Carnival Victory review May 8, 2011

[smurfm69]

Well here goes a review of one of my favorite cruises. We flew into Puerto Rico on Friday for a 2 night stay at the Marriott Stellaris in Condado. We got it for $105 per night through priceline, and it was really nice. Very nice pool and landscaping and lots of places nearby to eat along with a Starbucks across the street.

We didn't pay the extra charge for the upgrade but still had a nice room on the 10th floor on the side. We could see the city and the beach.

[smurfm69]

We stayed around the hotel after checking in and enjoyed the pool. The waves are pretty rough at the beach and the red flag is almost always out. The next day we took a taxi into old San Juan which cost $12. We wanted to eat breakfast at a place I heard about here on Cruise Critic called La Bombonera. They have been open since 1902 and have something called a mallorca. It's a breakfast sandwich on a pastry with powdered sugar on top and was one of the best things we ate on the trip. It's not expensive either. We each had one and drinks and our bill was less that $18.

[smurfm69]

I'll try to space the pictures out a little. We kept walking around old San Juan after eating and I bought a Harley shirt for my dad's birthday.

[smurfm69]

We booked a 2 hour segway tour ahead of time and had a blast. The 45 minute tour is $42 per person and the 2 hour is $84 per person. Take my advice and spend the extra money for the 2 hour tour. It goes by fast and is so much fun. After about a 5 minute orientation you are good to go. It's really easy to operate the machines and you get to see a lot of sights without having to do all the walking.

 

 

 

 

[smurfm69]

Also included on the tour is a stop at El Morro fort with admission included. Instead of walking, you get to ride the segways all the way to the entrance and the guide gives some history and highlights of the fort. There was a nice strong breeze out there and very nice views.

 

 

 

 

 

[smurfm69]

There is a free trolley that goes around the city, so after the segway tour, we jumped on that.

 

 

 

 

[smurfm69]

The next morning we headed to the cruise ship terminal and arrived shortly after 10:30am and were in zone 1. By noon we were on the Lido deck eating lunch. It was weird having sail away at 10 pm but there was a big deck party and lots of fun to be had.

 

 

Our first stop was St. Thomas. We booked a tour with Air Force 1 and our guide papa bear was great. We got lots of nice scenic views along the way and went to the recently rebuilt Mountain Top with a beautiful view of Meagan's Bay Beach.

 

 

 

[kclvt]

Can't wait to read the rest of your review. We are thinking of this itinerary for March of 2013 - I know a loooong way off!

[smurfm69]

This was a busy cruise with so many ports and only 1 sea day, but it was one of my favorite ever! There's nothing wrong with planning early especially for this itinerary. You have lots of time to research all the ports here on Cruise Critic. I want to do this same cruise again in the near future.

[rach1fun]

your pics look great!! 5 months until its my turn :) I will be waiting for the rest of your review!!!

[luvdisney2010]

With the trolley, can you get on and off as you want? We are doing this cruise in November with DS 7. We are coming in the morning before and want to shop/see some things that Saturday. It sounds like a good way and a safer way to do a few things.

[Prairie_Gal]

I'm looking forward to the rest of your review. I am really enjoying it!

 

Still a long time until we go on the Victory, but we are really looking forward to it. :D

[smurfm69]

With the trolley, can you get on and off as you want? We are doing this cruise in November with DS 7. We are coming in the morning before and want to shop/see some things that Saturday. It sounds like a good way and a safer way to do a few things.

 

Yes there are several stops on the free trolley route. We had just finished the segway tour so we didn't get off at any of the stops. Just rode it around the route taking pictures and got off at the same spot where we got on.

[boaterette]

Nice review so far. Thank you for spacing the pictures out. It makes it much easier to read.

[shortstuf1255]

Looking forward to the rest of you review. I sail on Sept 25.

[smurfm69]

After St. Thomas, we had our one and only day at sea. We enjoy laying out by the pool and taking a dip in there to cool off. The men's hairy chest contest was on this day which is always really funny.

[smurfm69]

We booked a tour with Glory tours for this island and had a fun time. Our first stop was the Flower Forest which was really nice but kinda boring to be honest. Things got better though as we drove along the coast and saw some really nice scenery. The guide took us to see the largest working windmill in the Caribbean. Finally, we were getting in the boat to head out to swim with the sea turtles. The guide threw some food out and we were soon greeted by about 4 or 5 turtles. So cool to be swimming around with them and getting to see them up close. After leaving there, we went to an artificial reef and did some more snorkeling with lots of fish around.

 

 

 

 

 

[smurfm69]

Now on to our new favorite place on Earth and the best part of the cruise. We booked a tour with Cosol tours and had his brother, Yellowbird, as our driver. We paid $65 per person and it was totally worth it. There was lots to eat and drink on this tour. We first saw the rock formation called the ladies' shoe and then continued on to the banana plantation where we learned about how they grow and harvest the fruit. We were able to have some to eat as well and it just doesn't get any fresher than that. Very yummy! As with every eating stop we had something to wash the food down. Bottled water, sodas, beer, and the best rum punch I have ever had in my life. Not enough food in my stomach yet to go past 2 cups even though I wanted more. Didn't want to get plastered. lol We drove through a fishing village that was hit hard by hurricane Thomas last year and they still don't have plumbing facilities so they wash their clothes in the river.

 

 

 

 

 

[mrypop]

Thanks for this awesome review! We just booked this cruise in September. I can't wait to hear more!!!

[ricew001]

Hi Lisa! My sister's name is Lisa (I named her) and she's been dating a man named Jerry for 11 years. LOL!

 

Hubby and I did the Victory Southern Carribean in January and it was the best time we ever had. I'm enjoying your review. It brings back fantastic memories!!

[smurfm69]

That is really cool! This is Jerry though, Lisa is my wife.

[smurfm69]

Now it was time for some food. They had about 4 tables set up with different kinds of food and fresh fruit. This is where we got to try some Banana ketchup and it was pretty good. You will not have to worry about being hungry during this tour. As was the case with other stops, there was more free beverages.(woo hoo more rum punch! lol)

 

 

Chatting with our driver,Yellow bird about all the great food.

[Lyncoya]

Hey...I remember that blue van. :D Don't you wish you had that van following you around on the weekend? :D

[smurfm69]

Next we got our first view of the Pitons and drove down to a fishing village. Here we boarded a boat to take us to Jalouise Beach which is situated between the Pitons. We went swimming and did a little snorkeling too and were just in awe of the size of the massive Pitons.

 

 

 

 

[smurfm69]

Our time at the beach ended too soon but there was more to see and more to eat. lol We went to the drive thru volcano and got to see the hot springs bubbling out of the ground. After leaving this place it was into a local village for some hot fresh bread and white cheddar cheese.(yum) There was another scenic overlook and a hose that I would be afraid to live in. The sight of the Victory signaled then end to an amazing excursion. If you are undecided about what to do in St. Lucia, I highly recommend going on this tour with Cosol.