Need help Deciding Ship for 5 day Cruise

[Travelbug78]

Well guys, I've looked at both Galveston and Tampa ports for 5 day cruises in September, and it looks like Carnival is the only line that has them for that timeframe/duration. In Galveston, it's only the Triumph and in Tampa, only the Paradise. I guess that's due to the timing of the year?? September timing works best for both of us, so not much flexibility in timing. Checked Miami for the Victory....itinerary is Nassau, Bahamas...I've been there twice and want to go somewhere different. For this trip, it probably does make sense to save money and go ahead and drive down to Galveston, but I keep getting mixed opinions on the Triumph. Maybe I can review the Triumph and Paradise forums again and see what feedback is over there as well. At the end of the day, as someone mentioned earlier, I'm sure we could have a great time on either ship. I do like the Paradise itinerary a little better though (Grand Cayman and Cozumel)....Triumph goes to Cozumel as well so that's a plus...How are the Progreso/Yucatan ports that the Triumph goes to? I'm not familiar with those areas of Mexico.

[Travelbug78]

I will start with the PARADISE is one of our favorite ship's second only to the Sensation.

We just got home Sat. from a five day on the Paradise & if you think you would like the old shows better that is the ship for you. :)

That being said I had a nice talk with Steve ( CD ) on Fri & he told me that the ship was going to the 2.0 in November.

Will go from the lead singers & 14 dancers & the live band with Tony as leader to the 2.0. :eek:

This show is awesome & we will miss it so much.

 

Yes I know it is going to Dry Dock next Mth. but changes will not come in until Nov. as per CD.

Char

 

Oooooh...I didn't read this before my last post. Thanks for the update, Char! I do enjoy live entertainment....might be great to see it before it ends. How is the food on Paradise?

[cruiser fanatic]

Thanks for all of the suggestions, everyone! This is very helpful. Yes, Galveston is probably the best move, provided that we find a ship that meets our timing and destination needs. I've started looking at the Magic out of Galveston, and that looks like a fun ship! Problem is, in Sept they only have 7 day cruises. The only ship leaving out of Galveston for a 5 day cruise is the Triumph. In this case, maybe it's better to look at Paradise then? Or maybe look at another line that leaves from Galveston?

 

There is no other cruise line that does 5 day cruises out of Galveston except Carnival. I love the Triumph! I would sail her again in a heartbeat. The ports aren't as great but the ship makes up for it. I have sailed on the Elation (very similar to Paradise). I will never sail that ship again unless she gets a makeover. The ships is old and VERY dated (especially the bathroom and the cabin). The Paradise is the same way. I like the ports on the Paradise though.

[Travelbug78]

There is no other cruise line that does 5 day cruises out of Galveston except Carnival. I love the Triumph! I would sail her again in a heartbeat. The ports aren't as great but the ship makes up for it. I have sailed on the Elation (very similar to Paradise). I will never sail that ship again unless she gets a makeover. The ships is old and VERY dated (especially the bathroom and the cabin). The Paradise is the same way. I like the ports on the Paradise though.

 

Thanks for that insight, CruiserFanatic! I was just thinking that if the port is not that interesting, if we don't stay off of the ship for long, we can always come back onboard with plenty to do. How is the food on the Triumph compared to other ships you've sailed?

[cruiser fanatic]

Thanks for that insight, CruiserFanatic! I was just thinking that if the port is not that interesting, if we don't stay off of the ship for long, we can always come back onboard with plenty to do. How is the food on the Triumph compared to other ships you've sailed?

 

I love the food on the Triumph. However, I haven't sailed on her since she got the 2.0 upgrades. The food in the dining room was great though. The worst ship food wise that I have sailed on is the Dream.

[Travelbug78]

Thanks again for all of the helpful info. For this cruise, I think we will go ahead and go on the Triumph. I think that works well for our first cruise. Really like the itinerary of the Paradise, but I know my friend is going to be more concerned with the ship itself, the staterooms, activities on ship, etc. Given the prices right now, maybe we can upgrade to an ocean view or balcony room. Any suggestions on good room locations on this ship? It is a MUST that we are as far away from smoke as possible (I can't be around it). I will post this question on the Triumph board as well. Thanks!

[Jenny in TX]

If I was only doing a 5 day I would drive down to Galveston and not spend money on the airfare.

 

I have sailed both Magic and Triumph. I did 7 days on the Magic and 5 on the Triumph. Both ships are wonderful! We have sailed several times during hurricane season and have never had an issue. I know it can happen, but I also know they will skirt around it and have never really worried about it.

[glentally]

For a 5 Day cruise picking a ship out of the most convenient embarkation port is what I would do. ;)

LuLu

 

very true, we live in Orlando and my 5 day upcoming cruise looked at in this order:

 

what ship was somewhat newer wth good reviews

what port I was leaving from- miami was a stretch, I am looking at Fort Lauderdale, 3 hr drive

destinations are somewhat a concern- but you are very limited with only 5 days

 

I think I am booking the Conquest. Very reasonable, Carnival sunshine from Port canaveral had too many negative comments even after an upgrade. Paradise from Tampa had too many negatives, I've ben on the Fantasy, sensation and that is more a 3 or 4 day booze cruise.I love the mid size or larger Royal ships. anything with a promenade or larger is a lot of fun.

 

Good luck

Edited January 28, 2015 by glentally

[Mom2sml]

We found the food to be decent but we only ate in the main dining room on elegant night. We felt the Lido deck buffet met our needs but some items (scrambled eggs) could be hit or miss. I would choose the omelets but the line can get long. My hubby loves the pizza and could be found there many times during the day. Guys burger joint serves a decent burger and I had a couple during the cruise. Unless you're a major foodie than I'm sure you will find plenty of good stuff to eat.

 

We really enjoyed the adult comedy show but it was very crowded so get their early if you want a seat. We tried one stage show but found it a bit boring so we left.

 

There is lots to do in Cozumel and the ship offers a wide variety of excursions. Progresso has less excursions but offers lots of tours especially to the ruins. Unfortunately, in August it's just too hot for me to do lots of walking among the ruins. We're not interested in partying or the beach and the one excursion that I though would be interesting didn't interest the rest of the family so we opted to stay on the ship during our stop in Progresso last year and will do the same this year.

[justlaff69]

...A few years ago I sailed on the Norwegian Sky on a short 3 night cruise. I like the concept of cruising and the service was nice, but I honestly found the ship activities to be a little boring. I think I would have much more fun on a ship with more activities.

Not sure what 'activities' that you think you'll find on Carnival that are more interesting than NCL. Carnival's main activity seems to be Trivia and sales pitch disguised as seminars or shows. At night you have Comedy Club/Karaoke or the main show in the forward theater.

 

The Triumph is good ship and Progresso is a great port and allows access to Chichen Itza.

 

The Spa and Main theater are in the front, if you do MDR, that's at the rear along with the comedy club. Base your cabin location near the activity you think will be participating in the most.

(Example, we MDR and hit the Comedy Club/Karaoke so we choose a cabin near the rear of the ship.)