Victory 10/14 review with pics

[Meyer2]

Josette showed me your pictures on FB & I really enjoyed them. Then happen to come across your review, which I really enjoyed even more. :) Thanks so much for sharing!!

[KatieCharlotte]

Thanks for the review. Perfect timing, since we're considering a Victory cruise, to different ports, and had some ship questions. My kids will enjoy finding the weird sculptures, but the mermaids are a bit much in the mdr, especially with a preteen DS. :rolleyes:

 

Was it very clear that the aft pool allowed kids? I don't want someone to get upset with us. I don't suppose you saw the giant chess or shuffleboard courts, or where the preteens tended to hang out? :)

[agc291]

Thanks for the review. Perfect timing, since we're considering a Victory cruise, to different ports, and had some ship questions. My kids will enjoy finding the weird sculptures, but the mermaids are a bit much in the mdr, especially with a preteen DS. :rolleyes:

 

Was it very clear that the aft pool allowed kids? I don't want someone to get upset with us. I don't suppose you saw the giant chess or shuffleboard courts, or where the preteens tended to hang out? :)

 

 

 

When we were on the Victory, chess was at the aft pool in between the pizza and the grill area.

 

 

Can you tell me what souvenir glasses the Victory was offering. I wasnt sure if they were completely fazed out of the DOD cups that were replaced with the 2.0 upgrades.

[Pellaz]

Yes, the giant chess set was near the aft windows by the Sirens Bar.

 

Awesome review so far!!

As far as I know the record for lobster tails was 21 set by a Canadian from Nova Scotia.. on the Spirit.. and checked on the Breeze last year.. it stills stands.. great try at 16

Cheers

 

Well, 16's probably the record on Victory...or at least, on any CCL ship that Chef Panda has sailed on.

 

great review' Pellaz! Would you scan and post the picture you got at the BTFtour for us to see? It'd be nice to look at it.

 

I can try...I don't think I have a scanner, though. I have all the Fun Times for the cruise, too.

 

 

Okay, here's the finale. :)

[Pellaz]

Day 6 -- Debark, shuttle hell and the drive to Jax

 

Our ship actually arrived in Miami twice...once at 3:30 am to have some equipment craned on board at a cargo pier, and then she moved to passenger Terminal E for our debark. (This might explain why we had to leave Grand Turk early, if we left early at all.) I love all sorts of maritime things since I'm from landlocked Atlanta, Georgia, but I'm kinda glad I slept through all the overnight activity. We were already getting close to the shore when I went to bed at around 1 am.

 

Everyone has different feelings about departing the ship, or "disembarking," or "debarking" (that last one is a real word; I thought it might be made-up slang). Some people like to leave early and get going, some people NEED to leave early due to early flights, and others like to hang around on the ship and get as much enjoyment out of their cruise dollar as possible. (Read: free food.) We were of mixed minds about when to leave, but opted to leave fairly early so we could get on the road to Jacksonville.

This may have been a mistake.

 

Thanks to FttF we had Zone 1 for debark, which means we can get off the ship right after the self-assist passengers (those who have no checked baggage to collect) are gone. We were up fairly early and after getting our now depleted belongings into our carry-ons (carry-offs?) we went up to Lido so my sister could have a smoke. Across Dodge Island, there was this passenger ship:

 

 

As a MarineTraffic.com "junkie" I realized she was the high-speed ferry Bimini Superfast; at c. 30 knots she is the fastest cruise ship in the Americas. Pretty nifty. (It's basically a casino and some restaurants on a resort ferry to Bimini.)

 

We were in the elevator heading toward the lounge where we were supposed to wait for the Zone 1 announcement when we heard it, so we just went straight down to the gangway on Deck 3. There was a short line, but it wasn't bad and soon we were sadly crossing the gangway back to "dirtside."

 

Collecting our luggage took a little time because one of our five bags didn't show up with the rest. Knowing that having a friendly, helpful porter tends to speed you through Customs we had already engaged one, and he went in the back to see if he could find it. Five minutes later it appeared on its own, but we appreciated his assistance (and more importantly, his time) and we tipped him appropriately.

 

Passing through Customs was a breeze and soon we were out in the early morning sunlight, trying to find fellow Jet Transportation passengers awaiting the shuttle back to the hotel. We found some, including our friends Will and Marybeth from the ride TO the pier, and commenced our long vigil.

 

We were told we had just missed a Jet shuttle, but there was supposed to be another one at 9:30. We waited...and then a small van-and-trailer showed up, nowhere near big enough to accommodate everyone, and some people had flights to catch at MIA.

 

A much-larger shuttle was "just ten more minutes" away, and so we watched as dozens of other buses and vans stopped and picked up people. Finally the promised shuttle (like an oversized church van) arrived, we all boarded, and I grudgingly paid the driver $20 for my sister and me (we had been waiting for a long time).

 

After discharging some riders at the airport we continued to the La Quinta Miami Airport East, where we unloaded. We said goodbye to Will and Marybeth and loaded the car, none the worse for wear after its five-day wait in the parking lot. I went inside and added my voice to the number of complaints the hotel got about their contracted shuttle service, and got directions back to I-95...and we promptly got lost anyway. (There's something about Miami.....)

 

After only about ten minutes of wandering we got on Route 112 back to I-95, paid a toll (I didn't remember a toll from before), and were finally on our way north on I-95.

 

On our way down the coast, the problem had been one lone crazy slimeball on a rice-rocket motorcycle. On the way back, we saw HUNDREDS of bikers. It turned out that it was Biketober Week (or something)...LOTS of bikers. But these were the more genteel variety riding Harleys and Honda Gold Wings, and they didn't cause any problems.

 

After an uneventful speed-limit ride up to Jacksonville, with only one big torrential cloudburst to slow us down, we arrived at the Best Western in Baldwin in good time and chilled out in our motel room, which was the same one we had on the way down:

 

 

Another great meal at Waffle House and we were ready to relax (my sister) and check emails and stuff (me). I almost went for a swim in the motel's pool ("When does your pool close, ma'am?" "Oh, it doesn't matter as long as you're quiet!") but decided I'd spent too much time that evening catching up online. Yep, that's me, always the geek.....

 

Day 7 -- The Road Home

We were up and out of the Best Western by check-out time at 11am, refueled and ready to go. The drive up to Atlanta, again via the I-10 --> I-75 route, was a speed-limit ride all the way until we got to I-675 near the Atlanta perimeter, where it briefly slowed to a crawl (as it often does, with traffic from Florida).

 

On the way, one of our stops was at Georgia Rest Area #19, where I saw this sobering plaque and took a pic as a visual souvenir of the ride home:

 

 

We arrived back home at my mom's house in Kennesaw where my sister was staying at around 5pm and separated our belongings. I had adroitly brought along an extra rolling duffle which served excellently the whole week as an excess baggage hauler for us both, but now we had to go through it and parcel our stuff out. We gave our mom the full scoop on the cruise, since she has been on about 27 of them -- we don't know for sure, we just count the number of ship magnets on her magnet-encrusted refrigerator. :)

 

Then I drove for one last hour home to Auburn GA, and began working on this account. Hope you've enjoyed it!

 

Some thoughts on Carnival Victory

 

This was a remarkably inexpensive cruise, just $199 for each of us plus about $92 each in port-fees, but the trade-off is, you're getting one of Carnival's more dated ships:

 

• She has no specialty restaurants, no steakhouse, no Mongolian Wok, no FunShip 2.0 improvements.....yet. This translates to really long lines in the Lido for breakfast and lunch, and long lines elsewhere as well.
  
• Her decor is...ummm...unique.
  
• She has a lot of maintenance issues: our bathroom floor tile grouting was in need of work (again) and one tile came off, the floodlights in the aft pool need to be replaced, only one segment of the overhead "Christmas tree" lights on deck worked, etc.
  
• Her itinerary times, on this run at least, are not the best: earlier arrivals and departures at Nassau and HMC and shorter times in port than any other ship we saw along the way. Granted, this is due to speed and time constraints.
  

 

--And yet.... I had the impression that the galley personnel "cared" a bit more than when we were on Liberty a year ago, putting a little more effort into food preparation and appearance. The food we had in the dining room was also better than on Liberty (but not as good as on Imagination in early 2012). With the exception of some slow service in the MDR, all of the crew were unfailingly polite and helpful.

 

Also, for those who like the "old style" shows with the ship's band performing live instead of piped-in music, Victory still has those, but will lose them when she is upgraded to FunShip 2.0. (Shows are changed infrequently, but that drydock will spell the end.)

 

So, to wrap things up, if you're considering booking a cruise on Victory, keep in mind that the relatively low price you're paying may be reflected in a slightly older, dated ship. She is still quite capable of delivering a good cruise product, though, and the price can't be beat.

 

Cruise by the numbers:

 

66: The number of megawatts generated by Victory's 6 diesel generators, but they are seldom all running at once

4: number of floodlights burned out or inoperative in the aft pool

36.1: miles per gallon achieved by my car for the trip (2011 Ford Focus 5-speed)

120: approximate cost of gas, in dollars, for the whole ride

6: number of dollars I spent onboard on souvenirs...one ship magnet (but they were out of the 'die-cut' style I prefer)

6: number of ships docked with us at all ports

0: number of ships docked with us at all ports who had shorter visits than we did

2: number of hours we waited at the Port of Miami before finally catching a Jet shuttle back to the La Quinta Airport East

 

 

 

....and that's all, folks! If you have any questions, fire away!

[cruisinJenF]

No Mongolian Wok?!! Now I'm sad......sort of. What is the Yangtze Wok on the deck plan on the Lido deck?

 

Do you recall if they did any "Movies Under the Stars" outside?

 

Great review. Leaving soon on Victory. It was so cheap it was impossible to pass up!! Luckily I get off Victory and get on the Breeze so I can still get my specialty restaurants fix!!!

 

Thanks for the review!!!

[cruisin_baker]

Excellent review! We sail victory in December so this was timely... Thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Fighterone]

Yes, the giant chess set was near the aft windows by the Sirens Bar.

 

 

 

Well, 16's probably the record on Victory...or at least, on any CCL ship that Chef Panda has sailed on.

 

 

 

I can try...I don't think I have a scanner, though. I have all the Fun Times for the cruise, too.

 

 

Okay, here's the finale. :)

 

Krystin, what itinerary are you doing?

 

Pellaz, no scanner, no problem, I sometimes take a picture of the picture and that works well too. That's how I've copied menus on board. I am about to read the end here and remember those great times. Greetings to your sister and hope we run into each other again. It was fun! ...although I am still sick with this hacking cough that will not go away. Just a fact of life that I have too much fun on cruises and almost always pay for it when I get off.

 

And so all that's left now is the horrible cough and the Carnival colors painted on my toe nails which will disappear soon too.

Edited October 29, 2013 by Fighterone

[wmowan8485]

Thanks for your detailed review and pictures. I was on the Victory this past August and your pics brought back so many lovely memories.. :D

[jmrptr]

Thanks so much for the detailed review. We are sailing at Christmas with this same itinerary on Victory. You have been very helpful. We knew going in that Christmas sailings are much more expensive, thus our choice of an older ship. However, we always take the bad with the good. Any vaca is better than work or the Midwest in December. Thanks again! :p

 

jmrptr

[KatieCharlotte]

Do you know how many hot tubs there on the ship? I have read two different numbers online. Are the hot tubs away from the main lido pool less crowded, especially in the evenings?

 

My family likes to look at the stars from a hot tub after early dining -- a great way to get the youngest calm for bed -- but we don't like to crowd in with adults, especially those who aren't thrilled about sharing a hot tub with children.

[momonthego17]

Great review! Very entertaining to read and full of interesting details (who knew that the 2011 Ford Focus 5-speed could get 36.1 mpg:D) which will help me and my DH when we cruise on Victory Sept 2014! Thanks again for putting in all that time and effort on your cruise review.

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I enjoyed going on your cruise with ya! I'm in the biz too! (We have about 10 stations but the closest to your format is our Classic Rock. It's KY, what can I say?)

 

Anyway, here are my thoughts:

 

-Why, oh why, do the mermaids not have shells?

 

Shells are pretty. I should know, since it took about 18 hrs + to make mine!

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/923452_105636076305318_866438223_n.jpg https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/182923_123975791138013_395237943_n.jpg

 

-How was the pressurizing with SNUBA? Is it any different compared to Scuba? I have scuba'd a few times, but honestly, I do my best with free diving and a pair of goggles. Seems like maybe the mask traps too much air or something around the sinuses and I just suffer. In the last 2 years, I discovered that using goggles only, I can pressurize and free dive much easier, beyond 20ft depths just me and my monofin (ie. single mermaid flipper- MUCH better propulsion! Cuter too!) Anyway I am interested in this, but I always think of it like walking on the bottom (maybe I am thinking the old 40's style with the giant brass helmet where you walk on the bottom instead?) so do you really just swim along the same as scuba except only air hoses vs tanks? If this is the case, and I can swim in my tail (MUCh more efficient) than I may definitely sign up for one of these in the future. Just an air hose might make my mermaid dreams come true. :)

 

-Pretty funny about 16 lobster. By chance, was John Pinette on board? :D

Edited October 29, 2013 by TwinPrincessMermaids

[Pellaz]

Thanks for the kind words, y'all! I always say this, but NEXT cruise I'll type things up daily on my netbook so I don't forget the details. (Uh-huh, SURE I will.....)

 

Do you know how many hot tubs there on the ship? I have read two different numbers online. Are the hot tubs away from the main lido pool less crowded, especially in the evenings?

 

My family likes to look at the stars from a hot tub after early dining -- a great way to get the youngest calm for bed -- but we don't like to crowd in with adults, especially those who aren't thrilled about sharing a hot tub with children.

 

Let's see......

 

Lido Deck, right by the midships pool: 2

Lido Deck, by the aft pool: 2

Serenity area, forward: 2

In the spa: 1 (I think...someday I'll actually go to a ship's spa)

 

Did I miss any?

 

Sadly I don't think ANY of them is open past 11 pm, which disagrees with my definition of a "fun" ship, but I digress....

 

One of my fondest cruise memories was looking at the stars (not easy from a brightly lit ship at sea level, BTW) and watching the ship's wake from the hot tubs on the Serenity Deck on Imagination. I love the aft location of Serenity on those older Fantasy-class ships and the hot-tubs didn't close until midnight.....but on THAT night, they forgot and didn't close them until 2 am. :D

 

 

I enjoyed going on your cruise with ya! I'm in the biz too! (We have about 10 stations but the closest to your format is our Classic Rock. It's KY, what can I say?)

 

I should clarify that our radio show is on a non-commercial station, in fact it is Georgia Tech's radio station. We don't get paid for it; we do it for the love of the music and our audience. I don't know of any metal radio shows on commercial FM radio in the U.S.

 

Anyway, here are my thoughts:

 

-Why, oh why, do the mermaids not have shells?

 

"Mommy, since those mermaids aren't wearing anything, can I go topless tomorrow in the pool, too?"

"Shut up and finish your Warm Chocolate Melting Cake, dear!" :)

 

 

-How was the pressurizing with SNUBA? Is it any different compared to Scuba? I have scuba'd a few times, but honestly, I do my best with free diving and a pair of goggles. Seems like maybe the mask traps too much air or something around the sinuses and I just suffer. In the last 2 years, I discovered that using goggles only, I can pressurize and free dive much easier, beyond 20ft depths just me and my monofin (ie. single mermaid flipper- MUCH better propulsion! Cuter too!) Anyway I am interested in this, but I always think of it like walking on the bottom (maybe I am thinking the old 40's style with the giant brass helmet where you walk on the bottom instead?) so do you really just swim along the same as scuba except only air hoses vs tanks? If this is the case, and I can swim in my tail (MUCh more efficient) than I may definitely sign up for one of these in the future. Just an air hose might make my mermaid dreams come true. :)

 

No, this was not like those old-fashioned helmets. THOSE excursions are sometimes called "snuba" but really should be called "helmet dives"...and I've noticed most of them -- on Carnival's website, anyway -- have changed names appropriately.

 

Yes, with THIS snuba you swim along with fins, up to 20 ft. depth, although in Grand Turk I doubt it was deeper than 15 ft. at any point. The snuba I did in St. Thomas last year WAS in deeper water and I got to the "end of my rope" (fully extended the 20 ft. air hose) at least once. I had some minor pressurization issues on that excursion, but none at Grand Turk.

 

I recommend both highly, although for the money the snuba at St. Thomas is a better deal since it also includes adult admission to Coral World Marine Park AND Coki Beach is right next door. (It was $80 instead of $100 and even included transportation across St. Thomas to/from Coral World.)

 

That's really cool that you're a monofin freediver. I free-dove to about 30 ft. off Margaritavlle near the ship in Grand Turk last cruise, but this time I only did maybe 20 ft. 'cause I was dog-tired after snuba and snorkeling. :)

 

-Pretty funny about 16 lobster. By chance, was John Pinette on board? :D

 

lol, nope. (I actually doublechecked the comedians listed for The Punchliner, too. :) )

Edited October 29, 2013 by Pellaz

[b4cruze]

Wonderful review! I really enjoyed your views, good and bad and your humor! I am booked on the Victory for my birthday bash weekend. And I am looking forward to "old" style ship and just having fun! Thanks so much for sharing your cruise with us! Best, dk

[Pellaz]

Wonderful review! I really enjoyed your views, good and bad and your humor! I am booked on the Victory for my birthday bash weekend. And I am looking forward to "old" style ship and just having fun! Thanks so much for sharing your cruise with us! Best, dk

 

You're welcome!

 

As so many others have said, any cruise is better than no cruise at all, and any cruise SHIP is better than no cruise ship at all. Even though Victory is old and looks it in many ways, there's something to be said for the "old" style of shows in the main lounge, complete with the Victory show band performing.

 

I'd rank Victory as #3 of 3 on my list of Carnival ships sailed.

 

#1: Carnival Liberty -- on the upside: great expanded list of dining options, upgraded facilities (including, for example, water fountains on the Lido Deck...and the water tasted good, too!), and a really great 4-port Eastern Carib. itinerary with good port-times and durations. On the downside: our service in the MDR was dreadful, it didn't seem like the galley staff "cared" as much, and our initial stateroom was very close and humid. (We were moved to an air-conditioned stateroom.)

 

#2: Carnival Imagination -- on the upside: smaller ship, yet had some good dining options like Mongolian Wok; galley staff really had their A-game; MDR service was excellent, on par with my Royal Caribbean cruise (!), Serenity Deck has a better location (aft, almost completely unaffected by wind, and handy to Lido Buffet etc.) On the downside, the itinerary (Key West and Cozumel) didn't work well for a 5-day itinerary out of Miami, with an amazingly early departure from Key West (2pm or so) and a late arrival in Coz (12 noon).

 

#3 Carnival Victory -- for reasons cited in the review.

[littlered87]

I just so happen to live (well did before army life) in the part of TN that contains the Ocoee & blue hole!! & I also happen to be extremely fair skinned & ohh the burn from a day out there! Loving this review , can't wait to be on the Victory in a few weeks!

[Pellaz]

I just so happen to live (well did before army life) in the part of TN that contains the Ocoee & blue hole!! & I also happen to be extremely fair skinned & ohh the burn from a day out there! Loving this review , can't wait to be on the Victory in a few weeks!

 

Awesome! If I ever have the option of purchasing a summer home or 'escaping' for a summer, I'd do it near Blue Hole, probably in Ducktown or Copperhill.

 

It's astonishing how many people live right in that area and don't know what a huge natural treasure they have right at their fingertips! Turner South's "best of the South" series Blue Ribbon once featured three of the best swimming holes in the Southeast, and I thought Blue Hole Ocoee was the clear winner. Clear, warm water, underwater tunnels you can swim through, lots of fish...it's gorgeous!

 

Have fun on your cruise!

[Meyer2]

Krystin, what itinerary are you doing?

 

Pellaz, no scanner, no problem, I sometimes take a picture of the picture and that works well too. That's how I've copied menus on board. I am about to read the end here and remember those great times. Greetings to your sister and hope we run into each other again. It was fun! ...although I am still sick with this hacking cough that will not go away. Just a fact of life that I have too much fun on cruises and almost always pay for it when I get off.

 

And so all that's left now is the horrible cough and the Carnival colors painted on my toe nails which will disappear soon too.

 

Josette, We are going to Little Stirrup Cay & Grand Turk. :)

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

 

I should clarify that our radio show is on a non-commercial station, in fact it is Georgia Tech's radio station. We don't get paid for it; we do it for the love of the music and our audience. I don't know of any metal radio shows on commercial FM radio in the U.S.

 

I hear ya. I gotta work to support my cruise habit! :D

 

 

"Mommy, since those mermaids aren't wearing anything, can I go topless tomorrow in the pool, too?"

"Shut up and finish your Warm Chocolate Melting Cake, dear!" :)

 

Yeesh. What is the world coming to these days when the mermaids won't wear their shells and then stare at each other for hours on end...

 

 

No, this was not like those old-fashioned helmets. THOSE excursions are sometimes called "snuba" but really should be called "helmet dives"...and I've noticed most of them -- on Carnival's website, anyway -- have changed names appropriately.

 

Yes, with THIS snuba you swim along with fins, up to 20 ft. depth, although in Grand Turk I doubt it was deeper than 15 ft. at any point. The snuba I did in St. Thomas last year WAS in deeper water and I got to the "end of my rope" (fully extended the 20 ft. air hose) at least once. I had some minor pressurization issues on that excursion, but none at Grand Turk.

 

I recommend both highly, although for the money the snuba at St. Thomas is a better deal since it also includes adult admission to Coral World Marine Park AND Coki Beach is right next door. (It was $80 instead of $100 and even included transportation across St. Thomas to/from Coral World.)

 

That's really cool that you're a monofin freediver. I free-dove to about 30 ft. off Margaritavlle near the ship in Grand Turk last cruise, but this time I only did maybe 20 ft. 'cause I was dog-tired after snuba and snorkeling. :)

 

lol, nope. (I actually doublechecked the comedians listed for The Punchliner, too. :) )

 

I was a mermaid at Coki this year. The current beat us up to pieces against the beach and visibility wasn't great. The best things about it were the nice people (many many mermaid photo ops) and the adorable black cat who I shared the most amazing whole-cooked fish and beans and rice with... (I mean, the cat and I shared the fish, I didn't give any beans to the cat lol!!) I can't say I'd beat a path back to Coki based on that day (was good but not like Sapphire beach where I've seen some great sea life and dove several times). But maybe Coral World is better than it looks from the outside... That Coki Beach was PACKED OUT. People on top of people and pay for this chair and that umbrella. Amazing food! But most of the sea life I saw (besides my other mermaid friend) were the spiney sea urchins. Maybe you did better than we did. (Was early March.)

 

I want to cruise with Pinetti. That would be SUCH a hoot. He LOVES his cruises...

Edited October 30, 2013 by TwinPrincessMermaids

[agc291]

Question: Was there still the free sushi from 5-8 on the Promenade? Also what kind of collectable glasses do they have on the Victory since she hasnt gone into the 2.0 upgrades? Still the old DOD glasses or the "new" glasses?

[Pellaz]

Josette, We are going to Little Stirrup Cay & Grand Turk. :)

 

That's basically a dream lineup of ports for me. Add Half Moon Cay or St. Thomas to it, call it a "Beachgoers' Dream" itinerary and Carnival could make a mint on it. You hearing me, O Carnival beards? :)

 

If you snorkel at ALL, don't miss the snorkeling at LSC. When you get out by the snorkeling rafts and the sunken planes and cannons, you should see hundreds if not thousands of fish!

 

Question: Was there still the free sushi from 5-8 on the Promenade?

 

I don't think so; I believe that was replaced by the Taste Bar. It's largely a waste of space, IMHO.

 

Also what kind of collectable glasses do they have on the Victory since she hasnt gone into the 2.0 upgrades? Still the old DOD glasses or the "new" glasses?

 

I'm not a drinker so I'm the wrong person to ask, but one that I DID notice appeared to be a spherical plastic doohickey.

Josette? Any idea? (I realize you weren't too beholden to the ship's alcohol supplies yourself. :) )

[Pellaz]

I was a mermaid at Coki this year. The current beat us up to pieces against the beach and visibility wasn't great. The best things about it were the nice people (many many mermaid photo ops) and the adorable black cat who I shared the most amazing whole-cooked fish and beans and rice with... (I mean, the cat and I shared the fish, I didn't give any beans to the cat lol!!) I can't say I'd beat a path back to Coki based on that day (was good but not like Sapphire beach where I've seen some great sea life and dove several times).

 

Oh, I agree. I pull up the Sapphire Beach webcam every day just to remind myself that there is somewhere ELSE on this Earth that I want to go to.

http://www.sapphireinthesun.com

 

But maybe Coral World is better than it looks from the outside... That Coki Beach was PACKED OUT. People on top of people and pay for this chair and that umbrella. Amazing food! But most of the sea life I saw (besides my other mermaid friend) were the spiney sea urchins. Maybe you did better than we did. (Was early March.)

 

Actually, I didn't do it at all, since I didn't bring my own snorkeling equipment. I wish I'd known.... But the opportunity to at least have some additional fun snorkeling while the other snuba group did their thing would have been great. (If nothing else, I could have spied on the other snuba group and maybe the helmet divers, since the excursions are staged very close to the right side of Coki Beach. :) )

 

Coral World was....okay. Got to feed some sea-turtles and check out their aquarium and other exhibits. I wouldn't have wanted to pay $20 for an adult admission but when it was included with the snuba fee, what the heck? :)

[agc291]

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think so; I believe that was replaced by the Taste Bar. It's largely a waste of space, IMHO.

 

 

 

I'm not a drinker so I'm the wrong person to ask, but one that I DID notice appeared to be a spherical plastic doohickey.

Josette? Any idea? (I realize you weren't too beholden to the ship's alcohol supplies yourself. :) )

 

 

Thanks- my BF will be very disappointed about the sushi.

[Pellaz]

Thanks- my BF will be very disappointed about the sushi.

 

My sister was disappointed as well. There are many foods that she has to avoid due to her medical condition and a high likelihood of choking...but sushi is apparently not one of them.

 

I forgot to mention in my review that my sister ordered from room service at one point....and she thought the food was among the best she had during the entire cruise!

There is no charge and the menu is available 24 hours, just be sure to tip your room service person something since they're not included in your auto-grats.