Sailing on Triumph--NOLA Traffic? Shampoo? Uxmal? Etc

[globe9]

My GF and I are sailing on the Triumph in December. I've been on several Carnival cruises, but it's been a few years since the last time.

 

I have some general questions about the ship/times etc.

 

In the bathroom, do they still supply you with shampoo? If so, what brand is it? Also, do they still NOT supply you with conditioner?

 

What time should I get to the pier in NOLA? Last time we left from NOLA on the Fantasy, I can't remember what time we got to the dock, but the lines were not long and we were on board within 30 minutes of being dropped off. Our room was not ready for quite some time however, but that's ok. I just can't remember what time I had my parents drop us off. I was thinking maybe around 10am ish....does this sound good?

 

Also, have NEVER sailed out of NOLA on a Monday before. It's always been on a weekend. How is getting to the port during the work week? Traffic problems, etc. Should I leave earlier to allow for traffic in the CBD?

 

We're doing "your time dining" for the 2 of us. What are the waits like? We'll probably be getting to dinner around 7pm or 7:30ish most days.

 

Tipping....we didn't have the tips included in our cruise price as we usually like to tip more than the required amount for exceptional service. Will our steward and server see that we didn't do this and think we're going to stiff them and therefore we get bad service? Should I tip half at beginning of cruise so we don't get bad service and tip the rest at the end of the cruise? I understand that by including the gratuities it really helps those people who don't budget for them at the end of the cruise, but I am old fashioned and prefer to tip at the end for the service I received.

 

I've been to Cozumel like 20 times(some of those were land vacations as well) so I know what to do there. Progresso is different however. We went there on our last cruise, but the GF and I hopped a local bus and went to Meridia(LOVED it), but want to do something different this time. Was thinking of doing the Uxmal ruins tour, but that depends.....how far away are these ruins from the ship? I don't want to ride a bus for 2 to 3 hours each way to get somewhere. NOT my idea of fun. Also, can I buy a tour package to Uxmal from a local on the dock and save some $$$? I'm confident enough, usually, to stray away from the Carnival tours IF we have enough time to do the tour in regards to the time we have in a particular port. Uxmal looks nice, but I'm hoping it's no more than an hour away or so from Progresso.

 

If we decide not to do Uxmal, we might just hit a beach resort for the day. I've heard the Corona Beach Break is a ripoff as the Corona Beach is the public beach anyway and beers only cost $2.00 from any local place anyway. Any suggestions on resorts? Yucatan Reef Club, etc? Don't want to spend a fortune, but would like a nice pool/beach area. Heard the water in Progresso isn't that nice as it's on the Gulf, but I travel to Destin area quite often and that's on the Gulf and I LOVE it there. I don't need my water to be emerald blue to have a good time, but I don't like brown, murky water with a lot of seaweed floating around either.

 

 

Thanks for any help/advice/answers....I know these questions are all over the place :)

[globe9]

Anyone?

[Analicia419]

My husband and I were on the Triumph the end of June. They do give you shampoo howeve I don't know the brand. I always bring my own shampoo with me because I color my hair.

 

We really enjoyed our time on the Triumph. She is a beautiful ship. The food was great and we did the anytime dining. The waitstaff we had the first night was wonderful, I believe his name was Senthil. We had someone different on the second night who wasn't as good. After that we requested Senthil's team the remainder of the cruise. We also ate in the buffet and did room service. Food was great in all areas. Make sure you guys go to the burlesque show, I thought it was the best show out of the whole cruise.

 

In Cozumel we went to Nachi Cocum. I really enjoyed it there. We did an AI package, food and drinks were great. They have a nice pool and beach and the bathrooms are clean. However, Progresso I am not crazy about. I will not get off the ship there again unless we are doing an excursion, there are just too many aggressive vendors.

 

As for boarding the ship we arrived at 12:30 and were on the ship by 1:30. I thought the process went much quicker this year compared to last year.

 

Let me know if there is anything more specific you need to know.

[FloridaGators]

We usually arrive around 10:30 a.m. and yes there will be traffic on a Monday morning. Just watch the signs carefully....do you need the street directions or do you have them?

The shampoo and body wash in dispensers in the shower are the brand that the Spa uses. However, I always bring my own.

The cabins will not be ready until 1:30 p.m. but lunch will be ready when you board up on Lido.

[ManyMore]

You are correct they do not provide conditioner so you will need to bring that along as well.

 

I am old fashion and like to hand tips for exceptional service as well but since I know these tips go to more then just the one that might have served you dinner we always leave those tips in place and then personally tip those who exceeded our expections, no matter what job the do. This way the servers don't think you are stiffing them, the others get some tip too and those who did an exceptional job know you appreciated it.

[globe9]

Thanks for the replies! Keep em coming :)

 

Yes, we know how to get to the dock. Just weren't sure what time we should get there for the minimum amount of wait time to board + min. wait for lunch on lido. On one cruise, we got there a little late and the line stretched and snaked forever....we opted to just wait for dinner, but I was STARVING by the time dinner rolled around. I don't mind waiting for 5 minutes, but not a fan of waiting for 30 or 40 minutes to eat at a buffet. Maybe I'll pack a sandwich and some snacks just in case...would the cruise line allow me to bring on some food?

 

Knew they didn't supply conditioner, but wasn't sure if maybe they had changed this. I didn't mind their shampoo at all, but I need conditioner. Trying to pack light and not bring anything that isn't necessary, but conditioner is necessary for me LOL

 

Any ideas on how far it is to Uxmal? Time on bus?

 

As for tipping, I guess we'll get them to add the automatic gratuities to my account, and then tip extra in cash. I just like to reward good service with actual cash as that may be easier for them to keep themselves.

 

What about poor service? It rarely happens, but on one cruise our cabin steward was horrible. I wasn't going to stiff him completely, but lessen the tip a little. My father told me not to as that's how they support their families, and I do get that, but why should I reward bad service? Just wondering about this. Maybe if a bad steward didn't get great tips he would wisen up and do a better job?

 

Thanks again!!!

[ilovesalsa]

In Progresso, we did an excursion through Carnival that took us to some ruins, although I'm thinking they are not the ones you mentioned. I really enjoyed seeing the area in the jeep, and it was a nice drive. We saw flamingos in the wild, the ruins, a Mayan cemetary, a Catholic cathedral in the village of Dzemul, and spent about 1.5 hours at the Hotel Reef Yucatan. The time at the beach was a bit rushed, and included a buffet. All in all, I enjoyed doing so many different things, and seeing the area. I do wish I would have worn my swimsuit so I didn't waste 15 minutes at the beach trying to find a place to change. Other than the public restrooms, I didn't see a changing area. We had time after the excursion to shop at the open market. Our tour started very early, at 7:15. It forced me to see the sunrise, which ended up being beautiful, so I guess I can't complain about that.

[Cruzman]

For the standard gratuity ($10 per person per day), you have to do nothing. Those charges will automatically be charged to your on board account. You can adjust those amounts up or down by going to the purser's desk and making a request.

[vital1]

Uxmal was awesome! Read my review here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=811871&highlight=

[Sargent_Schultz]

Lots of pictures from Uxmal here:

 

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/Blog_2009/prog/indexProg.htm

[BeeBeeCee]

Globe,

 

-the shampoo is not great...bring your own

 

-Progresso..we did the CCL excursion with the ruins, lunch and horse show and it was pretty cute...cheesy but cute

 

-where are you in NOLA :confused: you can get to anywhere in this city in 20 minutes :p

 

we left on a Monday cruise a couple years ago...and it was the LSU Nat'l championship game day at the Dome...and still... we did not have any problem getting from the Northshore to the port in less than 25 min

 

-Oh and we always prepay our tips(so it is not on our S&S card) and add extra at the end...I was just looking today at the tip we have to leave next year at my daughter's wedding...20% on a wedding ....:eek:...i may never get to sail again!