Is the Triumph that bad?

We cruised on the Triumph when she was in Galveston on a 5 day and had a great cruise. But it has been awhile and a lot has happened since then. Triumph had one really bad cruise and got a bad rap. She probably needs a really good dry dock.

We just got off (2/3). The crew was friendly and we enjoyed getting away from work, but the dry dock is over due. I wasn't impressed with the food, not bad, just not good and the ship shows age. Floor tiles are loose in the buffet and shop, the outdoor theater screen had red lines all through it the first night and it looked like it has had bad patch jobs done in the past. The covering of our couch in the cabin was torn away and had bare areas. We didn't have any issues with water or toilets. We did have a mechanical issue in Progresso, so we left almost 6 hours late, but we still got to NOLA on time and the pictures I got of the divers in the water adds to our memories. My 17 yr old LOVED Club O2. For us, we enjoyed the ports and had fun, but didn't like the ship. Everyone has different expectations so while we didn't like the ship but others have liked it, that's OK and I respect that. We are on the Liberty this July. I've never cruised in the summer and looking forward to it.

Just stepped off the Triumph this morning. It is rusty, but clean. The majority of the staff were fantastic (batting 1000 is hard in any industry). The food in the main dining and breakfast dining was very good, but lacking in healthy food choices compared to say, Norwegian, with the buffet. The rooms were comfy and the entertainment... entertaining - make sure you catch the magic show!

The only MAJOR ISSUE we had - NO ADULT POOL OR SERENITY DECK. If you are travelling with kids - you'll love it. If you are not with a family, prepared to be slightly annoyed - and splashed, and cannon-balled.

-Kri5G

prepared to be slightly annoyed - and splashed, and cannon-balled.

-Kri5G

HA HA HA. Okay, THAT was funny.

PS- I AM traveling with my family on Triumph in 3 weeks, so I'm glad to hear your thoughts on the matter. Thanks

My wife and I love the Triumph and did 2 cruises on her in one year. Going out of NOLA was a bonus. We went a few days early both time to enjoy the city. DO IT!

We were on the Triumph 3 years ago celebrating our sons graduation from college and had a great time. Had a Ocean Suite and were able to experience the Chefs Table. It's a great Ship and Staff. We are looking forward to another sailing on March 12th to celebrate our daughters graduation from Miss. State. Can't wait!!! No complaints at all other than the cruise was too short. We ate mostly in the dining room and never had a bad meal. Guys burgers was incredible. It's a great ship with a fantastic home port. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The triumph is supposed to be going in to drydock and getting the sunshine experience. She is scheduled for a very long drydock

After my first cruise on the Dream last year, I came off the ship so enthusiastic I signed up immediately for the Triumph in February. 2 weeks and counting. The first thing I read about my Dream cruise was a review about how horrible it was. Shock. What? The Triumph is going to have to be gosh awful bad to be as bad as the Dream was Good.

 

I have considered the bad reviews and read many of them and I have also read the good ones. I figure each ship has its own character and crew and staff. That I'll find similar food and differences. That my room will not be the same. That the ports will differ. That the steward will, however, still be so nice it will stun me. Because I'm not going on this cruise to look for flaws --- I'm going on this cruise to get away from my routine regular life which involves lots of email, meetings, schedules, planning -- no stewards or Guys or Blue Iguanas.

 

I checked and the Triumph has Guys, Blue Iguanas, and people who make the beds up and bring room service. Not to mention Mexico and sunshine in February. Sail on.

*Stands up and gives a slow clap*

Have Fttf for April cruise on triumph, what time do they start Check-in and boarding? Saw It somewhere

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I cruised the Triumph last year out of New Orleans for a 5 day and I had a balcony room on the Empress Deck. My Husband and I had so much fun we are going back again next year on the Triumph.

We sailed on Triumph last September. It was quite run-down compared to other ships I'd been on and was showing its age. The decor is also outdated. Despite that, however, I had a great time. There were some great quiet spots on deck we enjoyed to get away from the crowds and noise, the entertainment was surprisingly good, the food was good, and the service was outstanding. It wouldn't be my first choice to sail again, but I have no regrets on having had the experience. Getting to check out New Orleans too is a great bonus!

I cruised the Triumph last year out of New Orleans for a 5 day and I had a balcony room on the Empress Deck. My Husband and I had so much fun we are going back again next year on the Triumph.

If you are going to go on the Triumph again you will want to do so soon - after the Feb 25th 2019 sailing she is going into drydock for a major overhaul that is so extensive that they are changing the name on her from Triumph to Sunrise, just like they did with the Destiny when they changed her to Sunshine.

I was on the Triumph this past April and it was great. Yes, the ship needs some updates here and there but there is nothing that caused the experience to be called bad by any means. All the staff were wonderful, we had Jess from the US as our cruise director and her attention to detail, her personality, was top notch. She remembered my name after speaking to me only briefly for about 2 minutes, and not only did she remember my name, she remembered the conversation that we had enough that a couple of days later when she sent me complimentary chocolate covered strawberries as a bday surprise she even mentioned part of our conversation on the card that she sent. There was a day that I had where something bad did happen but it had nothing to do with the staff or the ship and was a personal issue. One of the Alchemy Bar bartenders noticed my distress and was very compassionate and kind, chatted with me and cheered me up, someone who took the time out to recognize that there was someone in need of a sympathetic ear and went out of his way to show sympathy and kindness to a perfect stranger, it not only made my day, but made the rest of the cruise for me as well. Even though neither that bartender or Jess will be on the ship in October I will be going back on the Triumph again in October and look forward to it!.

Triumph was the first cruise for my husband and then 11 year old daughter last year and we all were completely satisfied. Crew was great, food was fine by mass-market cruise standards. We really liked the evening song and dance shows, but then we like that sort of thing. We really liked the cruise director, Jess from the U.S. and the rest of the fun squad. Our outside cabin was spacious and comfortable.

 

No vacation is perfect in every detail for every person. . . but keeping a relaxed and positive attitude goes a long way. I see you were on Sensation in 2015, which we just sailed a couple of weeks ago. We enjoyed both ships, but Triumph was slightly better for me - a little larger, much better seating in the main forward showroom lounge, better scheduling for evening entertainment, and I felt the crowd flow was better. I would very happily sail either ship again.

 

We also saw the terrible reviews after booking. Do you know any people in real life who spend a lot of time complaining about their endless suffering? Take a look at how many of the reviews are from first time posters who literally joined Cruise Critic just to vent their misery. It's possible to hate a cruise, but it's a lot easier to enjoy it.

 

I think another problem is that there are newer ships and more luxurious ( and expensive) cruise options. Many reviewers are either comparing Triumph with those, or are inexperienced cruisers who did not research what to expect and were therefore disappointed.

 

Keep in mind the vast majority of passengers never post reviews, and people are more likely to speak up with complaints (rants really in many cases) rather than with compliments or even with "average" comments.

 

I saw literally thousands of people on our sailing (nearly every berth was filled on our spring break sailing so we were at something like 3400 passengers) who were clearly having a good time overall.

 

The décor shows its age but it's not something that bothers us one bit. Personally I like a little bit of throwback character, but to each their own. Obviously if you go expecting the ship to look like it just came out of the yards last week it will be a disappointment.

 

New Orleans was an okay port, no problems for us with access. We drove, stayed one night pre cruise at the Hyatt Place by the convention center and parked at Fulton Street Garage - this was okay and saved us some $$ but I would probably park at the port garage next time just for added convenience.

 

It's always nice if you can schedule a cruise so you disembark on a weekend morning when traffic is likely to be lighter. Not sure what downtown NOLA traffic is like on a weekday.

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise on Triumph as much as we did.

 

If you have any specific questions about the ship I will be happy to try to help.

What Kmomchicago said. Sailed on it last year in March. Ship was fine but weather was cold. Wasn't the ship's fault and my only complaint was they kicked me off after 5 days. I will never again do a 5 day. I need the complete 7 day cruise. Lol.

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We got off yesterday and had a great time. Definitely needs to be updated here and there but didn't bother us. The ship was real clean and staff remembered your name. The food was good except on elegant night, you could tell they were busy.. but waiting 30 minutes for a drink to arrive was ridiculous. Prime rib was over cooked and all fat. I still had a great time. A cruise is what you make of it. No vacation is perfect.

We also got off on the 18th. We had a blast! Simon was wonderful and the rest of the staff was attentive and pleasant to deal with. I actually appreciated the decor except in the room area. Loved the spaciousness of the room and the closet space, but the bathroom and balcony definitely need to be redone. While I was ok with the pool area in the back of the ship, I also thought the pool itself needed some updating. This was our first Carnival cruise and although I was skeptical based on the reviews I was glad I went. I will definitely look into other Carnival cruises based on my experience here.

My daughter & son-in-law sailed Triumph a few years ago & had no complaints whatsoever.

We just sailed on the Triumph Aug 13-18. This was our first cruise, and we read all the reviews and heard all the horror stories beforehand. We went in with a "prepare for the worst, hope for the best". We had a good time, overall (even the kids are currently shopping for our next cruise), but yes there were things that were not up to par and even as a very inexperienced cruiser I'd agree prove the ship is in dire need of a rehab. In our stateroom alone, the safe didn't work, the rails on the Pullman were loose and in the middle of the cruise simply fell off, the hairdryer was held together with duct tape, the ceiling in the bathroom was covered in rust spots, the closet doors got stuck, the lights were finicky like there was a short in the system - sometimes the switch turned all the lights on, sometimes some of them, and then they flickered like crazy, you just never knew... And unfortunately it lived up to the "poop ship" reputation when the drains backed up into the bathroom and covered the floor in sewage... Maintenance came by to fix it and our room steward cleaned after he was done, but our room was a not a pleasant place to be around that afternoon.

There were other cosmetic things around the ship like broken décor, chipped paint, rust spots... In one of the elevators that overlook the Capitol lobby, the railing along the back was broken off and just hanging there. A lot of lights in various fixtures and chandeliers around the ship were broken or burnt out.

That said, like we said, we had a good time, enjoyed the experience of cruising itself, had tons of fun at the activities onboard, and really had a blast at ports, especially Cozumel. Service on the ship was fantastic - our room steward was awesome, guest services was great, as were the bartenders and the majority of the waitstaff. Dinner service on elegant night and the last sea day brunch was terrible - it took forever, food didn't come out right, a long time would go by without having someone stop by to attend to the table, etc, but I guess that could be because those were very busy times...during the rest of the cruise service was top notch.

The ship definitely needs an overhaul, yes. Can you have a good time before dry dock? yes. But don't go in expecting 5 star quality.. So "Is it THAT bad?" is up to you. We're looking at different ships - heck, maybe even the Sunrise to get a before and after comparison, because if nothing else, this cruise sparked our interest in what cruising has to offer.

How was the air condition on the ship? Was it cool in the room?

How was the air condition on the ship? Was it cool in the room?

It was very cool in a lot of places onboard! I thought it was a little too cool for me, but my husband loved it.

It's possible to hate a cruise, but it's a lot easier to enjoy it.

Truth!!! :p You or someone should post this in every 'complaint' thread lol.

NOLA was okay the one time that we sailed from there, no issues at all. A little confusing driving in but we made it. We used cruise terminal parking (the only time ever) and it was great unloading luggage, taking a short elevator ride and then we were RIGHT THERE, stepped right into the baggage check queue. Easiest in and out ever.

I sailed the Triumph on it's first cruise back after the infamous "poop cruise". It was an awesome cruise, and since it had just been dry docked for repairs, all of the interior was brand new, including bedding. They even had George Lopez as the ships comedian. I wouldn't listen to anyone talking trash about the Triumph. She's a little bad ass.

That’s funny!!

What isn’t funny is that Carnival will continue to sail these outdated and, in some cases, ragged ships as long as the short cruise market is willing to pay their hard earned cash for them. The clientele is skewed towards the younger party crowd who isn’t very particular about the experience as long as the ship doesn’t run out of alcohol

 

 

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But Royal doesn't? Majesty, Rhapsody, Vision, Voyager are all as old as or older than Triumph. Norwegian Sky and Spirit are the same age. Holland America has 3 or 4 ships that are older and one that is more than 10 years older than Triump. No thought before posting except to just slam Carnival?

We sailed Carnival Destiny before it became the Sunshine and the only reason that we noticed its age was because we had an aft balcony and saw thick rust on some of the beams below us. But those beams were VERY thick. The ship and the cruise were very enjoyable for us, we could tell that the ship was old but mostly it was just a different 'atmosphere' than Breeze, Magic, Conquest and others. Nothing broke during our cruise and the food, service and everything were good or better

OP I do hope you enjoy your Triumph cruise and I'm confident that you will.

There is no positive way to compare the RCCL Liberty with the Triumph. I have stopped recommending the substandard Carnival ships to people who want to try out cruising because it would leave them with a very bad impression of the industry.

 

 

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Comedy night rises again, tell me again if this is true, why you are here? Where are the better ships prey tell.

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Was on the Triumph maybe three or four years ago and enjoyed it. Unless she has really gone down hill in that relatively short period of time I'm sure I could enjoy cruising on her again.