V is for VICTORY (and cruise #5) PHOTO HEAVY review.

[seannyice81]

Enjoying your review and pictures, thank you for all the detail. Love the one at HMC with the ship between the two cabanas. Glad you had a great time!

 

Thank you, and Welcome :)

 

Enjoy your cruise on the Splendor before you hand it over to me. :D

Edited April 9, 2014 by seannyice81

[diamondcharl]

Really enjoying your review. That pic of the water in HMC is amazing! We are sailing in August but unfortunately we are not going to HMC but Cozumel and Key West. Hope itll be just as beautiful:)

[hockeyluver]

AWWWW cant see the pictures anymore :(

[seannyice81]

AWWWW cant see the pictures anymore :(

 

Photos are back :). Guess it is popular!

 

Grand Turk will be posted tonight!

[tandtmk04]

Great Review! I love the pictures, very sharp! Looking forward to reading the rest of your review! :D

[Megan_Strick]

CRUISE DAY 2 - NASSAU

 

Nassau. Many people seem to take issue with this place. Mostly due to how frequent it's visited on cruises, I suppose. To be honest I could visit Nassau 10 times and still be happy. The place has a lot going on and I could find a new place to hang out every time I visit. If you have yet to visit Nassau, I hope you visit it with an open mind because it can be nice/fun place.

 

I woke up about 6:30. We'd be making port probably a little before our scheduled time of 8. I headed upstairs to get some breakfast on lido and had some coffee to make me a little less groggy. After breakfast, I grabbed my camera and headed out to the secret deck on deck 9. On Victory and Triumph, this is the secret deck where you can go out over the bridge wings. I watched as we pulled into port (we were first there), and couldn't help but notice we had company. There were a couple red funnels on the horizon.

 

 

As we tied our mooring lines to the pier I watched as Fantasy and then Sensation made their way into port. Disney Magic soon followed as well. I had no set times to be anywhere so I took my time watching them arrive. I stepped off Victory as Disney Magic was still being secured.

 

 

Looking back on Victory. The spot next to us would be taken later by Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas.

 

I feel the same way about Nassau. A lot of people hate it but I can always find something to do there. I'll be there my 6th time in Sept.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

CRUISE DAY 2 - NASSAU - CONTINUED.

 

In Nassau, I had planned to break my day up into two parts. First I'd go see the Queen's Staircase/Fort Fincastle. Then later, I'd spend some time soaking up sun and booze at the beach. As I got off the ship, I took note of where to get my passport stamped. There is a government building on the east end of the port that has military guards. If you approach them with your passport, another ID and answer a couple simple questions, they'll let you into the building where pretty friendly staff will stamp your passport.

...

NOTE the structure to the left of the staircase. In the past there was a waterfall here. NOTE. If you have trouble with stairs and would like to use the staircase, there are handrails (seen below). There are a couple landings as well.

I saw the Queen's Staircase during my Sensation cruise last year. There still was a waterfall there, and it was running. (Not sure it was at full force or not.) You must have gone there during a different time of the year, or maybe the waterfall just runs sporadically. Either way, thanks for writing the review; it was really helpful. I always had reservations about doing a beach-heavy cruise as a solo, but it seems like you had a really fun time. By the way, Victory was docked right next to my ship during my stay in Nassau.

 

CRUISE DAY 2 - NASSAU - CONTINUED

 

JUNKANOO BEACH

After eating my pizza and sitting out on the deck for a little while, I made my way to the secret decks for sail away. It was really neat, backing out and then turning around. While backing out. I couldn't help but notice all the people on the aft decks of the Fantasy Class ships. They honestly look pretty fun to cruise. Maybe next time.

Oh, they are fun to cruise on. Their Serenity area is located at the stern, rather than on top like on Victory, so it overlooks the wakes behind the ship. It's got hot tubs too. It's a very romantic place to take a new lady friend ;). Plus, Fantasy class ships usually do short cruises, so they attract a young, party-oriented crowd.

Edited April 10, 2014 by LandlockedCruiser01

[seannyice81]

Great Review! I love the pictures, very sharp! Looking forward to reading the rest of your review! :D

 

Thanks! More coming tonight. Stay tuned. :cool:

 

I feel the same way about Nassau. A lot of people hate it but I can always find something to do there. I'll be there my 6th time in Sept.

 

Have a good time!

 

I saw the Queen's Staircase during my Sensation cruise last year. There still was a waterfall there, and it was running. (Not sure it was at full force or not.) You must have gone there during a different time of the year, or maybe the waterfall just runs sporadically. Either way, thanks for writing the review; it was really helpful. I always had reservations about doing a beach-heavy cruise as a solo, but it seems like you had a really fun time. By the way, Victory was docked right next to my ship during my stay in Nassau.

 

It's a bummer I missed the waterfall! It would have been even more amazing to see.

 

I'll tell you one thing I was going to save to the end of the review, and its that if you're solo, I recommend the assigned-time dining. First off, it allows you to meet new people and possibly get to know them better or hang out. You can also seek assistance from John Heald or the Maitre D who could have you seated with other solo individuals. With Anytime Dining, you risk being seated alone or less ideal situations.

 

One thing I should mention is that I looked for things to occupy my time before the cruise so that I wasn't just floating around looking for something that might be interesting. I looked at things that interested me online, then sought them once I got there. I kept things flexible though, in case I changed my mind last minute.

 

Oh, they are fun to cruise on. Their Serenity area is located at the stern, rather than on top like on Victory, so it overlooks the wakes behind the ship. It's got hot tubs too. It's a very romantic place to take a new lady friend ;). Plus, Fantasy class ships usually do short cruises, so they attract a young, party-oriented crowd.

 

Oh yea? haha! I'm considering a 4-day on the Fascination this summer. If it comes to pass, we'll see what happens.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Great review thanks for posting. Yea the Victory is really green. First time I have seen pics. Not sure I like the décor.

[seannyice81]

CRUISE DAY 4 - GRAND TURK

 

As I sit here typing this, I feel some sadness as I'm losing my tan and the glow of my vacation has long since worn off. No more feeling the ship move when theres no ship. It already feels like it was a year ago. On with the review...

 

I slept in this morning. The occasional problem with cruising is I don't get much chance to sleep in because I'm always eager to visit the next port. Most of the time the ship gets in 7-8am. That means getting to breakfast early to have food in my guts, brushing teeth, getting my camera, or gear together, etc... then making my way to a gangway or tender. Grand Turk on the other hand, is usually not an early morning stop though. This morning we were scheduled to arrive at 11am. That meant I could sleep in. YES! I got myself out of bed roughly 9:45 and had a nice breakfast. I then went to my usual perch on deck 9 over the bridge wings to watch us arrive. To my surprise when I glanced over the port side, I found we were being followed by Liberty, my favorite of the ships I've cruised with Carnival. Liberty then swung to our starboard side to dock.

 

 

 

We pulled up to the pier, moored, and then some people started disembarking the gangway. Liberty was starting to pull along side and I thought, "hmmm, this could get interesting." I grabbed my stuff and headed down to the gangways. I only got as far as deck 1 before there was an announcment from Kevin, our cruise director, that they would pause when Liberty was being moored. Ok, no biggie... At that point there were some people standing around the stairs to go to deck 0 and the gangway. No problem, I'll get in line. Trouble was the line kept getting longer and longer and before I knew it, I was more than halfway down cabin corridor on deck 1! People were filing past me to get in the already long line and there was hardly any room for anyone to move. After about 15 mins, we did start moving. It took an additional 15 mins to get off the ship. Dang! I might miss my 11:30 excursion! I finally made it to the gangway and quickly made my way up the pier, stopping briefly for a couple photos.

 

[seannyice81]

CRUISE DAY 4 - GRAND TURK - PART 2

 

ATV ADVENTURE

 

I had to rush ashore to make my 11:30 excursion. I found the hut with this people who operated the tours and asked if I made it. Yes, I made it and they were giving guests additional time since the Victory had a hiccup with allowing guests off. I took the opportunity to venture into Ron Jon's for a magnet and t-shirt, then made a quick pit-stop before hand. I could really use some water. Hopefully they had some on the tour.

 

I made my way back to the hut and waited another 5 mins before we were taken to the ATVs which were right over in the parking lot near the taxi stand. We were given a briefing on how to operate one, what the rules were, and using signals. We put on our helmets which had radios in which the guides would explain the sights and surroundings. We took a spin around the lot and then followed our guides out onto the roads. Most of our travel was on public road and we were told to stay tight to avoid people with cars getting between us. It sort of worked, but a couple 1st time riders were allowing too much gap so we had to pull off and re-arrange our order. After that was done we proceeded through Cockburn Town, and sights of heritage. We made a stop along a beach "where Columbus landed." And then made a stop where they had many live conch. Afterwards we headed further north to the lighthouse on the other side of the island. It was beautiful here and I was able to get a bottled water at a refreshment stand ($2).

 

 

After our time at the lighthouse, we returned to our ATVs for a trip back through town and back to port. The return trip was much faster. Overall it was roughly 1.5 hours.

 

*NOTE. I'm an experienced ATV rider. If you are an experienced rider, you may have some frustration because you don't really use the ATVs as such. There are a couple instances where you go through some sand or dirt, but it is mostly pavement or even surface. Also, being in a group with 1st timers might try some of your patience too. That said, just relax and have a good time taking in the sights. There are many. In comparison to my ATV tour on St. Kitts, this one was definitely less "adventurous", but more thorough with information. The company that runs these ATV tours does have a tour for more experienced riders but ONLY for those STAYING on the island.

Edited April 11, 2014 by seannyice81

[PathfinderEss]

Wonderful review and awesome photo's.

[seannyice81]

Thats it for tonight folks.

 

Tomorrow: Jack's Shack, beach, a crazy night, and a sea day back to Miami.

[seannyice81]

Great review thanks for posting. Yea the Victory is really green. First time I have seen pics. Not sure I like the décor.

 

Thank you, and welcome :)

 

With each Carnival ship I cruise on, they've become more outlandish. Honestly though as tacky as they can be, they're also eye catching with a lot of detail. I don't really consider the ship's decor when looking at cruises, as I would miss out on some good trips.

 

Wonderful review and awesome photo's.

 

Thank you!

 

I wish they were their original quality, but that's photobucket hosting for you.

Edited April 11, 2014 by seannyice81

[LandlockedCruiser01]

I'll tell you one thing I was going to save to the end of the review, and its that if you're solo, I recommend the assigned-time dining. First off, it allows you to meet new people and possibly get to know them better or hang out. You can also seek assistance from John Heald or the Maitre D who could have you seated with other solo individuals. With Anytime Dining, you risk being seated alone or less ideal situations.

That's exactly what I did. I discovered Cruise Critic about six months before my first cruise, so I already knew that. Had a good table experience every time. I even had a situation similar to yours, the one with the girls at your table. It was just a friendly thing, but they were close to me in age, and we got along well. We ran into each other at a bar in Nassau, and danced together until late, since the ship stayed there until 1:00 AM. Needless to say, I was wrecked at breakfast next morning, and had to ask the poor waiter to refill my water glass 4 times. No regrets, though.

 

Looking forward to the last part of your review. I was hesitant to do this itinerary as a solo, since beach days don't strike me as solo-friendly, but not so much now. But I guess there are others things to do in Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk, so it's not all lying on the beach by yourself.

Edited April 11, 2014 by LandlockedCruiser01

[gapearl]

That live conch looks so gross! Ewwwwww!!!!

[seannyice81]

That's exactly what I did. I discovered Cruise Critic about six months before my first cruise, so I already knew that. Had a good table experience every time. I even had a situation similar to yours, the one with the girls at your table. It was just a friendly thing, but they were close to me in age, and we got along well. We ran into each other at a bar in Nassau, and danced together until late, since the ship stayed there until 1:00 AM. Needless to say, I was wrecked at breakfast next morning, and had to ask the poor waiter to refill my water glass 4 times. No regrets, though.

 

Looking forward to the last part of your review. I was hesitant to do this itinerary as a solo, since beach days don't strike me as solo-friendly, but not so much now. But I guess there are others things to do in Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk, so it's not all lying on the beach by yourself.

 

I was pretty good about keeping myself busy too. I think the longest I actually spent laying on a beach was (maybe) 2 hours. Another cool thing about being solo is you can do what YOU want to do and not have to risk compromising.

 

That live conch looks so gross! Ewwwwww!!!!

 

Just a big snail. lol

 

Delicious, fried!

Edited April 11, 2014 by seannyice81

[seannyice81]

CRUISE DAY 4 - GRAND TURK - PART 3

 

JACK'S SHACK

 

The ATV tour is fun, but you know what. Its time for a beer! Where do I go? Jack's Shack! I hate wearing closed-toed shoes on a cruise/beach vacation. After the ATV tour, I really needed bare feet so I took my shoes off and walked all the way down the beach, through the water to Jack's Shack. The place was poppin'. People were out front playing volleyball, the loungers were all taken as well as most areas of the beach, and the bar was packed. Looking around, I noticed some familiar faces. Many of the entertainment staff were there catching some rays and using the wifi. They seemed to be having a good time. It's good to see hard working people taking a break and enjoying some time off. I grabbed a seat at the hut/bar and was greeted by Jack. What a cool guy. His wife and daughter were there working as well. I wanted the conch fritters which I think were referred to as "cracked conch." Jack told me it'd be a 45 minute wait for it. "Sure, I'm in no hurry." I planted myself there and enjoyed a really good bottle of Turks Head Lager.

 

Don't let the beat-up lounger fool you. There are a lot more with umbrellas. I would have taken a photo of those, but I didn't want the speedo-wearing retirees that were playing volleyball in a picture. You're welcome.

 

 

One thing that struck me was that there were a couple teens sitting at the bar (NOT drinking booze, thankfully). I was next to some guys going back and forth and joking over which ship was better, Liberty or Victory. People were pretty into it (in a fun way) and even the assistant CD of the Liberty, who was there, chimed in little too. I told them the Liberty was better in my mind. First, because of 2.0 and secondly because of its larger size (with more stuff). My experience on Liberty was also unparalleled. It is a great ship. Not that Victory was bad! This continued for a while and we all talked about the ships and cruises we'd been on. A little later a couple from Boston sat down next to me. I can't remember how, but we got into discussion. We bought some drinks and had an overall good time just hanging out there. I watched their stuff while they went in the water, and they watching mine. I spent about 5 mins in the water and it was so nice. A tiny bit cool when first getting in, but it was awesome after about a 30 seconds. I swam back and forth a little, knowing it would be the last time I was in water that nice for some time. After getting out, I went back up to the bar and picked-up where I left off. My fried conch still hadn't shown up yet and it was almost 1.5 hours later. I asked Jack if he knew what was up, and he brought some right over. Nice! It was pretty good! Very similar to other fried shell fish, but not tough. I shared some with my new friends from Boston. I asked Jack's daughter (can't remember her name) to see if I could buy a shirt. Sure! I picked out a green "bar fly" t-shirt and got a free cocktail with it. Nice! After a while people started leaving. An even shorter time later, we decided it would probably be best to leave too. We agreed to meet on Serenity Deck for sail-away.

 

I took a couple photos on the way including some of the islands 4 legged residents.

 

 

After a sad walk back to the pier, and onto the ship. I took a shower and then headed up to Serenity for sail away. Out on deck, Victory had a DJ going, while Liberty had an acoustic guitar player. I found a couple clam shell loungers with my new friends Matt and Kristen. We sipped on Pina Coladas as the Victory pulled up it's mooring lines and started sailing away.

 

 

It was a very nice sail away and yet a little sad. We knew we were now Miami bound. Thankfully we still had 1 sea day left to indulge in what the ship had to offer.

[seannyice81]

CRUISE DAY 4 - GRAND TURK - CONTINUED

After sail away, I headed to get some pizza. Afterwards I layed-down for a while. I woke up later feeling pretty recharged and headed to meet with the girls for dinner. Tonight they were having the Caribbean deck party and late night Mexican buffet. Sweet! I couldn't wait. We sat down and talked about the good times we had during the day and how one of the girls was asked by an islander if she could be his girlfriend for the day (or something like that) haha. She made the best of him hanging around from the sound of it.

 

After dinner we headed up and grabbed a couple loungers watching the end of a movie and the DJ before the party began. It took the entertainment staff a little while to arrive, but they did eventually and the party took off. They passed out glow sticks/bands and servers were selling shot glasses with flashing LEDs. Once the party got rolling it really turned into the BIGGEST deck party I've ever experienced on a Carnival cruise. The music was good, everyone was dancing, and the lido deck was packed! This lasted for a good while. They did only a couple of the usual dances, and some freestyle ones. There was the required limbo. After a while the entertainment staff began to head off, but the party continued. A little past midnight, I went to check out the Mexican buffet. It was cool seeing the carvings and the food was decent. Not great, but decent. Eating a lot of food that late though was surely a bad idea so I decided to take it easy. I met up with the girls again and went to the secret decks to watch the stars. We stayed there for some time, then all went to our cabins to sleep. Tomorrow I'd get to sleep in again!

Edited April 12, 2014 by seannyice81

[SoCalKJ]

 

It is a little uncommon. Most cruises I've taken with a then GF. I've been single for a little bit now, mostly enjoying it. I took my mom along on my last cruise, but this one was totally solo and it was very enjoyable as single guy. There were a couple times, I thought "dang, it would be cool to do this with _______," or "I wish I was drinking beer with ______," but it was still a great time. The cool thing is you meet new people/friends on the trip or find new people to hang out with. You may miss some, but you'll also find some great people to do stuff with.

 

I'm no stranger to solo weekend getaways. I'm a ridiculously happily married 42-year-old gal who just has an entirely different work schedule than my DH and when I've got a weekend off, he doesn't. Rarely do we get to do anything together for longer than a day....of course, we are doing Alaska on the Miracle in July! Next weekend, though, I'll be taking my first SOLO weekend cruise and I'm really looking forward to it! I've done a lot of weekend solo getaways, but a cruise by myself is a first! So excited! :)

 

I'm enjoying your review. I miss HMC! Jet-skiing is a blast, ain't it? :-)

[sjn911]

Great Review..great attitude...great pictures...thanks for sharing...Sarah

[Writerfl]

I've been on Victory (twice) and Conquest, all three trips travelling solo. While Victory is an older ship and shows it in a few places, I love the decor. The seldom-seen Ionian Room on Deck 4 (between dining rooms) is a knock-your-socks-off gorgeous reminder of the 1930s and the Golden Years of transatlantic cruising.

 

The other thing I love about Victory is the level of service. On Conquest everyone knew their jobs but knew nothing of other people's jobs so the staff was constantly butting heads. Service felt jerky and dis-contiguous. Victory is like a well oiled machine. Service is uniformly excellent and flows seamlessly.

 

Victory is supposed to receive a drydock refurbishment and upgrade to Funship 2.0 sometime this year (but it's already been scheduled and pushed back twice). When that's completed, and assuming the same staff stay with her, she'll be awesome!

[seannyice81]

I'm no stranger to solo weekend getaways. I'm a ridiculously happily married 42-year-old gal who just has an entirely different work schedule than my DH and when I've got a weekend off, he doesn't. Rarely do we get to do anything together for longer than a day....of course, we are doing Alaska on the Miracle in July! Next weekend, though, I'll be taking my first SOLO weekend cruise and I'm really looking forward to it! I've done a lot of weekend solo getaways, but a cruise by myself is a first! So excited! :)

 

I'm enjoying your review. I miss HMC! Jet-skiing is a blast, ain't it? :-)

 

You'll have a good time! Enjoy your cruises!

 

Jet-skis are excellent!

 

Great Review..great attitude...great pictures...thanks for sharing...Sarah

 

Welcome, and thank you. :)

[seannyice81]

I've been on Victory (twice) and Conquest, all three trips travelling solo. While Victory is an older ship and shows it in a few places, I love the decor. The seldom-seen Ionian Room on Deck 4 (between dining rooms) is a knock-your-socks-off gorgeous reminder of the 1930s and the Golden Years of transatlantic cruising.

 

The other thing I love about Victory is the level of service. On Conquest everyone knew their jobs but knew nothing of other people's jobs so the staff was constantly butting heads. Service felt jerky and dis-contiguous. Victory is like a well oiled machine. Service is uniformly excellent and flows seamlessly.

 

Victory is supposed to receive a drydock refurbishment and upgrade to Funship 2.0 sometime this year (but it's already been scheduled and pushed back twice). When that's completed, and assuming the same staff stay with her, she'll be awesome!

 

I agree on some points. I'm going to break-down the comparisons of the 2 this weekend after I wrap-up the trip. I've only cruised on Conquest Class ships before.

 

I think a number of factors can determine service. I had an excellent experience on Liberty where I could repeat what you said (about Victory's service) for that ship. Glory and Valor not quite, but still good overall. The service I experienced on Victory was not quite as good as Liberty, but was better than the others. The lesser volume of the ship makes a big difference in some cases and while it generally feels the same as the Conquest Class you notice the differences fairly quick.

 

I agree about the Ionian Room. It was very nice and oddly never utilized in the numerous times I passed through.

 

Enjoy your Glory cruise. Everson is one of Carnival's newest and best CDs.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

Most cruises I've taken with a then GF. I've been single for a little bit now, mostly enjoying it. I took my mom along on my last cruise, but this one was totally solo and it was very enjoyable as single guy. There were a couple times, I thought "dang, it would be cool to do this with _______," or "I wish I was drinking beer with ______," but it was still a great time. The cool thing is you meet new people/friends on the trip or find new people to hang out with. You may miss some, but you'll also find some great people to do stuff with.

Interestingly, that's what my non-solo cruise friends told me. And they were right. Without the safety net of the person/people you came with, you have no choice but to put yourself out there and meet new people, otherwise you risk having a lonely cruise (unless being alone is your choice). So you have more motivation to take action to ensure yourself a fun cruise. I couldn't help but chuckle at one couple I saw having an argument.

 

One of my main concern about cruising solo was clubs. On land, a guy coming to a club by himself is often looked down upon. Not so on cruises, in my experience. Since more women cruise solo than men, finding people to dance with was no problem, which made me glad I took salsa lessons before my cruise.

 

I had one odd situation: the customs agent practically tore me a new one when I told him I was cruising solo. I was taken into a separate room and had my bag searched. He found nothing he wanted, and begrudgingly sent me on my way. That was in Port Canaveral; agents in Miami were much better, although still quite surly. How your experience in customs?

Edited April 12, 2014 by LandlockedCruiser01