Victory 6/26-7/3

[Hsscienceteacher]

We just got back from our cruise and want to share a little info with you. First of all, the Victory is a beautiful ship. I have sailed on Royal and Holland, and I have to say this ship was the prettiest. We flew into San Juan two days early, which I highly recommend. San Juan is a beautiful place to visit. I hope to go back one day and spend about a week there. We rented a car at the airport with Hertz. We dropped the car off on Sunday at the Sheraton across the street from the dock. It was very easy and worked out great not having to take taxis. It really wasn't any different from driving in a large U.S. City. We stayed at the Intercontinental on Friday and Saturday night. The intercontinental is a great place to stay. The grounds are beautiful with great access to a beautiful beach.

 

On Saturday we visited the bioluminescent bay with bio bay adventure. We kayaked into the bay that afternoon and back out after sunset. This was a great experience that you don't want to miss. There are only like six places on earth where you can experience bioluminescence.

 

Sunday we arrived at the pier and returned our car about 12:30. It was pretty busy and not very organized. We have gone out of Miami, seattle, and Galveston, and this was the most unorganized embarkation we have ever experienced. Just be prepared to take a deep breath and relax. You will finally get on the boat. We were on the boat and eating lunch by 2:00. We then went to check out our room. Our room number was 8228. We were fortunate enough to get a balcony room. Compared to the other companies we have cruised with, the room was much larger. This is the first cruise I have been on where they give you some nice complimentary items in the bathroom, like razors. I thought it was a very nice gesture. We then got off the boat to by some water and lotion at the CVS right down from the pier. That night we ate in the dining room. I had the pork ribs. They were delicious. I also loved the mashed potatoes. I asked for them every night thereafter. My daughter said to tell you that you need to order the chilled cream soups every night. She really thought they were the greatest thing!!!:):). She added in the smiley faces. I also enjoyed my first of many melting cakes. As previously posted, they really are good. They were my choice of dessert every night but one and I regretted not getting it that night as well. We chose to eat in the dining room every night except one. The food in the dining room was always good. I didnt care for the buffet style food on the lido deck, except for breakfast. One thing you want to remember is that when you do eat on the lido, remember to go sit upstairs on level 10. There was never anybody sitting up there. I really think that people didn't know there were tables up there. Everyone was fighting for a table on level 9.

 

Monday was our wonderful day at St. Thomas. What a wonderful island. We rented a jeep from budget right on the pier. One thing to remember is that you should book the jeep through the budget website. I got a quote of 49 dollars for the day. When people were walking in without a reservation he was quoting them 80 dollars per day. Our first stop was sapphire beach. It was about a 30 minute drive but well worth it. The beach was beautiful and not crowded at all. The snorkeling wasn't great at first until we saw three turtles and a couple of rays. We got some great pictures. This was probably the prettiest of all the beeches we visited. A liitle side note: we ordered sandwiches from room service the night before and put the sandwiches and chips in baggies we brought. We also asked for a bucket of ice when we ordered room service. We packed the sandwiches in a soft side cooler we brought. The sandwiches kept great and we had a great cheap lunch. We also packed some bottle waters we had bought at CVS. That may seem like a cheap thing to do, but I would rather spend my money on souvenirs rather than food. Anyway, it is just a thought. After eating lunch we Drove to Maegans Bay. It started to rain pretty hard so we didnt go in, but drove to the overlook and took some pictures. Maegans bay looked beautiful, but much more crowded than what I like. We then went back to Charlotte and did some shopping at the little market by the cruise pier. We found some pretty good deals in that market. Parking was very hard to find near the market. That would be the only negative. We then returned the jeep and did a little shopping in the duty free shops at the pier before getting back on the Victory. As most of you already know, the shops at the pier were much more expensive than what we found in the market. I know I am probably going to say this a number of times, but I could have spent a week in St. Thomas as well. It did rain off and on, but we didn't let that ruin our day. We live in west Texas where we haven't seen rain in 9 months, so let rain. What a blessing rain really is. That night we ate in the dining room and I had the club steak. It wasn't the best I have ever had, but not the worst. Again, I had the mashed potatoes and the melting cake. That night we watched the comedians. The family friendly shows were great, but I didnt care much for the rated r shows. Personally I don't find anything funny about f this and f that style shows. I am not saying anything is wrong with it, but I don't care for it. The dance and music show they had in the main theatre was great. You don't want to miss out on it. The two singers were great. Take it from me guys, you want a seat up close for that opening show. Trust me!!! I will post more later. Gotta go.

[WestTxCruiser]

Looking forward to hearing more. We are doing the Victory next summer.

We are practically neighbors out here in West Texas!

[firefly333]

A liitle side note: we ordered sandwiches from room service the night before and put the sandwiches and chips in baggies we brought. We also asked for a bucket of ice when we ordered room service. We packed the sandwiches in a soft side cooler we brought. The sandwiches kept great and we had a great cheap lunch. We also packed some bottle waters we had bought at CVS. That may seem like a cheap thing to do, but I would rather spend my money on souvenirs rather than food.

 

Its not just cheap, it is usually against the law to take unsealed food off the ship.

 

Luckily you were not caught.

 

Sounds like you had a grand time otherwise, and that you loved the ship.

[boingy300]

Having sailed Carnival and RCCL and never Carnival I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed it. Which Biobay did you do? We really want to do this! Thanks for your review.

Karen

[Texas YaYa Sister]

Another Texas person here who is very interested in the rest of your post as we are going in November.

Also, can you tell me if the Victory offered the service in Puerto Rico where on the morning of your arrival in port on the last day that you could check your luggage all the way thru to your home airport? I'm asking because we have a late departure that day and it would be nice to be able to do that an not have to worry about it.

[Hsscienceteacher]

Looking forward to hearing more. We are doing the Victory next summer.

We are practically neighbors out here in West Texas!

 

I grew up in Odessa and graduated from Odessa High in 1990. It is good to here from a neighbor in from good old west Texas. You are going to love this cruise. I am ready to go back.

[Hsscienceteacher]

Another Texas person here who is very interested in the rest of your post as we are going in November.

Also, can you tell me if the Victory offered the service in Puerto Rico where on the morning of your arrival in port on the last day that you could check your luggage all the way thru to your home airport? I'm asking because we have a late departure that day and it would be nice to be able to do that an not have to worry about it.

 

I believe that I heard some people talking about doing this with there luggage, but not sure. We departed on Monday because we wanted to spend some time in old San Juan.

[Hsscienceteacher]

Having sailed Carnival and RCCL and never Carnival I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed it. Which Biobay did you do? We really want to do this! Thanks for your review.

Karen

 

We used bio bay adventures. I found them on trip advisor. They received great ratings. The cost was forty dollars per person if you pay cash. I recommend going out with the first tour so you can get a good look at the mangrove trees in the estuary. They offer an early and late tour. The last tour doesnt leave until it is dark. If you have any other questions, let me know.

[boingy300]

We used bio bay adventures. I found them on trip advisor. They received great ratings. The cost was forty dollars per person if you pay cash. I recommend going out with the first tour so you can get a good look at the mangrove trees in the estuary. They offer an early and late tour. The last tour doesnt leave until it is dark. If you have any other questions, let me know.

 

I sure will! I know there are 2 spots- Fajardo and Vieques (Hope I am spelling that right) Did they pick you up in SJU?

Thanks, Karen

[Buffettfan 225]

Another Texas person here who is very interested in the rest of your post as we are going in November.

Also, can you tell me if the Victory offered the service in Puerto Rico where on the morning of your arrival in port on the last day that you could check your luggage all the way thru to your home airport? I'm asking because we have a late departure that day and it would be nice to be able to do that an not have to worry about it.

I can say from experience that due to logistics that they no longer offer Luggage Express in San Juan. We have used it in the past and it is great. There is a place called Barachino's??spelling near port that will store luggage for you. Others may also help with dealing with luggage, or take a tour through ship and they handle luggage. p.s. allow a lot more time for airport than the US lines can get long especially for checkin.

[Buffettfan 225]

We just got back from our cruise and want to share a little info with you. First of all, the Victory is a beautiful ship. I have sailed on Royal and Holland, and I have to say this ship was the prettiest. We flew into San Juan two days early, which I highly recommend. San Juan is a beautiful place to visit. I hope to go back one day and spend about a week there. We rented a car at the airport with Hertz. We dropped the car off on Sunday at the Sheraton across the street from the dock. It was very easy and worked out great not having to take taxis. It really wasn't any different from driving in a large U.S. City. We stayed at the Intercontinental on Friday and Saturday night. The intercontinental is a great place to stay. The grounds are beautiful with great access to a beautiful beach.

 

On Saturday we visited the bioluminescent bay with bio bay adventure. We kayaked into the bay that afternoon and back out after sunset. This was a great experience that you don't want to miss. There are only like six places on earth where you can experience bioluminescence.

 

Sunday we arrived at the pier and returned our car about 12:30. It was pretty busy and not very organized. We have gone out of Miami, seattle, and Galveston, and this was the most unorganized embarkation we have ever experienced. Just be prepared to take a deep breath and relax. You will finally get on the boat. We were on the boat and eating lunch by 2:00. We then went to check out our room. Our room number was 8228. We were fortunate enough to get a balcony room. Compared to the other companies we have cruised with, the room was much larger. This is the first cruise I have been on where they give you some nice complimentary items in the bathroom, like razors. I thought it was a very nice gesture. We then got off the boat to by some water and lotion at the CVS right down from the pier. That night we ate in the dining room. I had the pork ribs. They were delicious. I also loved the mashed potatoes. I asked for them every night thereafter. My daughter said to tell you that you need to order the chilled cream soups every night. She really thought they were the greatest thing!!!:):). She added in the smiley faces. I also enjoyed my first of many melting cakes. As previously posted, they really are good. They were my choice of dessert every night but one and I regretted not getting it that night as well. We chose to eat in the dining room every night except one. The food in the dining room was always good. I didnt care for the buffet style food on the lido deck, except for breakfast. One thing you want to remember is that when you do eat on the lido, remember to go sit upstairs on level 10. There was never anybody sitting up there. I really think that people didn't know there were tables up there. Everyone was fighting for a table on level 9.

 

Monday was our wonderful day at St. Thomas. What a wonderful island. We rented a jeep from budget right on the pier. One thing to remember is that you should book the jeep through the budget website. I got a quote of 49 dollars for the day. When people were walking in without a reservation he was quoting them 80 dollars per day. Our first stop was sapphire beach. It was about a 30 minute drive but well worth it. The beach was beautiful and not crowded at all. The snorkeling wasn't great at first until we saw three turtles and a couple of rays. We got some great pictures. This was probably the prettiest of all the beeches we visited. A liitle side note: we ordered sandwiches from room service the night before and put the sandwiches and chips in baggies we brought. We also asked for a bucket of ice when we ordered room service. We packed the sandwiches in a soft side cooler we brought. The sandwiches kept great and we had a great cheap lunch. We also packed some bottle waters we had bought at CVS. That may seem like a cheap thing to do, but I would rather spend my money on souvenirs rather than food. Anyway, it is just a thought. After eating lunch we Drove to Maegans Bay. It started to rain pretty hard so we didnt go in, but drove to the overlook and took some pictures. Maegans bay looked beautiful, but much more crowded than what I like. We then went back to Charlotte and did some shopping at the little market by the cruise pier. We found some pretty good deals in that market. Parking was very hard to find near the market. That would be the only negative. We then returned the jeep and did a little shopping in the duty free shops at the pier before getting back on the Victory. As most of you already know, the shops at the pier were much more expensive than what we found in the market. I know I am probably going to say this a number of times, but I could have spent a week in St. Thomas as well. It did rain off and on, but we didn't let that ruin our day. We live in west Texas where we haven't seen rain in 9 months, so let rain. What a blessing rain really is. That night we ate in the dining room and I had the club steak. It wasn't the best I have ever had, but not the worst. Again, I had the mashed potatoes and the melting cake. That night we watched the comedians. The family friendly shows were great, but I didnt care much for the rated r shows. Personally I don't find anything funny about f this and f that style shows. I am not saying anything is wrong with it, but I don't care for it. The dance and music show they had in the main theatre was great. You don't want to miss out on it. The two singers were great. Take it from me guys, you want a seat up close for that opening show. Trust me!!! I will post more later. Gotta go.

Which BioBay tour and any info on Behind the Scenes tour which day they offer it?

[regansmom]

You were in the same cabin we have for our Victory cruise in two weeks. Are you going to post any pictures? Were you happy with the location?

[kclvt]

Waiting for the rest of your review! Love reading about the Victory.

[Hsscienceteacher]

Tuesday was of course the sea day. We slept in on this day because we knew we had busy schedule ahead of us over the next few days. We did make it to the married couples game show. It was very funny and worth going to. This was the first formal night and we took a lot of pictures. The lines for the pictures really didn't get long until about 7 o'clock. Of all the cruises we have taken, these photographers did the best job. We had so many photos to choose from. Be sure you let several different photographers take your pictures. This will give you a lot of choices. I have read from a lot of people that carnival let's people with shorts and jeans eat in the dining room. We did not experience this at all. We saw a guy try to come in with jeans on and he was told he would have to go change into something appropriate.

 

Another thing I would like to add. I have read in other posts that this cruise has many rude people on it. I did not come across anyone who was rude.

 

At dinner they were offering lobster and shrimp. My boys ate two orders. They said it was awesome. I had the prime rib that was very tasty. After dinner we went to see the comedian family friendly show. We then went to the legends show tryouts. The legend show is a show they have on Saturday night that allows 10 cruisers to play the parts of past musical superstars. I tried out for the part of Frank Sinatra and got the part. I will talk about this more when I get to Saturday's post.

 

I will post more tomorrow. I am sorry I have no pictures yet, I am still trying to figure out how to download the pics.

[Hsscienceteacher]

Which BioBay tour and any info on Behind the Scenes tour which day they offer it?

 

I believe they offer the tour everyday. The best days to go are the days closest to the new moon. The darker it is the brighter the lumonescents.

[Hsscienceteacher]

I sure will! I know there are 2 spots- Fajardo and Vieques (Hope I am spelling that right) Did they pick you up in SJU?

Thanks, Karen

 

The one we went to is in Fajardo. We had rented a car and drove. It isn't but about 35 miles from San Juan but there are a lot of traffic lights. It takes about an hour to get there. They will pick you up for about 30 dollars a person.

[boingy300]

The one we went to is in Fajardo. We had rented a car and drove. It isn't but about 35 miles from San Juan but there are a lot of traffic lights. It takes about an hour to get there. They will pick you up for about 30 dollars a person.

 

Awesome information- thanks!

Karen