Victory x 2....a b2b review! (with an obscene number of pictures...just sayin')

[summercruisin']

Sorry my pictures are fuzzy! My camera does that sometimes, and I'm not talented enough to figure out the settings and make it stop.

 

Finally the guest services lady came and told us they were going to go ahead and take us to customs and back on! Hooray! I wish I had my camera ready to go for the walk, but I didn't :(. I was worried, anyway, that I could get in trouble for taking pictures in some of the areas (didn't that used to be against the rules?). I did get a few, though.

 

Here is what the luggage area looks like after everyone is gone...

 

 

There were a handful of suitcases gathered together off to the side....guess they belonged to those 3 people who refused to leave :D

 

Here is the walkway to get back on the ship...just as exciting this time as the first (but a little weird to be the only ones on it)!!!

 

 

Here we go!!!

 

 

Welcome back onboard!

 

[summercruisin']

After getting back on board, we decided to finally try to find some breakfast. We were a little worried that there wouldn't be anything to eat, since debarkation was so early and we thought embarkation for the next cruise may be delayed. By this time it was almost 10 am. We headed up to the Mediterranean and found food! There was breakfast still available in the buffet lines, which was a little unnerving considering how much time had passed since the crowds had been there.

 

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I decided to stick with cereals this time :). DS went to the pizza place and ordered a fresh pizza.

 

 

DH got coffee

 

 

 

It was kind of weird seeing this place so empty!

 

 

 

We saw the chef behind the buffet and chatted with him a little bit. We also saw a few of the officers, one of which made a comment like, "It's nice being here with no one else, isn't it? Peaceful."

[summercruisin']

After breakfast, we took a few pictures around the ship. The lunch buffet was being set up on one side of the Lido restaurant. This was at 10:20.

 

 

 

 

and desserts at the dessert table

 

 

and grill stuff was put out by the pool

 

 

 

empty pool with no chair hogs!

 

[kyo413]

I honestly think the part of debarkation/re-embarkation, and being able to explore the beauty of the ship, with no one around, is the part I am most excited for. I am really looking forward to that experience!!

 

Loving your review!

[summercruisin']

I forgot to mention, while we were eating, we saw some interesting things. Ship cleaning and repair...

 

 

 

a blimp over the port...

 

[summercruisin']

It started raining...

 

 

 

 

 

so we went inside

 

the game room

 

 

and the creepy neon octopus

 

[summercruisin']

place to dance...

 

 

 

the bar upstairs

 

 

the wine bar (a good place to get the martini sampler)

 

 

piano bar was being set up for a wedding reception

 

 

the walkway outside the piano bar

[summercruisin']

leads to the Adriatic lounge (all this is on the back of the ship, Promenade deck)

 

 

around the corner is the Black and Red Seas lounge

 

 

 

DD decided to play American Idol

 

 

Back out on the Promenade there's this "art"

 

[summercruisin']

and the map that tells you where you've been and where you're going...

 

 

the promenade walkway past the casino (that desk you see is the place to book another cruise!)

 

 

DD noticed this guy is missing the same teeth as she...

 

 

 

By this time, a little before 11, the first new guests were arriving and walking past the excursions desk...

 

 

Since we saw people were getting on board, we decided to try to touch base with my sister and others. I had heard from them earlier in the morning, when I called to make sure they tried to arrive before the "cut off" time. I found out they had almost missed the "last cab" going to the port from their hotel, but they found a driver who agreed to take them (whew!). They were in the taxi for about an hour, stuck in traffic. But, by the time I talked with them again, around 11, they were at the port , and their zone number was the next to be called :D.

Edited August 7, 2013 by summercruisin'

[summercruisin']

Thanks to our good timing in making contact with my sister, the kids and I were able to be in place to welcome the rest of the family on board, which was a great experience!

 

Here's sister and my nephew (and my brother to the side)

 

I'll give you a proper introduction for them all soon.

 

I forgot to mention that early that morning (before heading down to guest services for the walk off/walk on), I went to find the room steward that would be "serving" my Dad's GF. I wanted to put a few pictures of my dad in her room for her to find upon her arrival. The GF's room was ready (and still open), and the steward, an incredibly kind woman named Ines, was easy to find. She seemed a little skeptical at first (understandably), but she agreed after asking were we sure we had the right room. We left a handful of pictures on the mirror in the room. Someone here on CC gave me the idea, and it worked beautifully. We had also ordered some chocolate covered strawberries for her. They were delivered later in the evening.

 

After welcoming my family on board, we stopped by guest services to pick up my new card (no problems) and then I walked the family to my room to drop off their carry-ons (they are not platinum so they were told their rooms were not ready yet).

[prad]

Great review, thank you for taking the time. ? How was the salsa dancing, where the Dancers having a good time.

[summercruisin']

Great review, thank you for taking the time. ? How was the salsa dancing, where the Dancers having a good time.

 

Thank you! I'm ashamed to say that we never saw any of the dancers (well, except for the one we met while at guest services one time. He was just hanging around chatting with another employee). :o

[summercruisin']

Here we go.....key additional players for cruise #2...

 

there's my sister, who is absolutely my best friend and greatest supporter, mid-30s with two kids. We live about a mile apart and talk almost every day. And we are complete opposites in many many ways. She is a girly-girl, is very sociable, has hundreds of friends (and somehow finds time to interact with and do special things for all of them!), is very schedule-oriented, always knows the right things to say to anyone she comes in contact with (all things I am/do NOT). She does ultrasounds on expectant mothers and is well known around town for being among the best at her job. Along with her came her DH (mid 30s) and her DS (just turned 5). She decided to leave her DD (just turned 2) at home with a good friend. Sis and her DH have cruised just a few times before (one of which was the last family cruise, where her DH found and met Jenna Jameson in one of the bars :eek: :cool:...no kidding. My one chance at meeting a celebrity...). Here they are...

 

 

Then there's my brother, mid 40s. He's on the left in the above picture. What should I say about DB...um...well, I'll tell you this. In our family we joke around that my sister is the popular one, I am the smart one, and then there is our brother. You know how people say "there's one in every family"? Well, he is the one. We love him a lot, though, and so we embrace who he is. He brought along with him his GF (mid-30s, mom to 3) and his roommate (mid-20s, single). We weren't originally bringing the roommate along, but after our Dad died, this young man helped us out in more ways than I could ever list. He is an awesome individual (we knew this before Dad died, but he really proved it after). He wouldn't let us pay him for all the things he did, so we insisted on his joining us for his first cruise ever.

 

And finally, there's my Dad's GF. This was her first cruise ever, and she was a bit nervous and (like the rest of us) very sad to be going without Dad.

 

We caught the moment they came aboard...

 

 

Let the fun begin...

Edited August 8, 2013 by summercruisin'

[summercruisin']

After putting their belongings down, we all changed and headed for the pool to grab lunch and a DOD, and to let the kids swim. We went to the aft pool and let the kids play. We had the pool to ourselves for a while.

 

 

My nephew learned to swim (very well) when he was two (his dad is a former lifeguard who taught swim lessons, and they have a pool in their backyard). Since he is so little, people can't believe it when they see him jump right in and none of us react. If we happen to be holding a DOD or chatting when it happens....well, we get judged quickly :rolleyes:. And strangers tried to "save" him on more than a handful of occasions. It's kind of them (seriously, I'm not complaining), but the bonus scornful look that often comes with it is not as appreciated.

 

 

From the aft pool, you can go up one set of steps and get a good view of what's around you

 

Miami

 

 

lifeboat testing

 

 

[summercruisin']

The rest of the afternoon was a bit of a blur (probably because of my early wake-up call!). We did get a quick rest for about 45 minutes before the muster drill. We did the same thing for this drill as we did for the last (asked the area leader for an alternate location). It was here that we saw the first evidence that this cruise was more crowded than the last. The alternate drill location (in the same lounge as before) was PACKED :eek:. We also found that they gave a lot more details and instructions during this drill. They even handed out papers with information.

 

I forgot to mention earlier (I think....maybe I did), but sis and I had rooms next door to one another. We had hoped to open our balcony divider and have a big balcony, but we had cabins with doors side-by-side, so we couldn't open the divider without blocking someone's exit. It was still nice to be side-by-side, though. Our brother, his GF, and his RM were about 4 doors down from my cabin, and Dad's GF was about 8 cabins further down. We were all on the same floor, same side of the ship. Very convenient.

 

Earlier in the day, while we were by the aft pool, we met what would become our favorite bartender (pic coming later) and some new friends (it doesn't take my siblings long). Unfortunately, some of the new friends had a little too much to drink before the muster drill, and they had to rely on my brother and his roommate to support them during the drill (my family went to the regular drill location...I heard about this after the fact). Afterwards, the guys were left with one of these new friends (her own friends broke what should be EVERY girls' group code without fail...they abandoned the drunkest to go continue their partying). So, my brother and his RM escorted her back to her room. Thankfully, she was in the care of very decent people, or this could have been a horrible situation on the very first day of her trip.

 

A group of us went to one of the top decks to enjoy the sail-away. There were several other ships going out at the same time.

 

 

Edited August 8, 2013 by summercruisin'

[summercruisin']

Goodbye, Miami (again)

 

 

 

 

 

Sis and I decided to get some sushi, and DB and his RM joined us. It was good (again). Afterwards, we decided to go back to the aft pool area to hang out until time to get ready for dinner. When I returned to my cabin to get DD ready to swim, we found that Chef Vivek had sent the kids a surprise...a big ol' plate full of grapes and strawberries!

 

 

He also sent a personal note, which would have required him to look up our kids' names (he couldn't possibly have spelled them correctly otherwise!). We thought this was a very generous and kind thing for the chef to do!

 

We also had a bottle of champagne that had been delivered with a note from the hotel director. Very nice as well.

[Bunti]

Loving this. I am heading on a back to back on the Victory in November. Your review ROCKS!! I am sorry for your loss, though.... still miss my dad years later.

 

Quick question, was there a mini bar or fridge in your balcony cabin?

[summercruisin']

Dad's GF joined us for a swim...

 

 

The pool was still uncrowded in the evening, but this would be the last time.

 

We had dinner at 8:15 as usual. As I requested, we were seated at the big table in our wait team's area. We had a window at one end of the table where we could see the ocean while we ate. Everything was a blur that evening, so I can't remember what we ate, but I remember thinking that for the first time, service wasn't top notch that night. It was good enough, but I think our team had a hard time handling the big table of....well....strong personalities :o. I was worried that my family would think I had made the wrong choice in seating us there, but no one said anything, thankfully. After dinner, I crashed (and got a good night's sleep on my comfy Carnival bed). Looking at the Fun Times, I see I missed the welcome aboard show, the piano bar party, a free liquor tasting (although, I saw the size of the "servings" and the line for that one time and decided it wasn't worth it...ever), ladies night in the Arctic Club, trivia, dance class, karaoke, superstar live, game show mania, an over 35 meet, comedy, and lots more.

 

We got a great towel animal though :)

 

Edited August 8, 2013 by summercruisin'

[summercruisin']

Loving this. I am heading on a back to back on the Victory in November. Your review ROCKS!! I am sorry for your loss, though.... still miss my dad years later.

 

Quick question, was there a mini bar or fridge in your balcony cabin?

 

Thanks!

 

Unfortunately, there was not a mini bar or fridge. We took a cooler, and our steward kept it filled with ice 24-7, which was awesome!

[ginny75]

do you happen to have copies of the fun times to share? excellent review. I leave in 5 days to start our b2b2b2b (aug 14 to sept 2) on the victory!!!

[summercruisin']

The next day, Tuesday, was a day at sea. We got up and had our usual breakfast at the buffet (omelettes! Yum). After that, we got ready for a day of fun in the sun. We headed to our spot by the aft pool and hung out with our favorite bar server, Bud.

 

 

Bud was awesome. He took good care of us all week (we saw him every single day), and he became a friend (quite literally....on FB :D).

 

Sis and DB's RM enjoying the spot...

 

 

We went to the water slide for a while. DS says it was slow and you get stuck if you don't lay on your back. It looks cool though.

 

waiting at the top...

 

 

and there he goes...

 

 

You can get a good view of midship (and the crowds) here

 

[summercruisin']

do you happen to have copies of the fun times to share? excellent review. I leave in 5 days to start our b2b2b2b (aug 14 to sept 2) on the victory!!!

 

I do have most (maybe all) of the fun times, but I don't have a scanner :( (sorry!). I'm happy to look up anything in particular for you, though!

 

I'm so very jealous of your upcoming cruise...wow! If you find Bud at the aft pool, tell him we said "hey!" He is a lot of fun!

[ginny75]

I do have most (maybe all) of the fun times' date=' but I don't have a scanner :( (sorry!). I'm happy to look up anything in particular for you, though!

 

I'm so very jealous of your upcoming cruise...wow! If you find Bud at the aft pool, tell him we said "hey!" He is a lot of fun![/quote']

 

 

no worries ;) mostly curious to see what's onboard. did you notice a scrapbooking session? I've done it on some cruises and I love the "freebies".

 

We are so thrilled and ready to go :) we will find Bud and be sure to say hi!

[summercruisin']

While we were busy enjoying the sunshine, Dad's GF decided to go play Bingo that morning. Now, I don't want to give away all her business, but I will say that she has been struggling with money (almost entirely because of high medical bills as a result of having breast cancer a few years ago just after having lost a job and her health insurance :(). She had been very worried that she would not be able to afford to do anything "extra" on this cruise - especially excursions). She decided to take a chance at Bingo and see what happened...and she won! :D (Now, you can't tell me my Dad wasn't with us! He would have gladly given her all the spending money she wanted while on that cruise!) The prize was $550 of money put on her S&S, but she had to spend it all before midnight.

 

Well, I'm being called by DD to go for a swim :D, so I guess I have to run for a while...

Edited August 8, 2013 by summercruisin'

[poptart]

She decided to take a chance at Bingo and see what happened...and she won! :D (Now' date=' you can't tell me my Dad wasn't with us! He would have gladly given her all the spending money she wanted while on that cruise!) The prize was $550 of money put on her S&S, but she had to spend it all before midnight.

 

Well, I'm being called by DD to go for a swim :D, so I guess I have to run for a while...[/quote']

 

midnight of the same day? or the last day of the cruise? I always thought they gave out cash. :eek: