Triumph – Cruise Review May 20th – 27th 2006

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Triumph – Cruise Review May 20th – 27th 2006

Just back from the Eastern Caribbean cruise onboard the MS Carnival Triumph. Overall the trip was great, and a good time was had by all of us. This cruise was a family cruise that included my wife, and I, my son and his finance, and my daughter and her husband.

EMBARKATION: We arrived at the Miami International airport at 11:30 am on the day of embarkation. We made our way to the baggage claim carousel, located our luggage and was on the transfer bus to the pier by 12:15. After a short drive to the pier we were ready to check in, clear security, and begin our vacation cruise. Up to this point all was well.

One note: The Porters at the pier are very pushy about their tips. They would have people line up at the bus and then want you them to give your name, amount of luggage, and cabin number and then proceed to hassle you about tips. Now, I don’t know how much these people make, and frankly I don’t care, but I do know that if you hassle me about tips, you very likely aren’t going to get one, and they didn’t. The whole thing about giving them your name, cabin, and amount of luggage was just to give them an opportunity to hassle you about tips.

Here’s a hint: Get off the bus, and go straight to the terminal. Your luggage will be delivered to your stateroom, and you will not have to endure the endless tip hustle.

CHECK IN – SECURITY: Going through security is much like that at an airport; carry on luggage is x-rayed, and you pass through a metal detector. It is really no big deal, and it goes quickly and smoothly if you listen to directions. Once you clear security it’s off to check in. The lines were very long, but they moved quickly. After checking in and establishing our Sail and Sign accounts, and room keys coded, it was off to board the ship. One last stop before boarding the vessel was the welcome aboard photos. Now, I don’t know about you but after traveling half way across the country all morning the last thing I want is to have my photograph taken. I think it would be nice to have two lines at this point instead of only one. One for those that want their photo taken and one for people like me who do not. But anyway it went quickly.

After you cross the gangway and board the ship proper, your photo is taken again. This time is to put your image in the ship’s database and it is encoded to your Sail and Sign Card. The Sail and Sign Card is used for all of your shipboard purchases, your room key, and your passenger identification card. ALWAYS carry it with you.

Total time from drop off at the pier to boarding the vessel – about an hour.

We had a room mix up. My son and I were booked into the same room, and my wife and my son’s finance were booked into a separate room. This was done by our Carnival Vacation Planner, so that my son and his finance could get the past cruiser rate. This was quickly and easily taken care of at the Purser’s desk once we were on the vessel. We also opted out of the automatic tipping and the same time, without any hassles.

Now that we were on the vessel we located our cabins on the Upper Deck (Deck 6 inside staterooms) and dropped off our carry on luggage. I was surprised at how big the cabin was; compared to the Ocean View cabins I had previously stayed in on three different Fantasy class ships. There was ample storage and room to move about in. The only problem with the cabin was the lack of a window. Like I said this was the first time I had booked an inside cabin and I will not do it again. I missed the window more than I though I would, but that was the only problem with the accommodations, and that was my fault.

Next stop was the Lido deck for some lunch. The food was good, not great but good, and we enjoyed our lunch looking out over the port of Miami.

After lunch we explored the ship some. Overall the ship is in pretty good condition. The only thing I would really complain about is that near my stateroom (6 – 307) there was a piece of trim hanging from the ceiling. It stayed that way for the entire week. The only other thing that I thought could use some attention was the decking on the deck 9 forward observation deck. The decking here was warped pretty badly. Other than that the ship was in overall good condition.

Lifeboat Drill: If there is one thing about this, or any other cruise that I really dislike it is the lifeboat drill. I understand it is necessary and is for the education of the passengers, but in my opinion it is about worthless. You grab you lifejacket, and head to your assigned muster station. Then you stand in the heat with 2500+ other people for up to 30 minutes. No real information is given to you, and if the ship were to actually have a condition where you needed to abandon the vessel the drill would not have prepared you for it very well.

Dining: The food on the Lido deck buffet was ok. It was nothing to write home about, but then it is a buffet, and not a sit down restaurant. Overall the selection of food items and the quality was acceptable.

The food in the main dining room was, in my opinion very good. We had a table in the upper deck of the Paris dinning room. Our table was located in the aft port corner of the dinning room and offered us an exceptional view. Our wait team Agustus and Dennis were some of the best waiters I have ever had. They went above and beyond to make sure our family enjoyed our dinner every night of the cruise. The drink glasses were never empty, the service quick and polite. Agustus is from St. Vincent, and told us a different story each night about his homeland and the ports of call for the next day. We really did enjoy his stories and his knowledge.

Sea Days: What can I say about sea days? You are on a vessel at sea with 2500+ other people looking for something to do. Most of our time while at sea was spent sunning on deck or in the pools, and hot tubs. It can be a bit crowded, but you can always find a spot somewhere. My only complaint is that there is not enough open deck space away form the hustle and bustle of the pool areas for one to just sit and enjoy the view. A few chairs and tables on the open decks that run the length of the ship on the port and starboard sides would be nice.

Ports of Call: On this cruise we visited three ports in three days.

San Juan: Our first port was San Juan. We arrived there about 4:30 in the afternoon, and were of ship by about 5:00. We just decided to explore Old San Juan on our own for this trip. San Juan is very hilly, and it was hot and humid (go figure). Personally, I did not much like San Juan. The traffic is heavy, and the smog is bad. Most of Old San Juan shuts down around 7:30 or so and trash is piled on the very narrow streets and sidewalks for collection. Let me tell you there is nothing like walking in garbage for blocks at a time, with the heat and fumes from all of the vehicles. Perhaps if we visited the island during the day instead of the evening, it would have left such a sour taste in my mouth. IMHO if you visit San Juan in the evening, you would be better off staying on the ship.

St. Thomas: Most of our in St. Thomas was spent exploring the Islands various shops, looking the “deal of lifetime” as boasted by the cruise director and others on the ship. We never found it. Most of the stuff that was supposed to be such a great deal could be bought back home for the same, and in most cases less money. Duty and tax free shopping is not all it’s cracked up to be IMHO.

The Island is beautiful though, so get out there and explore it a bit.

St. Martin: The highlight of the ports has to be St. Martin. You dock on the Dutch side of the island in Phillipsburg. By far the best deal going is the water taxi. $5.00 pp for unlimited trips across the bay to the shopping district, and the beach at Great Bay. We did some shopping in Phillipsburg, returned to the ship to drop off our purchases, and then returned to the beach. We got six chairs and three umbrellas for $25.00. Buckets of beer (six long necks) for $9.00 and best of all they come and take your order right on the beach and deliver it to you. BTW if you have never tried Carib beer, you really must give it a try. It was by far some of the best beer I have ever had. Be aware that the top optional is the standard on the beaches. We saw several topless women on the beach the day we were there. The beach and the town were very clean and well maintained. This by far was the jewel of the islands we visited this day.

Debarkation: Same old story, hurry up and wait. Next time I think I’ll use the self service debarkation process and see if we get off of the ship any faster.

Well there it is in the nutshell. All in all WE HAD A GREAT TIME and are already planning for our next cruise.

Dave

[LDR]

Thank you for your review Dave. We are looking into taking Triumph in

April for our Spring Break Cruise and will be booking in late summer!

Do you really not get into SJ until afternoon? Not sure what we are doing

there, but I look forward the most to St. Maartan. Do you remember if

the America's Cup Yacht excursion is offered by Carnival? We are definitely

interested in that.

Also, where is the best place to hang out at night on the ship? We have 2 teenagers that will be doing their own thing until their curfew, so we would like to hit the fun spots:)

[Leo Jay]

 

Personally, I did not much like San Juan. The traffic is heavy, and the smog is bad. Most of Old San Juan shuts down around 7:30 or so and trash is piled on the very narrow streets and sidewalks for collection. Let me tell you there is nothing like walking in garbage for blocks at a time, with the heat and fumes from all of the vehicles.

 

Hey, San Juan in the Spring is just like Midtown Manhattan in the Summer! Thanks for letting me know I don't have to bother visiting that port!

:)

Glad you had a great time. We had a great time on Triumph to Canada last year.