GOOD things about Victory?

[Caribbean Dad1]

How did I know this comment would bring you out again?!

 

Well you did say "THONG", right? How could I resist? :p ;) :D

[CrazieNCruisingGypsy2]

Well you did say "THONG", right? How could I resist? :p ;) :D

 

 

And that's what I love about you!

[Caribbean Dad1]

And that's what I love about you!

 

Aww. You're too sweet. ;)

 

 

So are there any GOOD things about the Victory that I can start reading up about to ease my worries that I may have chose the wrong boat?

 

Lisa

 

Victory is a great ship. Like I told ship99, just go into it with a positive, roll with the flow attitude and you should have a great time. The only problem that you might run into to is the fact that you may become addicted to cruising. Hopefully Leslie will be able to verify this for you when she gets back in a couple of weeks. :)

[tina1114]

Here is my review of Victory when we sailed in December. I couldn't find my link...so I reposted. Sorry so long!

This was my second cruise - both with Carnival. We last sailed on the Destiny in 1999. I am going to give an honest review, but in spite of anything I say that may sound negative, I had a wonderful trip! This was our first holiday cruise: December 18-25.

There are some things that Carnival could change but others were beyond their control. In general, I did notice that they have cut back (since our last cruise) on the amount of activities, and there were a couple nights were they didn't have the late night buffet.

We didn't have the best of weather. Most of the trip, it rained and the seas were choppy. You can really feel the movement on this ship. Some crew members mentioned that even they noticed the difference in movement between this ship and the others they had been on. I am not prone to motion sickness but even I was feeling off kilter on Monday. I just bumped up my ginger dosage to four pills (2-3 times per day). I never got sick, so yes, it works!

Embarkation

After all the horror stories that I heard about this process, I was amazed at how fast it went. We stayed overnight in Miami at the Intercontinental and left for the port at 10:30 a.m.. We got inside and in line at 10:45 and they were already letting people board the ship. I will say that about 11 a.m., the lines stretched outside the terminal door. My advice is to get there early. We were on board and having lunch by 11:30 a.m., but weren't allowed into our room until 1:30.

Cabin

We booked an ocean view guarantee room two weeks prior to traveling. When we got our keys, we found we were upgraded to a balcony on the Lido deck. What an unexpected Christmas gift! The room had enough space, and having the balcony was wonderful. I did spend more time in my room because of the balcony, plus it was nice leaving the door open at night to hear the waves. If you are on this floor and you have Santiago as your cabin steward, you are lucky. He was so good that we tipped him extra.

The Ship

I found the ship to be clean and the public areas to be very pretty. The only disappointing thing that many people commented on was the lack of holiday decorations. It took me two days to realize there were decorations on the banisters. There was no big Christmas tree.

Entertainment

I did not attend any of the big shows, so I cannot tell you how they were. We went to Karaoke every evening and had a great time. It is amazing to see how talented some of your fellow guests are. It was always busy. Damian is the Karaoke host and a great guy. He is as fair as he can be to everyone. Be nice to him - he will be there until February 12. Note: The equipment in karaoke is not the best, so if something technical happens, it isn't the host's fault.

The piano bar is a lot of fun. I tried to go there for a while each night. I didn't spend much time in the disco but heard it was great. The music that they played in the Adriatic Lounge was good. I think the band was "Music Network".

I know someone else had mentioned the Cruise Director, Dana Hodson. I have to agree with them that he is not very entertaining. Some of his jokes I had seen on the Internet. With his radio background, you would think he would have experience with ad-libbing. You could tell that everything he did was scripted (which to some extent I suppose is necessary). But I never got a sense that he enjoyed what he was doing; he seemed to be going through the motions. Karl with a "K" is an excellent Assistant Cruise Director with a wonderful personality. He makes up for what Dana lacks. The rest of the staff is wonderful, from social hostess Emma to Club O2 (teen disco) Director Theresa.

Food/Dining

I am a very picky eater and I patronize a lot of fine dining establishments. If you can't find something you like to eat on this ship, you aren't really trying everything. The only thing I didn't try was the Oriental place because there are very few Asian items that I like. Yes, there were some things I didn't care for or were bad. If that happened, I just ordered something else.

Main Dining Room: We ate two breakfasts and five dinners there. Almost everything was good to very good. The soups were great as were some of the desserts. One recommendation -- be careful how you order your beef, since they seem to undercook it. I usually order mine medium rare and it was too rare. Once I started to order it medium, it was perfect. The menus were pretty much the same as in 1999.

Lido: Everyone talks about the lines for the buffet but I didn't think they were that bad. Sometimes they were long, but they moved quickly. The food was good, better than many buffets that I have frequented. Some beef on the buffet was tough. One day they had ham and it was delicious. The "Taste of the Nation" line always features a certain type of ethnic food. I liked both the French and Greek days.

Pizza: I have been spoiled on New York pizza but Carnival's was good. I had a couple of slices almost every night.

Deli: Great sandwiches. The Rueben was good and the tuna very good. I had them make me a tuna melt by adding cheese and grilling it, and this was great. The staff at the pizza and deli counters aren't very friendly. The grill is wonderful for burgers and fries.

Pools/Decks

Since it rained a lot, we only had a day or two to use the deck. We were on a full ship and I didn't really have a problem finding space; within 15 minutes I found a chair. Then I headed to the hot tub and there were only a few people in it. It was nice and warm without being too hot. The bartenders at the Siren's bar are great. Tommy always remembers everyone's name and Marcelino is so nice.

Spa/Gym

I was a spa model when they gave ship tours on Sunday. I got the seaweed wrap and it was great. Later in the week, my feet were hurting and swollen, so I had the foot massage/pedicure. This was so worth the money.

Ports/Tours

Costa Maya: This is not a port I would go back to. Do not shop here as things are very expensive. We did the "Jungle Beach Break" excursion. For the price, you could not beat it. The beach isn't as pretty as Cozumel's but the staff is great. Unlimited drinks are included in your fee and we ended up sitting next to the party group who had tipped the staff as soon as they got there. We never had to get up out of our chair to get a drink and they never let our glasses get empty. Not being a heavy drinker, I had to slow myself down so they wouldn't give me more.

Grand Cayman: The port was closed due to weather and rough seas. I had already been there and was going to stay on the ship anyway.

Ocho Rios: We were just going to go shopping but we had a wonderful cab driver, Jason, who gave us a great deal on a tour. He took us everywhere, spent four hours with us and only charged $35 each for the two of us. We couldn't have done any excursion with the ship for that amount, so we loved it. Seeing the island like this gave me a better respect for it.

Debarkation

Believe it or not, this was uneventful. We got up at 7:30 a.m., got dressed, went to the Lido to have breakfast. Our deck was called about 9 a.m. and we were on the bus to the airport by 9:30.

Overall

There are things I think could be better but it would not make me stop cruising with Carnival. I think the staff was great from housekeepers to bar staff to entertainment staff and dining staff. I would have enjoyed more of a holiday atmosphere, and everyone I spoke with mentioned that it didn't feel like Christmas or Hanukkah. The main thing is that I was on vacation and it is what you make of it. I heard some complaints from other passengers about things, but my response was to just enjoy yourself - that is what being on holiday is all about.

[vaca4all]

This is my first post on this site although I have been reviewing the posts for a couple of years. I was also on the Victory the week of the 15th and thought I should share my experiences. This was my 3rd cruise, all w/ Carnival. My wife and I were with a party of 7 couples (not swingers). We arrived early and had to wait in line for what I would say was a reasonable amount of time, due to wedding parties and so on. Once aboard food and drink were immediately available. And as hoped we were the first in the sports bar to secure seats for the Steelers / Colts game. As a Steelers fan, that was the best day on the ship, and we hadn’t even left the port. Are stateroom was in pretty good shape with the exception of a constant major squeak in the balcony door. The steward shoved a towel between the door and the jam to stop it. As stated before we did miss our first two ports, and though it was disappointing, it was understandable due to conditions. Now here is what bothered me. When we missed the ports they said there would be extra activities. Well not that I saw. They didn’t even have the golf simulator open for more than a couple hours in the morning on one of the days. We all like to hang at the main pool during the day and listen to the bands. Well the American Polka Society, or something like that, had a bunch of people on board and on Monday they performed on deck. Ok, one day of polka can be fun. But they performed I think 4 times on the deck and it got old. Besides that at least six of the seven nights the disco didn't open to the "general public" until after 11pm. If it was to be a polka cruise we were not informed. I know they had a rock band on board because they played below our cabin in the red and black see lounge until 1 or 2 AM. If they were serious about providing extra entertainment it should have included paid performers (that were on board) and a mix. Unlike our other cruises, the lido deck didn’t have trays for your plates so if you wanted say milk, coffee, and two plates of food to take food to your table or room it was a drag. No one in our party ever met their cabin steward. On our other cruises they have always introduced themselves on the first or second day. The food in the dinning room was OK but it wasn’t to die for. In fact, on most nights it was luke warm. The lobster was over done and the fillet was kind of tough even at M R. When we arrived at Jamaica they did not announce debarkation over the loud speaker as before. So we waited as to not back things up until someone said they had been getting off for a while. Also the self debarkation at the end of the cruise was unorganized. People were backed up on the steps and on the landings for 5 floors. A simple debark by floor announcement as with the last cruise we were on would have solved this. As far as running out of food, we were served what we wanted on the menu. There were several other things that were mentioned by others in our party Broken luggage, bad service, etc but I won’t go into it. Now, I have had good cruises on carnival but this was not one. We had fun, partly because we made our fun As with psto I am not a hard person to please and I don’t normally complain about things. But when even some of the crew tell me they cant believe so stuff going on it must be wrong. It seams that some people on this thread don’t want real experiences and opinions unless there all sugar and spice but I don’t think that’s the point of sharing info.

[Caribbean Dad1]

It seams that some people on this thread don’t want real experiences and opinions unless there all sugar and spice but I don’t think that’s the point of sharing info.

 

That's not the case at all. You had a bad cruise. So did several others. But keep in mind that many had a wonderful time and have posted to that fact. With over 2700 pax on the ship, there are bound to be many different experiences for the same cruise.

[CrazieNCruisingGypsy2]

Yes, I will verify if Victory is a wonderful ship or not!

 

And yes, Bill, I'm nice....and...oh, can't go into that on this thread....:rolleyes: :eek:

[rl2thnurse]

I just viewed this board for the first time. First, let me say I have been on the Victory x 2 & have nothing bad to say about it at all except Green is my least favorite color. In spite of that, I LOVED it!!

 

Now, what about the change from Cozumel to wherever....is that a tentative change or what? I have not heard about it at all. We are going on May 7th.

 

Thanks for help.

[rl2thnurse]

I just viewed this board for the first time. First, let me say I have been on the Victory x 2 & have nothing bad to say about it at all except Green is my least favorite color. In spite of that, I LOVED it!!

 

Now, what about the change from Cozumel to wherever....is that a tentative change or what? I have not heard about it at all. We are going on May 7th.

 

Thanks for help.

[wickedfresh]

I am a first time cruiser and so is my hubby we leave on Sunday. Im very excited and still excited even after reading some really horrible reviews.

A vacation is what you make it and you can turn the most horrible situation into something good!

 

Thanx to all of you for your wonderful tips and information.

I'll be sure to post a review upon my return.

 

As for the re-route..I was looking forward to Coz. but Costa Maya does sound just as amazing and fun. And for someone who has never gone anywhere kewler than Florida this will be a treat either way.

[Seydlitz]

We were on Victory last week, and she ROCKED!!! We had a blast. It is a very clean ship. The crew were cleaning all the time, and I mean all the time. There were a few a times, where I saw a few pigs leave there a mess on deck, but the crew was quick at getting it cleand up. Have no worries, Victory is a great ship. I wish I was on her right now. The water slide was never closed, the bars were happening all night long. Man I wish I had booked a back to back cruise. Work Sucks! Any questions ask away.

[rl2thnurse]

Wicked Fresh, you are going to have a GREAT time. I can tell from your post that you are very upbeat...you would enjoy ANY vacation, but you will LOVE life on the VICTORY. Look forward to hearing your thoughts when you return. Bon Voyage!!!! Roni

[stargate fan]

Here's another positive vote for Victory. She is a beautiful ship. The interior is very green, making us feel like we were under the sea. It was such a wonderful feeling. We half expected to see fish swimming by us.

Make sure you check out the Irish Sea Bar. The piano player was terrific. We spent a couple of hours there every night singing along, having a blast.

The water slide is a hoot too. Just remember that the pool is salt water. My husband found out the hard way when he landed in the pool and got a mouthful of water. Yeah, I laughed my butt off. :p

There are positive people and negative people everywhere. I remember reading a review before we left for our Victory cruise. The person complained that the hinges on the balcony doors were rusty. Oh, puleeeease...the ship travels in the salt-water ocean. If people are going around staring at hinges, then they have serious issues. We never noticed any problems; the ship was in great condition, the staff was fantastic, the food was delicious, and we were in a warm climate away from home.

I would not hesitate to sail Victory again.

[todb]

I was on the Victory last week also I agree with Seydlitz the Victory Rocks! I only have one other cruise to compare it to that being the Disney Wonder and I would say in fact even my kids will say we had a way better experience on the Victory.