Carnival victory

[mysh442olds]

I am considering booking the 7 night southern carribean cruise on the Carnival Victory out of San Juan, but I have read alot of really bad reviews. The intineary looks amazing and is by far the best intinerary and cabin I could afford. Has anyone sailed this and is the intineary worth it???

 

 

 

Dont believe a thing on maybe some this will be our thirs in sept 20 have done destiny twice and loved it dont think about it come with us Sept 20 islands are the best (but ALOT of them:eek: on this southern cruuise)

[jbc1947]

We got VIP because we were in a suite. Our flight didn't leave until 1:45pm.

They stated that anyone's flight that was before 2pm, would get zone 1, which is priority disembark.

[Kaboochi]

"has anyone sailed this..."

 

you know, i think i read that no one at all sails on that itinerary. I don't know why they would keep sending out an empty ship. Maybe if they'd stop, they could drop the prices some more on the ships that people do sail on.

 

:p

 

there are several recent reviews. You stated on the one hand that "i have read alot of really bad reviews," and then you ask if anyone's sailed the ship.

 

Well, obviously, people are sailing or else you wouldn't have read any reviews. Right?

 

Go up to the search button, click on "advanced search" then type in victory review in the keyword box, then under that box, select thread titles, then select just the carnival board. Every review thread should pop up.

 

I think that if you do some serious research and reading you'll find that this ship doesn't get any more negative reviews than any other ship.

 

And don't forget that people who aren't happy tend to be more vocal than people who are. And also remember that the people who post on cruise critic are a tiny minority of all cruisers. Just because 2 or 3 people post not-100%-glowing reviews here doesn't mean that it's a horrible ship and the itinerary is awful and the ship will be full of <gasp> foreigners, and it's a terrible thing so don't waste your time and money.

 

Personally, i'm very much looking forward to my time in san juan and on the victory and hope it's packed with <gasp> foreigners! After all, isn't that part of why we travel to foreign places?

 

huh?

[KnightsofColumbus]

We got VIP because we were in a suite. Our flight didn't leave until 1:45pm.

They stated that anyone's flight that was before 2pm, would get zone 1, which is priority disembark.

 

 

You say that you got VIP because you were in a suite, but then you also say everyone that had flight before 2PM was in priority disembark. And your flight was at 1:45 PM so it is not clear wether or not you got priority because of your flight or because of your VIP status.

[gaylensgigi]

I am doing this cruise with a group April next year,cant wait. Just a quick question tho...People say "there were a LOT of Puerto Ricans on the ship"....hello,you are sailing from San Juan. I think the same would be said about New Yorkers if the ship sails from New York and so on.So, whats the big deal. If you go with the attitude about "those d..n Puerto Ricans" that will probably prevail throughout your cruise, and you will probably not have the best time.

[HapiFeet]

We just got back from our Carnival Victory sailing of February 1. This was our 3rd sailing on a Carnival ship and my review isn't good for this one. Embarkation was a breeze because we had VIP priority with our Carnival Vacation Club membership. That was one of the few positive parts of this cruise. Our balcony cabin, 6363, was directly above the band in the casino! I've never seen a band in the casino on any other ship we've sailed on so it didn't seem like it would be a problem being above the casino. Big mistake. We could actually sing along with the music pouring through our cabin from early evening until well after midnight! Complaints to the Purser's Desk got only apologies and not much else. They said they'd send the technicians down to check on the volume but that was no help. They said they didn't have a cabin to move us to so we were stuck. We had early excursions in each port and needed our sleep but that wouldn't happen the entire cruise.

 

I don't know who dropped the ball for our seating assignments but our TA requested we be cross-referenced with 6 CCr's so we could dine together. This didn't happen and we sat over the propellers the first night to celebrate my DH's birthday with some other people while our new CC friends were too far away to share the celebration. They finally got it right on the 2nd night.

 

The food was pretty bad. Dining room food was tasteless and the variety was limited. Buffet food was unappealing and we opted for deli sandwiches or pizza which were not much better. Room service food was pretty bad as well. The menu was very limited -- basically sandwiches and salads. Our grilled cheese sandwiches were basically cold cheese on toast. The best meal was the express breakfast section. We could get in and out in a few minutes. Once we found an empty table to sit at, we usually needed to bus it ourselves. One of the coffee stations at the beginning of the buffet was non-functioning the entire cruise.

 

The condition of the ship was mixed. Several of the hand sanitizers were empty. They were replacing tiles on the lido decks while we were on the ship, rather than while in port. As far as the Puerto Rican situation, that wasn't really an issue except for the repeat announcements in Spanish.

 

Debarkment was okay because we had priority debarkment but waited until 10:30 since our flight wasn't until 2:00. However, once off the ship, there were long lines for the transfer buses. And the lines to USAirways were ridiculous! They eventually started pulling people out of line based on when their flights left in order to get us on our flights in time.

 

I have never posted a negative review and was very dissappointed in this ship. We were on the Carnival Freedom in 2007 and loved it. This turned out to be merely a way to get to our ports. Buyer be aware that this is not one of the better ships.

[TheVegasMan]

We just got back from our Carnival Victory sailing of February 1. This was our 3rd sailing on a Carnival ship and my review isn't good for this one. Embarkation was a breeze because we had VIP priority with our Carnival Vacation Club membership. That was one of the few positive parts of this cruise. Our balcony cabin, 6363, was directly above the band in the casino! I've never seen a band in the casino on any other ship we've sailed on so it didn't seem like it would be a problem being above the casino. Big mistake. We could actually sing along with the music pouring through our cabin from early evening until well after midnight! Complaints to the Purser's Desk got only apologies and not much else. They said they'd send the technicians down to check on the volume but that was no help. They said they didn't have a cabin to move us to so we were stuck. We had early excursions in each port and needed our sleep but that wouldn't happen the entire cruise.

 

I don't know who dropped the ball for our seating assignments but our TA requested we be cross-referenced with 6 CCr's so we could dine together. This didn't happen and we sat over the propellers the first night to celebrate my DH's birthday with some other people while our new CC friends were too far away to share the celebration. They finally got it right on the 2nd night.

 

The food was pretty bad. Dining room food was tasteless and the variety was limited. Buffet food was unappealing and we opted for deli sandwiches or pizza which were not much better. Room service food was pretty bad as well. The menu was very limited -- basically sandwiches and salads. Our grilled cheese sandwiches were basically cold cheese on toast. The best meal was the express breakfast section. We could get in and out in a few minutes. Once we found an empty table to sit at, we usually needed to bus it ourselves. One of the coffee stations at the beginning of the buffet was non-functioning the entire cruise.

 

The condition of the ship was mixed. Several of the hand sanitizers were empty. They were replacing tiles on the lido decks while we were on the ship, rather than while in port. As far as the Puerto Rican situation, that wasn't really an issue except for the repeat announcements in Spanish.

 

Debarkment was okay because we had priority debarkment but waited until 10:30 since our flight wasn't until 2:00. However, once off the ship, there were long lines for the transfer buses. And the lines to USAirways were ridiculous! They eventually started pulling people out of line based on when their flights left in order to get us on our flights in time.

 

I have never posted a negative review and was very dissappointed in this ship. We were on the Carnival Freedom in 2007 and loved it. This turned out to be merely a way to get to our ports. Buyer be aware that this is not one of the better ships.

Not much they can do if the ship is full. There have to be empty rooms in order for a room switch to be made.

 

The times we went to the buffet if a table sat empty for more than a minute before one of the the staff started to clear it that was a long time. They were quick to clear and reset the tables when we were there in December.

 

Maintenance goes on around the clock. A ship is a 24 hour city. Even when it's in port there is not much time to make repairs.

 

When you found an empty sanitizer did you report it to one of the crew?

[Shyner]

and would do so again on the intinerary that you're planning. I though she was a beautiful ship and had some of the most excellent steward and cocktail service on the Victory. I have to agree that you shouldn't let anyone else's trip sway your planning of your own. There are many reasons that make an individual NOT enjoy their vacation (some just because they don't enjoy much of anything anyways! :eek: )- and sometimes it's a perfect storm of minor incidents. Carnival is an affordable cruiseline for those who like to travel and see fun places. It's what you make of it- keep an open mind and you'll have a great time no matter which vessel or itinerary that you decide to sail!

 

Bon Voyage!

[java22]

Hi everyone just returned feb8 off the victory and had a great time. We did something everyday at each port and had a blast doing so, we did not book anything through carnival much cheaper once on the island. We traveled with our three kids so used the kids club in the evenings and the hubby and i played black jack. We did well until the last evening oh well cant win em all. The food was good never went hungry had fun at the superbowl party did alot of drinking and soaked up all the sunshine we could. Just to let people know if your fair skinned make sure to put on a good sunscreen we had on a 50 and still managed to burn so be careful. As far as puerto ricans on the cruise yes there were some but not to the degree that we were outnumbered. As far as the cabin we had it was okay, a little small for 5 but we managed. Only one outlet in the room worked so be sure to bring a powerbar. We were on deck 8 with a balcony and had no fridge. We were led to believe there were refrigerators in the rooms. We brought juice boxes for the kids so a fridge would have been nice. Also the ship is freezing cold bring a sweater or light jacket. We also kept our balcony door open by proping the chair on deck against it, at night so we could hear the ocean well we set the smoke detector off. Apparently the heavy fog outside set the thing off. Super sensative. The security guard had to call the bridge so they could shut the thing off. So be careful of that. All in all we had a really good cruise and i would do it again. So everyone venturing out onto the victory have a blast.

[*CruiseFan*]

We're sailing this the last Sunday in June and I could care less what others write in their reviews, honestly. I liked the itinerary, as did my DH, and we chose it based on that. We've been on the Victory before (W. Caribbean), and weren't pleased with the lines we dealt with at the time but are still going again :)

 

If you like the itinerary and the price is right I say book it and enjoy yourself :) Just because some people had a bad time isn't an indication of what is to come for you :)

[HapiFeet]

There are many reasons that make an individual NOT enjoy their vacation (some just because they don't enjoy much of anything anyways! :eek: )- and sometimes it's a perfect storm of minor incidents.

 

Yes, I guess ours was that perfect storm of incidents. I am an open-minded traveler and, as my name implies, a happy person. The Victory did pick up new passengers in 2 of the ports but I guess it wasn't possible to switch cabins.

 

The itinerary on the Victory was fabulous and that is our main reason for cruising. Like Java22, we booked private excursions and had a wonderful time exploring the diversity of the islands. Jalousie Beach on St. Lucia was the best snorkeling we've ever done. We were also expecting refrigerators, but that was another minor issue. Java22, I'm glad you and your family enjoyed the cruise and we're sorry we didn't get to meet you at the Meet-and-Greet. The timing was off because of the Muster being moved to the 2nd day. Yes, definitely bring and wear your sunscreen, bring sweaters or shawls for the cool public rooms, and a powerstrip. We were able to leave our balcony door open without a chair and it's always wonderful to see the ports come and go from the balcony. I was surprised the air conditioning didn't shut off when we opened the balcony door, so we didn't want to leave it open too long.

 

BTW, the pina coladas were the best we've had!

[Cigar Dude]

If you like the itinerary and the price is right I say book it and enjoy yourself :) Just because some people had a bad time isn't an indication of what is to come for you :)

 

Thank you. Finally, someone who gets it.

 

:)

[silverridge]

We just got back from our Carnival Victory sailing of February 1. This was our 3rd sailing on a Carnival ship and my review isn't good for this one. Embarkation was a breeze because we had VIP priority with our Carnival Vacation Club membership. That was one of the few positive parts of this cruise. Our balcony cabin, 6363, was directly above the band in the casino! I've never seen a band in the casino on any other ship we've sailed on so it didn't seem like it would be a problem being above the casino. Big mistake. We could actually sing along with the music pouring through our cabin from early evening until well after midnight! Complaints to the Purser's Desk got only apologies and not much else. They said they'd send the technicians down to check on the volume but that was no help. They said they didn't have a cabin to move us to so we were stuck. We had early excursions in each port and needed our sleep but that wouldn't happen the entire cruise.

 

With all due respect, if you booked a cabin right above the promenade deck, and then complain about the noise, you have no one to blame but yourself. There is a reason those cabins are cheaper.

[Aplmac]

Don't think I ever went on one single cruise that was 100% Guaranteed Heavenly Perfect

but then I didn't fool myself about that, in the first place. ;)

 

Unrealistic Expectations are usually rewarded with disappointment

 

 

She's not perfect, but she'll do nicely!

 

 

.

[michiganirish]

we were also on the feb 1 sailing- as for us- each day was better than the day before. will post a review later but go and have a great time. no worries!

[wentworth]

Hi everyone just returned feb8 off the victory and had a great time. We did something everyday at each port and had a blast doing so, we did not book anything through carnival much cheaper once on the island. We traveled with our three kids so used the kids club in the evenings and the hubby and i played black jack. We did well until the last evening oh well cant win em all. The food was good never went hungry had fun at the superbowl party did alot of drinking and soaked up all the sunshine we could. Just to let people know if your fair skinned make sure to put on a good sunscreen we had on a 50 and still managed to burn so be careful. As far as puerto ricans on the cruise yes there were some but not to the degree that we were outnumbered. As far as the cabin we had it was okay, a little small for 5 but we managed. Only one outlet in the room worked so be sure to bring a powerbar. We were on deck 8 with a balcony and had no fridge. We were led to believe there were refrigerators in the rooms. We brought juice boxes for the kids so a fridge would have been nice. Also the ship is freezing cold bring a sweater or light jacket. We also kept our balcony door open by proping the chair on deck against it, at night so we could hear the ocean well we set the smoke detector off. Apparently the heavy fog outside set the thing off. Super sensative. The security guard had to call the bridge so they could shut the thing off. So be careful of that. All in all we had a really good cruise and i would do it again. So everyone venturing out onto the victory have a blast.

 

Java. What are the ages of your children? What excursions did you do

on the islands? We are sailiing with 4 year old granddaugter and would

like recommendations. We cruise on March 8.

 

Thanks

[lizardhowson]

We just got back from our Carnival Victory sailing of February 1. This was our 3rd sailing on a Carnival ship and my review isn't good for this one. Embarkation was a breeze because we had VIP priority with our Carnival Vacation Club membership. That was one of the few positive parts of this cruise. Our balcony cabin, 6363, was directly above the band in the casino! I've never seen a band in the casino on any other ship we've sailed on so it didn't seem like it would be a problem being above the casino. Big mistake. We could actually sing along with the music pouring through our cabin from early evening until well after midnight! Complaints to the Purser's Desk got only apologies and not much else. They said they'd send the technicians down to check on the volume but that was no help. They said they didn't have a cabin to move us to so we were stuck. We had early excursions in each port and needed our sleep but that wouldn't happen the entire cruise.

 

I don't know who dropped the ball for our seating assignments but our TA requested we be cross-referenced with 6 CCr's so we could dine together. This didn't happen and we sat over the propellers the first night to celebrate my DH's birthday with some other people while our new CC friends were too far away to share the celebration. They finally got it right on the 2nd night.

 

The food was pretty bad. Dining room food was tasteless and the variety was limited. Buffet food was unappealing and we opted for deli sandwiches or pizza which were not much better. Room service food was pretty bad as well. The menu was very limited -- basically sandwiches and salads. Our grilled cheese sandwiches were basically cold cheese on toast. The best meal was the express breakfast section. We could get in and out in a few minutes. Once we found an empty table to sit at, we usually needed to bus it ourselves. One of the coffee stations at the beginning of the buffet was non-functioning the entire cruise.

 

The condition of the ship was mixed. Several of the hand sanitizers were empty. They were replacing tiles on the lido decks while we were on the ship, rather than while in port. As far as the Puerto Rican situation, that wasn't really an issue except for the repeat announcements in Spanish.

 

Debarkment was okay because we had priority debarkment but waited until 10:30 since our flight wasn't until 2:00. However, once off the ship, there were long lines for the transfer buses. And the lines to USAirways were ridiculous! They eventually started pulling people out of line based on when their flights left in order to get us on our flights in time.

 

I have never posted a negative review and was very dissappointed in this ship. We were on the Carnival Freedom in 2007 and loved it. This turned out to be merely a way to get to our ports. Buyer be aware that this is not one of the better ships.

 

First of all, I wish to state I AM NOT a Carnival cheerleader in any way, shape or form.

 

I must agree with other posters about the cabin issue. I always hand pick my cabin. If you do not, then you take your chances. Sounds like your luck ran out on this cruise.

 

Dining room seating assignments--isn't the 1st night open seating ?? Sounds like your requests were honored by the 2nd night which is when assigned seating begins. Unless I misread your post, you have no issue here.

 

Dining room food-- This bothers me as I have a Victory cruise schedules and I will hope for the best.

 

Room service menu limited--Carnival has fewer room service selections than any of the other cruise lines as I am told. If you researched this cruise, that should have been no surprise.

 

Busing a few tables, empty coffee makers, empty hand sanitizers and tile repair will not bother me, as I will work around it.

 

Long lines for transfer busses--I will never use Carnival transfers (too much like a cattle line) just as you describe it.

 

As far as the lines for US Airways (I will assume you mean at the airport) get used to air travel of the new century. Not a Carnival issue.

 

That being said, a later post indicates you liked the ports, good for you. Other than the food issue, the rest or your complaints are either not directly a Carnival issue, were to be expected, or what I consider too minor to interfere with me having fun seeing 8 new places I have never been before, all the time not having to cook a meal or wash a dish.

[zebraman1]

I was on the Feb. 1st cruise as well and can only say positive things from start to finish. This was our sixth cruise with Carnival and I have to say the best.

 

We arrived at the dock the day of sailing at 11:30 and were on the Lido deck by 12:30. Room was superb. Steward was fantastic as was all other personnel on this ship. I loved the decor of this ship and you always saw someone dusting or cleaning to keep it spic and span.

 

The four of us frequented the casino nearly every night and, yes, the band was very loud but enjoyable. I can see how it would keep people awake who had a room near the promenade deck. We all actually had quite good luck at the casino. One of us typically won at least $50 each night --- that's not to say we brought it home with us though. Two individuals won over $200 and these were on the penny or nickel slots.

 

I thought the food was excellent. We mainly had dinner in the dining

room each night and every meal was superb -- again, from start to finish. We did the buffet for breakfast/lunch a few times and in all honesty, did not experience the lines people so frequently spoke about. I thought the food was fine but I wasn't expecting a five-star meal here. We did order room service a couple of times and often it wasn't hot when it came -- but who cared! We were having a blast. They frequently called to ask our opinion on our room service order and we were honest with them. They were quick to tell us if the order would take longer than 20-30 minutes to arrive as well which was nice to know.

 

I was told there were 300 kids on board. Have no idea where they kept them because I barely saw any. As far as Puerto Ricans -- no issues there either at any level. The population definitely did not consist of the 70% like I had previously been told through these posts. Even if there were - again, who cares. I felt everyone was courteous and friendly.

 

We did several excursions and were off the ship at every port. Loved each one and it would be hard to choose which one was better. We took the Silvermoon Catamaran Tour in Barbados and it was fantastic. I highly recommend it!!!

 

We had luggage express and that worked wonderfully. The only thing was we were told to meet in the lounge until called but they never really made a formal announcement for us to leave. However, we were able to sit in very comfortable surroundings, watching CNN for about an hour and then we walked right off the ship, went through Customs (which basically didn't amount to anything) and off to find a taxi. Very easy. We didn't leave the ship until about 10:30 since we had a later flight.

 

I loved this cruise and plan to book it next year as I couldn't envision anything better. The ports were phenomenal and it's all what you make

it. I feel bad that some people didn't have the same positive experience as we did.

 

In summary, I highly recommend this cruise in every possible way!

[lizardhowson]

I was on the Feb. 1st cruise as well and can only say positive things from start to finish. This was our sixth cruise with Carnival and I have to say the best.

 

We arrived at the dock the day of sailing at 11:30 and were on the Lido deck by 12:30. Room was superb. Steward was fantastic as was all other personnel on this ship. I loved the decor of this ship and you always saw someone dusting or cleaning to keep it spic and span.

 

The four of us frequented the casino nearly every night and, yes, the band was very loud but enjoyable. I can see how it would keep people awake who had a room near the promenade deck. We all actually had quite good luck at the casino. One of us typically won at least $50 each night --- that's not to say we brought it home with us though. Two individuals won over $200 and these were on the penny or nickel slots.

 

I thought the food was excellent. We mainly had dinner in the dining

room each night and every meal was superb -- again, from start to finish. We did the buffet for breakfast/lunch a few times and in all honesty, did not experience the lines people so frequently spoke about. I thought the food was fine but I wasn't expecting a five-star meal here. We did order room service a couple of times and often it wasn't hot when it came -- but who cared! We were having a blast. They frequently called to ask our opinion on our room service order and we were honest with them. They were quick to tell us if the order would take longer than 20-30 minutes to arrive as well which was nice to know.

 

I was told there were 300 kids on board. Have no idea where they kept them because I barely saw any. As far as Puerto Ricans -- no issues there either at any level. The population definitely did not consist of the 70% like I had previously been told through these posts. Even if there were - again, who cares. I felt everyone was courteous and friendly.

 

We did several excursions and were off the ship at every port. Loved each one and it would be hard to choose which one was better. We took the Silvermoon Catamaran Tour in Barbados and it was fantastic. I highly recommend it!!!

 

We had luggage express and that worked wonderfully. The only thing was we were told to meet in the lounge until called but they never really made a formal announcement for us to leave. However, we were able to sit in very comfortable surroundings, watching CNN for about an hour and then we walked right off the ship, went through Customs (which basically didn't amount to anything) and off to find a taxi. Very easy. We didn't leave the ship until about 10:30 since we had a later flight.

 

I loved this cruise and plan to book it next year as I couldn't envision anything better. The ports were phenomenal and it's all what you make

it. I feel bad that some people didn't have the same positive experience as we did.

 

In summary, I highly recommend this cruise in every possible way!

 

Thanks for your review. Good things to hear.

[ortech]

i too was on this cruise.. first time too ...all the ports were great i did the dominica tour loved it.. the island is sad cause they lost so much in a hurricane but they are trying to pull it all together and make the best they can... the falls are so beautiful!! ... Antigua the waters are so blue!...

st lucia is paradise... as for the ship we thought it was great.. but then again i have nothing to compare... service was great my stewart took care of us.. he filled our kooler with ice every day and night.. and made cute towel animals.. the other people on the boat were fun.. there were plenty of chairs by the pool and loved the big screen for movie night . getting off the boat at each port was very easy... and getting back on too.. BUT the last day what a mess .. we almost missed our flight. but thanks to the nice people in san juan they understood and let us skip line so that we can get to our flights. over all this was a great cruise and would recommend to all.. enjoy and you will have fun!!;)

[java22]

Java. What are the ages of your children? What excursions did you do

on the islands? We are sailiing with 4 year old granddaugter and would

like recommendations. We cruise on March 8.

 

Thanks

 

 

Hi my children are 10, 8 and 6. We did a beach day in St Thomas called Magens Bay Beach. Got off boat and took a taxi to the beach. They had chairs and umbrellas to rent which we did because our youngest is as white as a ghost and burns really easily. As a matter of fact we all burnt that day even with a good waterproof sunscreen on so beware the sun is very intense. my youngest stayed out of the sun most of the day but still managed to be sick that evening from the heat. he actually got dizzy durning the muster drill they do the drill at 5pm when leaving St Thomas. we were all packed on deck 4 like sardines and we were one of the first ones down so we ended up at the back against the wall and everyone was crowded around us with him being so short he felt closterfobic and decided to be sick so try not to be there first it does get really hot standing and waiting it seems to take forever for the muster drill because once everything is explained in english they do it in spanish too. The next day was Dominica so we got off the ship and you will be bumbarded by men trying to sell you a tour package we found a man who was reasonably priced and we went to the emerald pool with the water falls and walked through the rainforest the kids enjoyed this because we were not in the direct sun. I think we paid a 140 total for 5 of us. We were gone for 4 hours which was plenty for the kids. Barbados was a definate beach day we went to the Boatyard beach and rented the umbrella and chairs for the day but be warned the umbrellas go flying through the air. it is windy and our umbrella took off on us and hit some people laying on the beach thank god they were okay. I brought sand toys for the kids to play with, the boys brought army men and tanks from the dollar store and had a blast building army bases. Oh ya my daughter had her hair braided and I asked the lady how much and she said 3bucks a braid so I said I usually pay 1 or2 and she said okay to 2 well my daughter has really long hair and ended up with 18 braids, so in the mean time I went out into the ocean while my husband sat on the beach with her and the woman finished and my husband asked how much and the lady said whatever you think so he gave her 50 dollars. I couldnt believe it It was my fault I forgot to let him know the price. Lesson learnt dont let hubby deal with anything that has to do with hair. There are vendors there trying to sell their stuff but once you have said no they will leave you alone. All in all this beach was absolutely beautiful nice clear water and soft white sand. our next stop was St Lucia by far the most beautiful island we got off the ship after breakfast and found a local taxi driver we wanted to see the island so he took us on a nice tour we stopped in Soufri Not sure of the spelling and saw the volcano then did the hot mud bath very hot although my 6 year old could walk through it no problem I could not my feet couldnt take the heat. we also saw the two pitons very beautiful and stopped at a waterfall we paid 150 for the 5 of us again. This was a very nice tour and the kids enjoyed seeing the volcano. Antigua was a beach day but my kids wanted to stay on the ship in the kids group they had enough of the heat and they loved their groups. Apparently there were 300 kids on the ship but I think they were mostly teenagers because my kids groups were empty. So the last day was St Kitts and we hired a taxi again once off the ship to take us to Brimstone Hill fortress. Wow is about all I can say to describe this fortress. The views are spectacular and the kids loved seeing the canons and hearing about the history. After we were finished here he brought us to some Botanical gardens it was pretty but the kids werent impressed so after we asked to be dropped off at Friars beach and to be picked up at 3 well the beach was by far the worst beach we had been to the sand was full of broken shells actually my daughter cut her foot on the beach there. The lounge chairs were old and filthy not worth the stop maybe try a different beach. Anyway he picked us up at 3 and the total cost for the day was 150. So be sure to book off the ship because the taxis cost at least half of what carnival charges and these guys will be sure to take care of you remember this is their livelyhood so they wont screw it up. Have a great time and be sure to put you granddaughter into the kids club the woman there are amazing.

The tours dont feed you so be sure to eat breakfast and what my kids did was grab a few boxes of cereal from the buffet and put them in their beach bag so when they got hungry they had that to snack on. I also brought fish crackers and granola bars along with juice boxes. Hope this helps any more questions just let me know.

[kelz66]

All of this info is great!!!

I can't wait to go next year!!!

 

:cool:

[figs]

Just a note to help clarify the casino band issue - I was on Victory in October outta Norfolk, and the casino band was ridiculously loud then, too. I'm a rock/metal concert-going type, punk shows, etc----noise does not bother me, typically!!

 

But in the casino, this band was way, way too loud. My roomie and I would plug our ears when we played any of the machines near the little band/stage/setup area. You literally had to yell to be heard by the person sitting next to you--my roomie and I kept laughing about that. It didn't bother me too much, we tended to avoid that area, but this thread brings back that memory.

 

I can't even imagine having a room over that. I would pick a room over any of the lounges over it, honestly. :)

 

Note to anyone who hasn't been on her: She's a pretty, pretty ship. My fav so far with Carnival----the atrium is gorgeous!! I like all the blues and greens on her.

[wentworth]

java

 

Thanks so much for your comments. I appreciate your taking the time

to review your excursions!!! I have been checking on the port of call

boards also................so now we need to make some decisions. I

agree totally with booking on our own. Granddaughter has cruised with

us before and LOVES Camp Carnival.

 

I am glad you enjoyed your cruise and hopefully the casino will be "loose"

for us.:)

[Kaboochi]

It might get annoying to hear the annoncements twice, but that's life sometimes you have to deal with stuff like that.

 

Sail with RC and you'll hear the announcements repeated in 4 different lanuages, all piped into your cabin. On Victory you had to open your door to hear announcements - a nice touch!!!!!! Adios