Just off the Victory

[Briitini]

We had a great cruise!! I am going to briefly touch on the main points.

 

FTTF was worth it for the most part. Being on the ship as early as possible and our room being ready was great. However, our luggage wasn't delivered until 2pm. Priority tendering into HMC was great as was skipping the huge line at Guest Services multiple times.

 

The buffet food was gross! We had excellent meals always in the dining room with AMAZING servers (Rommel and Luis). The sea day brunch was outstanding.

 

Our favorite bar was the Alchemy bar and their ridiculous cocktails. TRY THE BASIL DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!! We did the CHEERS program as we always do.

 

I loved the "under the sea" style decor. I felt the ship was kept up nicely. The only thing I noticed was our balcony was filthy as well as our window (stained I guess). We saw our room steward once. He neglected to remove old dirty half empty cups from our room.

 

Tendering back from HMC was an absolute nightmare. The boat we got stuck on was a glass bottom boat excursion boat that did not have running air conditioning or a working fan. We sat on this boat for at least 45 minutes while they packed it full of people. The windows were "open", but by open I mean 8-10 inches of an opening, so the boat was a sauna. People were on the boat with a dry shirt and before we left they were drenched in sweat. The boat had AC vents, but they wouldn't turn them on and wouldn't turn the big fan on that was sitting there. It was SO HOT that a couple with a sleeping child had to continue to fan the child. There was NO breeze or air WHAT SO EVER. Many people started yelling and getting really angry. Many people were saying the conditions were inhumane. Another problem we noticed was they kept packing people onto the boat and there was no way that there were enough life jackets for all the people they stuffed onto this floating sauna. This was NOT the same "Half Moon Cay" completely open tender boat that we went there on. Also, a little kid peed himself and the pee was streaming down the ledge of the glass bottom boat. Many people complained to Guest Services, but they were still using the boat to tender. When we got off the tender boat there were NO staff helping anyone elderly or handicapped go up a seriously steep flight of stairs. We had to help and elderly woman who was already about to pass out from the tender conditions.

 

HMC was amazing!!!! We rented a clam shell, but were never in it. We stayed in the crystal clear water the whole time. We brought our own floats and it was the best decision we could have made. We did not eat the bbq lunch. No one in our group felt like walking the distance to the buffet.

 

In Grand Turk we did the Margaritaville party package for $50 a person plus tip. However, I got the WORST heartburn from their drinks. Actually, everyone in my group of 8 people had this problem. I can only think it was from the incredibly cheap alcohol they used. I had it so bad that I had to go to the ship nurse and buy some tums. They maybe helped for a couple hours and then had to take some Zantec that someone in our group had.

 

In Nassau we went to Atlantis and paid $194 a person for the full day with lunch package. The group I was with loved it and the crazy "lazy river". This not so lazy river will bang you up if you are not careful. I am not a thrill seeker, so I didn't do any of the rides. The lunch was pretty good.

 

These are all the main thoughts. I would go on Victory again if I had to.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Briitini

[sunlover5]

Thank you for the info! We will be on her in Nov. Boy, my DH has a heart condition and no way could stand that heat in the tender......that was too bad!

Thanks again.

[Briitini]

They had us waiting on the actual boat. We never got a straight answer as Guest Services said they were not supposed to be using the boat, but we continued to see the boat being used. They were also using the "normal" Half Moon Cay tender boats that we went to the island on.

 

Do not skip HMC! It was by far the best beach I have ever been to (I live in South Florida).

[Jermar]

Can you tell me if they were using the New America Menus in the MDR?

 

Thanks