Carnival Victory Tips & General Carnival Tips

[airlinerob]

Hi,

 

I am going on Carnival for the first time in 16 years. I have only been on Carnival once, 16 years ago, on the Carnival Fantasy (3 night cruise out of Port Canaveral). I was not a fan of Carnival and almost swore off cruising.

 

Since then, I've been on many many cruises, most of them with Royal Caribbean (Plantinum member - 1 cruise away from Emerald status), Celebrity and NCL. With the recent price increases on Royal Caribbean (nothing affordable anymore), I've decided to give Carnival another try.

 

Which cruise did I choose? The Carnival Victory - 7 night cruise from San Juan in October. We booked in an inside cabin on this cruise to try to keep the cost down (especially since we plan to do some excursions in these ports!).

 

Having never been on the Carnival Victory, and having not been on Carnival in over 16 years, I am looking for your feedback, tips, suggestions, etc.

 

I am going with my partner. We are very excited as we have never been to any of these ports! (We normally wind up with Wester Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, etc).

 

So, I'm sure there are many Carnival fans here, and hopefully even some fans of the Carnival Victory. :-) I want to know all the secrets to making my first time back on Carnival the best ever. I keep telling my partner that who knows - Carnival may become our favorite line! (We have been getting disappointed in Royal Caribbean recently, so who knows!)

 

I plan to contact John Heald regarding a request for the Chefs Table (I keep reading incredible things about it), and a request for a table for 2 in the dining room.

 

I'm looking forward to hearing all of your tips, suggestions, etc. :-)

 

Thank you all in advance!

[Isa65]

Hi Robert, I just finished a review some moments ago and there are other great reviews on the Victory on this board. Do a search and start reading away.

If you have any questions, I'm sure there are plenty of Victory fans over here to help you out.

You're in for a GREAT cruise!!

[airlinerob]

Does Carnival allow you to bring wine on board? Soda?

 

Do you know the corkage fee for the wine you bring on board?

[kclvt]

Our March 2013 cruise will be our first Carnival cruise. We have always cruised RCCL (once on Celebrity) but this itinerary and the reviews of the Victory have persuaded us to go for it.

[BenjiRodney]

Yes you can bring on soda and wine, the corkage fee is/was $10.00. You have to bring the wine on in your carryon bag at the start of the cruise. You can pick these up in the terminal as you board in San Juan, or just a couple of blocks up the street at CVS. We stopped in San Juan last year on the Glory, and are doing the Victory in November. You and your partner will have a great time.

[ginal]

You will love the Victory. We were on her last summer and I think out of 7 cruises that has got to be my favorite. I love old San Juan--be sure to fly in the day before and enjoy the day. Wander using the FREE bus shuttle that circles Old San Juan. Be aware that on Sunday things don't open till 12. On the return day we went over to the Bacardi factory on our own using the ferry and taxi..a lot cheaper than the ship excursion, but way more complicated and our taxi driver got lost coming back(got the ride for free). The Victory is very different from other Carnival ships in that with excursions offered every day there are not as many planned activities on board. We did a different excursion each day (most I had booked by myself). The food, service, and ship were excellant. You will have a great time. If you don't book an excursion at each port, at least get off the ship and see a little culture. We did both at each port. Have fun!!!

[rickcop44]

Rob, I think you'll enjoy this cruise. The missus and I did it two years ago. It is, as you probably already know, a port intensive cruise. I've mentioned this before, but we were exhausted by the end of the cruise. The highlight of our cruise, however, was a private snorkeling excursion in Barbados. We were picked up at the pier by our hosts and taken to a cove that is not used for ship sponsored excursions. Once in the water, which, by the way, was crystal clear, we were greeted by turtle after turtle after turtle. There must have been 30 to 40 turtles, all inquisitive, all curious. There were beautifully colored fish everywhere. After the swim, we spent an additional hour just anchored, lazing in the sun and enjoying cold beverages. I got back in the water a couple of times during this time. At the end, we were taken back to the ship. If you're interested in something like this, I can find the name of the private company we used. Oh, and the price, if I recall, was about $10 less per person than the ship sponsored excursions. And no other tour groups.

[Griffvols]

Rick: I would be very interested in the name of the group you used for the snorkel tour in Barbados. Was this on a catamaran? Was lunch and drinks included? Thanks.

[cybercon]

Rob, I think you'll enjoy this cruise. The missus and I did it two years ago. It is, as you probably already know, a port intensive cruise. I've mentioned this before, but we were exhausted by the end of the cruise. The highlight of our cruise, however, was a private snorkeling excursion in Barbados. We were picked up at the pier by our hosts and taken to a cove that is not used for ship sponsored excursions. Once in the water, which, by the way, was crystal clear, we were greeted by turtle after turtle after turtle. There must have been 30 to 40 turtles, all inquisitive, all curious. There were beautifully colored fish everywhere. After the swim, we spent an additional hour just anchored, lazing in the sun and enjoying cold beverages. I got back in the water a couple of times during this time. At the end, we were taken back to the ship. If you're interested in something like this, I can find the name of the private company we used. Oh, and the price, if I recall, was about $10 less per person than the ship sponsored excursions. And no other tour groups.

We are going in Jan. Would like to know the name of tour.

[Funerin]

When in October are you going? Dh and I are on the victory oct 16. It will be our first cruise so I don't have any tips for you but we have some great excursions planned! Have a great cruise!

[crusinpsychRN]

Does Carnival allow you to bring wine on board? Soda?

 

Do you know the corkage fee for the wine you bring on board?

 

One bottle wine or champagne per adult.

[montekat]

The one main tip I have is to beware of the seahorses in the stairways! :eek:

[MIZZ_K]

The one main tip I have is to beware of the seahorses in the stairways! :eek:

Yeah they bite,lol:D

[hutat]

Search right here on CC "all things Victory". It's a thread that has alot of information on the Victory.

[airlinerob]

I have a question about the 12 bottle soda limit.

 

If we boarded in San Juan, with a 12 pack of soda... theoretically, we could get off the ship, go to Walgreens or CVS and buy 12 more and come back on? Or do they keep track?

[montekat]

I have a question about the 12 bottle soda limit.

 

If we boarded in San Juan, with a 12 pack of soda... theoretically, we could get off the ship, go to Walgreens or CVS and buy 12 more and come back on? Or do they keep track?

 

No, they don't keep track. We have bought more at the ports without any problem.

[rach1fun]

I have a question about the 12 bottle soda limit.

 

If we boarded in San Juan, with a 12 pack of soda... theoretically, we could get off the ship, go to Walgreens or CVS and buy 12 more and come back on? Or do they keep track?

 

I am doing this cruise in Oct, so dont have any 1st hand knowledge, but from the research I have done, you can do that with pop AND wine, they dont keep track, lol

[thompsongunner06]

You can check in and drop off stuff in your room,,,get back off the ship and get more stuff,,,it does not leave until the evening so you can go see some stuff or buy items and reboard. We are doing our 2nd Victory trip,,,we also do excursions on our own,,its a little cheaper and its the same trips,,we are going November. Also inside room,,I dont need much but a bed to pass out on!

[airlinerob]

You can check in and drop off stuff in your room,,,get back off the ship and get more stuff,,,it does not leave until the evening so you can go see some stuff or buy items and reboard. We are doing our 2nd Victory trip,,,we also do excursions on our own,,its a little cheaper and its the same trips,,we are going November. Also inside room,,I dont need much but a bed to pass out on!

 

We got an inside room too.

 

Can you give me suggestions on excursions? I am trying to get a taste of each island (that you think an excursion would be good on). We are not much into beaches, so maybe just things to get a "taste" of each island.

 

Thanks!

[Megnolia]

I have done this itinerary twice. It is hands down my favourite cruise, and the Victory is my favourite ship! I love the ship's colour scheme and theme (bodies of water/oceans of the world). I wrote pretty extensive reviews both times with lots of focus on our amazing shore excursions. I would also be happy to answer any specific questions you have about the excursions. # 1 was December 2008, #2 was August 2010. The itinerary has changed slightly since then.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=50503

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1252365

[Isa65]

Can you give me suggestions on excursions? I am trying to get a taste of each island (that you think an excursion would be good on). We are not much into beaches, so maybe just things to get a "taste" of each island.

 

Thanks!

 

Then the tour with Cosol on St. Lucia is perfect for you! We felt like we really got a good taste of the island, very informative, but most importantly -- we had very much FUN. The tour (and food/drinks) were so good that we decided to return to the island for a land vacation.

 

Have a great cruise, the Victory is wonderful!

[grgsgrl]

We liked this cruise so much we did it twice in one year. I can not say enough about Calabaza Sail in Barbados - the cost is $110 pp but you are treated like royalty. They pick you up at the port, bring you to the boat and from there you are in Heaven, there is nothing you will need or want that she does not have - the food is amazing and the Rum punch is awesome. Gina only takes 12 people with her each time she goes out so no cattle boat here.

In St Lucia we booked Hugo tours and had a blast - we did this the 2nd time out - the 1st time we went with Hackshaw tours and went whale watching. Hackshaw was great but you will need to bring your own snacks and drinks if you go with them

In St Kitts, we went with Kenneth Dive Center - the dive master Wendy is amazing and full of Island knowledge. We split this with a dive group and a snorkel group - the snorkel group was lucky enough to get Kenneth. He is a very quiet man but is a legend in the Islands as far as his diving knowledge goes.

All these folks have websites and you will have a BLAST on this journey. The staff was great and the ship very well kept. If there was a draw back it was that they seemed to shut the buffett down every time we were getting back on the boat - no worries though

one last thing - Look for Piton Palace as you com back to the boat in St Lucia, I think - Ice cold local beer in cool outdoor setting at $2.00 a pop - watch it though, they can sneak up on you :D

[Vanessa L]

Rob, I think you'll enjoy this cruise. The missus and I did it two years ago. It is, as you probably already know, a port intensive cruise. I've mentioned this before, but we were exhausted by the end of the cruise. The highlight of our cruise, however, was a private snorkeling excursion in Barbados. We were picked up at the pier by our hosts and taken to a cove that is not used for ship sponsored excursions. Once in the water, which, by the way, was crystal clear, we were greeted by turtle after turtle after turtle. There must have been 30 to 40 turtles, all inquisitive, all curious. There were beautifully colored fish everywhere. After the swim, we spent an additional hour just anchored, lazing in the sun and enjoying cold beverages. I got back in the water a couple of times during this time. At the end, we were taken back to the ship. If you're interested in something like this, I can find the name of the private company we used. Oh, and the price, if I recall, was about $10 less per person than the ship sponsored excursions. And no other tour groups.

 

Not sure if you are referring to the Calabaza Sail or not. We currently have that one booked (12 guests only) but would be interested in looking into this one just to compare, if it's not the same one.

 

We liked this cruise so much we did it twice in one year. I can not say enough about Calabaza Sail in Barbados - the cost is $110 pp but you are treated like royalty. They pick you up at the port, bring you to the boat and from there you are in Heaven, there is nothing you will need or want that she does not have - the food is amazing and the Rum punch is awesome. Gina only takes 12 people with her each time she goes out so no cattle boat here.

In St Lucia we booked Hugo tours and had a blast - we did this the 2nd time out - the 1st time we went with Hackshaw tours and went whale watching. Hackshaw was great but you will need to bring your own snacks and drinks if you go with them

In St Kitts, we went with Kenneth Dive Center - the dive master Wendy is amazing and full of Island knowledge. We split this with a dive group and a snorkel group - the snorkel group was lucky enough to get Kenneth. He is a very quiet man but is a legend in the Islands as far as his diving knowledge goes.

All these folks have websites and you will have a BLAST on this journey. The staff was great and the ship very well kept. If there was a draw back it was that they seemed to shut the buffett down every time we were getting back on the boat - no worries though

one last thing - Look for Piton Palace as you com back to the boat in St Lucia, I think - Ice cold local beer in cool outdoor setting at $2.00 a pop - watch it though, they can sneak up on you :D

 

In St. Lucia (in Dec 2010 on the Miracle) we did Spencer Ambrose's Beach Break. They take you by speed boat over to Jalousie Beach and can you say, "Wow!"? With the speed boat we were shown all the highlights on the way over, like Marigot Bay, banana plantations, etc., but got there WAY ahead of all the other tours, who came over by catamaran. We got the whole beach to ourselves for well over 2 hours. There is nothing like swimming in the crystal clear water between the Pitons :) It was nice because once all the other tours showed up, the area where they had the snorkeling became all cloudy from all the bodies and you couldn't see squat after that :p

 

We got an inside room too.

 

Can you give me suggestions on excursions? I am trying to get a taste of each island (that you think an excursion would be good on). We are not much into beaches, so maybe just things to get a "taste" of each island.

 

Thanks!

 

Spencer Ambrose has land tours too in St. Lucia. I cannot say enough good things about him. He is very professional and his staff is great!

 

We are on the 10/16 sailing of this cruise. When are you sailing?

 

If you're interested, here is my album from the Miracle last year. We did St. Maarten, St. Lucia and St. Kitts, 3 of the 6 stops on the Victory sailing.

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/112580786354275664858/CarnivalMiracle

[HalfMoonLovers]

Hey RickCop can I have the contact for that tour. Sounds awesome. Thanks. Stay safe. Chris.

[smiley22]

I have a question about the 12 bottle soda limit.

 

If we boarded in San Juan, with a 12 pack of soda... theoretically, we could get off the ship, go to Walgreens or CVS and buy 12 more and come back on? Or do they keep track?

 

 

Can you keep the wine in your room or only have it served in the dining room?