My Carnival Victory review 4/1-4/8/2012 (Long with lots of pix!)

[scraphappylady]

Glad you all are enjoying the review! Took a "day off" there for Mother's Day, but now it's time to do more review!

 

 

Wednesday, April 4 - Barbados

 

Once again, I woke shortly after 6 am and headed out to the balcony, only to find that we were again still a fair distance away from port.

Five minutes later, Jon joined me and then, to my surprise, Tim padded sleepily out a few minutes after that. Guess that nap he got during the show the night before did him some good after all! He took a brief look around, then seeing how far away from anything too interesting we still were, used this opportunity to catch up on his Kindle.

 

 

As we began to edge ever closer to the dock, my aunt and DD joined us on deck.

 

 

 

 

[scraphappylady]

As we watched the Victory make her way slowly into port, the Norwegian Dawn came into view, already “parked” at the dock across from us.

 

 

 

 

 

Act natural, I tell him. This is what I get.

The port in Barbados is not what I would call picturesque, but had several interesting things for my mechanically-minded son to look at. He especially liked the big cranes.

 

 

 

 

 

[scraphappylady]

 

 

 

By 8 am, we were up on the Lido, scattering to find breakfast, then meeting up once again on the Lido’s upper level. I took the advice of others that I found on the CC boards here, and headed to the back omelet station, where there was only one other person in line at the time. This proved the case for most of the rest of my breakfasts on the Lido. I did have to go back through the buffet line there for the extras such as bacon, but the lines always tended to be short if at all.

 

After breakfast, we gathered our stuff for the day and were quickly off the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scraphappylady]

Today we were snorkeling with Calabaza Cruises. Of all the excursions we had planned, I think everyone was the most excited for this one, because of the chance to interact with sea turtles.

 

I had snorkeled with the turtles before, but couldn’t wait to do it again, and I was especially looking forward to seeing the kids up close with these magnificent animals.

 

We met our driver just through and outside the main shop area, and waited a few minutes for the rest of our group, who were coming from the Dawn. Calabaza costs a bit more than some similar cruises, but limits the number of people on each excursion to 12. We had eleven on our trip and the cost was well worth it. We took a short 15-minute ride, through town, to where the catamaran was docked.

 

After taking off our shoes, we had to step across a fairly large gap to board the boat, but two crew members were there to help us across. Our crew for the trip were Danny, the captain, and his two assistants, Andrew and Gavin. Within minutes, they put us completely at ease, and were low-key but very entertaining the entire trip.

 

We motored out of the dock area, but within 15 minutes had switched to sails.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scraphappylady]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After getting a quick lesson on how to operate the marine toilets, we headed for the front of the boat. My group quickly settled in.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s just a shame they had such a hard time getting comfortable. DD says she could very easily get used to such a life of leisure!

[scraphappylady]

 

 

You really have to wonder - just what DID they see down there?

 

 

 

 

 

And boy were we pampered! Andrew and Gavin were always there, helping us get a drink or taking a picture, and DS was thrilled that he could drink his fill of Sprite. (Good thing they told us how to operate the marine toilets!)

 

They also gave us fresh banana bread to start, and the bar opened up as soon as we were underway. The rum punch was very good!

[scraphappylady]

Within 45 minutes, we were anchored offshore near the turtles. As soon as we were given the go ahead to get into the water, Tim was off the boat and cruising around. The rest of us took a little bit longer, but soon we were all bobbing in the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our group was a mixture of swimmers and non-swimmers, but each of us had on an inflatable vest (we brought our own but Calabaza also had them available) and the boat also offered water noodles for those who were less comfortable in the water. In order to prevent injury to the turtles and each other, we were told not to wear fins this time.

[scraphappylady]

With the crew spreading food in the water (I think it was cut up squid), it didn’t take long for the turtles to arrive. Lots of turtles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scraphappylady]

There were only a few other boats in the area at the time we arrived, none very close by, so we attracted quite a few turtles and they hung around a good long time.

 

See how our crew (I think this was Andrew) also took lots of pictures of us in the water.

The turtles were so gentle when they brushed against us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scraphappylady]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here you can see the ladder we used to climb back into the boat.

 

[scraphappylady]

The kids were enthralled to say the least. Tim - my very logical, practical son - even commented at one point, “The baby one brushed me on my cheek!” It was a rousing success!

 

We were in the water with the turtles for at least 25-30 minutes, then it was back onboard and off to a nearby reef area, where we had another 30 minutes to swim around and check out all the brightly colored fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, the crew brought out lunch. It was quite a spread, including grilled chicken, fish, couscous, rice, potatoes, Caesar salad, and coleslaw. Dessert was a mixture of brownies, cookies and cheesecake, and we were stuffed when we were all done. And of course, the drinks kept flowing. Andrew and Gavin would notice we were finished with one drink and ask us what we wanted next.

 

 

 

 

My aunt, the kids and I, as well as a few of the other passengers, got back into the water for another swim after lunch, then it was time to slowly head back to port. With plenty of sunshine and rum punch available, everyone was feeling quite happy.

 

[DJ56]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WRITING ANOTHER REVIEW!! I too read your last review!! Your pictures are amazing!! I will be sailing the Victory here shortly!! We too are booked with Calabaza in Barbados and after looking at your pictures...CAN'T WAIT!! Anxiously awaiting the rest of your review. Again, THANK YOU!!

[scraphappylady]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WRITING ANOTHER REVIEW!! I too read your last review!! Your pictures are amazing!! I will be sailing the Victory here shortly!! We too are booked with Calabaza in Barbados and after looking at your pictures...CAN'T WAIT!! Anxiously awaiting the rest of your review. Again, THANK YOU!!

 

All this positive input - I love it!!! Thanks for coming back to read this review as well!

 

You will love Calabaza! I can't say anything wrong about them - they were simply awesome. Haven't quite finished with writing about our time with them, but I can honestly say they went above and beyond, even after our excursion was over.

 

One tip I've learned when doing underwater pix (if you take them on your trip) - put the largest GB memory card into your camera that it will take, and just keep snapping. The turtle photos I included here were whittled down from the more than 200 I took just while we were in the water!

 

Not quite so much to do this week here in real life, so I should be able to finish my review by Friday or Saturday, at the latest. Just so much to tell! :p

[Amadawn1]

Thank you so much for the excellent review and wonderful pictures! I really look forward to reading the rest. The turtle excursion looks like a lot of fun!

[cojuqui]

Great review , I'm loving it. We are headed out to PR on June 7th and set sail on the 10th of June.

 

We have a segway tour already booked for Barbados but are hoping to maybe take a cab over to the beach area. From what you saw, is it a do-able swim out to where the turtles are?

[CorbinCatFan]

Your pictures are great. I love you Calabaza pictures as well. Can you tell me how much the Calabaza excursion was and how far in advance did you book?

[meatloafsfan]

Love your review so far!

 

I think that the itineraries out of San Juan are really great and (if I ever decide that flying is something I want to do again), this is one that I would love to do.

 

Did you enjoy the port intensive itinerary or would you have preferred more sea days?

[scraphappylady]

Thank you so much for the excellent review and wonderful pictures! I really look forward to reading the rest. The turtle excursion looks like a lot of fun!

 

That one was our favorite out of the whole trip!

 

Great review , I'm loving it. We are headed out to PR on June 7th and set sail on the 10th of June.

 

We have a segway tour already booked for Barbados but are hoping to maybe take a cab over to the beach area. From what you saw, is it a do-able swim out to where the turtles are?

 

I'm a horrible judge of distance, but I would say we were anchored maybe 75 feet from shore.? If you are a really good swimmer, I would say that you could probably do it. But I don't know how long you would be able to stay out there for. I can swim, but don't have a huge amount of endurance, and was really happy for the vests we had on for the 25-30 min. we were interacting with the turtles.

 

Also, what were you planning on enticing the turtles with? I think the turtles like the stuff Calabaza was feeding them (like I said, I think it was squid) and know to come around when they see the boats coming near. If you could get out there in the morning, when most of the tours come by, you should be able to kind of slide in there with the rest of the groups. I don't know how you would do in the afternoon, when most of the tours are done.

 

I don't want to discourage you, and we are definitely ones to go off on our own when it benefits us, but this might be one of those things you would be better off doing as part of a tour. I'm not sure I would have tried it without a tour.

 

Just a question - would you consider doing the Segway somewhere else or must it be Barbados? Only asking, because I've done the Segway tour several times in San Juan, both before the ship left port and the day we returned. The company there is awesome (look for more on this further on in my review. We did it the day we got back this time). You get the experience as well as a chance to tour the old city. I think their tours are 9 am, noon and 3 pm, if I remember correctly. I've only ever done the noon-ish one. Then you could book the turtles for Barbados.

 

Hope this helps!

[scraphappylady]

Your pictures are great. I love you Calabaza pictures as well. Can you tell me how much the Calabaza excursion was and how far in advance did you book?

 

Thanks! We reserved about two months in advance and had to use a credit card to reserve our spot. They took the information, but didn't actually charge the card.

 

Then, when we boarded the boat that morning, we paid the total - in cash, trav checks or by keeping it on the card you used to reserve. The cost was $110 per person (I think younger kids might be less, but no chance of that for us this time! :rolleyes:) and was worth every penny! This guarantees you only 12 people per trip, and after having experienced how full some of Carnival's excursions get, it was money well spent.

 

Love your review so far!

 

I think that the itineraries out of San Juan are really great and (if I ever decide that flying is something I want to do again), this is one that I would love to do.

 

Did you enjoy the port intensive itinerary or would you have preferred more sea days?

 

We love San Juan, but I have to admit, the part that was most painful about this particular cruise was paying for the airfare to actually get down there. Each time we've sailed out of there, we just keep watching the cost of airfare go up, up, up!!

 

But because of how late the Victory departs, we offset that cost by counting this as another port day and taking full advantage of touring the area. Plus we flew in a day early and left a day after getting back. It helped to look at it that way. Actually, I would like to stay there for a week in a hotel sometime. There is never enough time to see everything!

 

And we are those types who would prefer NO sea days. Tiring, but oh so fascinating at the same time. When DH and I went on the Victory by ourselves, they were still including Dominica, making it one of the few cruises out there that had all port days/no sea days. Sigh. I do miss that still. Not sure the kids could have handled that, though, so I'll grudgingly agree a sea day wasn't a bad idea this time around.

[scraphappylady]

Ok, time to kick it into gear and finish Barbados!

 

 

 

Really, really good rum punch!

 

 

On the way back, we headed into the waves, which meant anyone sitting up front ended up pretty wet. Tim perched himself in one of the two higher seats up front, and the grin on his face couldn’t have been bigger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also had a chance to see quite a few flying fish, on the way back, but I could never get the camera ready quick enough to capture them.

 

And as I mentioned before, this was the excursion that just kept on giving. We found out later in the trip, when checking our home email, that Calabaza had sent us both a collection of the recipes they used during our sail, as well as a bunch of pictures they had been taking both in and out of the water. What a treat!

[scraphappylady]

When we got back to port, around 2:30 pm, Tim and Jon did a token amount of shopping, but I could tell they weren’t really up for it. They headed back to hit the Lido and left us to continue on. Many of the shops were small, and tended to be crowded, and Mandy was discovering just how sunburned her shoulders had become, so we didn’t stay much longer ourselves.

 

When I got back to our room, both DS and DH were down for a nap, and I suggested that Mandy take on as well. Since I wasn’t tired, I ended up back out on our balcony, where I journaled for a while. Shortly before 5 pm, our scheduled departure time, I saw some pier runners who got big cheers and catcalls as they ran to make it back onboard.

 

When 5 pm rolled around, though, we were still in port and I watched as the Dawn left ahead of us.

She was on an eleven-day cruise, with this stop in Barbados being the eighth day.

True to form, we pulled out almost a half hour late and I watched as we cast off the lines.

 

Took them forever to finish talking and pull in the gangway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scraphappylady]

Shortly after we left port, I went in to wake up my gang and get them ready for supper.

 

Tonight’s show (“the Amazing Juggling Talents of Manuel Zuniga”) was at 7 pm, for those with late supper and 9 pm for those who had the early seating. I remembered this show being one of the better ones on the last cruise and it was just as funny this time around. The juggling was great and the humor even better. The kids had a blast repeating some of the jokes throughout the rest of the cruise, even the ones they probably should not have. Mild PG-13, I would say. We kept it in the family, though. (Insider joke here, but if you watch this show, listen for his story about the golf balls! Funny!)

 

Afterwards, we meandered over to the dining room, this time taking a route that steered us around the casino and the mob waiting for pictures. Supper was just as good this night.

 

 

Among our appetizers were:

 

 

Prosciutto ruffles (I thought they were fantastic, my aunt not so much)

 

French onion soup (one of the few that got a thumbs down from both my DS and DH -they thought it was "too thin," but DD loved it. To each his or her own!)

 

 

And a "study in sushi" which included seared ahi tuna, ebi shrimp and norwegian salmon tartare (also deemed very good!)

[scraphappylady]

Next, on to the main entrees:

Grilled chicken breast (again!)

 

Jerked pork loin with fried rice (photo 1)

 

 

(And photo 2)

 

 

And off the comfort foods menu tonight, baked meatloaf with gravy and cheddar mashed potatoes (I was in heaven! Loved it!)

 

And I know I took pictures of our desserts, but can't for the life of me find them right now. Maybe it was the night DD was taking a lot, too, and I didn't take as many. But with the exception of the fig/date/cinnamon cake, which DH and I thought was very good, most of the rest were rather mundane. DD had the strawberry cheesecake, DS his favorite lime sherbet and my aunt went for the tropical fruit plate.

 

After we ate, we took care of a few minor things, like cashing traveler’s checks and trying to find more of our photos, then headed off to our rooms for the night.

 

 

 

 

Next up: St. Lucia; where we divide and conquer on two different excursions

 

[BenjiRodney]

Loving the review and pictures, cant wait to do this again Nov the 4th.

[ComeSailWithME]

What a wonderful family vacation! Your pictures are so great you have convinced me to go get this camera!