!!! Carnival Victory !!! ^_^ The Ultimate Review and Complete Pictorial Guide!!!

[gambee]

Love your reviews Gambee! Thank you so much for taking all your time and putting these masterpieces together for us.

 

And your family looks awesome!

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

You're very welcome, thank you for the kind words ;)

[gambee]

Awesome review Gambee!!

I love your pics and commentary.

I must get to HMC one day soon!!

Your pics make it look amazing!!

 

Thank you, glad you're enjoying the review so far :)

[jolyn928]

 

 

This is my favorite bar on earth!!! We have had the most amazing time there on our last two visits. I'm glad to see he's still open :D

[gambee]

HI all!

 

gambee ~ just before you said you were getting used to the green I had "thunk that" too. It is a pretty emerald green.;)

 

~ Jo ~ :)

 

I am still not sure I like the decor, there is just too much going on at the same time. I think this is a ship I would want to be on a storm ;)

[gambee]

I got to page 28 Gambee and now it is time for me to depart for the airport - I am on this very cruise tomorrow!

 

Thank you for the amazing review (PS - the reason why there are so many darned seagulls is because people like you feed them! STOP :) Haha, I do not like birds)!

 

I love feeding birds :p, that will never stop ;). You have no idea how bad they are at home =)

 

Have a great cruise!

[gambee]

 

 

This is my favorite bar on earth!!! We have had the most amazing time there on our last two visits. I'm glad to see he's still open :D

 

Still open, yes. But dead, I think I saw one couple on the way back. I am not sure how they stay open.

[gambee]

Gambee! Thanks for another great review. I have been reading a little a day but I just can't keep up, so I'm finally posting to let you know I'm here. Your reviews, your blog, and your social network page are all great resources for good info, as well as a good diversion when I want to think about "the cruising life". Thank you for all the effort you put into these.

 

I'm back on page 19 and enjoying all the GREENon this boat. Very "retro" 80s/90s and different from what we saw on the Breeze and see on other ships.

 

Wondering about the piano bar too. Based on the ship's deck plans, it seems like it's located about the same place as "88" is on Breeze. Wonder if they could just take out a couple of walls to open it up. I think the draw for the piano bar on Breeze was that you basically couldn't get to the lounge on that end of the ship (or the steakhouse) without walking past it, so everyone wanted to stop.

Can someone point me to the Mitsygirly review? I found the other two. I tried searching the user name and can't find it.

 

Welcome aboard, it is very nice to see you here. That is exactly what it would take to make the Piano Bar very popular, and it is quite puzzling as to why they did not do this in the last dry dock.

 

Thank you for joining :)

[Eng23]

Good day Gambee! Grand Turk is also on my list of places to go to. I'll make it there next year in October finally. Glad to see you made it down to Jack's Shack. Jack's seems to be a favorite of a lot of people, probably because of Topher but also because it is a little less stressful than Margaritaville. I plan on spending my day there while in Grand Turk. :)

[marty1950]

Hi Gambee. Great pictures. We were at the Turks in Feb. and the seaweed was bad then. But we loved Jacks shack. the water is beautiful and the drinks flow nicely. Just a little FYI about a month ago, the news reported that there is an ALGEe Bloom that killing alot of the sea weed, in the Caribbean Islands. Gasry:rolleyes:

[BugsyCruiser]

Gambee I've never been to Jacks Shack but after seeing your pictures I might have to give it serious consideration for my November cruise

 

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[travelplus]

Buenos Dias gambee,

 

I just wanted to say how much I love your reviews and photos they are Muy Bueno!!!!!

 

Muchimas Gracias e Salud

 

Daniel

[SMSACE6]

I am loving your review, and following and taking note of so many things that thanks to your detailed review, I can use to help me in October when I am on the Victory. I appreciate the fun times and info that is in them. While my itinerary will be Grand Turk and Amber Cove (hopefully it will be open in time for my visit), there is so much info in those fun times that can help me plan my days.

 

I have a question re the buffet. I see that there is one long buffet on lido, shaped like a V. Can you enter on either side? and if so, does every one just

file out when they hit the center of the V? Or; does one enter on one side

only, and work their way all along the V/buffet line? Hope my question makes sense:D

 

Thanks again for your wonderful review. I have been going through some of your others too, and will read them all, because I would love to try all the cruise lines. I have seen many not so kind reviews of MSC Divina, but am enjoying yours, and would love to sail on that ship. I have European family roots, and love Italian food, so it all looks good to me.:)

[Tralfie]

Wow, I really love the look of Serenity. It very much reminds me of Vibe on the Breakaway (although, if I'm not mistaken, Serenity is free... right?) I agree, though, Gambee... it would be nice if the hot tubs were covered! I love the way they have them in Vibe on breakaway... perfectly positioned for sitting in while you look out at the ocean, and yet with those umbrella-like covers.

 

I've only sailed NCL so far. The Breakaway (in the infamous Gambee stateroom) and the Gem. I'm doing the Gem again in two weeks, and have already booked the Breakaway (the Gambee balcony again!) for September 2016. But more and more, I find myself wanting to try another line. I've been wary of Carnival for various reasons, but geez, this review really makes me want to try this ship. (Then again, EVERY review you write makes me want to try whatever ship you happen to have just sailed! It's like I'm stalking you, but a year later.)

 

And I'll agree with all the others: It's nice seeing your smiling face in the pics! As much as I rather enjoyed the "mystery" of Gambee, seeing you is much more fun!

 

Richard/Tralfie

[Love2Cruz2015]

Gambee, did Margaritaville or Jack's shack have free wifi?

 

If your's was the first ship to dock, I think you would have enjoyed Margaritaville/GT more. It's probably my favorite port, after CC (though I haven't been to HMC yet). The swim up bar at Margaritaville is excellent, you can get one of those long tube drinks (I usually get a flavored margarita or daiquiri) and just stay in the pool, which is huge. I usually get a chair close to the pool, with a nice view spot of the Flow Rider, the wipe outs alone, (along with a nice buz) make it a highly entertaining venue.

 

I also try to spend the last hour or so on the beach as the water has been beautiful on my trips there.

 

OH, and another suggestion for breakfast, ever try to made to order omelette station? It's worth a few minutes wait if you during prime time. I try to get breakfast early, and the wait usually very minimal at most if you go to the AFT side. I don't trust the scrambled eggs as they are probably some kind of powder concoction, and I never tried the eggs benedict as they just never looked appealing..but I have NEVER been disappointed with their omelettes, and you can make them your own, the have lots of options to add. You can also get fried eggs there, sunny side, over easy...etc.

[sturderick]

Can you tell me how to get to Jack's Shack? We have been to Grand Turk a few times but have never been there. When you get off the ship, do you turn right or left to get there?

[LizSS]

Finally all caught up. Love love love the sunset pictures. I laughed out loud about your comment about the MDR lady lol

 

I'm telling you Gambee, you need to take an Alaskan Cruise, I can't even begin to imagine how spectacular your pictures would be!

 

 

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[undercat]

Thank you gambee for sharing your cruise with us! Happily following along.

 

After the sun hid, we decided to go have dinner. Right when mom and went pass one of the electric doors of the buffet, a really loud alarm started going off. I was really confused. If it was an emergency exit, why would it open on its own? We came back out and one lady saw us all confused and then she pointed at the pool roof. The alarm was for the pool roof closing :D

 

 

The side-eye in this picture is priceless! Fortunately, the lady recovered by the time the photo below was taken :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you gambee for sharing your cruise with us! Happily following along.

[Namelocg]

Can you tell me how to get to Jack's Shack? We have been to Grand Turk a few times but have never been there. When you get off the ship, do you turn right or left to get there?

 

After you go through the shop at the end of the pier turn left. Go past Margaritaville and keep walking down the beach. It is between a 5 and 10 minute walk. Try to walk near the water, it's easier than walking in the soft sand.

[perfect match]

Beautiful pictures of Grand Turk, Gambee!

 

We have only been there once, and honestly we weren't very impressed. However, since that time I have read a number of reviews including this one that painted a more positive picture of the island than what we saw during our time there. With that in mind I'm willing to give Grand Turk another try. We will just make some different choices based on what I've learned since our first visit to the island.

[nycruiser2006]

Gambee, thank you so much for taking the time and dedication to do such a intensive, thorough review. Your pictures and commentary are incredible!!!

I have no immediate plans (unfortunately) to cruise but your review has helped get me my cruise fix!!!!!:D

 

Excited to now go and read your other reviews!

Edited August 23, 2015 by nycruiser2006

[CruiseIreland]

Hi Gambee. Great to see you back with another great review. Photos are amazing, kudos! On your Divina thread, you said we would enjoy her and, this July, we sailed MSC Divina in the med. Loved the ship. I am trying to put together a review but I didn't take many photos onboard! I thought I might link to your Divina review for those who need ship pics. Would that be OK with you? Keep up the good work! Ken

 

Note. I posted a pic above here but it's a bit small for a review! How do I make it bigger? I'm using Shutterfly.

Edited August 23, 2015 by CruiseIreland

[gambee]

A few people inquire me how to get to Jacks. Basically, you get off the ship, walk the pier, go through that main store, and then make a left turn. Just keep walking and try to start heading towards the beach. Once you reach the beach head to the water's edge and walk for about 10 minutes or less. It is before the old, damaged pier, impossible to miss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We made it to Jacks and just wandered around. At first, we had no plans on eating or drinking there. But the somewhat long walk had us dehydrated. So, after I saw Topher, I decided to head to Jack’s shack to at least see the menu. I could tell that they wanted to drink and eat something as well. I had brought some money with me, so I figure I could just invite them.

 

 

There were a handful of people at the bar. Two or three tables taken, and a few people on the beach. This facility has it all, lounges, umbrellas, drinks, water toys, etc.

 

You can see one of the black shirts of Topher that they sell there. I think they are $25, but they include a drink. So they are basically around $16

 

 

My uncle taking pictures of Topher.

 

 

 

[gambee]

We sat in a high top near the bar. Sorry for the red tint of the pictures, it was from the red shade of the red umbrella. I could clear it out, but I already processed the picture that way.

 

 

 

Topher came out of the water and mom rushed to get a picture with him. Such a friendly pup, he is always soaked by the way. You have to in that heat.

 

 

 

He just roams around as he pleases.

 

 

[gambee]

There is also another dog, but he is not as water happy. And he does not like french fries, picky dog :D. By the way Jack has the best business concept, buy my food to feed my dogs with it ;-). Who can resist feeding these cuties? Not this guy! Although technically I am not even sure if you're allowed to feed the,. ooops.

 

 

 

Our server was from the Dominican Republic, nice guy.

 

 

 

 

[gambee]

You have a great view from there!

 

 

 

 

And there he goes again, that's the life! I would love to trade places with him, then again, I am not sure I like the idea of a limited lifespan :D. Maybe just for a year or two.