Considering the Victory.....

[happy cruzin]

Well.......we have started looking for the next cruise. :rolleyes:

 

We are considering the Victory - Eastern January 6th, 2007 and are looking for input from those who have sailed the Victory. Thoughts about the ship, itinerary and excursions would be helpful.

 

I noticed that it does not have ratings as high as other Carnival ships and can not help but wonder why since it is a fairly new ship - launched in 2000. :confused:

 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks :D

[Bothell]

Well.......we have started looking for the next cruise. :rolleyes:

 

We are considering the Victory - Eastern January 6th, 2007 and are looking for input from those who have sailed the Victory. Thoughts about the ship, itinerary and excursions would be helpful.

 

I noticed that it does not have ratings as high as other Carnival ships and can not help but wonder why since it is a fairly new ship - launched in 2000. :confused:

 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks :D

 

Well I just went on the Victory 2 weeks ago (Western) and this was my first cruise....so I cant compare it to anything, but loved it.

I was very worried because I booked this trip on a whim and didnt really investigate. Then I started hearing all the bad stuff about Victory I was very disappointed in myself that I hadn't investigated more before I booked.

I can be very picky on cleanliness and staff...but that pickyness never had to emerge because the ship is CLEAN and the staff is very friendly.

I loved it and see nothing about the ship that warrents complaints. Some people compaling about the green decor everywhere....until I mentioned it to the other 5 traveling with me...no one even notived it was all green, and after I mentioned it no one even cared.

Some posters have been complaining of the dirty carpets...so the first few days my eyes were searching and searching for those dirty carpets...nothing. I found no dirty carpets. I honestly do not see where this ship is dirty anywhere.

I told my husband of the negative comments I had read about the ship...after we were on it cuz he was very reluctant to cruise....and he also did not agree with those negative comments (coming from a man who I almost had to DRAG out of the house to go on a cruise!:) And honestly would have been the first to complain..and he had NO COMPLAINTS and came home liking the cruise! Now if the boat would have been dirty or weathered or grumpy staff...well he may have came home not ever wanting to crusie again.....THANK YOU VICTORY!)

[happy cruzin]

Well I just went on the Victory 2 weeks ago (Western) and this was my first cruise....so I cant compare it to anything, but loved it.

I was very worried because I booked this trip on a whim and didnt really investigate. Then I started hearing all the bad stuff about Victory I was very disappointed in myself that I hadn't investigated more before I booked.

I can be very picky on cleanliness and staff...but that pickyness never had to emerge because the ship is CLEAN and the staff is very friendly.

I loved it and see nothing about the ship that warrents complaints. Some people compaling about the green decor everywhere....until I mentioned it to the other 5 traveling with me...no one even notived it was all green, and after I mentioned it no one even cared.

Some posters have been complaining of the dirty carpets...so the first few days my eyes were searching and searching for those dirty carpets...nothing. I found no dirty carpets. I honestly do not see where this ship is dirty anywhere.

I told my husband of the negative comments I had read about the ship...after we were on it cuz he was very reluctant to cruise....and he also did not agree with those negative comments (coming from a man who I almost had to DRAG out of the house to go on a cruise!:) And honestly would have been the first to complain..and he had NO COMPLAINTS and came home liking the cruise! Now if the boat would have been dirty or weathered or grumpy staff...well he may have came home not ever wanting to crusie again.....THANK YOU VICTORY!)

 

 

Thanks for sharing. To be honest I have not researched much yet either - I just know that I can get alot of info from past cruisers. ;)

 

Other ships I have been on have also gotten negative comments for the decor - but I'm like you - it does not usually bother me one way or another. I remember some pretty wild posts about the mermaids on the ceiling of the Glory......and the paintings and statues :eek: on the Pride - but both were outstanding cruises for us!! The Desitiny also had some unusual comments about carpets etc right after it came out of dry dock. When we went it too was awesome. So - as with all opinions - different strokes for different folks.

 

Thanks again for your insights....I'll keep investigating :D

[KruznKel]

We just returned from the 03/05 Eastern sailing... Had a blast.. To us the ship was in fine shape not dirty.. The staff always friendly .. No complaints..

 

As for excursions we stayed onboard in San Juan.. can't help you there.. St. Martin .. We just took the water taxi walked around downtown..St. Thomas overall the best port.. used Godfrey's awesome tour..

 

Food on board was good.. We used the dining room 2 nights.. and found the food on the lido med restaurant to be just want we needed.. pizza.. burgers.. all good as well..

 

As you mentioned.. different strokes for different folks.. I am sure you will love the Victory..:)

[hnschipper]

We were on the Eastern itinerary on the Dec. 26, 2004 sailing. It was my second cruise (first was on Royal Caribbean), so I can't really compare it to other Carnival ships. We didn't notice dirtiness anywhere on the ship. Of course, there is always a carpet stain here or there, but really, what ship doesn't have a couple of carpet stains? We didn't notice anything that I would have complained about. We actually really liked the decor of the ship.

 

As far as ports, in San Juan, the ship gets there late in the afternoon, so there really aren't many excursions you can do. We got of the ship and just wandered around. There is a really cool old fort within walking distance of the pier that we went to. Also went into many of the little shops. There's even a Ben & Jerry's ice cream place!

 

In St. Marten, we took a bus tour of the island. It was OK, but our driver talked to quietly, it was hard to hear him in the back of the bus. We got to see a lot of the island, and he stopped several times so we could get out and take pictures, or shop.

 

St. Thomas was our favorite port. We went snorkeling at a nearby island (can't remember what the tour was called!) We weren't allowed to go up on the island because it was a turtle sanctuary. It was a blast.

[happy cruzin]

We just returned from the 03/05 Eastern sailing... Had a blast.. To us the ship was in fine shape not dirty.. The staff always friendly .. No complaints..

 

As for excursions we stayed onboard in San Juan.. can't help you there.. St. Martin .. We just took the water taxi walked around downtown..St. Thomas overall the best port.. used Godfrey's awesome tour..

 

Food on board was good.. We used the dining room 2 nights.. and found the food on the lido med restaurant to be just want we needed.. pizza.. burgers.. all good as well..

 

As you mentioned.. different strokes for different folks.. I am sure you will love the Victory..:)

 

It does sound like we will love the Victory :) . Thanks soooooo much for the info.

[happy cruzin]

We were on the Eastern itinerary on the Dec. 26, 2004 sailing. It was my second cruise (first was on Royal Caribbean), so I can't really compare it to other Carnival ships. We didn't notice dirtiness anywhere on the ship. Of course, there is always a carpet stain here or there, but really, what ship doesn't have a couple of carpet stains? We didn't notice anything that I would have complained about. We actually really liked the decor of the ship.

 

As far as ports, in San Juan, the ship gets there late in the afternoon, so there really aren't many excursions you can do. We got of the ship and just wandered around. There is a really cool old fort within walking distance of the pier that we went to. Also went into many of the little shops. There's even a Ben & Jerry's ice cream place!

 

In St. Marten, we took a bus tour of the island. It was OK, but our driver talked to quietly, it was hard to hear him in the back of the bus. We got to see a lot of the island, and he stopped several times so we could get out and take pictures, or shop.

 

St. Thomas was our favorite port. We went snorkeling at a nearby island (can't remember what the tour was called!) We weren't allowed to go up on the island because it was a turtle sanctuary. It was a blast.

 

Ok....be honest...how CRAZY was it cruising during the hoildays? :eek: We originally were considering that week but then gave up on it - assuming that it was "prime time".

 

The week in Jan that we are looking at is still part of "winter break" for DS and his girlfriend - hopefully it will be a little calmer since alot of schools will be back in session.

[caprcorn28]

We'll be on the Victory in two weeks on the Western Itinerary. I will for sure post about it when we get back.

I have ZERO worries about it - sounds like a great ship, great crew...worst thing that people seem to complain about (from the balanced reviews that I have read) is the long lines at the buffets. That, even doesn't worry me. There are 3 thousand people to feed...there's gonna be a line!!

 

Have fun planning!!!!

[coolestwife]

We'll be on the Victory in two weeks on the Western Itinerary. I will for sure post about it when we get back.

I have ZERO worries about it - sounds like a great ship, great crew...worst thing that people seem to complain about (from the balanced reviews that I have read) is the long lines at the buffets. That, even doesn't worry me. There are 3 thousand people to feed...there's gonna be a line!!

 

Have fun planning!!!!

 

 

cap!!!!

2 WEEKS!!!!!! omg....are you super excited? do the kids know yet, or has the secret remained safe?

aaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!:p :D :D :D

 

look...I have 69 days...heeheeheehee :p

[sandymac]

We sailed the Eastern route onboard the Victory a few weeks ago - we had an AWESOME time!!! The ship was absolutely clean and beautiful!

We had our 3 kids with us, so I may not be able to help you with the itinerary. For us, San Juan was a waste - we got off the ship, walked around and got right back on it.

St martin, we took the water taxi, which was right where the boat docked, for $5pp round trip. We went shopping, and went to the beach right where the shoppping is located. For $10 we got 2 chairs, an umbrella, and 2 drinks!! We had a great time!

St Thomas, we went to Megans bay. Got a "taxi/bus" right off the boat - charged us $8pp Each way. We spent the afternoon there. We did a little shopping, but not much. the shopping is right where the boat docks - you can walk there.

you will have a fantastik time. In fact, we had so much fun, we are looking into going again next year and doing the western itinerary!

Sandy

I put my pictures to a slideshow if you are interested. Go to

http://mcgovern.aboutmybaby.com/index.pl

click on the video - you need windows media player to view it.

[happy cruzin]

We'll be on the Victory in two weeks on the Western Itinerary. I will for sure post about it when we get back.

I have ZERO worries about it - sounds like a great ship, great crew...worst thing that people seem to complain about (from the balanced reviews that I have read) is the long lines at the buffets. That, even doesn't worry me. There are 3 thousand people to feed...there's gonna be a line!!

 

Have fun planning!!!!

 

Please do post a review. I'd love to hear what you think after you get back.

 

I agree with you...when you have that many people to feed there are bound to be a few lines. But, there are definately ways to minimize the impact of those lines on your plans. We find that we are eating a "non-peak" times which often helps. Don't get me wrong...there are still lines but if you do not try to eat lunch between noon and one the line might not be as bad.

 

I'll watch for your impressions of the Victory ;)

[todb]

We were on the Victory on 1/29/06 she ROCKS very clean staff were very friendly I thought the food was very good the pizza will not be the best you ever had but it is good you have to try the arugla and mozzarella sandwich at the deli it is awesome. We went western so I can't help on excursions. I cruised on the Disney Wonder and in my opinion the

Victory blows it away even my kids will tell you that we had a great time and would not hesitate to book her again.

[scperk]

Just back from a b2b on the Victory and had the greatest service in the dining rooms I ever had. The food was very good in dining and Lido deck. The only thing I saw was the couches in the Lido Deck were sagging and the leather covering was very worn. Over all ship was very clean. If you like classic rock, you have to check out the band in the Black and Red Seas lounge. They are Music Network and they were very good, we were in there every night......Dennis

[PaigeM]

My family cruised on the Victory on 2/12/06 and had a blast. The food was great and the staff was wonderful.

[dbnzsmom]

We sailed on the Victory the week of 2/19 and we had a wonderful time. We had three teenagers and an 11 year old with us and they also had an awesome time. The ship is clean and the service was great. I was also somewhat worried after reading various threads, but I agree with what many say - you make your own vacation.....

[JLTMET56]

My husband and I were on the Victory over the 4th last year (big family cruise...42 people) and we had a ball...unfortunately hurricane season was especially active last year and we were diverted from cozumel and cayman..the ship was in great shape, staff friendly, food was good,..actually, the end of April we're going back on the Victory Western route..had I been disappointed I certainly wouldnt be going back on the same ship

[billsgirl]

We cruised on Victory - Western Jan 1-8 this year. It was our first cruise, so I have nothing to compare to, but our family had a great time! The weather was perfect each day...except for the last when it was cool and cloudy...but it was a good day to relax after our wonderful, relaxing week on the Victory. I too read the not so great reviews about Victory before cruising and was nervous...but we have absolutely no complaints (except embarkation was a little crazy)...we had a balcony room which I highly recommend...a great room steward, great service, also had a clean room, dining staff was excellent, the whole atmosphere of the ship was lovely to me. We booked excursions with carnival on the ship and were very happy with them. Enjoy your cruise on the Victory!

[VentureMan_2000]

I noticed that it does not have ratings as high as other Carnival ships

 

I'm on the Victory Eastern Carribean Mid May.

 

My opinion on the ratings is this. There are maybe 60 people rating a ship that carries 3000 passengers a week. So why would you put much weight on 60 passengers vs. 9.5 million passengers that have cruised on her?

 

The ship keeps selling out week after week. The CDC score is 99 out of 100. All passenger cruise ships arriving at US ports are subject to unannounced inspection. Ships are rated to determine if they meet CDC sanitation standards in the following areas: water; food preparation and holding; potential contamination of food and general cleanliness; storage and repair.

 

I do find it amusing to read the reviews that really dog a cruise ship. Because you can read a review of someone who cruised the same week and said it was fantastic.

 

Some people are happy unless they are miserable.

 

Choose the Victory and you will have a grand time. I know I will.

[KruznKel]

I'm on the Victory Eastern Carribean Mid May.

 

My opinion on the ratings is this. There are maybe 60 people rating a ship that carries 3000 passengers a week. So why would you put much weight on 60 passengers vs. 9.5 million passengers that have cruised on her?

 

The ship keeps selling out week after week. The CDC score is 99 out of 100. All passenger cruise ships arriving at US ports are subject to unannounced inspection. Ships are rated to determine if they meet CDC sanitation standards in the following areas: water; food preparation and holding; potential contamination of food and general cleanliness; storage and repair.

 

I do find it amusing to read the reviews that really dog a cruise ship. Because you can read a review of someone who cruised the same week and said it was fantastic.

 

Some people are happy unless they are miserable.

 

Choose the Victory and you will have a grand time. I know I will.

 

Venture you will have a great time.. it is a vacation you make of it what you want;) I did meet a few CC's on board who said the food at the buffet was cold.. both Matt and myself said we musta been there at different times.. because all was good for us.. Don't know if you saw where I posted WW's delivered pas de problem..:D

[kytten_kat]

I was on the Victory in Oct of last year and had a great time ... loved the ship so much that I am booked again for this Dec ...

Take each review (including mine) with a grain of salt ... I had a wonderful time and my review reflects that ... some will say it is to positive with out any negatives and they would be right ... so here are the couple of negatives I had about my cruise ...

The Yantgze Wok was only open the first day (or so the capers said) ... I never did venture to see if it was open any other time ...

One morning in the dining room for breakfast, our waitstaff were not very good ... not at all attentive ... since we were sitting right next to the coffee station and our table had waited over 15 minutes for some coffee, one of our table mates served us ... Now this was just a 1x experience as each other time the staff had been great ...

Last negative ... had to get off the ship ... lol ...

You will have a great time ...

Candy