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Just Back from a cruise on the Carnival Triumph ...a review


Presbycruiser
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I just got back from a 5-night cruise on the Triumph out of NOLA. This was my first time on Carnival, and my third cruise overall in my life, so I am far from being an expert. My previous two cruises were on Norwegian, including a 2015 trip on the Gem out of NYC.

 

This was the first time I traveled with my three children, ages 7, 9, and 11. My son and I shared on interior cabin, while my daughters shared another interior cabin with their grandmother. We were on Deck 2. The cabins were nice enough, although the three passenger cabin featured a fold-down bed with a thin and uncomfortable mattress. The other beds were better, of course. Still, I seemed not to sleep as well as on the Gem. Not sure if that was because of the beds or because this trip was a little more stressful with the kids and grandma underfoot (she needed some help getting around).

 

The en-suite bathrooms were larger on the Triumph than on the Gem, so that's a point for Carnival (and it was nice to use the commode without my knees touching the wall). On the other hand, the shower only had a curtain as opposed to a glass door, and the water pressure was not nearly as strong as on the Gem. Maybe that counts as a draw?

 

We had a nice cabin steward who did the usual stuff with the towel animals with the bed turndowns at night. We also were given the option of having the room made up in the morning, the evening, or at both times.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by the condition and appearance of MOST of the public areas on the Triumph. You get your first impression of a ship in the atrium, and the Triumph's was much more impressive than the Gem's. It resembled the atrium of a nice hotel, with glass elevators rising up to deck eleven (the lobby was on deck three). The Gem's lobby/atrium is only two stories ... nicely decorated but not much of a "wow" factor.

 

The various bars and lounges around the ship were nicely decorated and maintained from what I could tell. They were, as expected, much more on the flashy/glitzy side than elegant/refined, but quite nicely done for what they were. I was pleasantly surprised to find a small but nicely appointed library that WAS elegant, done up in dark paneling, with portraits of Washington and Lincoln. Similarly, the Oxford Lounge looked like a gentleman's club in the UK, with dark walls and several portraits of British monarchs on the walls. These two spaces added a surprising touch of gentility to the Triumph.

 

Unfortunately, I found both main dining rooms to be an incredible disappointment. While they carried the names "London" and "Paris," they were decorated exactly the same, and were dreary and worn looking. The windows were dirty and at least one had visible cracks in it. They had less character than our local McDonald's, and fell far short of the MDRs on the Gem. Triumph needs to gut the MDRs and start over. Surprisingly, the Triumph's buffet area was far better in appearance, with bright colors and several statues of mermaids to add some atmosphere.

 

Whatever the condition of the MDRs, I thought the food was consistently very good, although the offerings were not quite as diverse as on the Gem. Two dishes I really enjoy but do not eat often at home are duck and lamb, and in my opinion, they were better than the same dishes I ate on the Gem (and I had the duck in Le Bistro on the Gem!). Anyway, everything I tried, from appetizers to salads to main courses to desserts was great.

 

While the buffet area looked nice, and I liked the extra "free" options of a burger joint, Mexican place, deli and pizza place ... and there was a Chinese station as well ... the place was poorly organized. On sea days, the buffet could be very crowded and lines moved slowly. And because several of the options were out on deck, you had to stand in line in sometimes uncomfortable conditions, such as heat or wind.

 

Service was generally good. Everyone from the bartenders to waitstaff to our steward was helpful and well-meaning. Sometimes the dining room staff was a little forgetful, and it was sometimes difficult to get a customized order (example: my daughter only wanted two pancakes for breakfast, but she was brought the usual stack of four. The result was wasted food.). OTOH, I enjoyed the dining room entertainment, a hallmark of Carnival.

 

I did not see too many shows, but the magic show in the Rome Lounge, their main theater, was a lot of fun and well produced.

 

The children's program was well done, with great staffing. My youngest daughter really enjoyed it. And it's included in your fare!

 

Overall, I found the ship to be well run, with good staff, food and entertainment. It's not a luxurious or refined experience by any means, but if you want most of the basics to be well done, the Triumph is a good choice.

 

If anyone has any questions just ask. I did not cover everything I experienced.

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John, Thanks for the info. I just booked this cruise (our first) for April. My question is about coffee. I read about specialty coffee but is there a coffee maker in the room? I don't see it listed under the Cheers package. Is it free? Only at dinner? Or how does that work? Thanks for the insightful post.

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We also enjoyed our cruise on the Triumph but found it to be disorganized.

The lines at the buffet areas(including pizza and grill etc) were the longest we've ever encountered on a Carnival ship!

They were also disorganized when we disembarked.

We had a suite and also had FTTF and they sent us to wait in the wrong area .

All in all we probably would not pick that ship again if we had other choices.

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John, Thanks for the info. I just booked this cruise (our first) for April. My question is about coffee. I read about specialty coffee but is there a coffee maker in the room? I don't see it listed under the Cheers package. Is it free? Only at dinner? Or how does that work? Thanks for the insightful post.

 

GOOD question..I am interested too..gotta have my coffee

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John, Thanks for the info. I just booked this cruise (our first) for April. My question is about coffee. I read about specialty coffee but is there a coffee maker in the room? I don't see it listed under the Cheers package. Is it free? Only at dinner? Or how does that work? Thanks for the insightful post.

 

 

Hi RetiredNavy,

 

No coffee maker in rooms, unfortunately (at least not in our room class).

 

Specialty coffee is available only a la carte. There is a coffee shop on deck 4 or 5. Some of the coffee can be ordered in the dining room (such as espresso or cappuccino.).

 

There is also the standard included coffee which is OK. I thought it was better than what was offered on the Gem.

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Thanks John. Do you remember the magicians name? Or can you look it up in the Fun Times (if you don't mind)?

 

 

 

It was most likely Mark Bennick. He is on the Triumph a couple of sailings every month and I know he was New Orleans bound around the 20th.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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John, Thanks for the info. I just booked this cruise (our first) for April. My question is about coffee. I read about specialty coffee but is there a coffee maker in the room? I don't see it listed under the Cheers package. Is it free? Only at dinner? Or how does that work? Thanks for the insightful post.

 

 

Coffee is free on the lido deck, and room service will bring it to your cabin 24 hr a day for free. we usually tip the room service a 1.00 or 2.

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