Carnival Victory Reviews

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We flew from St Louis to San Juan PR a day early and glad we did. We can never tell what the weather will do in Missouri during late January. We stayed at the Airport Hotel in San Juan and it was just OK. The room was very clean and about average for a night stay. Nothing wrong with hotel but I would rate it at a 3 star at best. However, it was convenient. Carnival had a transfer bus in lower level of the airport but we had a tough time locating it. Nobody could tell us where it was. Eventually, we found it (Lower level of airport by baggage claim). They took our baggage and placed it on a truck and assured us it was going to the ship...and it did make it there. We boarded a bus and off through San Juan to the cruise terminal. This place was a madhouse. There were hundreds of people all over the terminal but it was organized chaos. Carnival had people everywhere helping you get through the process and it was not bad. * Note: We were told we could bring 2 bottles of wine with us on the ship. We read on CC that many people do this. There is a liquor store at the terminal and if you want to bring something other than wine (bourbon, scotch etc...) they will tell you that you can and how to do it...enough said. We got through security screening very quickly and without incident. We were on the ship with our two carryon bags within 30 minutes of arriving at the terminal. Rooms were not quite ready so we went to the Lido Deck for some lunch. We were pleased with what they had to offer and enjoyed sitting looking at the bay. After the 30 minute lunch break, we discovered our room was ready. We had booked an Ocean Suite and were so happy we did. The room has a lot more room than a standard balcony. It was awesome. Jacuzzi tub, dressing room, more than ample closet space, sofa (sleeper), chair, flat screen TV, mini bar, and a large balcony with four chairs and a small table. The room was very clean and plenty of space. We do like to spend a little time in our room to chill out and relax so this was perfect. I've read people saying the suites were not worth the money...I disagree. If you plan on spending any down time in the room and can afford it, please book a suite. I am hooked from now on. This cruise was a repositioning cruise and the last trip from San Juan for the Victory so we did get a free upgrade to a suite (watch for those) It did take some time to get our bags delivered. We were a little concerned and spoke to guest services. They assured us we would get them by 8PM and we did. * Hint: Bring a change of clothes/swimsuit in carryon with you so while waiting for bags you can enjoy the day even without all of your luggage. The safety meeting was short and to the point and they tried to make it fun. Finally we sailed. It's an awesome feeling to finally leave port and be on our way to sun and fun. The ports we visited were St Thomas, Aruba, Curacao, Nassau and we concluded our adventure in Maimi. We did not book any excursions with Carnival this time. We learned, with a little research, we can do what we want for a little less money on our own time. These ports were wonderful and we will repeat this trip! Food: Everyone has different tastes but we were content with the food. Buffet lines were a little long and selection was fair. Don't expect to be blown away. The Atlantic dining room fare was above average. Good menu options and the staff was excellent. We enjoyed it and recommend the anytime seating. I don't want to be on a schedule while on vacation. Room service was very good too. They were quick and we got everything we ordered. I like the idea of 24 hour pizza and I enjoyed it very much (again subjective). Chopsticks was just so-so. I was disappointed at people wearing clothing not appropriate for dining and nobody enforcing the dress code. I am not uptight but why have the rules if they are not going to be followed or enforced? Entertainment: The shows were just ok. I'm not a fan of the corny dancing and singing so no high marks here. I would rather sit and listen to music and enjoy a beer at a bar personally. The adult comedy club shows were funny but short. There is always something to do on the ship day or night. It's all about how busy you want to be. We did get to watch the Superbowl on the huge outdoor movie screen under the stars. We will never forget that fun experience. The Victory will now embark from Miami and I hope the standards will not change. The ship was very clean and I have nothing but high praises for all the staff. They do a very good job at every level! They are helpful, polite and make sure every need has been met. They want you to have fun and it shows. We didn't encountered one thing that took away from our experience. I understand not everyone has the same experience and expectations can vary but we will be back and cruise with Carnival again.

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This was the first time I was pretty active on the boards before my trip, and my first time to post a review, so go easy! Our first trip to push out from somewhere other than Texas or Florida. Embarking at San Juan is a great concept and we'd absolutely do it again, but not, I repeat, NOT during the San Sebastin Patron Saint Festival. There were other pros and cons to the adventure, which we specifically picked for the ports of call that were new to us and the opportunity to try a seven day trip with only one sea day. While we would repeat the trip, it certainly had a different feel and reaffirmed our love for sea days! San Juan We flew into San Juan a day before embarkation. With a 10 PM embarkation, that might not have been totally necessary, but is our tradition and made a nice extra day to the vacation. The festival also limited hotel choices. We stated at the Verdanza Hotel. It wasn't state side luxury, but the special 8th floor rooms that come with a small balcony, gym, wifi, and breakfast were quite decent. Barrachina's is a mainstay for our trips to San Juan, and after catching a combination of cabs and walking about a mile, we made it. Fantastic as always. The festival was certainly a site to see. We walked through it all, two stages of live music, food stands aplenty, and a barrage of drums, whistles, and stampeding crowds. We snapped some pictures, hit up my favorite cigar guy down by the dock, and decided to start the journey home, which only included one cab, but did take some walking and negotiation to make that happen. Street closures made cabs a real issue on embarkation day. Some actually pulled into our hotel, heard the term Carnival, and drove off. Ultimately, we split a van with a couple from Wisconsin. We each paid the amount of what the van as a whole should, and got dropped off a good five blocks short of the boat. We dropped our bags at the side of the boat, and ventured back into the city for one last drink at Barrichina's, our first stop into the Old Harbor Brewery, and the chance to get a few last trinkets. Dinner was served through open seating, and we needed to eat a bit early for the 9:30 safety speech before we set sail. Cr??me brulee night was night one as well and, though rushed, it was still quite good, and off we were on time despite issues the boat had the prior week. We had read that here, and for a week leading up to our trip my wife called our boat the Titanic. St. Thomas Taking advice from the boards on CC and wanting something different from our prior treks downtown and to Meghan's bay, we discovered Sapphire Beach. I'm glad we did, the crowd was a little more sparse and a little more mature than our Meghan's Bay experience. We did discover late in the day that the waitress we had used for food and drink from the house bar wasn't the way to go. While adequate, she had to make a long run (slow walk) to the bar and the drinks were average. However, the makeshift bar that was on the beach and run by a local entrepreneur was the best kept secret around! While it didn't look open, turned out it was and you essentially poured your own ("Tell me when to stop" she says!). It may in fact be a very good thing that we didn't discover this until it was time to go. The one or two drinks we got there were more than enough to polish off the afternoon. Barbados We killed some time before a noon excursion downtown, but ultimately that wasn't time well spent and as the only boat in dock, we seemed to be sitting ducks for street vendors. That adventure didn't last long. The afternoon's excursion was among the highlights of the week though, we booked the Tiami Sail, Turtles & Beach through carnival. It was great, my wife got some amazing pictures, I may have had a little too much rum. Some friends did the Five Star Catamaran & Turtle Encounter which in comparing notes might have been a bit better, but you won't go wrong either way. St. Lucia Prior to our trip, a co-worker took a similar trip and said that she had some issue with vagrants in this port. Clearly, we found greater issues in the morning hours at Barbados, but to play it safe, we'd booked a private couples tour of the island. This also stemmed from some indecision of what to do. I found Serenity from comments here, and ultimately booked the private tour. I highly recommend this as a great way to see the island and enjoy it. We had a guide, a driver, and the two of us, not to mention a stocked cooler! They efficiently navigated us around stops that were overcrowded and then effectively doubled back to see those stops. We did more than could be imagined, and really only saw about half the island. A brief summary of the tour included short stops at the governor's mansion, the island's oldest church, and many roadside scenic overlooks. We ate an incredibly fresh banana literally on the shoulder of the road by the plantation, drank coconut water directly from a fresh coconut, and had lunch at a sweetheart's private balcony overlooking the famous Pitons. We also saw their natural sulfur sprints that are inside what's essentially an active volcano, one of the public gardens, and a silk screening store that makes all their wears on site. We took over 200 pictures throughout the day If the trip had fewer ports of call, we might have hit the beach, but this was a great break mid-trip, and we seemed to find a beach everywhere else! It was neat to spend one day learning some history and culture and seeing some sites. St. Kitts Speaking of amazing beach days! I'd love to see more of St. Kitts sometime, but our day here was really great. We initially hailed a cab to head to Cockleshell Beach. As we got in route, suddenly the price went up. Friar's Beach was on the way and another on our list to see, so we took the cheaper way out, and how wonderful that turned out! Both were recommended on cruise critic. The water was amazing, fish were active right up to the shoreline and even at its peak, it never really got too crowded. Robin attempted some fish shots, but the current was pretty strong. It was a bit pricy in terms of food and chairs. We were specifically on the sand outside the Carambola tapas restaurant, but there were other places down the beach that offered the same views on more fiscal chairs and bar fare. They advertise a reef 100 feet from shore. I don't doubt it, but I wasn't venturing out that far. There is some significant topography and active fish very close to the shore, and I managed to do some snorkeling off the beach, but never really ventured out very far. We took a water taxi back. Evidently, those who used it to get there could get the return trip at half price, but they don't run on any enforced schedule, so I'm not sure I'd trust it. St. Kitts is known for having the trained monkeys that guys will allow you to pose with for tips. Of course, I had to do it. It was the end of the day, and telling a vendor I only had $3 left but wanted one picture, he obliged, and much to my wife's surprise, she was included and two shots were taken. Oops! How'd that happen! ? St. Maarten It was time to do something different, and we'd pre-booked an America's Cup Regatta excursion. It was a nice change of pace as well. Even better, some newly made friends agreed to pre-scout our favorite beach spot, so we knew we'd have two chairs waiting for us at the end of the race. Pretty cool experience and our captain said they've expanded into Cozumel recently. Not something I'd do frequently, but definitely something I'd recommend that others attempt if there's a stop like Cozumel without as much to offer and you've been a few times. We lost the race under protest, drank some rum punch, and wondered down the beach to find our chairs awaiting us. It was a very nice, relaxing afternoon sharing good laughs with new friends. That's frequently been the case in this port. We again used a water taxi to get back. In the past, we hadn't used this, but likely will in the future. While the walk isn't horrible, it was worth the $5 per trip, and might prove even better as a $7 day pass. This stop did mark the end of our trip, but being out on the beach definitely limited that feel of finality. MSS Victory Overall, we both really liked the Victory. It didn't feel like a 12 year old vessel. The blues and greens came together really well, the ships layout is one we've become very familiar with, and it was a great trip. With only one sea day and the prospect of getting off each day, we booked a second floor room and took the trip at a great price. I would do it the same way again for a trip with so many stops, though I might give the overall floor plan more consideration as I think we were under the kitchen, which brought some noise from above at ALL hours. Generally though, still better than some trips we've taken near the elevator and hearing it arrive on our floor throughout the night. We had a rear table in the rear dinning room. Regardless of the reason, my only real complaint was that our wait staff was fairly slow. We frequently entered the dinning room rigt on time. Our entire 10 top was fairly prompt, yet, nightly we were also the last one's out the door. The food was good, but the service from the waiters was well below that of our other trips. I'm guilty of falling asleep and missing the planned get together of us on the roll call. I take full responsibility, but a mid-afternoon nap, usually right around getting back on board, became pretty common this trip! The serenity area was among the nicest we've seen, except maybe the Dream. I would have no issue traveling again on the Victory. Comedy was great as always, but only offered four of the seven nights. Perhaps logistics caused this, or they just needed us to get out of the comedy club and spend some money a couple nights. For whatever reason, we seem to have more than the average flight issues for casual travelers. Our return home was impacted by two faulty cockpits and, I'm not joking, wild dogs on the runway in San Juan, leading to an extra night on the road without our luggage. All is well that ends well, and while not the way it was planned, we'd both taken the Monday off work. Instead of home Sunday afternoon, it was late Monday morning. Back to reality, winter, and not too much later, all those other responsibilities.... Time to book more trips!

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This was our 8th cruise with Carnival. We noticed big cutbacks on activities, shows and anemities. Our cabin steward needed drug testing, the guy was weird, but his assistant was terrific. We normally pay a few bucks the first night for extra ice at night- never saw it. No tolietries in the room as previous trips. We asked several times for a morning room menu- he'd say OK but never saw it until I went down the hall to another guy who gave me enough for the rest of the trip. We really like Carnival but this cruise felt all wrong. The morale of the wait staff and beverage servers was real low. We heard alot of them tell guests- "not my fault" "not me". In 7 nights we had one great waiter at our "anytime" dining. Food was good-but typical Carnival. Great Cruise Director "Goose' and then Emma the Carnival's ray of sunshine from the funcrew. Overall the ships Rivera and main deck had a bad smell- ?carpet chemicals or something. Our cabin was clean- but that room steward was something else. This was a re-positioning cruise so I wonder if that was part of it but still no reason for poor customer treatment. Many people we chatted with felt that Carnival indeed has slipped alot. The return guest reception was horrific- sweet drink and a cold hunk of looked like pizza. We just felt all wrong about this cruise.

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This was our 4th cruise, 2nd with Carnival. The ship was clean and nice, the food was average, the service was bad. We simply went with Carnival bc of the ports we wanted to visit, no other cruise line offered this itinerary. The quality of people they hire leaves alot to be desired. The room stewards were great, other than that service was not good. There were nobody around to take your plates in the buffet dining. The sitdown dinners were disappointing. The wait staff was very slow, not very friendly or accommodating. The average dinner took 1.5 hours, for only a table of 2 is a bit ridiculous. The cruise was not full, there were many open tables all over. The staff was not overly busy that caused delays. There was a magician one night,it was more for an age 10 and under crowd. We always enjoy going to the comedian shows. We saw 2 different comics, they were both bad. Of the half hour show they both spend 15-20 mins of that time asking the audience where they were from. The piano bar was nice, however there were no more than 5 or so people in it at any given time. The casino was always busy (very smokey). The lido deck had a big screen tv, it only had one movie on during the entire cruise which was a muppet movie. The ship is not that old, they keep it very clean. I was told this ship normally is 1/4 kids, it didn't have a lot of kids during our cruise. The gym is very nice, it never gets too busy. There is also a track to walk outside. It has a nice waterslide and spa as well. If the quality of service is not important to you this cruise will be fine. The ports are worth the cost for sure.

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We flew from Minneapolis to San Juan for our carnival cruise! First impression of this ship was, hey its exactly like the Valor that we had done the year before! but that was ok. We went right to the stateroom, since it was ready by the time we had boarded the ship. our stateroom was dirty!! We had hair on the toilet in the bathroom, our bodywash was empty, there was 2 holes in the curtains so light shined in at night. And one thing that really erked me is that this ship does not give you a MINI BAR?!?! No bucket for ice either in your room. I thought that was crappy. As we were to sail...oh no, there was a problem with the propulsion system. They had informed us that we would be leaving later than scheduled. e partied well into the night, we were still in San Juan when we went to bed at 2AM. We got up at around 8am to get off the ship in St thomas...when i went outside to smoke, OH MY GOD, we were still in San Juan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We didnt leave the port till 11 am. we did not arrive to St Thomas till almost 5pm. That was the time we were suppose to leave that port. We were given 2 hours to spend on the island before we had to leave. For the change in itinerary we got a 100 credit to the stateroom. that was ok. the rest of the cruise went as planned! And IT WAS GORGEOUS!! all the ports were beautiful! The food on the victory was marginal at best. the service in the Pacific dining room was very slow. We had the 8:15 dinner, and we NEVER got finished before 10pm. The buffet's on the ship were almost better than the dining room, and that being said it wasnt the greatest either, it was the same thing everyday!!! burgers hotdogs fries and chicken tenders...got old the decor of the ship was very outdated and tacky. i thought that the Valor wa tacky, but this was worse. they should update the carpets and colors. over all i think that the victory cruise was much fun, i cant wait till my next years cruise, but i think we are going NCL next year!!!

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