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

[TxBubba]

Jeff,

 

This is a terrific read! I love your writing style. My husband and I really loved the Triumph; it's my favorite ship so far, although I think our first cruise might still qualify as the favorite overall cruise.

 

Next up for us: Elation, on a route we've done a few times now; we're taking the kids over Fall Break for the first time ever (shhhh! it's a surprise), and we couldn't pass up the price. However, Navigator is calling my name. I'd really like to try that class next.

 

Looking forward to seeing more of your review! :)

 

I really appreciate the kind words. If memory serves, the Navigator of the Seas is a Voyager class ship. I love the design of those ships, not too big and not too small, with lots of windows. I would be anxious to read a review from you should you decide to take a trip on her.

 

May I ask what was your first ship? Mine was the Song of Norway way back when she was a RCCL boat out of Miami.

[TxBubba]

Being a "shippy", can you tell me how the water systems work? I was very happily surprised by quality of the water served but wondered if the the sewer system used salt water. I know this is a weird question, but really have been wondering.:o

 

Great question! I didn't taste the water so I cannot be sure. However, putting on my property manager hat and applying what I know about building design, I would venture a guess to say they are fresh water. Why? If they were salt water, you would have to have a separate supply water system to deliver the salt water to just the commodes in each stateroom. Much more cost efficient to tie off the fresh water lines already there for sink and shower use. I would also venture to say that using salt water in the lines would cause all sorts of water treatment issues including scale buildup which could be a maintenance nightmare.

 

My 2 cents.

[TxBubba]

I am enjoying your review. As you can tell by my signature I am a loyal RCCL cruiser. The Diamond perks are hard to pass up. We will be looking to other cruiselines soon as we want new itineraries. I had always heard the cruise lines were more alike than different. I appreciate your open minded review. I have to agree with one of the other posters that RCCL does offer a behind the scene tour for anyone who signs up. I think the cost was similar. We have not done it but our tablemates did and they thought it was great. We may have to try it sometime.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I must have missed the tour opportunities when I have sailed with RCCL. I will be certain to look for them on my next trip.

[TxBubba]

Facts really escape you don't they? And what name calling? Do you mean calling a troll a troll? Nice job of taking a great thread and calling out people. I will not respond to any other childish comments you have here as it is disrespectful to the OP who is doing a great job. Adios.

 

I really appreciate everyone's mutual respect that has been shown in this thread while I write my review. I know brand loyalty is fierce for any cruise line, but one thing we all share is the blessing to be able to take trips like these no matter what line delivers the experience.

 

Many thanks!

[Georgiagolfer]

I really appreciate everyone's mutual respect that has been shown in this thread while I write my review. I know brand loyalty is fierce for any cruise line, but one thing we all share is the blessing to be able to take trips like these no matter what line delivers the experience.

 

Many thanks!

 

Dw and I are not brand loyal, but cruising loyal. Only been on 2 lines, CCL and RCI and love them both.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.

[cbfosterdog]

Hello everyone

 

I have to admit that I brought earplugs on this trip. I am happy to report that I never used the earplugs during the trip.

 

THANKS for the humor!! :D I am still giggling over the pots & pans comment...it's so true that you hear these kind of things and they never come to fruition.:rolleyes: Great descriptions in all your posts & the posts are very easy reading...

[Almost Packed]

OP,

Now you need to go on a newer/larger ship and do a comparison for me lol

 

Loving it!

[CRUISE4JANE]

I have only been on 1 Royal cruise. The Sovereign of the Seas. It was enjoyable. I like their pool area much more than Carnival. this is something Carnival needs to improve upon . The maitre d did come to the table every night to make sure everything was okay. This was also different, as on Carnival, most cruises I have been on, he only came to our table on the last night.... hmmm wonder why?

The sail away party on Royal was fun.... although Carnival is improving on that again. For quite a while...it was just ..... we are sailing away...

I will always be cruising on Carnival.... may make some side trips on other lines in the future... but with Carnival... I just love the atmosphere... with the crew and the fellow passengers.... not necessarily a party boat... but it is a happy boat![/quote

 

It's not a boat. :eek: it's a ship. :D Don't you remember the ship/boat thread? :p:p:p Sorry, I had to say that as that thread was some funny.

 

OP - This is a very interesting review. Can't wait to read more.

[PathfinderEss]

Enjoying the review of your cruise, thanks for posting it.

[twindaddy]

The only thing I have against your review is that you havent finished it! You are teasing us! :p

[KuffMUp]

I have to say it is nice that a "loyal" would post a positive and thought out unbiased review. DH and I had our first 2 cruises on CCL then 1 RCCL. Have to say that I loved the ship looks on RCCL. Seems though that CCL has toned down the Vegas look a little on the new ships. I didn't much like our first cruise though I don't think it had anything to do with CCL. We went to Mexico and each port we had spent several weeks at on land based vacations. On our second, the pax were the main spoiler. I couldn't believe how rude the pax were toward the staff (maybe an East coast thing? as I have several friends from NY and they admit NYC folks are - how do I put this without pissing someone off - in a move-over-get-out-of-my-way-hurry). Well, and the layout and decor of the ship we hated. Couldn't get from one end to the other except on certain floors. However, that said, since RCCL abanonded the West coast that leaves us with CCL to go to Hawaii unless I want to go on one of the two trips RCCL offers which doesn't work out with DH work schedule (and no I won't consider the American staffed NCL).

 

As for the behind the scenes tour. I loved that on CCL. I was amazed to go through the galley and watch them make shrimp at X in the afternoon and have them not taste rubbery by the time they hit the table. That is something RCCL could generate some $$ with instead of offering them free to their elite pax.

 

So I am more mature now. Did I consider CCL for our upcoming 3 day Bahamas? Yes but I wasn't sure I could handle the tone of the ship but also didn't want to spend the 2 days in Nassau. My cruise after that is a charter so I would have gone on whatever line it was on.

 

Anyway. Thank you for a nice review that seems to toss all preconceived notions aside to just tell it like it was!!:D

[jzygail]

I'm enjoying your review as well. I'll be sailing on the Adventure next April and my most recent cruise was on Carnival Glory last December. Before that I cruised on HAL, so I can't really consider myself loyal to anyone :D.

 

But I, too, had some pre-conceived worries about Carnival prior to departure, not all of which came to anything. I'd have to say the food disappointed me most, altho, perhaps disappoint is also unfair. With HAL there were many choices at dinner which all seemed equally exciting whereas on some nights, with Carnival, none of the choices seemed all that. But such issues are really quibbles in the scheme of things--certainly none of it amounted to anything that would have even come close to ruining the trip. I compared it once to having entertained expectations of the Hilton Garden Inn, but ending up at the Holiday Inn Express.

 

And I was also very impressed with how organized and quickly we boarded Carnival (Miami)--we weren't VIP status either.

 

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

[NavarreCruiser]

I really appreciate everyone's mutual respect that has been shown in this thread while I write my review. I know brand loyalty is fierce for any cruise line, but one thing we all share is the blessing to be able to take trips like these no matter what line delivers the experience.

 

Many thanks!

 

 

As you can see in our signature we cruise both CCL and RCCL a lot. I am throughly enjoying your very detailed review and find very little I disagree with. One minor point, on RCCL the behind the scenes tour is only offered to Suite Guests and Diamond Plus (175 days) and above not to Diamond (75days).

[jules815]

I'm really enjoying your review. Great job, keep it coming! :)

 

I was also Loyal to Royal until I was invited on a 4-day Carnival cruise with my best friends. It was a great way to try another line, and I was pleasantly surprised. Everything that mattered (service, food, etc.) was the same, or in some cases even better. I came home from that trip and booked Carnival Dream (new at the time) for our summer family vacation. My husband LOVED the cove balcony, and we had a great vacation.

 

Anyway, it strikes me as so silly and childish the way people bash other cruise lines. (Really people? Over dining room menus?) I love more choices, and enjoy both lines very much. Looking forward to our Dream cruise in October (another cove, yay!), and our cruise on RC Freedom (center hump, yay!) next May. :)

[TxBubba]

OP,

Now you need to go on a newer/larger ship and do a comparison for me lol

 

Loving it!

 

If you are buying, I am sailing! =)

[TxBubba]

The only thing I have against your review is that you havent finished it! You are teasing us! :p

 

I know I am such a tease. =) I am working on the food review right now and I hope to have it up today or tomorrow.

[TxBubba]

As you can see in our signature we cruise both CCL and RCCL a lot. I am throughly enjoying your very detailed review and find very little I disagree with. One minor point, on RCCL the behind the scenes tour is only offered to Suite Guests and Diamond Plus (175 days) and above not to Diamond (75days).

 

Thanks for the clarification. Maybe I can talk my wife into a suite on our next RCCL trip so this "shippie" can get the tour...

[mom2two2]

Thank you for the review. It is to the point, impartial and amusing as well.

 

We also have only sailed Royal previously (3 cruises total) and are booked for our first Carnival cruise on Breeze (cove, cannot wait) next Spring. We mainly had stuck with Royal thus far because we were happy with what we had and figured why mess with it? But MAN I want on Breeze so Carnival it is. It is nice to see a review that does not go on about Walmart of The Seas and all that garbage.

[Rocknsoul]

I really appreciate the kind words. If memory serves, the Navigator of the Seas is a Voyager class ship. I love the design of those ships, not too big and not too small, with lots of windows. I would be anxious to read a review from you should you decide to take a trip on her.

 

May I ask what was your first ship? Mine was the Song of Norway way back when she was a RCCL boat out of Miami.

 

Our very first cruise, to celebrate our 10th anniversary, was on Sovereign of the Seas: Port Canaveral to CocoCay & Nassau. I remember being shocked at how tiny the stateroom was, since I had never been in one before. We shared a dinner table with a group of retirees who took us under their wings & showed us the cruising ropes. I never wanted to leave CocoCay. As far as Nassau, once I got to the beach, I was happy. If I remember correctly, I climbed the rock wall & sang at karaoke. We had so much fun at our dinner table.

 

The next cruise was on Empress of the Seas, and it was earned by DH in an incentive organization. It was fun, but not as fun as the first one. That probably had more to do with the forced interaction with the other incentive winners than anything else; they were pleasant people, but I'd rather not be told I have to spend time with someone--especially so much.

 

Carnival made a port available within a 5-hour drive, with prices that enabled us to cruise much more frequently. During the first CCL cruise on Fantasy, we were more than pleasantly surprised at how the service equaled, and in some areas excelled, that of our RCI cruises, even if the ship wasn't as pretty. We had FUN--so much fun--and we were bitten by the cruise bug.

 

Ironically, our Elation cruise falls just after our 20th anniversary, but this time we're taking the kids. :o After the last cruise, I told DH that I couldn't take another cruise with just him until our kids went at least once. I found myself constantly thinking about how much they would love this or that. After this cruise, he & I can go alone again. I also asked him if we could try the Voyager class, now that RCI seems to be back in N.O., and I think it's a go. It's just so hard for him to pay a higher price when he doesn't have to...but I'm working on it. ;) I'll be sure to post a review if we do.

 

That's probably more than you wanted to know. :p

[Jana60]

If you are buying, I am sailing! =)

 

 

Me too!!:D

[Herfnerd]

Loving your review!!!

[cruisercrazy69]

Great Review cant wait for the food opinion

[SECdawg]

As you can see in our signature we cruise both CCL and RCCL a lot. I am throughly enjoying your very detailed review and find very little I disagree with. One minor point, on RCCL the behind the scenes tour is only offered to Suite Guests and Diamond Plus (175 days) and above not to Diamond (75days).

I have to disagree. I think the suite and Diamond plus cruisers possibly get a free behind the scenes tour. Our tablemates were on there second cruise and were not in a suite. They paid for the tour and since it was around $100 per person, only two of the 5 of them went.

[jasbo49]

Facts really escape you don't they? And what name calling? Do you mean calling a troll a troll? Nice job of taking a great thread and calling out people. I will not respond to any other childish comments you have here as it is disrespectful to the OP who is doing a great job. Adios.

 

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

You know what? You're actually right about some of this. I guess I was mocking or chiding or baiting, which wasn't a good idea when I was preaching civility. My bad.

 

On with the fun.

 

Jim

[RRLLAL]

You know what? You're actually right about some of this. I guess I was mocking or chiding or baiting, which wasn't a good idea when I was preaching civility. My bad.

 

On with the fun.

 

Jim

 

Peace.

 

Happy Cruising.

 

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2