Victory - May 6-13 - LONG review

[LegalCat]

Carnival Victory – May 6, 2006 through May 13, 2007

 

I’m going to go by subject not by day. Please feel free to ask any questions I didn’t answer. I will try to be VERY detailed.

 

Cabin: 8201 – Verandah Deck, Outside Cabin with a Balcony; we booked in December 2006.

 

Boarding

 

Self Assist. We have never checked luggage. We always pack light and responsible so we don’t hold up the line with bags we can’t carry properly. We had one small rolling suitcase and two shoulder bags. We arrived at the port at around 1 and walked right in, almost no line. A few things we noticed that were different… people didn’t try to convince us to check our bags, and, they have removed the plastic cover from the front of the XRay machines so you can use the full size of the xray machine to put the bag through rather than the more limited space of the plastic frame that used to cover the front. We saw people with rolling suitcases significantly larger than the one we had. Another change was that when we checked in at the desk (we had done the funpass but had to show passports and check in)… then they advised us that the Sail & Sign card would be activated with the credit card once we got on the ship… so, we got in line for room keys, then in another line for pictures, then in another line to get on the ship, then once on the ship in line in the Atlantic dining room to register the credit card on the sail and sign card. My husband got in line and I went to take the bags to the room and get settled in.

 

Cabin

 

Our cabin was pretty nice. It was 8201 on the Verandah deck (8th floor) all the way forward. We could see right into the bridge which was immediately next to our cabin. We met out cabin steward Edmund who came to introduce himself. He is only on the ship for one more week then is going home for 3 months.

 

Immenities in the room: there is a blow dryer however its just a blower (a really strong blower), no temperature or power control. You can bring your own blow dryer but you have to plug it in the bedroom. In the little sample bowl there was two satchels of vitamin c powder, a pepcid pill, two different kinds of disposable razors. Also in the shower there was Dove Shampoo and Body Wash. So, unless you want a particular brand of shampoo or body wash, you could just bring conditioner and be fine. I can’t go a day without conditioner so I just brought that. Also there is bar soap. Also this room did not have a minibar/fridge, but did have the usual cans of coke, diet coke and bottled water.

 

I will say I thought they beds were very hard and I woke up every morning feeling stiff, but I thought the sheets and blankets were really comfortable. Also, on the last day, they removed all the patio furniture from all cabins and said they were getting all new furniture for the cruise going out today (13th).

 

Meals

 

We had first seating main dinner (5:45) in the Pacific dining room upper level, this is the first time we have ever sat in the upper section. We had table 528 and our waiter was Cesar from Columbia and his assistant was Imade Yudi (sp). They were fun… they never asked our names but asked a story about each of us.. like one of our table mates was on a graduation celebration and he always referred to her as Ms. Graduate and on the last night brought her a cake on the last night with candles. They always remembered we wanted lemon with our water. Also, was always trying to talk us into ordering some thing other than our main preference and then would bring both items. Our table was in the very back corner of the dining room and we had a full ocean view. There was one young couple at our table who came every night, then a second couple who came I think twice. We were at a 10 top and the other four people apparently had changed to late seating at the same table and never showed up.

 

We ate lunch in the Mediterranean dining room every morning except one morning we went to the dining room. I’m really not a breakfast eater so I really didn’t enjoy the breakfast foods. The only thing I really liked was the hash browns and they were a little cardboard-y, lol. But I’m a bad judge of breakfast. We never ate lunch in the dining room. We usually ate lunch at the Mississippi BBQ which serves burgers, hot dogs, chicken breast, bbq chicken breast and minute steak sandwiches, fries, grilled onions, mushrooms, etc. Also we never ate at the Wok. We did get a slice of pizza once and also a sandwich from the Deli once, both were fine. The food was good. Also of course I loved the 24 hr frozen yogurt/ice cream. I don’t eat a lot of ice cream but its some thing about those little cones on a cruise ship, lol. I did notice the portions in the dining room seem to have gotten larger, in the past you could order several main courses no problem, this time I could hardly take the first bite of the second main course even if I didn’t have an appetizer. I stuck mostly to steak, I’m allergic to all seafood/shellfish. Also I did have the stuffed quail which was DELICIOUS. Also since I’m not a big desert eater I had the chocolate melting cake with vanilla ice cream for desert every night.

 

A couple of notes, if you get the drink of the day in the larger cup, keep the cup, when you use the cup to get the drinks for the rest of the week you get $1 off… if your having a lot of them, it will add up. Martini’s cost more in the specialty bar like the Irish seas bar. They charged $7.50 for the Blue Moon martini when everyone else charged $6.50. Again, adds up if you have a lot of specialty drinks. If the ice cream machine is closed, there are machines located on either side of the lido deck buffets and also machines in the back pool by the Mississippi BBQ. One is always open. Also, now the juices are up all day on all the various drink stations and the selection is different in some. My husband really liked the Passion-Guava juice and they only had it in half of the stations. The Martini of the Day is 4.95 and it’s a different one each day, then towards the end of the week I think on Friday they had a Martini Party which had all of the featured Martini’s from the whole week for 4.95 each.

 

Art Auctions

 

If you have never been to the art auction, they are fun. First of all, unlimited free champagne. One of the limited opportunities for free drinks (if you like champagne, I don’t but hubby does although he said it wasn’t great champagne). The art previews are usually at 1 and then the auction starts at 1:45. You get a free print for registering (just get a number to bid if you want, NO obligation) also if you participate and clap and cheer a lot etc they usually pick at least one person to get a free piece of art – you get to chose from 5. If you want to know anything specifically about the art auctions please let me know, we have been doing art auctions on every cruise now and have collected a substantial amount of art. We left this cruise with another Erickson, a Chen, another Tarkay and a Brito Sculpture piece.

The Erickson was a takeoff, which means you literally take it off the ship with you which is not the way it normally works. This happens when it’s the last one from the group. You literally take the one that the ship had hanging on the wall, so you get a really good deal, its already framed, but its as is, so if the frame is damaged or anything its up to you to re-frame or fix it etc… but, you can usually get a good price and maybe you get lucky and it’s a frame you like and want to keep. With a take off they deliver it to your room the night before, all wrapped up, and you carry it off with your luggage. Ours never showed up and to make a really long story short after many phone calls and over an hour at the pursers desk and finally demanding a refund, it finally showed up. So, we were an hour later leaving the ship than we would have.

 

Shows & Ship Activities

 

We went to no shows so I cant comment on them. We made it to almost no activities but enjoyed some mini golf, the Newly/Not so Newlywed Show which was hilarious, did the galley tour… that was basically it… We tried to go to karaoke a few times, twice we got there a little too late and the room was overflowing, so the third time we went early and got a good seat, only to find that they were allowing children to do karaoke and run around etc.. so we ended up leaving. I assume it got better as the evening went on, but I couldn’t get over children screaming into the microphone and then some extremely rude people talking non stop when the first couple of singers going up….

 

Ports

 

We specifically took this cruise because it went to Costa Maya and not Cozumel, we have been to Cozumel several times and didn’t like it the first time, we specifically would not have booked this cruise had Cozumel been one of the ports. Due to a medical emergency we ended up going to Cozumel instead of Costa Maya which was a huge disappointment for us. It didn’t ruin our cruise, we made the best of it, but we wouldn’t have taken the cruise if it had been planned that way. We had never been to Grand Cayman but also had been to Jamaica before and were not interested in going to Jamaica either. So, basically we took this cruise to go to Costa Maya, and it didn’t go there, lol. Oh well, could have been worse, could have been us having the medical emergency.

 

Excursions

 

We had planned Ivan & David’s tour for Costa Maya, but when we were on the ship we really got more interested in the much longer cruise to the other ruins offered by Carnival (7 hour tour, going to Kohunlich Mayan Ruins $89 p/p). We booked that and of course since Costa Maya didn’t happen, we didn’t end up doing anything there. When we went to Cozumel we just got off, went to Hard Rock to buy a new tshirt and then got back on the ship.

In Grand Cayman we booked Carnival’s Pirate Adventure, it was cute and corny and we had a little bit of fun. (2 hours, $39 p/p). It was over priced for what you got, but it was some thing kind of unusual that you wouldn’t do all the time. It was from 8 am to 10 am. The tender dropped you off at the port and then another tender picked you up from the port and took you to an “authentic” pirate ship. The two hours included a little “battle” where they fired fake cannons at the cruise ships etc… then they did a little thing where they had kids come up and interact with the pirates etc… it was unlimited fruit juice, soda, water and rum punch. A bit early in the morning for rum punch in my book, lol, and it tasted awful, but… again… it was some thing that was cute to do. There was a swim stop where they anchored and you could swim around the boat and dive from the second level etc…

In Jamaica we really didn’t want to go too far, but thought a nice beach relaxing morning was in order. So, we booked Bamboo Beach Club… here is the description for the excursion from Carnival’s book:

In the heart of Ocho Rios on the beautiful Jamaican Riviera lies one of the Caribbean’s most exclusive beach clubs. The silky white sand, turquoise water, soaring coconut trees and cool sea breeze create an unforgettable sensual experience. It is here, at Bamboo Beach Club, that life connoisseurs arouse their senses as they languish on cushy, luxurious haute couture bamboo furniture and soak up the rhythm of the most fashionable mix of local reggae beats. Enjoy unlimited mojitos, rum punch and beer as well as an unlimited array of Jamaican tapas freshly prepared by the gourmet chef. The beautiful beach, food and drinks, live DJ, fun entertainment, and complimentary towels and lounge chairs provide the ideal ambiance at this exclusive retreat.

 

Well… My idea of “luxurious haute couture bamboo furniture” isn’t the same plastic beach chairs we have at my pool at home.. there was nothing haute couture about this place, there wasn’t even anything bamboo about it… the drinks were awful and I don’t consider fruit being cut up on a folding chair “Jamaican tapas freshly prepared by the gourmet chef”… lol.. oh well… also the water wasn’t appealing at all… only a few feet away was a row of boats moored up and coming and going, separated from the “exclusive beach club” by only a rope in the water. Also, this “exclusive retreat” was a fenced off section of the beach, its not attached to a hotel or anything… its just a square section of sand, packed elbow to elbow with plastic beach chairs. .. Also, your “assigned” to a host or hostess who is responsible for bringing your drinks, food and towels etc… after hanging around for about 20 minutes we left, went back to the ship and changed, did some shopping at Taj Mahal and then Island Shoppes and then we had about an hour to kill while a ring I bought was being resized so we went over to Margaritavilla and had a BLAST there…. We had one margarita each and an order of chicken fajitas and we had about 6-7 FREE shots each from the bartender… so when we headed back to the ship we were feeling pretty happy regardless of the disappointment at the beach…

 

Shopping

 

I bought quite a bit of Clinique and Estee Lauder perfume in Grand Cayman at La Perfumerie Bayside, savings of only about $5 a bottle (Clinique Happy To Be, Happy heart, Estee Lauder Erotic Pleasures), but at least it was also tax free and its stuff I would have bought anyway. Also at Kirk Jewelers we bought a Breitling watch and at Grand Switzerland Island Jewelers a Sophia Fiori blue diamond pendant and stud earrings. We got fantastic deals. In Jamaica I found the Sophia Fiori ring to match the pendant I had found in GC, however, because we got such a low price they refused to give us the certificate of authenticity. We got similar deep discounts at Grand Cayman and had no problem, they gave us certs of authenticity from the jeweler and the certs from Sophia Fiori. It was a disappointing experience in Jamaica but I had already paid for the ring. The store in Jamaica was Gem Palace. I got a good discount but wouldn’t recommend them based on the fact that they wouldn’t give me any paperwork other than the receipt and also gave me a cheap little .75 cent ring box. Also in Jamaica we got a really good deal on a Tag Heuer Carrera at Casa De Oro…

 

I should say that after we got back on the ship from Jamaica our sail and sign cards were suspended, we found out during dinner when we tried to pay for drinks. Our credit card provider had suspended the card because of the high ticket purchases in Jamaica which they said was a “hot bed” for fraudulent activity… so it took about 20 minutes to get that cleared up but at least our credit card provider was being safe and in the future we know to call and let them know ahead of time.

 

Spa

 

We did the couples "top to toe" massage one day.. the regular price was $390 and on one port day it was advertised at $259, they ended up charging us $239. I told them up front "NO product solicitations, not interested" and they didnt even ask at the end which was nice. This was a full body couples massage and facials.

 

We also later on did the "Sole Delight Pedicure" which is a 55 minute pedicure. The regular price is listed at $65 but was on sale on one of the port days.

 

Finally, I also did the Ladies Self Pamper Happy Hour... let me emphasise SELF pamper... basically they are teaching you all the tips to keep your skin soft and young etc... what lotions to use and in what order... it was $60 but included a $45 product credit. It was fun, basically it was like 20 women in the ladies lockerroom having a good time, some stuff you did to yourself such as applying a face scrub, and some things they did such as applying a scrub to your back and a dry oil hair treatment, then some time in the dry sauna, wet sauna, showers, then back for more lotions and stuff, it was fun and relaxing, would be more fun if your with a group of girls...

 

Ok So I covered a lot here... let me know what questions/clarifications you have...

 

I have some pictures and also some papers from the ship including some capers, spa flyers, excursion price lists etc which I will post probably tomorrow....

[Mrichy555]

Im at work speed-reading so excuse me if I missed it but did you go to the formal dinners? How were they?

[nybumpkin]

Thanks for the review! I'm sorry to hear that Carnival seems to be expanding the "activate your card in the dining room" policy - We did it in FLL on Liberty in February and it added up to just one more line/delay for us. Guess we can look forward to it on Valor next February.:mad:

[LegalCat]

Im at work speed-reading so excuse me if I missed it but did you go to the formal dinners? How were they?

 

We missed the first formal, we had lunch too late and couldnt even consider eating at 5:45... we got toasted in one of the bars instead and then later on i gorged on roast beef and baked potato in the buffet, lol, we went the second formal night, we didnt do formal formal, I wore a mid-calf black skirt and a nice black top and my husband wore a resort type button up shirt like a tommy bahama and slacks... normally we do more formal but we wanted more relaxed this time, lol... food was good, saw a lot of people casually dressed

[LegalCat]

Im at work speed-reading so excuse me if I missed it but did you go to the formal dinners? How were they?

 

Thanks for the review! I'm sorry to hear that Carnival seems to be expanding the "activate your card in the dining room" policy - We did it in FLL on Liberty in February and it added up to just one more line/delay for us. Guess we can look forward to it on Valor next February.:mad:

 

First time for us, we last cruised in November and they didnt do that yet... was surprising, I dont see how it saves time? Maybe gets people ON the ship faster? I dont know, seems like an extra step for no reason

[buddyjo143]

Thanks for your review. We are on the Victory for a NY-Canada sailing so I appreciate that you posted about the ship too.

 

Looking forward to some new furnishing in the rooms.

 

On this trip we are not planning on dinner in the dining room but do plan on eating our breakfasts there. We eat a bit more than hash browns ;) so I hope the rest of the menu is good.

 

Thanks again.

[nybumpkin]

First time for us, we last cruised in November and they didnt do that yet... was surprising, I dont see how it saves time? Maybe gets people ON the ship faster? I dont know, seems like an extra step for no reason

I don't even know about getting people aboard faster - I thought the line for Liberty to check in and get our S&S card was just as long/took as long as any other cruise we've been on. I hope they're not doing it in NYC this summer! Last year we arrived at our usual time of 11:30 and pretty much walked aboard Victory in NYC without lines at all.

[LegalCat]

Thanks for your review. We are on the Victory for a NY-Canada sailing so I appreciate that you posted about the ship too.

 

Looking forward to some new furnishing in the rooms.

 

On this trip we are not planning on dinner in the dining room but do plan on eating our breakfasts there. We eat a bit more than hash browns ;) so I hope the rest of the menu is good.

 

Thanks again.

 

Hehe well as I said, I'm not a breakfast person at all, except maybe a nice steak with my eggs, lol... but a lot of people were definately enjoying their breakfasts, I saw loads of people with loaded up plates so it looked like everyone was enjoying their food!

 

This was the first time we ate dinner outside of the dining room and I was happy with the selection in the buffet for dinner... Im a real meat and potatoes girl myself...

[bleuiz]

Carnival Victory – May 6, 2006 through May 13, 2007

 

I’m going to go by subject not by day. Please feel free to ask any questions I didn’t answer. I will try to be VERY detailed.

 

Thanks for the review..........was on The Victory, NY to Canada last summer and will do it again this summer.........

I found your review to be accurate of the ship........but we found the layout to be very confusing..........often we would end up n deadends..........it was quite comical.........

Looking forward to the new furniture.......

[LegalCat]

but we found the layout to be very confusing..........often we would end up n deadends..........it was quite comical.........

Looking forward to the new furniture.......

 

I have this uncanny ability for direction on cruise ships... I dont know what it is but after the first day I can always find my way everywhere...

[Muster Station]

Thanks!

[three2me]

We are sailing on 6/21 out of NY

 

Does the dining room have tables for 2?

 

Can you arrange for your dining preference when you activate your S&S card with your credit card?

 

Thanks for all the info.

[sbc83]

We are sailing on 6/21 out of NY

 

Does the dining room have tables for 2?

 

Hi! I´m sailing just before you do on the Victory (6/16), I asked my PVP about the tables for 2 and she told they do have them, she wrote down my request but she couldn´t guarantee I will be getting a table for 2.

[LegalCat]

We are sailing on 6/21 out of NY

 

Does the dining room have tables for 2?

 

Can you arrange for your dining preference when you activate your S&S card with your credit card?

 

Thanks for all the info.

 

 

You give your dining preference when you book your tickets, if they didnt ask, call and see what it is and update it if necessary... when you get your sail and sign card/room key, its printed on there... as soon as you get on board, one person can go activate the S&S card and the other person can go straight to the dining room and see about a change if one is necessary

[pacerzfan]

Thank you for your review.

[marshabear]

three2me...

 

come check out our roll call board...we are sailing with you!! have found others to chat with and we are setting up a meet and greet once onboard!!

 

come join us!! :)

 

thanks legalcat for your review!! looking forward to sailing soon!!

 

 

 

Marsha