Triumph or Ectasy???

[wantocruisemore]

I've looked at old posts and reviews. Had settled on the Triumph but due to a recent increase in price for the category I wanted, now thinking of booking instead on the Ectasy.

 

There would be 3 to the cabin, DH, DD (who will be celebrating her 21st bday, is disabled-no handicap rm req.-& req. insulin & gluten-free menu) & myself.

 

The itineraries are identical, even the dates. We can get a suite on Ectasy for about the same as a premium balcony on Triumph.

 

Anyone have any special recommendations as to why one ship over the other??? Cruise would be in Nov.

[*Mach*]

I can't comment on the Triumph as I've not sailed on her but I have sailed on the Ecstasy and I recommend her very highly.

The ship is just out of dry dock and is in stunning shape. She has an amazing staff and cruise director, Steve Cassel.

You can see my pictures from February here:

http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/ff313/mach_man/Crazies%20in%20Ecstasy%20Feb%2020/

 

 

:)

[Grits53]

I've been on both....twice each, and my decision between these two would be instant and definite.....Triumph. No question about it. I personally prefer the bigger ships, and I love the Triumph. However, this is a personal choice, as some people prefer the smaller ships like Ecstasy. Oddly enough, regardless of which one you choose, you will likely be able to compare the outside of these ships, as they typically dock side by side at Cozumel and Progreso.

 

 

This shows the changes - balconies & slide - as Ecstasy was leaving Cozumel.

[Tapi]

There would be 3 to the cabin, DH, DD (who will be celebrating her 21st bday, is disabled-no handicap rm req.-& req. insulin & gluten-free menu) & myself..

 

I personally would prefer the Triumph. Although it's true that the Ecstasy had the Evolutions of Fun rennovation, it's still older and smaller than the Triumph.

 

What category suite are you considering on the Ecstasy? A "suite" on the Ecstasy is VERY different than a suite on the Triumph.

 

If you're looking at one of the smaller suites on Deck 11 on the Ecstasy, they're not much larger than a standard balcony cabin on the Triumph. However, a premium balcony cabin on the Triumph will be considerably larger than the smaller suites on the Ecstasy.

 

If you're booking through a travel agent or a PVP, ask him/her what the square footage is on the specific categories that you're looking into. That should help you make a more educated decision

 

Another thing to consider (if you're flying) is that Galveston (where the Ecstasy sails from) is a good hour and a half from the Houston Intercontinental Airport, adding time and money to your overall cost.

[Grits53]

I just noticed that you said you were going for a suite on the Ecstasy. The category 11 or "Jr. Suites" on Ecstasy are TINY, and the balcony is also TINY, with no privacy at all. People walking on the deck below can chat with you. My friend and I shared one of these, and there was barely enough room for us to walk around the bed when we had the sofa bed down. Plus, there are life boats blocking the view of many of the balconies. Motion from the ship is bad up there where these suites are. I would NEVER pay suite price for one of those again. However, I do not know anything about the category 12 suites.

[firefly333]

I personally would prefer the Triumph. Although it's true that the Ecstasy had the Evolutions of Fun rennovation, it's still older and smaller than the Triumph..

 

Im guessing since you live in GA you havent actually been on Ecstasy??? I think too, she looks like a brand new ship, I couldnt believe my eyes and Triumph looks a bit tired in comparison ...liked both cruises, but Ecstasy has the best service, I think its because they have a top CD...Ecstasy also won the Crystal award a the favorite Carnival ship the last two years, so whoever is voting must agree with me.

[cks]

I took my one and only cruise on Ecstasy, so I have nothing to compare her with, but I absolutely loved her! I also can't comment on suites or balconies, as I had an interior cabin. But I can say that every single person who served us, waited on us, or assisted us in some other way was fantastic! The CD is great. All the drink staff knew our names the first night (and no, we're not drunks!). Everyone was truly professional and friendly. The ship itself is the perfect size, IMHO. I never felt like I was on a ship with 2000 other people. It was large enough that there was always something to do, but small enough that I didn't feel like there were people everywhere. Again, sorry I can't compare the 2 ships. I just wanted to give you another account from an Ecstasy fan. :D Whichever you choose, I hope you enjoy your trip!

[arush5268d]

I'm not trying to be an Ecstasy cheerleader, but you simply cannot go wrong with her!

 

I'd say go with the suite on the Ecstasy.

[MacysMimi]

Here's another vote for the Ecstasy!!!

 

We love, love, love this ship......I had one of the suites our last cruise...Verandah deck.....3 of us shared the room, my dad, my sis and I.....We had no problem walking around in the room....bed was plenty big enough for sis and I and dad slept on the sofa bed just fine....balcony is tiny and ours was obstructed.....but it was still great, you could sit out there and soak up the sun and get fresh air....and even though I get motion sickness very easily, I never had a moment's trouble on our cruise......

 

She's a grand ship and everyone on board was amazing.....so friendly and helpful and willing to go the extra mile....I'd go again in a heartbeat.....wait...I am, in February! LOL

[Tapi]

Im guessing since you live in GA you havent actually been on Ecstasy??? I think too, she looks like a brand new ship, I couldnt believe my eyes and Triumph looks a bit tired in comparison ...liked both cruises, but Ecstasy has the best service, I think its because they have a top CD...Ecstasy also won the Crystal award a the favorite Carnival ship the last two years, so whoever is voting must agree with me.

 

I haven't had the opportunity of sailing on the Ecstasy, but I did sail on the Imagination pre and post Evolutions of Fun, so I'm going by that experience.

 

Although the upgrades were definitely noticeable (specially with the new Carnival Waterworks, Serenity Area, and staterooms), in my humble opinion it still didn't quite add up to one of the Destiny/Conquest class ships. The ship still felt a bit outdated.

 

I haven't actually sailed on the Triumph, but I had a chance to tour the ship 2 years ago, and I was pretty impressed. It seemed to be in great shape, and the overall decor is one of my favorites of all the Carnival ships (second to the Liberty).

 

About the service onboard, I don't doubt that it may be rated higher than on the larger ships. Smaller ships do tend to offer more personal service. When I sailed on the Holiday back in 2007, the crew also took a lot of pride in having been awarded a similar recognition (and the great service showed throughout, even though it was Carnival's oldest and smallest ship at the time!)

[k2excursion]

Join us on the Triumph on 11-8! Actually, you can't go wrong with either ship. Fantasy class ships (like Ecstasy) are much smaller, but many people like the smaller ships. I like the interior layout of Fantasy class ships more than the Triumph & Conquest class (referring to the atrium, theater, promenade deck), but I like the Triumph's layout on the Lido deck much better, with the tiered tanning area. Both ships have a great waterslide: Triumph's is an open waterslide (which I prefer), and Ecstasy's is enclosed.

 

What types of rooms are equal in price that you're referring to? The Verandah suites on Ecstasy are only 220 sq.ft. plus a tiny 30 sq.ft. balcony. But their grand suites on Upper deck are 330 sq.ft. plus a 70 sq.ft. balcony. I've been in one of those, and those are awesome! But I can't imagine them being better than a premium balcony aft wrap (category 9C), which I've only seen pictures of. The room may be smaller than a grand suite, but the location and length of the wrap balcony makes it worth it.

[wantocruisemore]

Actually a Nov. 8 sailing is what we need. Both ships seem to have the exact same schedule.

 

I am sure we would really love either ship. Our last cruise was in '96 on the Imagination and we really loved it. It will be DD's Bday and her first cruise.

 

I had not even thought about Galveston being so far from the airport. I guess I assumed there would be one nearby. That is something we will need to consider since we will be flying in.

 

Also, DD seems to like the idea of the large screen theatre and I think she would enjoy an open waterslide more than a closed one.

 

Thanks to all that have responded. I will be deciding this week because I want to finalize plans. Total price for cruise plus airfare will be a definite factor.

[wantocruisemore]

WE"RE BOOKED!!!!!!

 

We now have an aft balcony room on the Triumph sailing Nov. 8.

 

Now it's on to setting up the countdown clock, joining the rollcall and watching for price drops.:D

[Razor_Poke]

Just back from Triumph and sailed Ecstasy last summer. I think they are both great and you can't go wrong with either.

 

1. CD's - Ecstasy. Steve Cassell was an entertainer (juggling, playing violin/fiddle and singing. Noonan was nice enough and funny but he didn't have any special talents.

 

2. Food - push. Triumph might have been a little better on the buffets.

 

3. Staterooms. Triumph. The bathroom in my inside SR was much larger than the bathroom in my Ecstasy OV SR. However Ecstasy had a flat screen TV.

 

4. Entertainment - Ecstasy. Only reason this isn't a push is becasue one of the acts didn't make his flight into Cozumel. However, I think the comedian went longer that night to make up for it.

 

5. Karoke - Ecstasy. The DJ alone is worth going for. The Triumph DJ didn't have much to say and wasn't very engaging.

 

6. Big lounge - Triumph, but only because we always sat in the lower section. On the smaller Ecstasy, we often had to sit in the upper section, which had terrible sight lines to the stage.

 

7. Getting around -- Ecstasy. I don't know why, but we stayed lost on the Triumph. It seemed like we were only comfortable moving around deck 5.

 

8. Casino - Triumph, but only because we lost less money;).

 

9. Service - Push. Maybe a slight edge to Ecstasy but only because our dining waiter was extremely good. Our Triumph waiter was fine and the assistant was excellent.3

 

10. Embark / Debark. NOLA beats Galveston. Parking, terminal, porters, speed of everything is just better in NOLA, plus it is downtown with lots to do while on land.

[karenh1127]

Well I was going to suggest Ecstasy but you have already booked. I have been on her 3 times and just went on Triumph. The crowds and lines are worse on Triumph and I personally think the embark/debark is horrible in NOLA! Plus Hobby airport is only 45 min to Galveston. I love Ecstasy and am sad to see her go to NO.:(

Oh I forgot to mention we were in a cat 12 suite on Ecstasy and it was great!