Triumph Info Thread - Let's start one!

[Newcantwait]

Dont forget ...

the Captains Party before your formal dinner will also have free drinks !! alcoholic ones at no charge! ;)

 

as far as getting sea sick ... you can take bonine the night before boarding ... and for as long as you feel you may need to... to avoid seasickness or some doctors will give you a seasick patch before sailing

 

Happy Sailing !!:)

 

 

Thank you.

We a really looking forward to the cruise. We will try to remember the Captains Party.

I will be talking to my doctor before I go. I don't want to take any chances. LOL

[Colton's dad]

Thanks again. :o All this information is good to have. I have heard about the neck thing. Very handy. If you find one do you get a free drink? I would be so worried about mine if I lost it. Can anyone charge on it, if they find it? Do you need you photo ID with it? Are the sales any good?????

I think the kids will enjoy it but I KNOW we will. We have two teenage girls and an 8 year old boy. If we take them we will have to get a cruise closer to home the airfair is the killer.

I used a patch on a sail boat many years ago, worked fine, son used it and fine , he gets sick in car going to store. I found 2 cards , one was a kids, It has your name and your dinner time and table but no cabin. I actually handed to the dad as we passed by their table , I wish I was a fly on the wall there. Other one I found near mini putt, handed to purser, I did not get a drink, nor did I try. The kids ones we get we have turned off for purchases. If you lost yours, I presume it could be used for purchases before you noticed:eek: (drinks -$400 watch). No photo ID needed , except to enter/ exit ship with it, as far as I know. We were always asked to show picture ID or passport with card when we got on or off. Airfare, yes a killer for our 6 also, we usually go from Buffalo , but got a seat sale out of Toronto this year 3 months before cruise.

[Newcantwait]

I used a patch on a sail boat many years ago' date=' worked fine, son used it and fine , he gets sick in car going to store. I found 2 cards , one was a kids, It has your name and your dinner time and table but no cabin. I actually handed to the dad as we passed by their table , I wish I was a fly on the wall there. Other one I found near mini putt, handed to purser, I did not get a drink, nor did I try. The kids ones we get we have turned off for purchases. If you lost yours, I presume it could be used for purchases before you noticed:eek: (drinks -$400 watch). No photo ID needed , except to enter/ exit ship with it, as far as I know. We were always asked to show picture ID or passport with card when we got on or off. Airfare, yes a killer for our 6 also, we usually go from Buffalo , but got a seat sale out of Toronto this year 3 months before cruise.[/quote']

 

I will try hard not too lose my cards. LOL $400.00 on drinks? Wow. We usually drink ice tea. But we might want to have a glass of wine or a cold beer one night. When you go out in a new port do you need your passport with you? Or just picture ID?

As for the sea sick part I am getting a perscription. I am too afraid to chance being sick. (I think it is called Scopace. I have heard great things about it.)

Cruising must become quite a habit. I see that no one has cruised just once. I heard it was for the price but I can't say that has been the case with us. So there must be more to this cruising then meets the eye. We can't wait to go!!

 

Thanks for chating with me about all of this. It is nice to hear it from someone who has been before and with kids. Because we hope it goes as well as we think it will so that next time we can take the kids.

[portia1780]

Newcantwait---

 

Will be on the May 17th cruise with you! DH and I are very excited about this cruise as it is the first one we will take with family.

 

For seasickness, we have always gotten a prescription from our family doctor. However, DH finds that it knocks him out. Hard to tell what is worse... feeling bad, or sleeping through everything. You may want to do a dry-run of the prescription before you leave (like one evening when you have nothing else to do) to see how it affects you. He only takes it when he feels bad... not as a preventative measure... and he's only felt bad once in 14 cruising days.

 

Instead, I prefer a preventative approach. What I do is take Bonine at night (since it can make you a little sleepy, in spite of the fact that it's "non-drowsy") and then take a ginger pill in the morning. Supposedly the bonine is 24-hour, and the ginger is all-natural. Between the two, I haven't had any issues.

 

(And I do get green-gray with seasickness on normal seacraft, and DH can't ride in a car unless he drives.)

 

Also, the only two places on the ship I've ever felt any movement are in the theatre (in the front) and in the restaurant (in the rear). And even then, feeling movement is rare... maybe once on each cruise have I felt anything.

[Newcantwait]

Hello Portia1780,

 

It is great to hear from someone going on the same cruise! I see you are going for your anniversary. We are too. Our 6th.

 

As for sea sickness I am going to try some thing called Scopace. It is a perscription. I am hoping that it will make me a little less drousy. I'm going to try it several times before we go on the trip. :) And take it at night.

 

Any advice you would like to share I would love to hear.

 

Great to hear from you.

[cruising_kelly]

Has anyone checked out the piano bar onboard the Triumph? We LOVED it on the Valor last year and hoping the entertainer on the Triumph will be great as well!

[portia1780]

Kelly,

 

According to this thread, the entertainer on the Triumph is James Davis, but that is only through 4/12. One poster said that that a couple of years ago (on the Miracle), he was a great pianist, but not as strong of a singer.

 

Hopefully you'll have a fun crowd on your ship. I think that can make all the difference at the piano bar... maybe as much as the performer!

[portia1780]

Newcantwait,

 

Of course, any advice I'll give can be found elsewhere on this site (which I lived and breathed before my first cruise), BUT here are my favorite tips:

 

1) The number one advice I can give is eat dinner in the dining room. On my past two cruises, the food was excellent. I especially like the filet (order one temp below what you normally do - and don't forget to have seconds!) and the bitter and blanc bread pudding. Yum! I always ask for the waiter's dessert recommendation, and I have never been disappointed... although the green peppercorn ice cream was a little strange. ;)

 

2) If you want a romantic table for two, go to the Maitre D' desk immediately upon boarding. We have had our request honored both times, though the first time we had to change to late seating. Come to find out, we LOVE late seating. On the other hand, some people love eating dinner with others... my sister met another couple on her honeymoon and still corresponds with them regularly. DH is horrified of eating with strangers.

 

3) Take every picture you can with the photographers on board. You don't have to buy any of them, and DH and I really enjoy going to the photo gallery after dinner and looking at our new photos. It's like our ritual. Sometimes the pictures are really good, too. My favorite picture, believe it or not, is one of the DH and Funship Freddie... hahaha! You'll figure out who the really good photographers are. We're disappointed if we accidentally miss a photo op.

 

4) Don't buy anything until the end of the cruise. Everything goes on sale!

 

BTW, if you're interested in talking to other people from our cruise, here's the roll call. It's pretty slow now, though. Maybe it will pick up as we approach the date?

 

It takes too long to get here and then it's over too soon!!!

 

PS - if you're worried about charges, you can check your bill at anytime from the TV in your room. It's very handy... we usually try to look at it every night.

[Newcantwait]

Newcantwait,

 

Of course, any advice I'll give can be found elsewhere on this site (which I lived and breathed before my first cruise), BUT here are my favorite tips:

 

1) The number one advice I can give is eat dinner in the dining room. On my past two cruises, the food was excellent. I especially like the filet (order one temp below what you normally do - and don't forget to have seconds!) and the bitter and blanc bread pudding. Yum! I always ask for the waiter's dessert recommendation, and I have never been disappointed... although the green peppercorn ice cream was a little strange. ;)

 

2) If you want a romantic table for two, go to the Maitre D' desk immediately upon boarding. We have had our request honored both times, though the first time we had to change to late seating. Come to find out, we LOVE late seating. On the other hand, some people love eating dinner with others... my sister met another couple on her honeymoon and still corresponds with them regularly. DH is horrified of eating with strangers.

 

3) Take every picture you can with the photographers on board. You don't have to buy any of them, and DH and I really enjoy going to the photo gallery after dinner and looking at our new photos. It's like our ritual. Sometimes the pictures are really good, too. My favorite picture, believe it or not, is one of the DH and Funship Freddie... hahaha! You'll figure out who the really good photographers are. We're disappointed if we accidentally miss a photo op.

 

4) Don't buy anything until the end of the cruise. Everything goes on sale!

 

BTW, if you're interested in talking to other people from our cruise, here's the roll call. It's pretty slow now, though. Maybe it will pick up as we approach the date?

 

It takes too long to get here and then it's over too soon!!!

 

PS - if you're worried about charges, you can check your bill at anytime from the TV in your room. It's very handy... we usually try to look at it every night.

 

 

 

 

Portia1780,

 

Wow!! This is great!

I do find myself on this site quite a bit. Looking for any info that may be helpful.

 

The meat request seems to be pretty common/important.

If you request a romantic table for two do you get one every night?

We don't mind eating with people so we should be fine on early dinner, but if you don't like who you are sitting with (haha) or you would like to eat later can you request changing the times?

That is funny about the photographers. We really did not like the idea of having a camera around all the time. But I guess we will have to ignore it. LOL

I think we were worried about charges but after being on this site I don't think it will be as bad as we thought it would be. You know how people can be, we had several people tell us that the drinks are VERY expensive but after coming here for advice I don't think they will be that bad.

How about the excursions. Do you have any recommendations? Do you book before you get there? (on-line)

 

 

Thanks again for all your advice.

 

Newcan'twait

[judydoc]

Can anyone help me with pictures from Carnival Triumph. Lost a card of pictures. Need the Rome theatre, buffet and a room picture (one with a window and one king bed). Anyone food pictures from the diningroom? Thankyou!!!!!!!

[portia1780]

Newcantwait,

You'll have the same table and wait service every night in the dining room. It's actually nice because your servers get to know you, will remember your drink preferences, any food preferences/restrictions you share with them, etc.

 

If you end up not liking your seating for one reason or another, go to the Maitre D', explain the problem, and request a change. If the ship isn't full, they will try to accomodate you. FYI - We are going to have a late day in Cozumel and may miss our early seating one night (early because we are going with grandparents - otherwise, we'd be late), and our TA recommended going to the late seating and asking the Maitre D' if we could be seated somewhere that one evening only. Again, our experience has been that they will make it happen for you if it's at all possible. However, don't expect to be moved around every night. They DO have a system that works and works well.

 

(Also, we found that there's a line to the dining room right at time to go in. If you go 10 minutes later, you can walk directly to your personal assigned table - that's waiting for you and only you - and not have to wait at all. Same service, everything. )

 

The photographers will be in your way as you leave the ship. They will also be at the various parties (Captain's Cocktail, Past Guest, etc.) Otherwise, they will be set up at stations around the ship every night with different backgrounds for you to choose from. You can walk on by those, though they may try to reel you in if they're not busy. Formal night, there will be huge lines for the photographers, so you can slip by easily then.

 

We have already been to Cozumel and Grand Cayman. We have not been to Jamaica, but my non-attending SIL has. In Cozumel, we did a beach break reasonably, and in Grand Cayman we did the hell-turtle farm-sting ray city tour. We have always gone thru Carnival because DH is petrified that the ship will leave us, and Carnival will wait for any of its own excursions to get back. They will not wait for you if you go somewhere independently.

 

However, you pay a premium for using Carnival's excursions. Go to the CC boards that are specifically for our destinations and see what others have done and what companies they've used. The CCers will often be able to provide you with websites for reputable excursion companies at a fraction of the Carnival cost.

 

If you, like DH, want to book through Carnival for the peace of mind, I would book early if possible so that you can get the time you want. Sometimes, they will offer different times for the same excursion, and if you wait until you get on board, you may have to take the 8AM version (when you wanted to sleep in) or the 1PM (when you wanted to have an early day) based on the capacity and interest.

 

In Grand Cayman, once you get off the tender, the beach is right down the road. If you want a beach day there, I'd skip doing the beach through Carnival and get a cab. It's so close, you could probably walk back if time was getting close. There's no real need for peace of mind there.

 

This time, we are definitely trying to do Tulum in Cozumel. Heard it's beautiful, and we loved the Mayan ruins we saw when we visited Costa Maya in 2005. We are going to do Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica combined with something, we don't know yet.

[wintercruiser1]

I Loved the Triumph!! Going again.............:D The crew was very wonderful and helpful (it was our first cruise). Never had a single problem........ Food was excellent! Room was great (we were on Spa deck). Everything was fun! I CAN'T WAIT TO GO AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[portia1780]

wintercruiser, since you went so recently, is there anything special about this ship to share? My past experiences have been the Glory (Conquest class) and Miracle (Spirit class), so I don't really have any comparisons.

 

Did you have a balcony per chance? If so, did the doors stay open, did you have to prop them, did you need a bungee.

[wintercruiser1]

Portia it was a year ago I went and almost another year to go again!! Our room on Spa Deck was a full window room, no balcony. It was a nice room tho. Our next cruise we will be in an extended balcony room. :D Can't wait. So I am not sure about the bungee thing. I have read on here that you should bring a 3 foot bungee but not sure. The food was great!!! Never had a bad meal. We went with a group of 16 and were always busy. Looking forward to that balcony for breakfast. :)

[sptree]

Please tell me more about the SPA deck. This will be our 1st time in the room with floor to ceiling windows. We have had a balcony before and really loved it, but we had to keep the cost down this time. Is it really quiet and nice to be near the SPA. We have 4 girls in a room, so is it convenient to use the showers at the SPA??? Thanks!!

[Carolinamamasita]

Newcantwait,

You'll have the same table and wait service every night in the dining room. It's actually nice because your servers get to know you, will remember your drink preferences, any food preferences/restrictions you share with them, etc.

 

If you end up not liking your seating for one reason or another, go to the Maitre D', explain the problem, and request a change. If the ship isn't full, they will try to accomodate you. FYI - We are going to have a late day in Cozumel and may miss our early seating one night (early because we are going with grandparents - otherwise, we'd be late), and our TA recommended going to the late seating and asking the Maitre D' if we could be seated somewhere that one evening only. Again, our experience has been that they will make it happen for you if it's at all possible. However, don't expect to be moved around every night. They DO have a system that works and works well.

 

(Also, we found that there's a line to the dining room right at time to go in. If you go 10 minutes later, you can walk directly to your personal assigned table - that's waiting for you and only you - and not have to wait at all. Same service, everything. )

 

The photographers will be in your way as you leave the ship. They will also be at the various parties (Captain's Cocktail, Past Guest, etc.) Otherwise, they will be set up at stations around the ship every night with different backgrounds for you to choose from. You can walk on by those, though they may try to reel you in if they're not busy. Formal night, there will be huge lines for the photographers, so you can slip by easily then.

 

We have already been to Cozumel and Grand Cayman. We have not been to Jamaica, but my non-attending SIL has. In Cozumel, we did a beach break reasonably, and in Grand Cayman we did the hell-turtle farm-sting ray city tour. We have always gone thru Carnival because DH is petrified that the ship will leave us, and Carnival will wait for any of its own excursions to get back. They will not wait for you if you go somewhere independently.

 

However, you pay a premium for using Carnival's excursions. Go to the CC boards that are specifically for our destinations and see what others have done and what companies they've used. The CCers will often be able to provide you with websites for reputable excursion companies at a fraction of the Carnival cost.

 

If you, like DH, want to book through Carnival for the peace of mind, I would book early if possible so that you can get the time you want. Sometimes, they will offer different times for the same excursion, and if you wait until you get on board, you may have to take the 8AM version (when you wanted to sleep in) or the 1PM (when you wanted to have an early day) based on the capacity and interest.

 

In Grand Cayman, once you get off the tender, the beach is right down the road. If you want a beach day there, I'd skip doing the beach through Carnival and get a cab. It's so close, you could probably walk back if time was getting close. There's no real need for peace of mind there.

 

This time, we are definitely trying to do Tulum in Cozumel. Heard it's beautiful, and we loved the Mayan ruins we saw when we visited Costa Maya in 2005. We are going to do Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica combined with something, we don't know yet.

 

nice info here .

thanks:)

[Newcantwait]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if we book an excursion and it is from 8 am to 3 pm and we get off the ship at 8 am will we be able to make it on this excursion?

 

Thanks

[sheri18]

thanks for all the info...we just got off the glory 2 weels ago..and now we are thinking of the truimph.....again.....but its been awhile....love reading and seeing all the pics....trying to decide which ship....

[Delinpa]

We are planning a trip on Triumph Nov. 9, but I read somewhere that she was scheduled for drydock in Sept. Anyone have any information on this? Delinpa

[sheri18]

any info on what they do in drydock...besides normal wear and tear type of stuff.

 

 

also which dining room for which times? thanks

[crystalblue0610]

Looking at the deck plans I noticed there are alot of clubs onboard. I only know the Conquest and although they are different classes. The Triumph is basically a minature Conquest with a few differences.

 

But on the Conquest there was only one club Henri's and it was barely alive most of the time with the exception of the Mardi Gras party night.

 

Are all these clubs pretty alive on the Triumph. I do like to dance and I like that there's more than one.

[Carolinamamasita]

any info on what they do in drydock...besides normal wear and tear type of stuff.

 

 

I hear they are getting the large movie screen put on Lido Deck :D

[bp traveler]

Just got back from the Triumph it was our 2nd time on her!

 

The itinerary is great to San Jaun during the day and to Turks and Caicos!

 

I must say the food was unfortunately the worst we have had in 9 cruises, but at least we walked away without gaining any weight!! The beef has gone down hill, I used to like the steaks and the chateau B - but it was terrible to me!

 

The casino was a lot of fun and the piano bar James tried hard and it was ok for awhile each night. The asian band was very good as usual.

 

Do stop down to the cigar bar, which is right by the internet access, it really is a neat bar that is underutilized!

 

Happy cruising - I don't think you will be disappointed in your choice of ships!

[Minn.cruisers]

Glad you enjoyed the cruise. We did too, last December.

We too were disappointed in the food, my husband also did not like the steaks, or beef in general was just tasteless he said. I wonder why this has happened there on the ship, this is like the 8th time I've heard someone saying the same things about the food there. Is it the food in general, or how it is prepared? Oh well, we didn't gain any weight either, and we were much less active than our last cruise on RCCL...where we gained 5-6 lbs!!!! I was shocked at the scale, and didn't want to believe it. I tried to rationalize on water gain from the flight...!

[Newcantwait]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if we book an excursion and it is from 8 am to 3 pm and we get off the ship at 8 am will we be able to make it on this excursion?

 

Thanks

 

 

I see several people on right now so I was wondering if you could help me with the above question.

 

Thanks