Victory Cruise under the Super-Moon

[taylor1293]

OK, Let's try adding a few pictures.

 

 

Originally I thought this pic was the King of The Seas Pool (furthest forward, Deck 10) about the same time, but looking at it now, I think it might be the aft Sirens Pool, since that white structure on the right appears to be the retractable roof mechanism and the shadows indicate a more enclosed area.

 

It's the middle pool...Tritons. I only know this because that is a picture of my daughter and husband ;). We were out there at 8:30.

[taylor1293]

Also, here is a picture, taken about the same time on sea day, of the area of Deck 10 aft of the movie screen. I hate to be insensitive, but I'm just having trouble mustering sympathy for those people who can't find a deck chair.

 

That's definitely what it looked like that morning (and it was great!). I think it's because so many were hung over from Cozumel! :D On our next sea day (next cruise) it was more crowded earlier.

[JavaHutBum]

that is a picture of my daughter and husband ;). We were out there at 8:30.

 

I have 8x10s available for $14.95 :)

[taylor1293]

I have 8x10s available for $14.95 :)

 

LOL! Too funny! :)

[JavaHutBum]

We took the free port shuttle from the La Quinta (MIA East) that left at 10am, checked our baggage and were in the terminal about 10:35. I did not bother with FTTF. There were no tender ports on this itinerary so I didn’t think it would be worth it. In general, I think cruises are more enjoyable if you tell yourself you are not in a hurry. We were checked in right away, assigned Boarding Group 2, and had a seat in the pleasant and comfortable waiting area. (Victory was the only cruise ship in port that Thursday.) Boarding began about 11:30 and our group was called at 11:45. It seemed they were a little behind schedule. Rooms were ready about 2 (never heard an announcement). Luggage showed up about 3. The ship left Miami one hour late at 5. If there was an explanation given, I didn’t hear it. We were enjoying the short lines at the Deli and the drinks on deck.

 

I had wine in my carry-on backpack and a fan and power-strip in my checked bag. No issues.

 

From Bon Voyage, I had ordered the “Congratulations” room decorations for graduation. It was set up and ready to go on arrival. For $35 it was quite elaborate, consisting of a ceiling-hanging centerpiece, multiple streamers coming off that, a “bouquet” on the dresser with custom card, and a poster on the wall. We kept it displayed throughout the cruise and found it very festive. The little streamer pieces were always dancing from the forced air out of the ceiling vent.

 

Getting off the ship in Key West was effortless. In Cozumel there was a crunch with everybody trying to get off at once but it took only about twenty minutes. Some guy wasn’t helping things with his bottled water cart set up on Deck 1 in the middle of the crowd creeping towards the door yelling, “Last call for water. Don’t trust the water in Mexico, guys.” Someone told me his water was $8, but I’m skeptical; the normal bar price for the large water bottle is $4.95, I believe. Anyway, we passed on the cart, and bought and drank lots of bottled water in Mexico for about $1 per liter and had no problems. (We toured downtown San Miguel and Playa del Carmen on our own.) I would definitely avoid the Mexican tap water, but think the bottled water is safe.

 

No problems getting back on at either stop. In Cozumel they ran bags through the X-ray machine.

 

On the way back to Miami we were told that debarkation would begin at 5:45 AM because of the parade for the Miami Heat on Monday morning, which would close the roads in and out of the port beginning at 10:45 (the TV news said 11:15). We docked early and were woken early with announcements. We had Zone 30 (out of 32) and were in no hurry. We wanted to stay on the ship as long as possible, but after a nice breakfast in the MDR, our zone was called at 8:30, and “last call” was also issued at that time.

 

No significant wait for baggage. No line at customs. Three officers were on duty. He took a quick glance at my passport and the boys’ birth certificates, matched faces with names, and it was on to the crush of the taxi lines. The Carnival “rep” at curbside, whom I asked about a cab to the airport, marshaled us into a group for a van pool, which wanted to charge us $15/person ($45) to MIA. I decided, instead, to get into the taxi queue, which took about 15 minutes, and we ended up sharing a taxi van with two other people. We split the fixed rate and the very nice driver even offered to make a second stop for us at our real destination, the airport rental car center. Each party kicked in $20 and the driver was very happy with his tip. The “helpful” Carnival rep hadn’t been very helpful. I suspect he lost out on a kickback from the van pool.

[JavaHutBum]

We originally booked an interior for three people, three months prior to sailing. About a month before, a price drop brought the oceanview price within $40 of what I paid, so I emailed our TA and she booked the OV upgrade and charged my card $40. Timing was good as the price went right back up. On the Fantasy class, the interiors and oceanviews are both 185 sq. ft., but on the Destiny class, the interiors are 185 and the OVs are 230 sq. ft. So the extra space was a bigger attraction than the window. It meant the third berth would be a convertible couch instead of an upper bunk. We also got a more mid-ships location with the upgrade, so a great deal all around. These 230 sq. ft. staterooms are almost big enough to make you forget you’re on a ship. Pretty sure none of the other cruise lines have anything like it (that’s not a suite).

 

Our cabin was bright and attractive. Everything worked. Everything looked new except for a little tile patchwork in the shower. (My entire cruise was RUINED! NOT!). There was also some paint wear in the window frame from people sitting in the window. We did it too. Remember the commercial with the Korean Air flight attendant in the airplane window? It reminded me of that. Many have described the pinkish tile in the bathroom as an outdated 70’s look. To me, it seems tropical and I liked it, but I’m not hard to please. OK water pressure. Hot water took a few minutes sometimes but then ran plenty hot. I didn't use the hair dryer (nothing to use it on), but it seemed to work fine.

 

There is lots of drawer and closet space in the room – more than three people could ever use for less than a week. The safe worked well with a spent gift card, but not with our La Quinta hotel keys. Lighting was very good and I liked that you could control the room lighting from the bed. Reading light seemed sufficient but I had my books on my tablet so I didn't use it. There were two 120v outlets and one 220v above the dresser, and one 120v outlet in the bathroom labeled “shavers only.” I had a splitter for our various chargers.

 

TV worked fine. I didn't watch much but found the ship's tour and the Farkus interview on Victory's design very interesting. The Sign&Sail review was useful for keeping track of the kid's purchases. (Note: The first entry was three $10.99 credits for “Refundable Deposit.” I have no idea what this was. We had the Friends and Family rate and paid in full on booking. I wasn't expecting any credits.) I didn't have any problems with billing and the only thing the kids spent was about $80 on the arcade.

 

Most importantly, we had plenty of air conditioning. I didn't see any thermostat control, but the room was always cool enough to sleep with plenty of air circulation. I didn't need the fan I brought.

 

There were no issues with noise, either from the hall, adjacent cabins or from the ship itself. I think we were probably over a food storage area and I never heard any sounds from below until the hours before we docked in Miami; then there was some clanging. I notice that (at least on Deck 1) you never have cabins on both sides. There are two cabins together, then a narrow utility area – pantry, fire station, etc. So you only have a neighbor on one side. Ours were quiet. On the other hand, I urge people to remember that they are inside a large, powerful machine full of moving parts and not to expect total silence.

 

I felt almost no motion in our cabin, even when I heard others, from upper decks, say they had seasickness from the rolling overnight.

 

The beds were very soft and comfortable. I liked the pillows too, and I'm a little picky about my pillows. The couch bed seemed to be the same as the regular beds. Our steward left the couch as a bed throughout the cruise. I thought about asking it to be set up as a couch during the day, but didn't bother. Our steward was Edy from Indonesia. I met him the first day, but didn't see him much afterwards. His service was efficient and thorough, but not especially personal. He called me by name but I don't think he learned the boys' names. None of that bothered us. We received three towel animals total and they were always placed on the same bed (not the bed of the youngest boy). Edy did make himself very visible the last night of the cruise. I gave him $20 extra.

[JavaHutBum]

[DaiLina]

We're in an OV as well, on the main deck. We were hoping it wasnt as bad as some others reviews have stated... Thanks for the detailed room review and picture!

[caro1998]

Good to know the beds are comfy! I've been reading some not so nice reviews about new harder beds. And I've always liked the beds on Carnival :)

[JavaHutBum]

We're in an OV as well, on the main deck. We were hoping it wasnt as bad as some others reviews have stated... Thanks for the detailed room review and picture!

 

On the Main Deck, you'll be sleeping underneath the covered, outside deck area. There is hardly anyone out there (except me -- it's my favorite place on the ship) so it should be very quiet.

[33Minnie33]

Could you or someone tell me about the room safe......it does not sound like the normal safes that I have had on all of my past ships, where I would punch in a code.

[Lucille Bluth]

Great review so far! Can't wait for the rest. I like reading "balanced" reviews. DH and I are on the Victory in February and I am so excited!

[DaiLina]

On the Main Deck, you'll be sleeping underneath the covered, outside deck area. There is hardly anyone out there (except me -- it's my favorite place on the ship) so it should be very quiet.

 

 

Awesome! :D Thanks!

[JavaHutBum]

Could you or someone tell me about the room safe......it does not sound like the normal safes that I have had on all of my past ships, where I would punch in a code.

 

No keyboard. Slide a credit card to lock, slide the same card again to unlock. Others have suggested picking up a gift card in Wal-Mart and don't bother to activate it, so it's worthless but works as a safe key.

[caro1998]

bummer. Can you use your sail and sign card to lock it? Or does that ruin the card?

 

<<No keyboard. Slide a credit card to lock, slide the same card again to unlock. Others have suggested picking up a gift card in Wal-Mart and don't bother to activate it, so it's worthless but works as a safe key.>>

[JavaHutBum]

bummer. Can you use your sail and sign card to lock it? Or does that ruin the card?

 

They recommend you don't use your S&S card, as that gives access to the room. If you dropped it, you wouldn't want who found it to be able to open your cabin and safe! (The cabin number isn't on the S&S, but it's probably still putting too many eggs in one basket.)

[PathfinderEss]

Enjoying your review.

[JavaHutBum]

In general, the food was good but not great. (This applies both to the MDR and other food options on the ship.) I didn’t get anything inedible. At the same time, few dishes stood out as stellar. I did not encounter the problem of food not being warm enough as others have complained.

 

Lobster tail is one of my favorite foods, and I don’t usually eat it in “real life,” so I looked forward to elegant night. The lobster was a little dry, but I enjoyed it. My son and I also ordered one Prime Rib to share and it was very good and cooked perfectly. We skipped the au jus (which is really gravy).

 

Other MDR entrees that I tried were Tilapia and Veal Parmesan. Neither of these was anything special. Both seemed a little overcooked.

 

Appetizers I recall were Beef & Barley soup – good but thin – not loaded with barley and starchy like I make it. Penne Mariscos – excellent! – I wished I had ordered it as the entrée. Caesar Salad – hard to mess this up.

 

Desserts: Warm Chocolate Melting Cake – mmmmm. Bitter & Blanc (Yes, they did still have this on our 4-day cruise.) – I got it based on all the CC recommendations, but it wasn’t anything special to me. They did not serve Crème Brule (well, I missed one MDR dinner), but they did have the Crème Carmel on the Mexican Buffet.

 

We had late seating, Pacific Dining Room, lower. We were seated near the middle, which was good for show-viewing. We were at a round table for nine, with three groups of three. Each group was one parent with older children, so somebody put a little thought into it and it worked out well.

 

The first night, everyone was let in at once, and there was a "gold rush" to find your own table with no guidance except for the table number cards (which it turned out our table didn't have) and waiters pointing people here and there with really no idea where the tables were. Is this the usual procedure?

 

Service was good. Our waiter was Tomasz from Poland and he had two assistants who busted tail. As with our cabin steward, service was good, friendly, but not really that personal. One of the assistants knew my name but I never heard anyone call the kids by name. I’m one who enjoys lingering over dinner so I found the timing of the service to be about right. A little slower would have been fine also. The full dinner experience including show seemed to take about an hour and a half. I gave the waiter $40 extra on the last night for our party of three and he eluded that he would tip out his helpers.

 

The dress on elegant night was only a little dressier than the other nights, on average. I didn’t notice any tuxes, and I felt a little overdressed in jacket and tie. On the other hand, my youngest felt underdressed in polo and khakis. No one seemed to care how anyone else was dressed.

 

This doesn’t really go in the “food” section, but it’s as good a place as any to talk about the demographics on the cruise. I would categorize it as pretty much a cross section of America, with a little of the world mixed in. Lots of 20-somethings, families with children, but plenty of middle aged and older folks too. There were a good number of high-class “beautiful people” and some that I might consider “below my station.” Any time I caught myself looking down my nose at someone (I'm talking to you, Mr. Sleeveless Tee in the MDR, among others), I just reminded myself that, “Hey! They’re on the same cruise as you.”

 

Anyway, let’s get back to the MDR. People seemed to enjoy the waiter shows. I think they were the same songs I heard on Carnival Imagination in 2002. I can certainly see how regular cruisers would get sick of them quickly and even want to get out of there before they began, but (face it, from a business standpoint) these cruises are aimed at the teenagers and young, first time cruisers. That’s where the bulk of Carnival’s future business is coming from. And those folks looked like they were having a lot of fun. My son described the MDR experience as “special.” I don't consider the shows "demeaning" to the waiters -- everyone on the crew has some entertainment side-responsibilities, but goes with the FunShip concept. Dancing on tabletops has about as much to do with waiting as posing for pictures has to do with Captaining.

 

I also found the room itself to be stunningly beautiful. I even liked the mermaids/mermen.

[caro1998]

How did you find the buffet food? Did you eat there at all? Thanks for the info on the MDR!

Caro