AryMay's January Photo Review of the Victory

[AryMay]

Loved the Cosol Tours pictures. This might be the tour we do.

 

I do have a question. Our last cruise on the Splendor, they had sushi a couple of nights and tapas a couple of nights. Did you notice this on the Victory?

 

 

 

Enjoying your review. I love seeing the excursions that others have done as we are port people. If you like days at sea, I'd recommend the Splendor. Four days at sea was a bit too much.

 

Do you mean in the main dining room? I know sushi was on the menu one night as an appetizer. The Victory does have the sushi bar every night as well for a couple of hours before dinner.

[AryMay]

We are thinking of doing Cosol tours in St. Lucia to the Pitons, too. How logn was the ride back to the ship?

 

Neither Bob or I can remember exactly. Once we got back from the water taxi, we made a stop to pick up some bread and cheese (photos coming!) but otherwise I don't think we made any other stops until we got back to the ship. I would estimate around 30 minutes or a little more. We were having so much fun in the van it didn't seem like a very long ride!

[AryMay]

Thanks to everyone who is following along...and thanks for the kind words of all who have posted!

 

The last stop of our day in St. Lucia was at a bakery to pick up freshly baked bread and goat cheese. The bread was still warm and very good...but filling.

 

 

 

As we waited for the bread, we watched the little kids on their way home from school.

 

 

 

 

Our tour with Cosol was top-notch and I highly recommend it if you want to see as much of St. Lucia as you can in one day. After 6 cruises, we have seen a lot of the Caribbean and I thought St. Lucia was the most beautiful island of all...at least until the next day when we toured St. Kitts!

 

Thursday night was the second formal night. We chose to do the assigned dining at 6:00 each night and had to pass by this giant fish to enter the second floor of the Pacific Dining room where our table was located.

 

 

St. Kitts is coming up next...my favorite day! I have so many photos it is going to be hard to choose which ones to post. I have my fingers crossed that I can find time tomorrow to get started...

 

[shortstuf1255]

I cruised on the Victory in Sept and I think St Lucia was my favorite and Cosol gave the best tour.

[nycfa]

Can't wait to hear about St. Kitt's! :)

[bluehenfan]

I stumbled across your report while trying to find out about Carnival's dining menu changes. I don't know why I landed here, but I am loving your report, pictures are wonderful and I hope you continue. I've cruised many times and many places but never this route. I have a western caribbean and a bahama cruise booked, but after coming across your report I want to book a 3rd ! LOL ) Really a great report!! Thank you!! (what DID banana ketchup taste like?? )

[ibcnusoon]

Neither Bob or I can remember exactly. Once we got back from the water taxi, we made a stop to pick up some bread and cheese (photos coming!) but otherwise I don't think we made any other stops until we got back to the ship. I would estimate around 30 minutes or a little more. We were having so much fun in the van it didn't seem like a very long ride!

 

 

Ok thanks! I'm looking for a reputable tour guide in St. Lucia. Have read some horror stories here! We love the land based tour but was wondering if there was a reputable tour that instead of driving us back to the ship after the Pitons, if it would take us back to the ship by water taxi.

 

I'm just afraid that all day in a van may be too much for my older parents.

[bruinswin222]

thank you so much for this review..looking forward to the rest! we are cruising the Victory in July this year and everything you posted is very informative and helpful! Where is the "secret door" to that deck exactly?

[AryMay]

Ok thanks! I'm looking for a reputable tour guide in St. Lucia. Have read some horror stories here! We love the land based tour but was wondering if there was a reputable tour that instead of driving us back to the ship after the Pitons, if it would take us back to the ship by water taxi.

 

I'm just afraid that all day in a van may be too much for my older parents.

 

We made so many stops that it really didn't feel like we were spending "all day" in the van. By the time we headed back to the ship it actually felt good to just sit and relax.

 

We did travel on some pretty hilly, curvy roads that could be a problem if anyone has trouble with motion sickness. Kim usually has trouble but used a patch the whole week and wasn't bothered at all while driving, on the catamaran in Barbados or on the ship when it was rocking.

 

The water taxi itself was a bit rough because it went so fast...not sure if that would be a concern with your parents or not.

[AryMay]

thank you so much for this review..looking forward to the rest! we are cruising the Victory in July this year and everything you posted is very informative and helpful! Where is the "secret door" to that deck exactly?

 

You can get out to the front of the ship on decks 6, 7, 9 (and maybe 10?). If you go all the way forward on either side of the ship, there will be an unmarked door that leads outside.

 

The Upper Deck Plan shows where these doors are located at the front of the ship.

 

 

You can also see from the deck plan that there are cabins with windows that face out onto this area. Although there aren't many people that go out there, I would want to keep my curtains shut if I were in one of these (a hint...since you CAN see in at night.)

 

Here is a photo of Bob and my "boys" from our cruise on the Victory in 2005 as we were sailing out of Miami.

 

 

And one more photo...Bob watching as the ship (Freedom) approaches Costa Rica.

 

[AryMay]

I stumbled across your report while trying to find out about Carnival's dining menu changes. I don't know why I landed here, but I am loving your report, pictures are wonderful and I hope you continue. I've cruised many times and many places but never this route. I have a western caribbean and a bahama cruise booked, but after coming across your report I want to book a 3rd ! LOL ) Really a great report!! Thank you!! (what DID banana ketchup taste like?? )

 

I just opened our bottle so I could get a "fresh taste"! I find it hard to describe "tastes"...but it is much closer to tasting like ketchup than bananas. The spices aren't quite the same as tomato ketchup but I plan to use it in the same way. I think it will be yummy on a burger.

 

The ingredients from the label: water, banana pulp, tomato paste, vinegar, salt, spices, sodium benzoate.

 

The bottle I bought at the plantation was smaller...maybe 10 oz? (I already gave it away as a gift so I can't check) and we paid $4. At the grocery store we bought several more bottles that were 14 oz. and they cost $3 each...all the same brand.

 

There is a grocery store less than a block away from the where the ship docks so you can save a little if you wait to buy the ketchup there. They accepted US dollars, but were very picky about it. If the bills had any marks or tears they would not take them. Also...after telling us the bottles were $3 (US) I still got back some coins in change after paying $9 for 3 bottles. The Caribbean coins make a nice souvenir as well!

[CorbinCatFan]

 

Do you mean in the main dining room? I know sushi was on the menu one night as an appetizer. The Victory does have the sushi bar every night as well for a couple of hours before dinner.

 

That's good news. The Splendor's sushi bar had tapas instead of sushi on two nights (not my favorite).

[AryMay]

That's good news. The Splendor's sushi bar had tapas instead of sushi on two nights (not my favorite).

 

Maybe someone else can verify this. I know I saw sushi on "one night" but we didn't check any other time...I just assumed it was sushi each night. (And you know what they say about people who "assume".... :rolleyes:

[Mrs.C05]

We did this same cruise in February 2009 and it was the best one thus far! We had Dominica on our itinerary so we were jam packed with ports but we loved it! This review is fantastic and brings back wonderful memories!!!

Keep up the review, as I am reading it as you go, while waiting on our son to decide when he wants to come out (I'm 39 weeks pregnant). :rolleyes:

[AryMay]

We did this same cruise in February 2009 and it was the best one thus far! We had Dominica on our itinerary so we were jam packed with ports but we loved it! This review is fantastic and brings back wonderful memories!!!

Keep up the review, as I am reading it as you go, while waiting on our son to decide when he wants to come out (I'm 39 weeks pregnant). :rolleyes:

 

Glad you are enjoying the review and congratulations in advance! Writing this review is taking a lot longer than I had planned...hopefully I can get it finished before your little boys starts school!! :rolleyes:

 

I was sorry that Dominica was dropped from this itinerary...it was one island that I really did want to visit. But...I was glad to have that one sea day...I'm not sure if I would have survived otherwise!

[AryMay]

Friday, January 27th – St. Kitts

 

Things were not looking good when we got up…at least not weather wise. It was gray and a bit rainy. Today’s plan...meeting Royston shortly after the ship docked for a private tour.

 

 

 

The rain had let up by the time we left the ship, but the sky was still dark.

 

 

 

Royston was waiting for us in the shopping area at the pier. Another group was also there and Royston was getting them lined up to spend the day touring with his cousin.

 

I had done all of the tour planning for our group and when Royston went to get his van I’m sure the others were wondering what in the world I had gotten them into. The van had definitely seen better days and they kidded Royston about whether he was even old enough to drive. That must be a question he hears pretty regularly because he whipped out his driver’s license to show us…he was 38 years old!

 

[Capette]

I was wondering if you could be more timely with your posts. I've been up past my bedtime waiting each night for new pics and ports! lol. Awesome reveiw. Thanks so much. I've heard different things about getting on and off the Victory on Sunday. Is it a huge pain to leave the ship to walk around without any bags etc and then return?

[nycfa]

Can't wait to hear about Royston's Tour. He's the one I'm most interested in doing but I think my DH might freak when he sees the van. LOL

[shaylavee]

I am loving your review. I am leaving for this cruise on 3/11/12. I have booked a tour with Cosol and a separate tour in St. Kitts..........so excited. Your review and pics are making me anxious. I can't wait to be on the victory. It looks like you all had loads of fun.

[AryMay]

As we drove through the island’s capitol, Basseterre, Royston pointed out places of interest.

 

 

Originally a place where slave auctions were held in the 1700’s, Independence Square was renamed to commemorate St. Kitt’s independence from Great Britain in 1983. There was one mighty big tree in the park!

 

 

 

This type of palm in front of the church always grows facing north and has been used as a guide for direction…it was enormous!!

 

 

I was surprised, but there are several medical schools located on St. Kitts.

 

 

And if anyone is looking for electronics…they have a Best Buy! LOL

 

[AryMay]

I was wondering if you could be more timely with your posts. I've been up past my bedtime waiting each night for new pics and ports! lol. Awesome reveiw. Thanks so much. I've heard different things about getting on and off the Victory on Sunday. Is it a huge pain to leave the ship to walk around without any bags etc and then return?

 

Don't you just hate it when someone starts a review and then it takes forever to finish? ;);) Sorry for the tease...I am enjoying writing the review, but real life keeps getting in the way. I will add a little more and then I am off to parent/teacher conferences tonight. (I am a math teacher.)

 

It was not a pain to get back off the ship on Sunday. If you could check all of your bags with the porters it would be really easy since you could just drop them off and leave. (You could do all of the checking in stuff later in the day when you return.) Since we didn't want to check our carry on bags, we had to wait around until the cabins were ready at 2:00 so we could drop off those bags.

 

I'm not sure if everyone even realizes it, but some passengers actually start their cruise in Barbados. For them San Juan is just another port day so getting on and off the ship isn't any different than at the other ports.

[AryMay]

The weather quickly improved although there was still a cloud around the peak of Mt. Liamuiga…the volcano on St. Kitts. Royston offers a tour to climb the volcano…but “mountain-climber Bob” was the only one in the group who thought that would be fun. Bob just likes a little more extreme activities than the rest of us! (FYI…for those of you who read Sport’s Illustrated. This past July there was a long feature article about some climbers who were struck by lightening while climbing in the Tetons…Bob was in that group.)

 

 

If you were wondering where rum comes from…it grows on trees in St. Kitts!

 

 

 

Just kidding…but we did get to see where rum “used” to come from in St. Kitts. This old rum distillery was located on an estate owned by the great great great grandfather of Thomas Jefferson.

 

 

 

[AryMay]

The school kids on the island were doing a “walk-a-thon” with the military the day we were there and lots were hanging out around the rum distillery…

 

 

Because of the rain that morning, the kids were very MUDDY. We found a bunch of them trying to wash off in a creek. (I was counting my blessings I wasn't their teacher!!)

 

 

During the day Royston made sure we saw all of the regular tourist spots…but also many other places off the beaten path...

 

 

 

 

[AryMay]

There were some really cool looking vines growing in the woods…

 

 

…so of course the guys thought they should try and climb them! It didn’t take long for their egos to deflate when they barely got off the ground.

 

 

 

Notice how red Bob’s face is!!

 

 

Then it was Royston’s turn…and up he went!! I’m sure it was part skill…

 

 

…but do you think muscles had anything to do with his ability?

 

[AryMay]

Can't wait to hear about Royston's Tour. He's the one I'm most interested in doing but I think my DH might freak when he sees the van. LOL

 

Our tour with Royston is probably the best we have ever done...I don't think you can go wrong. If the van is an issue, talk to Royston. I think the vehicle that his cousin uses is much newer and air conditioned.