. The second bad thing was that we received a not so pleasant phone call at 7:00 am Sunday as did many others staying at HIE. Someone called a bunch of rooms claiming to be the front desk. Here I made stupid mistake. I volunteered info hence I was caught in the prank. The said they were calling people that were going on cruises, where we going on a cruise…dumb me said yes. Which one I was asked, instead of saying which one is in question, I again responded with Carnival Victory. Well they than said there was an influenza outbreak and our ship wouldn’t sail for at least 2 more days!!! NOOOO… what islands would we miss? What excursion had to be cancelled? Would we find a room in San Juan for 2 more nights? I called Carnival’s emergency travel line. They knew nothing about it but said to call back in an hour (geez I am thinking “you should know this stuff Carnival”!!). I later went to the front desk to check on rooms and they admitted that there were several calls made to guests but none from the front desk and that Carnival had not called. Why didn’t they call us and let us know? Oh well things were back on track. We did not find the prank to be funny to say the least (but it was well done).

 

St Thomas – Coki Beach/Coral World We took a taxi ($9/pp). We got there around 10:00 am. We paid our admission to Coral World and rented 2 lockers there for $3 each. We stored our snorkel stuff and wandered around for a bit. We then went to the beach and snorkeled around 10:45 (before the beach got crowded). It was a great decision. We saw more fish here then at any other island. The water had not been stirred up yet. My wife sat on the beach taking pictures. She was not bothered by any vendors. We went back into Coral World and again stored our stuff in the lockers. You can go back and forth all day between the beach and Coral World.

 

I had been to Coral World in the 80’s. I knew it wasn’t Sea World but knew we’d enjoy it. My wife doesn’t swim. She loved going down into the reef and seeing the natural world outside, this was her chance to “snorkel”. We did the Sea Lion Encounter (Note this is not the Sea Lion Swim). We got to dance and play soccer with Omar (A Sea Lion). We got to pat him. We gave him commands and saw him perform. Then we all got a sloppy, fishy and slimy kiss from him (people shied away from me in the elevators on the ship when we got back, must have been the Sardine No. 5 Cologne I was wearing). All 4 of us were laughing and smiling like little kids in the pictures of our kisses (an individual one of each of us was included in the price). During this activity you can also use your own cameras. We also fed the Lorikeets and really enjoyed it (well except for the little present one of them deposited on my sons arm). It costs $2.50 for the cup of nectar but the birds land all over you and they make for some great pictures. What a great day for all.

The cost for the Encounter is $74/adult and $65/child, these prices included admission into the park.

 

Dominica – Bumpiing Tours. We had Levi Baron himself as our guide. His van was clean and air conditioned. Levi taught us a lot about his island. He picked lemon grass and cinnamon for us to pass around the van. He stopped often to show us the plants and trees that grow there. We went to Titou Gorge, Trafalger Falls and then snorkeled at Champaign Reef. If it is your first trip to Dominica it is well worth seeing all of it, but it is a lot of riding in the van. Levi runs a great tour. If I went back I’d taxi to Champaign Reef and spend more time there. It is a unique place and well worth your time if you snorkel. The costs were $47 per adult and $37 per child under 14 with Champaign Reef, $7 less per person without it.

 

Barbados – Shasa Catamaran We took the 3 hour trip (it turned into 4 hrs because of the wind) to snorkel with the turtles and at a reef with Jason on his boat. There were 11 of us on the boat and it was not crowded. The wind was out of the south and it was very choppy (this is an unusual wind for Barbados). In spite of it we saw lots of turtles with only another couple small boats close by. We had plenty of room and time with the turtles. They are very graceful and colorful. It was very enjoyable. The reef stop was at a sheltered cove that Jason does not normally use. The area he uses was too rough. We did not see too many fish here but Jason did his best under the circumstances. All in all it was a relaxing day on the water and I would use Shasa again. My less than graceful exit (think man overboard but the landing area is the surf at the edge of the beach) left me staring up at the two pontoons on either side of my head. Once it was determined by my family that I wasn’t broken it was quite funny to them!!! The images of Dad being thrown off a horse last year came to mind. I am becoming a klutz as I age. Cost $60 per adult, $30 per child under 12.

 

St Lucia – Cosol Tours Cosol arranged to get 22 of us from our roll call on 1 bus. This added to a great day (the last person to get on the bus at each stop got a nice round of applause). Cosol runs a very professional tour. You never run out of drinks. The food tasting stop is very well done. It was a treat to try so many different native foods. The hot drumstick shaped bread with island made cheese on it is a nice touch on your way back to the ship. The stops are beautiful, snorkeling at Jalousie Beach is enjoyable. The Titons are well worth the trip to see them. This tour has earned the outstanding reviews it receives. Cost $65 per adult and $55 per child (not sure of the age cut off).

 

St Kitts – Rose and Jims Taxi Another tour with several Roll Call Members. St Kitts is beautiful. Jim was our guide. He grew up on St Kitts and told us many stories of his early days like sleeping on the floor until he was 17, going to the rain forest to swing on the vines (Like Tarzan) for fun because they didn’t have any toys and how the houses didn’t have running water or facilities in most of them. The Batik Factory grounds are very well maintained. We got some great family shots here. Brimstone Hill is a great stop full of history. We didn’t want to go to the beach at the end of the day and Jim took us back to the ship at no additional costs. He then went back to pick up those that stayed on Cockleshell. We enjoyed Rose and Jims Tour very much. The cost was $41 per adult and $37 per child.

 

One more comment on Jim. My son loves monkeys and was wearing a tee shirt with a picture of one on it. Jim told us that when we were back in the shopping area to pay no more than $2 for each picture you take of one of the monkeys. So sure enough my son wanted his picture taken. I went up to a monkey vendor and said $10 for 5 shots. He mumbled to me that should cost $20. I had the ten in my hand and started to walk away. All of a sudden he was okay with the $10. We got our 5 shots. Jim saved us some money.

 

St Maarten – A day of shopping and time to rest. We took the water taxi to the town center. We picked up the requisite tee shirts and a nice Pulsar watch for my wife (she loved the price haggling and was able to get the price lowered twice). She tried on a few different colored diamonds while we waited for the watch band to be resized (she can dream can’t she) but her words not mine “for the price of that it will pay for one of us on our next cruise”. Right there I fell deeper in love with my wife again (this happened several times on the cruise). We went back to the ship for the afternoon to begin packing. How sad for this vacation to end. We have not always felt that way. Some vacations seem to go 1 or 2 days too long (kind of like this review). The water taxi was $6/pp for as many round trips as you wanted for the day.

Next the the shows, food and elegant nights.

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gjsmth

gjsmth

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Fantastic review so far, always love to read the well thought out detailed reviews. Sounds like all your excursions were not Carnival ones, how did you find out about your private booked excursions? Did you book them prior to your cruise? What did you think about the ship itself?

Thanks again...

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Haysiedaze

Haysiedaze

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Fantastic review so far, always love to read the well thought out detailed reviews. Sounds like all your excursions were not Carnival ones, how did you find out about your private booked excursions? Did you book them prior to your cruise? What did you think about the ship itself?

Thanks again...

None were through Carnival. I used the Cruise Critic Ports of Call board to research each and everyone. I booked all through email or in the case of Coral World over the phone. None required deposits although Coral World and Shasa took my credit card info to charge a penalty if we didn't show up or cancel with in 24 hrs. Neither penalty was a full price penalty.

 

I'll cover the ship later on but to summarize it was clean, easy to navigate (after a couple days), the crew was friendly and helpful, our steward and dining staff were outstanding. Yep saw some wear and tear on it but very little and I had to look for it. It was not obvious.

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Haysiedaze

Haysiedaze

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Pictures, please!!!!:D

 

How about a couple Coral World Shots? I am not going to post pictures of the ship or the normal tourist places, they are all over this site.

 

My daughter with the Lorikeets.

 

 

Picture173.jpg

 

Me with them.

 

Picture177.jpg

 

 

 

 

Here is my son right as a Lorikeet landed on his shoulder.

 

 

 

Picture730.jpg

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murphalina

murphalina

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I didn't read your first "sexist" post. I saw the title and just thought "OMG what happened to this whiner." After reading this, I went back and read the first sexist post, and I am absolutely dying of laughter. You were PWNED!!!

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Joanns6569

Joanns6569

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Thank you for the review. I am going in June with my DH and can not wait. I secong that morion about meeting great people on Cruise Critic on your Roll Call's. I have meet several very nice ladies and have keep in contact with one for Michigan, Jamie!!!! you are the best!!!,

Can't wait to read the rest.

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ladyj3641

ladyj3641

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Thank you for the review. I am going in June with my DH and can not wait. I secong that morion about meeting great people on Cruise Critic on your Roll Call's. I have meet several very nice ladies and have keep in contact with one for Michigan, Jamie!!!! you are the best!!!,

Can't wait to read the rest.

 

...now I'm thinking about Coral World again!

 

OP, do you remember if any of these ports had a dolphin encounter and/or swim? I haven't found any, and my DD may have to settle for the sea lion!

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Haysiedaze

Haysiedaze

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...now I'm thinking about Coral World again!

 

OP, do you remember if any of these ports had a dolphin encounter and/or swim? I haven't found any, and my DD may have to settle for the sea lion!

 

 

All I found in my research was the Sea Lions or Sea Turtle's at Coral World and the Snorkel with the Sea Turtles on Barbados (we used Shasa). At Coral World the more impressive event is the Swim With the Sea Lions. We couldn't do it because for each child you needed an adult to swim with them and my wife doesn't swim. Check out Coral Worlds website on the internet for more info.

 

Steve

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