Victory Trip Report (June 5-9, 4 Day Key West, Cozumel sailing) w/ photos

[cuppycakemom]

Day 2 - Key West

 

So, we hung our paper out on the cabin door late last night, so that we could have pastries, coffee and juice delivered in the morning. So much fun having breakfast on the balcony! Side note, it was the last paper that we had, and we forgot to ask our steward for more, and he never left them in the room on his own, either. It wasn't the end of the world for us, obviously, or we would have asked for more. A second side note...I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do love lattes (I consider that coffee flavored milk..LOL). So, I ran down in my PJs (oh, yes, I'm that girl) and grabbed a Vanilla Latte from the coffee bar. My name was remembered there every time there-after! As a person who is horrible with names, that part just impressed me every single time.

 

Here we are heading into Key West....

 

 

 

Hubby and I decided that needed to be our retirement purchase. Ha ha ha.

 

 

We were docking at the Navy Pier. So, we knew that we would need to take a shuttle to/from the ship since we aren't able to walk around the military facility.

 

 

 

So, we took our time getting ready, but never actually heard the announcement that we could get off of the ship. Though, to be honest, we clearly were not paying much attention! At about 8:30, we grabbed my parents and headed down and out. There was, of course, a crazy amount of Carnival photo nonsense to wade through, but we were off and about to get on the trolley that would take us into town. Grabbed a quick shot of the girls by the ship.

 

[cuppycakemom]

The trolley driver had some interesting things to say on the way to downtown. Of course, we had to take a photo of this sign...we are also Geocachers, so we returned to this area later to grab a cache!

 

 

Like I've mentioned, we aren't really excursion type people. We generally find something to do on our own. Because we were only in Key West for a short time, we were just walking around checking things out. We chose to head down Whitehead to head to the Southernmost Point. We enjoyed a lot of fun things to see along the way!

 

What?!?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cuppycakemom]

So, YES, there was a nice line to take photos at the Southernmost Point. Many cars were driving by with people hanging out taking selfies, which humored us. We decided we didn't care enough about the perfect photo to wait in line and grabbed this one:

 

 

Then, we headed down the street to the Southernmost Beach!

 

 

We grabbed a seat at the cafe and took a break from the heat (and my mom, who is in her 70s, was happy for a bottle of water). We ordered a few drinks, and a couple of sides to eat and enjoyed the view.

 

 

 

After a bit, we strolled back to where we started, using Duval Street. The girls wanted some Key Lime Pie, and we randomly selected Key Lime Pie Company. It wasn't fancy, but they were quite happy with the pie!

 

 

My parents decided to head back ahead of us. We went to the place where the trolley would grab us to get us back to our ship. Thankfully, we were the only ship in port at the time, so it was a pretty easy process! We boarded our trolley at about noon, so we were good on time.

 

We stopped in the Seven Seas Lobby and watched the Trivial Pursuit game. We were bummed that we didn't make it in time to play, it was super fun! We just randomly spent time roaming the ship, checking out the casino, listening to the band that played near there (they were decent, but it was hard to stick around long because it was a smoking area).

 

Tonight was the formal dinner, so we went to the cabin to get ready for dinner. As a side, ignore the crazy looking people, but here's a decent shot that shows the Quad set up of our cabin...

 

[cuppycakemom]

So tonight, we went for a couple of photos with all of us dressed up (yep, we ended up buying one, but I haven't uploaded it yet, so I'll have to post that tomorrow). Photos were expensive, in my opinion, and I sure wish they would figure out something like Disney does. You know, where you can pay one price and get all your photos from the cruise, or maybe they could just stop printing them and let you look at them digitally, linked to your card or something. We bought an 8X10, and for $10 more, we got a CD with a digital copy of the photo, as well as a copyright release.

 

Tonight we had our favorite waiter, Diyan, whom we asked for each night for the rest of the cruise! He was friendly and helpful, and we enjoyed asking him many questions about his home (Bulgaria). He even engaged the girls. Just an FYI, for the Your Time Dining, there were cards on the tables that gave you the info on your waitstaff. We just took it with us, and showed it at the Hostess stand each night and asked for the same team.

 

Dinner was good. We all tried to get something we had never had each night, which was fun. I honestly forgot my camera most nights, and had intended on taking photos of the menus, since they seem to be hard to find. Sorry!! We were happy to have the tablecloths and the "fancier" surroundings, as dressing and having a more formal dinner is one of the things we all love best about cruising. It's too bad that things aren't what they used to be there. Honestly, we found they hardly enforced dress codes at all, as we actually had dinner one night beside a man who was wearing a camouflage baseball hat at the table :( I'm sure he was a nice guy, but his manners were lacking. A lot of folks were dressed way down for the dinners, and this night was no exception. With 2 dining rooms, it might have been nice to have one that is a little more formal, and one that is a bit more casual? I dunno....in the end, not the end of the world, of course. Everyone likes something different. Tonight, there was another performance, and dinner took just over 2 hours.

 

After dinner, we headed in to check out the Livin' in America show. It was just okay for me. We ended up leaving early, and since we wanted to do the 70s/Mowtown trivia, we sat at the bar in the Lobby and figured we hang out and wait for it to be time. How LUCKY we were! We had no clue how crowded this area would be by the end of the trivia! Ordered a chocolate martini and waited...

 

 

Trivia ended up being so huge that we didn't even end up keeping score, as while we were going over the answers, it was actually a huge sing along! With ALL the levels of the ship (and the folks in the elevators) participating!

 

 

My husband may have even made it up on the stage as a part of the Jackson Five..LOL!!

 

 

Seriously, one of the most fun times we had on the cruise.

 

As we had been up kinda early, we didn't stay out super late. After some rummy games, the girls and I headed back to the cabin, and hubby went back to the casino bar to watch the band there and chat with my FIL. Still quite smooth seas and no complaints as to much movement on the ship! Just enough to rock us to sleep.......

[rtfnl]

What cabin were you in? It appears that the sofa actually let out into a bed, is that correct? Thank you.

[cuppycakemom]

What cabin were you in? It appears that the sofa actually let out into a bed, is that correct? Thank you.

 

We were in Balcony cabin 7353. Yes, one side of the sofa cushions were opened and then covered with linens to make into a bed.

[miss tea]

Looking forward to the rest

[Anyislandwilldo]

Thanks for posting your review. We've been on 12 cruises so far and your review has some new points of interest on what changes Carnival is making. I'm glad I read this so I can be prepared for our Victory cruise in November. Looking forward to the rest.

[oneboysmom]

Cheeeeeeeriooooooo!!! Went on this same cruise at the end of April! Was a great time! Thanks for doing the review...reliving mine all over again!

[cuppycakemom]

Thanks for posting your review. We've been on 12 cruises so far and your review has some new points of interest on what changes Carnival is making. I'm glad I read this so I can be prepared for our Victory cruise in November. Looking forward to the rest.

 

Happy to hear that it's helpful! I'm loving writing it down to look back on in the future.

[cuppycakemom]

Cheeeeeeeriooooooo!!! Went on this same cruise at the end of April! Was a great time! Thanks for doing the review...reliving mine all over again!

 

I'll never be able to hear that word the same way again (which is even funnier cuz we lived in the UK for 3 years and it still didn't affect us this way until now! You just can't help but smile!! ) Happy to be bringing back smiles for you.

[cuppycakemom]

Our morning today was fairly lazy, as we wouldn't be in Cozumel until noon. We had breakfast, lounged around, and then headed to the Harry Potter trivia for the girls. The grown ups gave the drink of the day (Pomegranate Lemonade) a go, and found that it tasted dangerously non-alcoholic! YIKES! We decided to go ahead and enjoy a free lunch on the ship before we headed out for fun.

 

Around 1:30, we were ready to go and left the ship super easily with no lines. We're lookin' all beachy.

We walked through all the shopping silliness and went out to the taxi stand. Everyone was friendly, signs were posted with costs, and soon we were on our way to Paradise Beach. We went in two separate taxis at $15 each (1-4 passengers). We could have taken a van taxi with all six of us, but we would have had to wait a bit (cost was $30 for up to 6 passengers). I didn't time it, but I'm guessing it was about a 10 minute trip. When we arrived, we were greeted with a smile and got the explanation of costs associated with the beach. Admission would be $3 per person, payable to our waiter, who would give us arm bands to wear. This gave us access to the chairs/umbrellas/pool, etc. They also requested that we each spend $10 in food/drink while we were there (no idea if this is "enforced", as we did, so if you didn't ??????). If we wanted access to all the blow up type stuff in the water (we didn't), it would cost (I think) $17 more per person.

 

 

The beach was decent for our needs. The sand was fairly coarse, and there was a good amount of seaweed (that workers were collecting up to try to help get rid of it). The water wasn't too cold, but we aren't ocean swimmers anyway. We all took walks and waded in and such. The girls preferred the pool!

 

 

It wasn't difficult to find a seat in the shade, as the place wasn't terribly crowded. From where we sat...

 

 

The little one found hanging in a hammock to be relaxing...

 

[amystarfish]

This helped confirmed my decision to go to paradise beach! We don't need an all inclusive and this looks great for the price!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[cuppycakemom]

This helped confirmed my decision to go to paradise beach! We don't need an all inclusive and this looks great for the price!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Great! Yes, if you're just looking for a "beachy" type atmosphere that doesn't cost a bunch, this is a super choice! The pool was also fabulous!

[cuppycakemom]

So, we ordered some drinks and some fish tacos and quesadillas. Everything was good. My only warning is to be careful if you're under a tree....the birds are plentiful, and apparently jokesters.

There was also a place for braids, massages, and henna. The girls had been wanting to try tattoos for awhile, so, we decided to let them go to it.

 

 

 

 

 

The henna lasted fairly well. The one on the big kid's foot is pretty faded, since she spent almost all day Sunday in a chlorine pool. The one of the little kid's leg is just now starting to fade (so 2 weeks).

 

We had our fill of the heat and sunshine and fun and decided to go back to the ship so that we could shower and get ready for dinner. Cabs were plentiful at the entrance and we were quickly on our way. We walked through a few of the shops at the pier and snapped some photos.

 

[cuppycakemom]

 

 

 

The Triumph, who was next to us, was ready to leave, so we watched her pull away...

 

 

She back out and turned around to face us before heading out to sea!

 

 

Found this guy in our cabin!

 

 

Pretty sunset...

 

[amystarfish]

Do you remember how much the massages were??

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[cuppycakemom]

Dinner for this evening was open seating for everyone (they made the announcement at dinner the previous night). Show up when you want, even if you have a set time for the other days. We had our entertainment start fairly quickly after we sat this night....

 

I actually remembered to take a photo of my main course tonight! I ordered the steak tacos. They were fabulous!

 

I'm still annoyed that I didn't take more food photos! Other highlights in the dining room for me included Pumpkin Soup...I would have never guessed it. I don't recall any of us having something that we really didn't enjoy. Things certainly aren't what the used to be, fancy wise, in the dining room, but the food still is yummy! The biggest disappointment to me, though, was the warm chocolate melting cake It was more like warm melted chocolate. Over the course of the cruise, we had many of these at our table, and NOT ONE was actually ever CAKE.

 

So, moving on.....tonight is the night that we FINALLY made our way to the ALCHEMY BAR!!!!!!! Oh my! We were missing out, and if only we would have realized!! Such a unique and fun place to try new cocktails. We had the CHEERS package, remember, so it was easy to be daring, as if we didn't like something, it wasn't as big a deal. I don't have a photo, but my first drink (and one of the most impressive ones to watch the bartenders make) was The Perfect Storm....amazing! I wish that I would have gotten the exact measurements, so that I could make this one at home. Don't worry...I AM experimenting!

 

 

The bartenders here (there were 2 main ones) were always here only and they got to know you and what you liked to drink, if you visited them often. Then, they were putting together things that were not on the menu for us to try. They always NAILED it!

 

The NBA finals were on in the sports bar, so they were packed! We just drifted around the ship checking out the band near the casino and playing some cards. The girls wanted to go back to the cabin before it was too late. All the heat made them sleepy. So, we grabbed one more drink from the Alchemy Bar for me to take the to the cabin...I went back with the kids, and hubby stayed and listened to the band and then went to have a bite at the Mexican buffet later. He was pleased with the offerings.

 

A photo of my drink...I chose the Deal Closer....GREAT CHOICE! Wish I had one for my dessert before bed tonight!

 

[cuppycakemom]

Do you remember how much the massages were??

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I'm so sorry, but I didn't inquire on the prices and don't remember seeing them posted in an obvious place!

[cuppycakemom]

Sorry I've been away for a bit. You know...life after vacation and all.

 

So, we're up to Day 4 - SEA DAY

 

It's always sad when you know that you're about finished, but we had such a great relaxing day!! Lots of hanging out, really (oh, and maybe some drinking).

 

The little one and myself took off to do the towel folding class, which was super fun! We learned how to do two different animals.

 

 

 

We heard great things and decided to check out Sea Day Brunch. Boy, were we glad that we did!! Everyone LOVED their food and it was nice for us to be in the other dining room for a change.

 

Steak and Eggs.

 

We headed up on deck and grabbed a drink to sit and watch the hairy chest contest and the ice sculpture demonstration.

 

 

 

 

The girls wanted to swim, but as expected, things were just way too crowded for our tastes. So, they jumped in a for a bit, and headed down the water slide, but that was about it. The girls went to change and hubby and I stopped at the Alchemy bar on the way to the room...this is when I learned about my absolute most favorite drink on the ship!!! The bartenders had gotten to know us a bit and we had talked about gin and how I didn't know much about it...never really cared much for it. Then we talked about lavendar and how I LOVED the smell of it......and this is what came out of that talk....I was in love!!!!

 

[cuppycakemom]

Among other things, we decided we wanted to do the 80s and 90s trivia, and so we hit dinner ASAP. We had learned that we needed to get to the lobby about 1/2 hour before the trivia so that we had seats. The view:

 

I really don't know how to describe the trivia/sing along experience...JUST GO! It was pretty wonderful to see/hear so many people just hanging out, singing and enjoying themselves! I have a small clip that I've tried to upload to youtube. Who knows if they will leave it up, but I will try to link it here. When I tried to post it as a video to facebook from the ship, they yelled at me for "copyright issues". I mean, I get it, but gah!

 

 

This is where I'll tell you how in love with our Cruise Director, Matey, and his little sidekick, Issac, we were! They were just always upbeat and funny and having a good time! We laughed so much with them and they really made some of the events super fun. I would said on any ship that those guys were a part of!!!

 

We hung out with some of our new friends, sat up near the casino while my parents played the slots, listened to the bands, checked out Karaoke and in general had a great time! The girls were pooped, so we grabbed a late night snack and then took them back to the room.

 

After they were settled, hubby and I went back up to the Alchemy for one last drink. This is where we found out that Carnival wasn't kidding about the 15 drink limit (and it wasn't even us!). A young woman ordered one, and they made it, took her card, then walked back, apologized and took the drink back from her. So, be warned....

 

We sat on our balcony for a bit and then conceded that the cruise was about over and we needed to get some rest before the sun came up.

[cruizin*newbie]

Love your trip report! Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to this same itinerary and ship in December!

[momof3cruisers]

Thank you for doing this! I have been eyeing this itinerary for some time but didn't know anything about Victory. Looks like a great ship!

[jakesnana]

Thanks for the great review !! We set sail in just over 2 weeks on the same ship/itinerary and it's been a great help to read your review and impressions. We are bringing a 14 year old, who is a first time cruiser, so we want to make it as enjoyable for her as possible. Thanks again.

[oncruisecontrol]

Very nice review. I sailed the Victory back in 2007, and it is one of my favorite Carnival voyages. Thanks for posting your experiences.