TRIUMPH REVIEW 21-26 Jan (PICS)

[spyingeyes]

DISCLAIMER: Although I have used these boards for my own research over the years, this is my first review...be gentle lol. I used an app on my iPhone called Dragon Dictation and completed a little of the review each night that way. It was cool to be able to easily capture the day's events just before bed and saved me from having to try and remember everything once I got back home.

 

Let me also say up front that with any cruise, or any vacation for that matter, there are always going to be good and bad. I believe that a good attitude can generally make up for the bad stuff. We try very hard to enjoy each vacation we take and feel blessed that we are in a position to take them as often as we do. I tried to make this review as unbiased as possible. We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise and can’t wait for the next one on board Carnival or whichever other cruise line takes us where we decide to go next. Hopefully someone finds something in this review that will help them have the same great experience that we did. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have and will attempt to post some of our pictures at the end as well.

 

Day 1

 

We drove in from San Antonio and it was an easy 3.5 hour trip. Once we got closer to Houston I could tell the fog was probably going to be an issue. We arrived at the port at about 9:30 and no Triumph. Checked my email and had one from Carnival saying that Triumph had been indefinitely delayed due to the port being closed to both in and out bound ships because of fog. They provided a text number and so I signed up for text alerts by texting CCL1 to 36500. After that we got regular updates from Carnival. We did go ahead and drop off checked bags with porters. I highly recommend doing this early. You can always drop off bags no matter what the text update says about not proceeding to the terminal. Since we had some time to kill we walked across the street to Starbucks, got some drinks and walked back across the street to the Harbor House Hotel for lunch. Ate brunch at the Olympia grill at pier 21 and watched the dolphins play. The brunch is served from 11-2 and was VERY GOOD!

 

 

 

 

 

 

If Galveston Looks Like This When You Get There You Will Be Delayed

 

 

 

Olympia Grill For Brunch

 

 

 

The "All American Breakfast"

 

 

 

The ship docked at 12:15 and we watched her come in from our outside table. Pretty cool to watch if you've never seen it. After it docked we took the truck over to Galveston Park and Cruise, we always use them as they have indoor parking and are directly across from terminal. Had to wait about 30 minutes for folks to get off the ship and free up a spot. No big deal, we expected as much. The spots are fairly tight if you have a larger vehicle but not so much for me to be worried about parking my Texas Edition, Crew Cab Silverado there.

 

Triumph Turning Around In Galveston

[spyingeyes]

 

Galveston Park and Cruise Line To Park

 

 

 

 

Galveston Park And Cruise Indoor Parking

 

 

 

 

Galveston Park And Cruise Indoor Parking Space

 

 

 

The VIP check-in is not lit up in neon lights but we still spotted it easily. Breezed through security and upstairs to check in. Still waited a little bit as they announced they still had 1500 folks on board at 2:15. Enjoyed the complimentary lemonade, tea, and coffee and boarded around 4:00.

The room wasn't ready so we got some pizza (great as usual) and some fried rice from Chopsticks (also very good). Went to room at 5:30 and it was ready. We opted for a suite this time and it was awesome. Bigger than the standard room, flat screen TV, Jacuzzi tub and large balcony. Also ordered an anniversary gift set from Bon voyage and it was waiting on the table. As soon as we got to the room I called extension 8002 and booked the Chef’s Table. They said no problem and that we were booked for the Cozumel night. Our bags weren't there yet so we left our carry ons and went exploring the ship. Tex the cruise director came over the intercom and said that dinner in the MDR would be open seating due to the late departure. We proceeded to the Paris dining room to eat dinner.

 

 

 

 

Entrance To Paris Dining Room

 

 

 

I wasn't thrilled with anything on the menu so I ordered from the “available anytime” side. I ordered a Caesar salad and broiled salmon. The salad was very anchovy and the salmon was small and over cooked. This was the first time I have ever been disappointed in the MDR food. My wife ordered an Indian vegetarian dish and it was delicious but a little spicy for her. At 7:15 they called everyone to muster drill. We gathered and the drill commenced quickly. Nothing had changed with the drill since we sailed in Sep. no taking life vest with you, everyone lines up shoulder to shoulder, three rows deep. As usual, most folks seemed to be inconvenienced by the drill or ranted and raved like they were at a frat party. For their part carnival kept it professional and it was over and we were released in about 20 minutes time. Went back to the room and our luggage had arrived so we unpacked. Our cabin steward came to the room to introduce himself and hand-deliver our excursion tickets. We did notice that the room was not as clean as usual but I understand the compressed schedule they were under with the delay so it’s hard to be upset about it. I didn’t even say anything to Putu, our cabin steward. The room was cleaned very well twice a day for the rest of our trip. We were pretty tired from the trip and delay and decided to take a nap. Woke up about 11 and went to casino. We played blackjack for a couple hours and did very well. We finally turned in for the night around 2:00.

[1948buddy]

Nice photos...We are on it in Oct...

[spyingeyes]

 

 

 

Suite Entrance

 

 

 

 

 

Flat Screen And Bar Are Nice

 

 

 

Jacuzzi Tub

 

 

 

 

Large Balcony With Four Chairs Total

[spyingeyes]

Day 2

 

 

Room service arrived right on time at 7:00 and we ate pastries and fruit on the balcony. All very fresh and we enjoyed the meal in the open air. We went to the lido deck at about 10:30 and my wife got a made to order omelet. No wait and she said it was great. I got a calzone from the pizzeria. 12 minute wait was well worth it. Delicious!

 

 

I entered the Texas Hold Em tournament for a chance at a seat in the 50K final tournament in October aboard the Magic. As long as at least 5 people sign up they hold the tourney. It’s a winner take all format and you get a cruise certificate as well as the $750 entry fee if you win. The tournament started promptly at 1130. I got 5th out of ten :( but had a good time. After that I watched the NFL playoffs in the Olympic sports bar. The thirsty frog beer is outstanding and the souvenir glass is really cool. Played in the casino some more before dinner and did very well at the blackjack tables. They have three of the automated tables ($3-5 min bet) and about 4-5 live dealer tables with $6-10 min bet. The live tables stayed pretty crowded but I never had a problem finding a seat, the automated tables generally only had a couple people playing at any given time.

 

 

It was formal night and my wife had her hair and makeup done at the spa. If you are interested in doing that you need to book on the first night as they fill up fast. She always has this done and always looks even more beautiful. Dinner was great. We brought our own bottle of wine and they opened it and we were never charged the corkage fee. I had the strawberry bisque and shrimp cocktail, both were excellent. My wife had the spinach artichoke dip. She swears it’s the best she’s ever had. Ordered two lobster/shrimp entrees each and they were both really good as well. She had cherries jubilee to top it all off and loved it. We took some formal pictures after dinner and called it a night fairly early since our Uxmal ruins excursion departed at 0730 the next morning.

 

 

Day 3 Progreso

 

 

Woke up at 6:00 and the ship was already docked in Progreso. Went to lido deck and got a quick breakfast. We each had made to order omelets (no wait). Walked down to deck 0 at around 6:50 and walked right off the ship, although we never heard any announcement beforehand with instructions/times to get off the ship. The pier area of Progreso is nothing special. A few shops with the standard fare was pretty much it. The excursion meeting area is just after you get out of the duty free shop. MANY more people were lined up for the Chichen Itza excursion. I had heard that you couldn’t climb on any of the ruins there and that is was more crowded so that's why we opted for Uxmal. The drive to Uxmal was about an hour and forty minutes on a nice passenger bus with a bathroom. They provided a bottle of water, a sandwich and a banana. The tour guide talked for most of the trip but he was very informative and it made the time go back quickly. The scenery highlighted to me just how poor this area is. I have traveled throughout the Middle East, Europe, and Asia on my own and would consider myself pretty adventurous. Even been to border towns like Tijuana and Nogales back in the day but I dont think i would venture out on my own in the actual city of Progreso. One interesting thing about the trip to Uxmal was I probably saw at least 30 VW bugs on the roads (the old style). Bus driver said they make them here. Not sure what that was all about but if you like the slug bug game you’ll be really happy :) Once you get out of Progreso the scenery is better, cleaner, etc. We arrived at the ruins at about 9:15. The tour guide gave us a guided tour of the ruins for about an hour and a half. It was great as he showed us all the ruins and talked about the Mayan culture as well as the story behind each of the sites. We were given about an hour and a half after that to explore on our own. We hiked around (wear comfortable shoes/hiking boots) for a bit before having lunch at the restaurant on site. We had the chicken and pork tacos which were very good. They even made change in dollars which was nice. This was a great excursion and after seeing Progreso I can honestly say that I'm not sure there is much to do outside of an excursion like the ruins. Three hours was enough time to see everything but I could have spent all day just exploring or sitting on top of the Great Pyramid. The ruins are majestic, the grounds green and beautiful, and the cool breeze made it a perfect day spent outside! We would definitely do one of the other ruin tours if we ever stop there again. Left Uxmal at 12:15 and got back to the pier at 2:00. Once again, tons of slug bugs everywhere. Plenty of people selling Cuban cigars and blankets at the pier but we went straight back to the ship as we were supposed to be back on board by 2:30 and I don't like to be a "runner" that everyone on their balconies are so fond of watching and laughing at! There was a small line to board but we were on within ten minutes.

 

 

 

 

Walking Off Ship In Progreso

 

 

 

Duty Free Entrance Progreso

 

 

 

 

 

Just Beautiful!

[spyingeyes]

 

Temple of The Magician, Uxmal

 

 

 

View From Top Of Great Pyramid, Uxmal

 

 

 

View Of Magician From Top Of Great Pyramid

 

 

 

We Literally Ate Lunch At "The Restaurant"

 

 

 

Interesting Site On Highway Leaving Uxmal (Guy On Left Had A Gun)

 

 

 

Progreso City

[spyingeyes]

 

Progreso City

 

 

 

Progreso City

 

 

 

Progreso City

 

 

 

Pilot Boat From Our Balcony

 

 

We went to the room to sit on the balcony for sail away. Not sure why but we ended up departing about an hour late at 4:00. I actually used the Jacuzzi tub before the past guest party. It's very small and at only 5'10" it was pretty tight for me. Went down for the party and each had two free drinks and light appetizers. The drinks didn't taste watered down at all and there were waiters everywhere. We could have easily gotten 2-3 more. We went straight to dinner after the party. The little bit of wine we had left was waiting for us on the table. My wife once again had her spinach dip and I ordered the mango cream and navy bean soup. Both were great. We each had the jerk pork loin for dinner and I really liked it. It was a little too spicy for my wife. A very good Tiramisu topped off the dinner nicely. I do have to say the service in the MDR this night was not very good. We waited several times for refills, bread, etc.

 

 

We left dinner and went to play in the blackjack tournament. We both qualified for the final table. The last hand of the finals came down to everyone going all in with what they had left. My wife had the most chips by $100 and I was second right behind her. She ended up with 18 and I had 19. Dealer got 17 and she won the tourney with me coming in second. It was pretty cool but she and all the pit bosses reminded me often how she beat me. She even got one of the coveted ship on a stick with "Blackjack Tournament Champion" on it. Everyone at the final table got a T-shirt too.

We enjoyed the Mexican buffet later and had some really good strawberry shortcake too. Turned in around midnight. Our Chefs Table reservation letter was waiting for us in the room when we got back.

 

 

 

Proud Blackjack Champion

 

 

 

Our New Mantle Centerpiece

[spyingeyes]

Day 4 Cozumel

 

 

Woke up at 7 and we were still at sea but close since I caught a glimpse of the pilot boat going around the aft of the ship. We had our made to order omelets again with no line. I should mention that there were four omelet stations. Two where Chopstick and the Deli are and two right near the Lido pool/big screen. The two near the pool were never busy but the other two always had huge lines.

 

 

 

 

Don't Get In This Line!

 

 

 

Get In This Line!

 

 

Finished breakfast around 8 and walked down to deck 0 and right off the ship. Again, never heard any announcement about us arriving or debarkation instruction/times. The weather was gorgeous! Plenty of sun! We hopped in a cab at the pier for the ten minute ride to Mr. Sanchos. Cab ride is $15 for up to four each way. I booked Mr. Sanchos online and put down a $5 deposit for each of us. The total was $45 each for the all-inclusive side. They took a quick photo of us in a poncho and sombrero and tried to sell it to us later. I took plenty of pictures with my waterproof camera and passed on their photo. We got a nice spot right at the water and had drinks in hand and chicken nachos by 9:00. Our waiter Tony took good care of us and we always had a fresh drink. Tony let us know right away that tips weren't included and that if we thought he did at good job and wanted to tip at the end he would appreciate it. He was respectful, never pushy and provided excellent service so we took care of him when we left. They have Sol and Dos Equis beer and about 15 tropical drinks. The menu was also very good and we tried the nachos, coconut shrimp, beef tacos, quesadillas and guacamole. They have a couple of small pools, one with a swim up bar. The bathrooms were clean with showers. I forgot my towel and they rented me one for $4 with a $10 deposit. There were a few shops there as well with pretty much the same stuff as the pier. The prices started higher but if you are familiar with the prices at the pier and quote them, they are definitely willing to at least match to get your sale. We bought a couple of souvenirs for the kids and felt good about the price we got after a little haggling. My overall opinion of Mr. Sanchos was that it was decent. Nothing fancy, good food, nice beach, and not terribly crowded. The all-inclusive side we were on did seem to get better service and based on the food and drink prices on the menu we got our money's worth out of the deal. With that being said, I have also been to Isla Passion and enjoyed it much more. It was a much more beautiful beach, felt more "exclusive", and the food and drinks were every bit as good. If I had to choose between the two I would definitely do Isla Passion again ahead of Mr. Sanchos. We left at about 1:15 so we could do a little shopping at the pier. Plenty of taxis waiting outside to take you back. We love all the stores at the pier and did some more shopping before heading back onto the ship at 3:00. Everyone was back on board on time by 3:30 and we departed for Galveston right at 4:00.

 

 

 

 

Mr. Sanchos

 

 

 

Swim Up Bar Mr. Sanchos

 

 

 

Plenty Of Beds Available For Napping

[spyingeyes]

 

Dining Area Mr. Sanchos

 

 

 

Second Pool Mr. Sanchos

 

 

 

Plenty Of Chair Mr. Sanchos

 

 

 

Beautiful Water Mr. Sanchos

 

 

 

Water Was Very Clear

 

 

 

Water Toys Mr. Sanchos

[spyingeyes]

 

We Always Take Pictures With This Guy In Cozumel

 

 

 

Pilot Boat Cozumel From Balcony

 

 

 

 

We took a nap until 5:00 and then got ready for dinner at the Chef’s Table. We met the chef at 6:15 in the lobby bar on deck three. The chef met us and took us straight to the galley. He gave us a short presentation on how everything worked. We were given champagne and several small appetizers while were in the galley. Once we were finished with the appetizers we moved over to the area where they prepare the deserts and watched him prepare the warm chocolate melting cake. We later received the recipe for it as well. We then moved out of the galley into the library on deck three for the main course. The chef explained that they don’t like to sit the guests in the galley during the meal because it takes away from the intimate experience with all of the hustle and bustle that goes on in there. I won’t go into every detail but the entire meal was fantastic and worth every penny. The whole experience took almost four hours. The service was second to none and the wine was free flowing! We also had about a half hour close-up magic show during the meal. The magician was amazing and it was very cool to be up close and involved in the show. I was very impressed with the experience and this was definitely the highlight of the cruise. Although we had our Chef’s Table booked on the Cozumel night, I did see another group in the library on the last night as well. I don’t know if Carnival books this based on interest but they did have at least two Chef Table nights on our five night cruise. I would caution that if you are not willing to sit and enjoy being waited on for four hours or if you aren’t interested in trying some very different foods, this might not be for you. I attached the menu in PDF form. We went back to the room after the meal and the casino host had delivered chocolate covered strawberries. It was a nice surprise. We were much too stuffed so we vowed to eat them later before we went to bed. After that we went to the New Wave magic show at 10:30 with a magician named Anders. It was a pretty good show but I honestly enjoyed the close-up magic show at dinner much more. After the magic show we played in the casino for a little while and turned out about 2:00.

 

 

Day 5

 

 

 

Slept in a little on the last day at sea went up to the lido deck for breakfast about 9:00. Had our normal omelet (no wait) and enjoyed a nice breakfast looking out at the ocean. We really just relaxed for the most part on the last day. Went to dinner in the MDR and I had crab cakes and French onion soup for appetizer while my wife stuck with the spinach dip. I had the mahi-mahi for dinner and my wife had the chicken. Both were very good. The last day also happened to be our anniversary and I ordered a cake from the formalities store a couple of days earlier. The cake was only seven or eight bucks. The dining room staff brought out the cake and had us sit and kiss while they sang us a happy anniversary song. It was very nice and the cake was delicious. Even though we had cake I also ordered the baked Alaska as well. It’s just too good to pass up. After dinner we say the Big Easy show which was really good. If you only see one show on the cruise this is the one to watch. Went to the back of the ship to the Punchliner Comedy Club and watched the first of two adult only shows. The comedian was good and we enjoyed it. They have a show immediately after the first one but they are required to clear out the whole room before it starts and then get everyone back in. The line for the next show was already very long and we decided to just call it a night at that point.

 

 

 

Delicious Anniversary Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

Galveston

 

 

 

Woke up at 6:30 and went to breakfast before we got to Galveston. This was the only day that we had to wait for an omelet because the omelet station we went to only had one burner going instead of the normal two. Not sure why but we did end up waiting about 15 minutes. Not a big deal considering our luck during the rest of the cruise. We finished up just as we docked in Galveston at 7:30. Went back to the room grabbed our bags and headed to the London dining room on deck three. We chose the self-assist option and one of the perks of having a suite with the VIP status is that you also are allowed to get off the ship before everyone else. This was the best perk in my opinion as we were off the ship 15 minutes after we docked and on the road home by 8:00. Galveston Park and Cruise was ready for us, we threw the bags in the truck and hit the road. Traffic in Houston was terrible as usual but we still got back to San Antonio before noon.

 

 

 

Some Of The Stewards Like To Dress Up The Towel Animals

 

 

[spyingeyes]

 

I Think The Ship Looks More "Classy" Than Other Carnival Ships

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Piano Bar

 

 

 

Lido Buffet Art

 

 

 

Milkshakes At The Coffee Shop Are Awesome!

[spyingeyes]

 

Always Seemed To Be Plenty Of Chairs

[kwbrad]

Thank you so much! We are on the Triumph in May and I can hardly wait!

[spyingeyes]

My pleasure, I really enjoyed documenting our vacation. You are going to have an amazing cruise! Enjoy!

[txchelle]

Enjoyed your review.....we get on MONDAY wooho

[Border Granny]

Yes, thank you, great review. As I was reading I kept thinking when I get done I was going to have to text my daughter (kwbrad) and tell her she has to read this, since we are doing a Mother-Daughter cruise in May. What a surprise when I got to the end and she had already read it and posted :)

 

We are looking for everything we can find on the Triumph since we've never been on her, she looks beautiful. Can't wait.

[Freeway1]

We are leaving on Monday on the Triumph and hope we have the experience that you did Thanks

[willhan59]

Enjoyed your review very much, we board this Saturday, can't wait

[VegasBaby8]

Enjoyed your review.....we get on MONDAY wooho

 

 

Heyyyy Michelle!!!

Have a blast.... I am jealous..

[VegasBaby8]

Great review and wonderful pictures.. You did amazing for your 1st review...

[SuzanneH]

Thank You THANK YOU Thank You for this review!!! You so totally made my day :D. I cruise in three weeks on the Triumph, and after a LONG day at work today I had this waiting for me-- it is definitely appreciated-- and LOVED all the photos :).

[TexasRachel]

Loved the review and great pics. We leave in a few weeks and can't wait to see her ourselves.

[Cruzface]

 

 

Uh oh, some people will not be happy if that guy got into the MDR!!:eek::D

[spyingeyes]

LOL, yeah I think something else was going on in there at the time...good catch though

[Cruzface]

Great review, by the way.