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A "Loyal Royal" Floats the Triumph 7/16-7/20

TxBubba

By TxBubba,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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BettyPC

BettyPC

Posted
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We have been on Carnival twice - enjoyed the 2nd one more than the 1st - since the 1st was during spring break:eek:.. We tried Royal in March - went with friends who set it up.

 

I was worried about the food & the "stuffy" that i had seen hinted at in the boards. I thought the food was fine and the atmosphere & people were great.

 

Difference I noticed was the soft service ice cream was not open ALOT like it is on Carnival:D

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HB Cruiser

HB Cruiser

Posted
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We also have only cruised RCCL and are booked for our first cruise on Carnival next May on the Breeze. Both of us are looking for something different and hoping we are not disappointed. We are trying to take this cruise as we did our very first, not trying to have any preconceived notions or expectations.

 

I am really enjoying this review as it appears the OP is trying very hard to give a fair review of each line.

 

Tim

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TxBubba

TxBubba

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Not sure you are in such a unique position to compare RCCL to Carnival because you have been on both lines. Many of the hundreds of reviews

comparing the 2 lines have been done by cruisers who have cruised both lines multiple times. We've done 10 RCCL and 2 Carnival cruises and find both lines very similar. There are of course differences as you will point out, but they are usually minor.

 

Oh I agree 100% - there is nothing unique about my experience or situation. However, I thought maybe a review focusing on my preconceived notions would make for an interesting read and hopefully be a little informative to those folks out there like me.

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TxBubba

TxBubba

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Can't wait to read the rest of the review!

 

 

Thanks for the support! I should have my next installment uploaded in about a day or so. I am hard on myself when I read my own work so I can be a little slow to upload as I am editing.. editing.. editing... =)

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TxBubba

TxBubba

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I believe he is reviewing and addressing the preconceived notions that he had regarding Carnival vs. Royal Sorry, OP, don't want to put words in your mouth. That was the take I had at any rate.

 

Bingo! Thanks for the support.

 

By the way I love your picture. More cowbell!

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TxBubba

TxBubba

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Lol checking out your blog, :D:D. Love your tenants!!

 

HA! Thanks for checking in. I have neglected that blog a bit as of late but it is one of my personal goals to focus on it again.

 

My tenants make for some interesting reading sometimes. I'll have to start writing down more stories about them. Great folks but some can be quirky.

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ripjerry95

ripjerry95

Posted
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I appreciate ur honesty so far. Carnival was our first cruise experience followed by two NCL cruises and just recently another carnival. After sailing NCL twice and becoming devotees we thought we would just stick with NCL. But i can honestly say our carnival experince was great. We will be returning. We even want to givr rci a try

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Almost Packed

Almost Packed

Posted
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I too am enjoying your review so far neighbor (Frisco here) I have only sailed CCL. It was our first cruise, and we were happy so as the saying goes "if it aint broke don't fix it" rules for us lol.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write it. :)

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scperk

scperk

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We are just off a TA on the Mariner last October and our first 12 years we only sailed RCCL & NCL...We sailed our first CCL on the Triumph in 2000 and we've been hooked on Carnival since...Although we have sailed NCL, MSC, Princess and RCCL again we just keep going back to Carnival..Dennis

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TxBubba

TxBubba

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Hello everyone!

I hope you are enjoying my review so far. I am really enjoying putting it together and reading your comments and questions. Thank you so much for the support!

Today I wanted to spend some time talking about the ship itself. The Triumph was put into service back in 1999 and so for comparison purposes, when necessary, I will use the RCCL Voyager of the Seas which was also put into service in 1999 and I have sailed on twice.

First, a quick background tidbit on myself - My wife gives me a lot of grief sometimes because I am a "shippie". What does that mean? It's a term I use on myself because I like ships. I watch "Mighty Ships" on the Smithsonian Channel. If the Travel Channel has a documentary that involves some sort of cruise ship you can bet I will watch it or record it to my DVR. I read books on World War II naval history and the various types of ships used. Really geeky, eh? My wife agrees with you! So as you can imagine I pay attention to the vessels themselves when I sail.

Stateroom

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I booked an Oceanview Suite (7250). The room is comparable to a Junior Suite on a RCCL ship. It was a little wider than a balcony room with an additional dressing area outside of the bathroom. Unfortunately the dressing area was really quite useless as there was no curtain to separate it from the rest of the room. My wife still had to use the bathroom for privacy when changing. The bathroom itself was a bit larger than your standard stateroom with a narrow whirlpool tub/shower combination. My wife and I had the twin beds pushed together and my son slept on the sofa that doubled as a twin bed. The wider dimensions of the stateroom gave the balcony more room which allowed for three chairs versus the standard two of a balcony room. My wife thought the bedding on Carnival was better than what we had experienced on RCCL. I was indifferent as I sleep like a baby on these ships no matter the bedding.

Overall the room was very clean and well maintained. It had a newer flat screen TV with input/output connections on the front to allow for the hookup of your portable players. There was a small refrigerator stocked full of a variety of beers, liquors, and a few bottles of Vitamin Water. We were disappointed not to have a few bottles of water available but once we mentioned it to our great cabin steward we had bottles always available. I learned later that most passengers carry on a case of water with them so I guess Carnival does not stock it normally. Next to the portable bed/sofa was a small chair and a little table with an adjustable height feature that you could move around the room. This was a nice touch as normally we would find a small glass coffee table in a RCCL room. The AC was controlled from two vents in the ceiling by using a simple lever on each to control the amount of air dumped in the room. I was surprised just how cold that room could get and we found ourselves keeping the vents almost completely closed during most of the trip. Hot water was not an issue as it arrived quickly both at the sink and at the shower. Carnival provided both soap and shampoo in the shower along with a few odds and ends on the sink in case your forgot your toothpaste. All of us noticed that there were more hooks in the room than what we had on RCCL. That sounds silly I know but when you travel in close quarters you need hooks to hang clothes, towels, robes, etc. and this stateroom and bathroom seemed to have more than enough. A nice touch indeed.

My wife was very happy with the ample storage space and extra closet space this stateroom category provided. If you have the means to upgrade to the Ocean Suite category I highly recommend it. Even for just a five day cruise we were appreciative of the additional space and amenities.

The luggage mat on the bed was a simple, pleasant surprise. On all my cruises with RCCL I have never had a luggage mat on the bed to keep the suitcase dirt off of your clean bed. Thumbs up.

I have to admit that I brought earplugs on this trip. My preconceived notions drove a faint concern that quiet evenings would be interrupted by drunks in the hallway or screaming children banging pots and pans into the wee hours. I am happy to report that I never used the earplugs during the trip. We were surrounded by families and a cabin full of teens across the hall and we were never disturbed. I think the location of the bathroom and dressing area positioned between the bed and the hallway added additional sound proofing from the noise of the hallway. Regardless, we slept uninterrupted each night.

The Ship Layout

We took a few hours the first day to walk around and explore the ship before we left port. It took me a little while to get used to not being able to maneuver from bow to stern on several floors due to the location of the dining room. Once we figured out that level 5 was a great thoroughfare we were able to maneuver with ease. We also used our cabin level 7 to move from bow to stern when necessary. The ship had a lot more elevators that I remembered the Voyager of the Seas having, but to be honest, I only rode the elevators TWICE during the entire trip. Yep, you read that right, only two times. My family has always preferred to take the stairs on the ship as not only is it faster it is also a great way to burn off the extra calories from the buffet! My wife and I wear and are fans of the Fitbit (www.fitbit.com) and it was great to see the additional calories being burned from our stair climbing habits. I challenge you to avoid the elevators on your next cruise if you are physically able to do so and judge the results for yourself. When did we ride the elevators? When we returned from Cozumel after a day of snorkeling and just could not handle the climb from deck 0 to deck 7, and on disembarkation day to get our luggage down to level 3. That's it.

The decor of the ship was very much with the "Vegas" feel that I have read about. It was not over the top by any stretch of the imagination. Common area furnishings were tasteful and clean. I loved having the sofa seating with small tables in the theater versus the stadium seating you now see on newer ships - very old school and enjoyable.

I would say the biggest drawback of the ship itself was the lack of windows in the public areas and decks, other than the Lido, where you could go outside. Even our dining room kept the curtains closed on the windows as the only view was of the lifeboats. I felt a little claustrophobic at times due to the lack of windows in the public areas. I also felt that Carnival tried to cram too much into the common areas, especially the photography setups. Don't get me wrong - my wife and I buy photographs all the time because it's a great chance to get a nice picture done with the family. But Carnival had level 5 crammed with photographers and their setups trying to get you in to take a picture. I swear there must have been 5-6 different setups each night crammed into deck five. It was a bit of an overkill. I also thought the photo gallery was very cramped and not well laid out. I was saddened to see that theft of photographs was such a problem that one entrance/exit to the photo area was closed and the rest had sensors you had to pass through in order to leave. This must be a big money maker for Carnival. We did like how some of the photographers handed you a small card telling you what section you can find your picture in. RCCL could take a page from that book in their own operation.

The Lido deck (9) was well thought out. I liked how the main pool area had different levels of chairs so that no matter where you sat you could see what was going on. There were lots of tables and chairs around and I didn't notice a real problem with chair hogs. The back area pool (which I guess was more for adults?) was very well laid out with chairs, tables, and open areas by the pool. My family spent most of our time back in this area.

I know that smoking has been a heated debate on this forum for a long time, and I was concerned if a strong odor of smoke would be present on board as a result of Carnival's slow change to more of a non-smoking product. You see, I was a heavy smoker for 15 years but I was able to quit several years ago. The smell is not so much an offense to me as it can be a temptation. Rest assured, non-smoking folks, that the only smoke I smelled was in the designated smoking areas which were primarily the areas around the casino. I did not experience any rule breakers anywhere on the ship.

I did not spend any time in the spa, casino, or the fitness facility so I cannot give you any information on those areas. I will cover the dining areas in my review of the food on board. My wife used the jogging track each morning and complained of a large cargo container that was blocking the track and prevented you from making the loop. It was a large emergency generator that was wired into the ship and looked to be a permanent addition. I asked the engineer about it during the Behind the Fun Tour.... which brings me to my next section --

"Behind the Fun Tour"

When I first learned of this option I was excited. My son and I were the first ones to sign up for the 16 member only tour. I have to tell you that RCCL is missing out on a great way to milk another $100 from a few passengers. The tour lasted almost 4 hours and we were led all over the ship by a member of the crew's Human Resources Department. Each stop had a member of the crew talk to us about what they do and give us a demonstration. Everything from the laundry, kitchen, storage, crew areas, engine control room, behind the stage in the theater, and the bridge had some sort of demonstration. We also got to see parts of the ship including the brig and the morgue. It was a great way to burn some time on the last sea day and see some very unique areas. It ended with my son and I having our picture taken with the Captain while my son "steered" the boat (which was included in the $100 fee). Two thumbs up, Carnival! You made this "shippie" very happy.

As I mentioned before, I asked the engineer about the emergency generator on the deck. He said that they have been having trouble with their emergency generator and had this one brought in and installed as a backup. He said it is large enough to power the ship's essential systems in case of an emergency. I didn't ask, but I suspect this had something to do with the fire aboard the Splendor last year. Again, just speculation on my part.

So let's tally the score for these areas:

Stateroom: Carnival

Ship layout: RCCL

"Behind the Scenes Tour": Carnival

Overall score to date: Carnival 4, RCCL 1

I welcome your comments and questions and I hope you are enjoying reading my review as much as I am writing it.

Up next: FOOD!!!

Jeff

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tncap

tncap

Posted
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I've never really fancied a voyage on RCCL but love your writing style. Fitbit... it can tell how many times you wake in the night? I may have to check it out!

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bakechef

bakechef

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Thanks for the support! I should have my next installment uploaded in about a day or so. I am hard on myself when I read my own work so I can be a little slow to upload as I am editing.. editing.. editing... =)

 

You're welcome, I write a blog and read and reread before I publish. I am far from a grammar genius, but try not to look like an idiot, LOL!

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BallFour4

BallFour4

Posted
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OP, like this for a variety of reasons, the biggest is I am taking my family on the Triumph in 5 days! We have never sailed on this ship but became platinum on the Mardi Gras, Celebration, Esctasy, Elation, Conquest and Magic.

 

Snobbish behavior had us on the Rhapsody, Splendour, Majesty and Freedom of the Seas. All of those except one trip on the Rhapsody were super vacations, and we cruised multiple times on three of those ships.

 

Our Carnival experiences have been all good except one trip on the Celebration where we bounced to Cozumel and back.

 

We choose Carnival for a variety of reasons, the biggest is Galveston is exactly one hour to drive to even in traffic, price and we know what we are getting. The Ecstasy was perhaps the perfect ship for us, as we sailed 5 years in a row the week of Thanksgiving when our daughter was in school.

 

The Conquest was the best vacation ever, as both of the trips were at the end of a long project at my job or a tough year as a teacher for my wife.

 

The Triumph is coming after a busy time where we all need a vacation!

 

I also did the Behind the Scenes Tour on the Conquest and had a blast. I might even do it again, as I am not a sun worshiper, and the tour is the last day at sea.

 

Thanks for the reminder about the vacation, I'm pooped after day two of a five day meeting!

 

Lee

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BillOh Holiday Sharing Rare

BillOh

Posted
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Interested in your comments but think you should have changed your CC name.

True Loyal Royals don't like reading anything that is not negative about Carnival.

They may take your Loyal Royal status away.;)

 

The OP said he was going to mention pre-conceived notions, but it looks like your first! :p

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