Live From the Victory... Full Moon(s) cruise review with pics.

[Kokomo_Man]

The great Victory full moon(s) adventure.

 

 

 

Review & pics

 

 

My original “live from” thread has been closed, so I’ll be posting my review and pics from the cruise here.

 

It’s been a few days since the cruise ended. As always, it’s quite a zoo for me when I get back home. But it does give me time to reflect on the cruise before writing a review. So, over the next few days I’ll be posting my reviews and a ton of pics that I took during the cruise. This will all be just my opinion, so take it for what it’s worth.

 

As I sit here writing this I have Radio Margaritaville on playing island music. I’m suffering from PCD... Post Cruise Depression. So, the first thing I should say before I go on is that I would go back on the Victory any time. She is still a first class ship and I had a lot of fun. I wish I was still cruisin’ on her somewhere in the Caribbean with a frozen concoction to help me hang on in my hand. Oh Well... on the ship riview.

 

The Ship

 

The Victory is one of the older ships in Carnival’s fleet. She is a “Triumph class” ship. She was built in 2000 and had her last dry-dock in 2005. I heard a few very minor complaints about the condition of the ship but overall, I think she is still bright, shiny, and well maintained. I personally never saw anything that was in need of repair.

 

Being older is kind of a double-edged sword.... some good and some bad. But I do need to say that if I hadn’t been on the newer ships, I would not have known the difference. And when compared to the older ships of other cruise lines I’ve been on, I would say she fairs better.

 

In the good category is that there aren’t as many passengers on board. Processing on or off the ship is quicker since there aren’t so many people to move through the doors. Other, larger ships, have the same number of doors and the same number of “dinger” contraptions to run your sail and sign card through. On this cruise there was never more than a few minutes wait to get to the dinger.

 

Also in the good category is the number of elevators on the ship is the same as the larger Conquest class and even the newest gargantuan Breeze. After the initial rush at the port of Miami, the wait for elevators was always reasonable. They could use some “smart controls” but even the Breeze doesn’t have that. So, the elevators were definitely better than the larger ships since they had to carry fewer passengers.

 

Service at the bars around the ship was good. I didn’t count the bars around the ship, but I think there is the same number of them as on all the larger ships. In any case, getting a drink was never a problem at any of the bars. The bartenders always had a smile on their face.

 

Now for the not so good. I must say that with one exception these were more irritants than bad. So I’ll talk about the exception first... and it was ugly. The internet service. This was the worst internet that I’ve had on any ship... Carnival or other. Just when I was thinking Carnival was getting their act together, I had to suffer through the internet on the Victory. It was all but useless though it cost the same as every other Carnival ship. Shame on Carnival for inflicting this on their customers and bilking them with the price. Enough said.

 

There were always long lines during the day at all the eating places on the Lido deck and especially in the buffet. There are 1/3 the number of serving stations in the buffet compared to the newer Conquest Class ships. Those ships hold about 3000 passengers compared to about 2700 for the Triumph class. So, you can see that with fewer serving stations, the lines are bound to be long. The outside “mini-buffets” for hamburgers did some to help, but the lines were very long for those stations too.

 

The last “not so good” is that the ship hasn’t had all the 2.0 upgrades. That means no Guy’s ferengie burgers... no Red Frog Pub... no Tequila and Rum bars on the Lido Deck. Of these I missed the Red Frog Pub most. I don’t know where they would put it on this ship, but I liked to hang out there a lot on the Breeze.

 

There are a few odds & ends to tell about that are not in the good or bad category... they just are. I’ll tell you about these as I think of them. The first that comes to mind is on this ship kids are allowed in all pools. The only area that restricts under 18 is the Serenity decks. There weren’t a lot of kids on this ship, but I was surprised at how many were playing hookey. Anytime during the day when we were at sea, there were kids in each of the three pools if open.

 

Carnival has eliminated the bands... even the one-man band... that used to play on the Lido deck on sea days. This is fleet-wide. Instead, they have replaced the bands with a DJ. Some people will think the DJ is better playing a wider variety of music. But... I miss the bands with their island music. Island music and steel drums just belong on the Lido deck during a Caribbean Cruise.

 

That’s all for this part. I’ll add some details about a few venues in my next post. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy the pics of the ship.

 

Bob

[boaterette]

Looking forward to your review.

[Kokomo_Man]

Here's a pic of the ship taken on Half Moon Cay. She's still pretty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A look back at Miami during sail-away.

 

 

 

 

 

The main Lido deck pool area... chair hogs did not seem to be a problem during any part of the cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

Aft Pool Area... you can see the kids here. They were never a problem anywhere on the ship.

 

 

 

 

More Later...

 

Bob

[T C 2]

So far so good! :)

[Phlybice]

I'm confused. Are you on board now? This says LIVE.

[Kokomo_Man]

I'm not on board now... this is a continuation of the original "Live From". Here's the link to the original postings:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1928390

 

I'll continue here this afternoon.

Edited October 24, 2013 by Kokomo_Man

[BlueJai]

Looking forward to more! Your pictures are awesome!

[Kokomo_Man]

The great Victory full moon(s) adventure.

 

 

 

Review & pics - Part 2

 

 

A bit more about the ship...

 

The cabin I was in did not have a refrigerator. For those that like to bring sodas on board with them like I do, this is a little bit of an inconvenience. Sure you can go somewhere and get ice, but that is a bit of a “pain” to have to chase around. I think this is something you will find on the older ships. I think the Conquest and newer ships have refrigerators in all their cabins. For the Victory, I think only the suites have them. Maybe someone else can update us on this.

 

Each of the stair-cases on the ship has a sea monster guarding the stairs. (see the pics coming up.) It’s really a sea horse, but I called it a sea monster because of the snout that protrudes beyond the end of the banister. Several people told me that when rounding the corner the snout jumps out and bites your knee... or depending on how short you are, takes a chunk out of your thigh. It didn’t happen to me, but watch out if you are on this ship.

 

Service in the main dining room was very good... that is after I was moved from the very uncomfortable booths. On the first night, the others seated with me in the booth got their starter (soup) but I didn’t. Just before the other two people got their main course I got my heart of iceberg salad. Needless to say, I wasn’t happy. Perhaps it was just first night confusion. Fortunately, we were moved to a table in the middle of the dining room for the remaining nights. Service was beyond good from then on. In fact, it ranks in the top of the Carnival ships I’ve been on.

 

I’m surprised that I did not hear any comments about the mermaids... ummmm, almost naked mermaids that are adorning each booth in the dining rooms. Maybe most people didn’t notice, but hey... I’m just a guy. These aren’t tiny little figurines. They are large and almost seem to be everywhere. Take a look at the pics when I get them posted next and you be the judge.

 

On deck 4 aft there is a very nice lounge that used to be the Cigar Bar. It is very well appointed with comfortable furniture, and a nice bar. It goes largely unused these days. I say used to be the Cigar Bar because all smoking in there is now banned because it used to be that the only access to the “internet cafe” was through the Cigar Bar. So... smoking was banned. I find it interesting that what used to be the internet cafe is now a portrait studio.

 

The internet area has been moved to the hallway next to the lounge. There are now only a handful of computers in the area. I don’t smoke, but I think the tradition of a Cigar Bar should be revived. They could easily move the internet and merge it into the almost unused library. The Cigar Bar could then be returned to its former glory. By the way, the “disco” area on the Prominade deck is a smoking area. If the Cigar Bar was once again a smoking area, the disco could be made non-smoking. None of this is likely to happen, but just maybe... Carnival is listening.

 

That’s all for the ship for now unless I think of some stuff I’ve forgotten. Tomorrow I’ll start on the ports we visited.

 

Bob

[Kokomo_Man]

Here are the "Sea Monsters"... be careful:eek:

 

 

 

 

 

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

[Kokomo_Man]

Mermaids everywhere :o

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

[Kokomo_Man]

Here are a few pics of the Cigar Bar... I should say, Ex-Cigar Bar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I'm at it... here are a pics of the Casino Bar and the Atrium Bar... gotta have those frozen concoctions to help us hang on.:D

 

 

 

I just noticed as I was posting this that all of the bar stools are "sea monsters".

 

 

 

 

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

[Oceanborn]

Here are a few pics of the Cigar Bar... I should say, Ex-Cigar Bar.

 

Wow, I'm glad you posted pics of the Cigar Bar! I think that's what Carnival was referring to as the "Ionian Lounge". If so that's where we are having our open bar and reception in two weeks. I've been looking for pictures of it but haven't been able to find much at all. I like it! Thanks for posting those.

[Kokomo_Man]

Oceanborn... The Ex-Cigar Bar (Ionian Lounge) will make an excellent area for a large reception. It may be the best on the ship for something like that. Here are a few more pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

[Kokomo_Man]

Carnival has created serenity decks on almost all of their ships. They took otherwise unused areas, put in comfortable seating, a couple of hot-tubs and a bar... presto-change... they made a very nice area that people now use a lot. It has gone a long ways to help alleviate the crowding on the Lido deck. Here are a pile-o-pics of the area:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

[Kokomo_Man]

The best place for coffee on the ship is the Coral Sea Café... and they also have very tasty pastries and other things to add the calories to ummmm.... keep up your energy for all the cruising adventures... yeah, that's the ticket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mmmmm-mmmmm-good!:D

 

 

 

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

[cruzn buckeye]

We were on the victory a few weeks ago. Two connecting balconies. We called room service, as our cabin steward was not on duty yet. We asked for ice for our ice bucket and asked if they could bring a second one as they were small. They told us they could bring us an ice chest and fill it every day. I assumed it was just a bigger ice bucket. but they actually brought us a medium to large size cooler filled with ice! couldnt beat that!

[Oceanborn]

Oceanborn... The Ex-Cigar Bar (Ionian Lounge) will make an excellent area for a large reception. It may be the best on the ship for something like that. Here are a few more pics.

 

 

 

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

 

Amazing pics! Thanks for the additional ones. I'm now wishing we had opted for the live piano player instead of brining our own music. That would have been a great vibe for that room. It's pretty far beyond what we expected... We were expecting a boxy little conference room tucked away somewhere lol

Edited October 27, 2013 by Oceanborn

[Danacat222]

Oct 17, 2013

 

Victory departing Grand Turk as seen from Liberty

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2013 by Danacat222

[Fighterone]

Oct 17, 2013

 

Victory departing Grand Turk as seen from Liberty

 

 

Thanks Danacat. I can see us standing on the balcony aft wrap starboard.

[Pellaz]

Thanks Danacat. I can see us standing on the balcony aft wrap starboard.

 

I can, too! I'm that fat guy. :)

 

 

These are nice pics. I was taking pics looking back at Liberty at the same time.

[Kokomo_Man]

I took a little break to go to Sin City for a couple of days. I'm back to posting the follow-ups and pics from the cruise.

 

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

[Kokomo_Man]

The great Victory full moon(s) adventure.

 

 

 

Review & pics - Nassau

 

 

 

Most of the tours in Nassau are water adventure type tours... beach trips, snorkeling, dolphin encounters and the like. I have not done one of the dolphin encounters but everyone I’ve talked to that took one of the these excursions has loved it. I have always been disappointed that Carnival has not offered any SCUBA excursions on any of their cruises I have taken to Nassau. Nassau is one of the best diving places in the Caribbean, so I don’t know why Carnival doesn’t offer it.

 

The other big thing to do is to go to the Atlantis resort. Most of the Atlantis excursions are pricey and I’ve heard that you are restricted from using all the facility in some cases. If you want to go to Atlantis, you can book it yourself online directly with the resort. Then take a taxi or water-taxi to get there for $8.00 round-trip.

 

For this trip, I did not book any excursions. I have been to Nassau enough times that these days I just go on a walk-about. Usually I sleep in and then take a walk to Junkanoo Beach and “Fish Fry”. Both are interesting places. Junkanoo Beach is a nice free area if you want to spend some time at the beach. “Fish Fry” is a nice place to... well... eat fish.

 

A lot of folks have ask me about how to get to Junkanoo Beach and “Fish Fry”. Both places are within walking distance for most people... about 20 minutes to Junkanoo Beach and maybe another 10 minutes to Fish Fry. It’s good exercise to work off all that Chocolate Melting Cake.

 

To get to Junkanoo Beach just try to stay along the sea-wall to the right after you exit the port area. You will run into Senior Frogs and turn left into town. If you make it past the Frog... many never make it past the frozen concoctions to help them hang on... then just follow the signs through the town that will direct you.

 

The pics that follow are from a walk-about.

 

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

[Kokomo_Man]

As you walk along the sea wall, you will pass by a lot of "street vendors". None of them are as aggressive as those in Jamaica, and they are not really a problem. This guy had some really nice conch shells and star fish.

 

 

 

 

Though it is one of my favorite watering holes in the Caribbean, I managed to make it past the frog... this time. I'm not tellin' about on the way back.

 

 

 

 

 

When you are in town, then just follow the signs.

 

 

 

 

There's a guy at the beach selling coconuts. First he will cut off the top, poke a hole in it and give you a straw to drink the milk. After you finish the milk, take the coconut back to him and with one mighty slash of his machete he cuts it open so you can eat the coconut meat. Of course, the tiki bar to the left in the pic has all the "liquid refreshment" you might want... just be sure you make it back to the ship on time.:D

 

 

 

 

More pics of the Nassau walk-about to come.

 

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

[suzinva]

Thanks, sailing on her in February, can't wait!

[ready2cruzagain]

Was wondering what happened to you! We love Junkanoo Beach in Nassau and always get a Coconut there and of course some Sands Beer. Really nice family that works there. I was surprised at how clean the restrooms were. They have really started taking care of the area.

Edited October 30, 2013 by ready2cruzagain