MissCruiseAddict

We just got off the Triumph yesterday. We stayed pre cruise one night at the Holiday Inn Superdome. It was 109.99 plus tax for their park and cruise special. One night at the hotel and up to a week of free parking in their garage. Down side is no free breakfast and no shuttle to port. It was really easy to get a cab to port and that will run you $8 a person. Definitely would stay there again.

Oh and to add it was only a 5 or so minute walk to Canal street and not far at all from Bourbon street and all the fun.

The funny thing is the ship isn't due for dry dock anytime soon. It just came out of dry dock this year. Unfortunately when it was dry docked all they did was add the Guy's burger, Blue Iguana, and the two bar areas on the lido, oh and the Alchemy Bar. Maybe they painted and what have you but the pools were dated, the rooms were dated and showed age. Still as long as it is clean it didn't bother me.

Chargrilled Oysters... no thanks!! haha. The three guys who sat next to us ordered them an while they smelled good it's not something I would like with the melted cheese on them. I'm a purest and like good ol' raw oysters with just a bit of cocktail sauce mixed with lemon juice and horseradish. I tried oysters rockafeller once on a cruise. So gross!

Yup all the ice cream machines worked but around 9 or so they closed all but one down. The one they leave open is in the back of the ship by the aft pool.

Yeah I have heard that shows on other lines are much better but the three we did have far surpassed the stupid playlist production shows that most of the Carnival ships had.

Oh yeah the dang muster drill. Yup it lasted for so long. It was hot and sticky and miserable. They need to take a note from the bigger ships like the Dream and Breeze and have the muster point in the dining rooms and lounges.

Hi!!! This review is going to be short and sweet and straight to the point on my recent cruise on the Triumph. A little background. This was my 10th cruise and my 9th Carnival Cruise. This cruise I cruised with my parents Overall another successful cruise.

Pre- Cruise: We are from Indiana and we drove down the day before the cruise to New Orleans since we've already been to NOLA before and did the local sights. We got in town in time to check into the hotel and get dinner. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Super Dome. They had a park and cruise package for 109.99 plus tax. No shuttle to port the next morning but it was very easy to get a taxi and it was a flat $8 a person to the port. The hotel itself was clean and about a 5 minute or so walk to Canal Street. The only downside to the hotel was there was no cold water or free breakfast. The shower went from luke warm to warm to hot. But overall I'd stay there again.

For dinner our top choice turned out to be closed on Sundays. Our second and third choice were closed on Sundays as well. So we walked from the hotel to Acme Oyster House near Bourbon Street. There was a line outside and we waited 10 minutes before we got a table. WORTH IT! Had some oysters and some red beans and rice. My mom liked their chicken and andouille gumbo and my dad liked the oysters and the jambalaya.

Embarkation: NOLA of course as the staggered check in. Our time was 1030. We hopped in a cab about 1010. And got to the check in about 1045 as traffic around the port was horrendous. Check in went smooth and now if you cruise with a passport, your passport ID pic will be your sign and sail card picture. Carnival also takes the embarkation day photos before you check in. We got on the ship about 1230 so overall was not bad at all.

Food: Lido buffet food, surprisingly was not that great. I usually think it's ok but this time around just was meh. Guys burgers were great as usual. I would get the plan jane and then add bacon, onions, mayo, mustard, pickles, ketchup over at the toppings bar. Chopsticks was great too however they like to be stingy with the food and give you like half a scoop of what you order so always ask for more. I did not have any burritos or tacos from the Blue Iguana. I also did not partake in the pizza, thin crust is not my thing. The deli was good too. Late night in the aft part of the ship the place next to the pizza had late night snacks. Hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, cookies, brownies, and fruit. Also around 9 or 10 they closed all the ice cream machines down except the one in the back of the ship so just FYI.

Surprisingly the dining room food was only so so. Better than the lido but I was impressed. Which is odd for me because it's normally great. The Triumph has the American table menus. To be honest I can't think of anything that stood out. The mahi mahi was disappointing. You may like it but the sauce was too tomato-e. Yuck. I did like the jerk pork loin on the last night but the sauce tasted nothing more than a spicy BBQ sauce. On elegant night they do not serve lobster tails anymore on cruises that are 5 nights or less. You had the option all week of paying extra for that. I opted not to. Only went to the dining room once for breakfast. I had the huevos rancheros. Excellent as usual.

Entertainment: Our cruise director was Jess from the US. First time having a female cruise director. She was very perky and that sometimes got on my nerves. There was the normal trivia contests throughout the week. I won two ships on a stick. One for winning One Hit Wonder trivia and the other for winning 90s song trivia. I'm proud of that one. I got a 39 out of 40. There was also the normal gender showdown and the love and marriage show.

The production shows were GREAT! Even though the Triumph recently went through the 2.0 upgrades they thankfully did not get the playlist production shows. There were 3 main shows and a show in the back lounge. One was a show about various dances of different cultures. Another one, called the Big Easy, was all about NOLA and was EXCELLENT! There was also this magic/ comedy show that incorporated the carnival dancers and that was great. I think his name was Mark Bourdin or something like that. Every week he flys from Vegas and boards the ship at Cozumel, does his show and departs in Progreso. He also puts on a Burlesque show in the back lounge that was good too.

The comedy shows were only so so. Normally my favorite but the two comedians, Sid Davis and Dan Chopin were not that funny in my opinion.

The ships band Taste of Aisa performed most nights at the casino and they were good.

Our room: Two days before we left we got a call from the upgrade fairy. Originally we booked an interior with a Pullman since there were three of us. Well we upgraded to a balcony for 200. First time in a balcony room for me and it was nice to sit out there and relax. Our Pullman turned into a rollaway bed. The mattress is not as thick as the ones on the bed but it wasn't uncomfortable either so I slept on that all week giving my parents the beds.

For those curious yes the steward asks you if you want your room serviced once or twice a day and what time of day. We choice morning service but most days she didn't come service it till after noon. I don't know if this is true for all cabins or because she had to come to ours to unfold the rollaway bed but she came at night too and gave us fresh towels and the next days Fun Times but she didn't clean or turn down the beds.

Would I book a balcony in the future. Probably not. Interior is fine with me unless for some reason it ends up being cheaper.

Ports: Cozumel we took a cab to Playa Palancar. It was a 25 cab ride and we ended up being the only ones there. The water was too rough to get in for a swim as it had stormed the night before. I did sit in the sand and let the waves wash over me and that was nice. We only stayed a few hours as a storm rolled in but by the time we got back to port it had cleared. We looked around the shops and got back on board.

Progresso. There are free shuttles that take you to town because it's too far of a walk and would be walking down the highway to get to town. The free shuttles are through a company called Autoprogreso. Once in town at the "bus station" Autoprogreso had a kiosk to buy tours through them. We did the Ruins/City combo tour. It was $39 a person and the ruins were great and beautiful. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. Probably could have skipped the city tour. We drove through the new part of Merdia and saw the malls and such and then went to the old town where we were dropped off at the town square for an hour. Good thing about booking through Autoprogresso is that they take you right back to port instead of the bus station to get back on the bus back to port.

Debarkation: Usual process and we were off the ship by 10 and through customs quick. We got a cab quick back to the Holiday Inn to get the car. We all skipped breakfast because we wanted to try the place we wanted to go precruise but was closed. I'm glad we did. It was Willie Mae's Scotch House. SOOOO GOOOD. Your only options for food is fried chicken, grilled chicken, or chicken tenders. You also got your choice of side. My parents went with the fried chicken. My dad got butter beans that he said were the best he had. My mom went with the green beans and she said they were seasoned great. I got the chicken tenders and mac and cheese. Both were the best I've had. My parents also got the bread pudding to share. This place is in the middle of a neighborhood next to a school and gets very busy. We were lucky to walk in and get a table. After us they had to set up a line outside. When we left the line was about 20 people deep waiting for tables. Just like Acme Oyster House, this place is WORTH IT!

Overall this was another great cruise. Despite just going through dry dock the Triumph is showing her age but still a good ship and a good time.

I know others have mentioned avoiding Bingo, the Casino, and liquor but if those three things are your cup of tea save for them now.

You'd be surprised how much you can save just by putting away a few dollars every week or day. Cut back at home. If your wife goes out for Starbucks she can take that money and put it in jar or something to set aside.

Carry on your own soda instead of buying the bottomless bubbles.

On the port stops if excursions are your thing don't do them through the cruise line find a reputable tour company and book through them. If the beach is your thing find out where the closest free beach is on the island and just take a cab there instead of doing an all inclusive excursion.

We were on a cruise with Richard Simmons once. He brought his weight loss group with him. it was fun sited him around the ship. Carnival does celebrity sailings which you probably pay a significant up charge for. I know New Kids on the Block do a quick 3 or 4 day sailing every year and then there are the country western star cruises.

I don't know about other celebrity sailings but for the New Kids on the Block you don't even book through Carnival. You book through a tour company called Rose Tours. You don't get to pick your cabin either it is assigned to you. You get to pick the category of cabin you want but that's it and most time that category is sold out already. This cruise sells out QUICK! When I went, my cousin and I were assigned a cabin in the very back on the Carnival Victory. I believe these are normally used as family cabins because you walked through one door and then there were two cabins.. ours was HUGE!!!!. Cost? Too much.. lol which is why I haven't been back. The cost I paid for this one cruise I could have taken 3 or 4 regular cruises but it was a non stop party.

Has to be Holiday Inn Downtown-Superdome. I've heard of them having park n cruise packages before...and it's close to the FQ.

Yup it's the one by the Superdome.

That's a great deal! Do they offer transportation to and from the port? If not, let us know what the cab fare was when you get back. I know people come on here and ask about park and cruise deals. Some have said holiday inn superdome had it but they didn't know if they still did it or not.

 

 

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I called them after I booked to see if they had a shuttle. I was told they did not but a cab would be about $7 a person and they always have cabs sitting out waiting for people in the morning. Our plan is to drop myself and mother off at port with the luggage and my dad will drive my car back to the hotel to park it and hope a cab back.

Just the toothpaste. One cruise we had three of the travel sizes in our bathroom and my dad and brother had 3 in their bathroom. Took those bad boys home with me. Some were arm and hammer and some were the Crest with scope.

Probably doesn't count since they were there because it was their cruise with fans but I saw New Kids on the Block on a cruise... lol (80s early 90s boyband for those that don't know)

I didn't see her but apparently Andrea Barber, who played Kimmy Gibbler on Full House, was on the same cruise.

This time next week I should be boarding the Triumph. We have a 1030 check in so hopefully by 1130 they should start boarding. :D

I really liked the Mahi Mahi that was served on the first night.

One night on the port of call section there was these beef skewers that were EXCELLENT. But you won't see them on the menu. Triumph goes to Mexico and when I saw them on the menu we were sailing southern Caribbean

Hmmm the rules I'd change or enforce

1) Chair Hogs... normally doesn't effect me because I don't need a prime spot by the main pool but it is very annoying on the Serenity Deck.

2) Dress Code.... I'm sorry but I feel every adult over the age of 18 needs to own the following: one pair of slack or dress pants, one collared shirt or button down oxford with a tie, or a blouse if you are a woman, and a pair of shoes to match. If you are strapped for cash you can find the clothes at a thrift store or consignment shop. My brother recently went to a bar in town.. it wasn't a dive bar but it wasn't upscale.. just a typical bar. Guess what? They had a dress code. Men could not wear t-shirts they had to wear collared shirts or dress shirts and no hats. Golf clubs had dress codes, other land restaurants have dress codes. And guess what? They are ENFORCED. I know it doesn't affect others but policy is policy and needs to be enforced.

3) Elevators- let them be for all and if someone complains about a healthy person using the elevator then that one stops working. I look able bodied but yet I have to use elevators to go down one or two floors. Why? Because I have a depth perception problem due to constant ringing in my ears throwing off my equilibrium. So it makes going down steps very hard and I increase my risk of falling. NO THANKS

4) Bring back past guest party- I didn't go for the free drinks and appetizers. I went because I felt the cruise line appreciated me for cruising with them often. I'm sorry I don't have time or money to work up to Diamond.

5) Entertainment- I would decree getting rid of the playlist production shows and getting something better. However I do like the Motown one. Also the comedy club will be moved to the main show lounge. My fat foot they don't do it because it takes away from the ambiance. I was on Princess earlier this year and the one night there was a comedian it was in the main lounge which every seat was full and nothing was lost in the show.

As others have said.. cost. That is what keeps me with Carnival mainly. Why would I pay more for the same itineraries on another cruise line.

I've always had fun on all my Carnival cruises and there was always plenty to do.

I have cruised Princess, once. While I had a good time it was definitely not Carnival. The food was worse and it felt like the ship rolled up its sidewalks so to speak real early in the evening leaving you with just the option of going to bed or the casino.

Will I cruise other lines? Sure if the price is right.

We are staying at the Holiday Inn Superdome. We booked the park and cruise package. $109.99 plus tax for one night and a week of parking. They don't offer a shuttle but I was told taxi is about 7 dollars per person so we will probably drive and drop me and my mom and our luggage off and my dad will drive back to park the car and taxi it to the port to meet us

Since you are driving I recommend the Holiday Inn Superdome. We are staying there the night before. It was 109.99 plus tax for their park and cruise package. Most cost effective for a room and parking for a week

I commend customs for following rules. He didn't have the proper travel documents he couldn't board. I've been on a few island stops on cruises that not only require you ship card but a an ID to be able to get back into the port area to board the ship again.

It sucks and lesson learned. Our family is so anal about our IDs that before we leave our house to start our drive to the port or to the airport if we are flying we do a passport check and make sure everyone has their passport. We do a check again before we check out of our pre cruise hotel and make sure we all have our passports and wallets. Once on the ship our passports go into the safe in the cabin so it doesn't get lost.

I will also be cruising Hurricane season for the first time. No biggie to me. Ports can change as long as one of those ports will allow me to cab to the beach. Heck I'd be fine with a 5 day cruise to no where.. lol

As for sea sickness for the most part never experienced anything big. There was one time on the Fascination, on the last night, were the ship hit rough waters because it was raining all day and the wind blowing hard so the ship was rocking. I got dizzy and my head hurt all day and I had no appetite. The cruise director was making announcements all day on what to do to combat sea sickness and they even placed sick bags near all the elevators.

I rather use cash on most of the port stops over credit cards. Even though I tell my bank I'll be traveling and where I don't need them putting a stop on my card or anything. And the cash comes in handy for tips to your tour guides.

Also have a few $1s. Have some to tip the porters for your bags when you arrive for embarkation. I tip $1 a bag. Also if you plan on going to the piano bar or ordering room service it's customary to tip $1 or 2.

Kiss on Lips. YUMM

We were going to stay at the French Quarter Inn but I found the Holiday Inn Superdome for 109.99 plus tax for their park and cruise rate. One night and a week on parking. Made better financial sense.

The weather channel in the break room, at work, shows that for Belize they have put a stop to cruise ships going there due to the storms since it's a tender island. They also said the state parks there were closed. Looks like it is also headed towards Roatan as well

We try to get on the ship as earliest as possible. We head and see if the doors are open to get to our cabin. If so we dump our carry on bag into the closet and head to the Lido for a leisurely lunch. Then we explore the ship before the muster drill.

That's about it as far as rituals go.

I've cruised the Dream twice. Loved it both times. Great ship! Ocean Plaza is where you would find me all the time on the dream

Let's see there is a lot if you add in all the eating places on the Lido.

Buttered chicken from the Tandoor

Reuben from the Deli

Cheeseburger from Guys and I add bacon, grilled onions, mayo on mine

on the actual buffet there is this minty chocolate cake on embarkation day that's good. also one night they have mushroom alfredo that's good and the crab cakes. And you can't go wrong with the proscuitto slices