Just back from the Victory, June 21-25, 2007

[juried]

We went on the Carnival Victory 4 night out of NYC to St Johns, New Brunswick Canada June 21 to June 25, 2007.

This was our second cruise on the Victory, the first was back in 2002.

We were last minute booking this cruise. I called at 9pm the night prior to see if they had an open balcony cabin and had no luck but an hour later when my husband called voilla! We got a Category 8C midship on deck 8 and it was perfect for the 2 of us. I personally could never cruise without a balcony. I need to see and feel the ocean it is what makes me want to cruise. Just relaxing on my private 35 square foot paradise ….

Anyway, we had to hustle to find the passports and pack the bags. We left New Hampshire about 6:30am and arrived at the port by 1pm. Nothing could be easier. Embarkation was a breeze, I had printed our Funpass and we had to wait just a bit for our room keys since we were soooo last minute. But we were onboard by 1:30 and our cabin was ready!

We enjoyed this cruise for what it was … a long weekend. The Victory is aging well in my opinion and still has a bold, glitzy and quite green décor but it is still a very FUN ship.

I did nothing on this cruise as far as shows or deck parties or captain’s parties … but everyone I spoke with loved the Cruise Director Malcom. I caught him on TV and he was very entertaining.

This ship was loaded with kids and families but never felt really crowded until chow time and debarkation.

I enjoyed the spa and casino. We played at the ProPoker Table every night, an extremely frustrating electronic poker game which you played against fellow passengers. It was limit hold’em and the rake was about 15% (which is much more than the standard) and even though I made about $300 it was not nearly as fun as the small private no limit hold’em tournament we held in the upstairs of the Mediterranean Restaurant on Deck 10. I remembered to pack the chip set and we met some great fun people and had ourselves a little game. (The Card Room was way too small and crowded)

I enjoyed the sing a long fun in the Irish Bar and my excursion to the Reverse Rapids (Category 5 plus rapids) in St Johns was a blast… imagine being on a roller coaster and having the ice cold Atlantic slap you in the face…. well worth it! St Johns is a very welcoming port, though a bit dull ... but they give every lady a rose (a nice touch)

I thought the dinner was lacking, the bread was often dry and crumbly and the meat a bit tough. But the wait staff and singing maitre d’ as well as our wonderful tablemates made up for it. I enjoyed meeting the other 3 couples from NY, NJ and CT. We are all so different and other than a cruise, I doubt we would ever get a chance to meet.

I loved the breakfast and lunch buffets on the Lido Deck and even the room service food was quite good. I did not go hungry.

Another pleasant surprise was running into another couple we had met last September on a transatlantic cruise. It was great to see them again and spend time together (singing, drinking, chatting and getting soaked, not necessarily in that order)

Our room steward was excellent, our room was cleaned twice daily, ice replaced and the usual towel animals. I never saw him except to tip him but left a note and he obligingly replaced remote batteries and gave extra washcloths. A very good room steward indeed.

What surprised me most about this cruise was all you get for the money. This was a very inexpensive cruise and yet it never lacked for anything. You definitely get your moneys worth with Carnival. I also found the ships staff to be most courteous and helpful. I have been on many cruises and paid much more for much less. So this impressed me. The bar staff certainly did a fantastic job (my bar bill was more than my cruise!) Carnival is a casual cruise line where I think everyone feels welcome. No putting on airs, just kick back and enjoy the ride and don’t take it all so seriously. Don’t get me wrong, if you wanted it to be, this could be a formal cruise or vacation of a lifetime. We saw a fancy wedding and several family reunions, you can still make a lifetime memory and buy the video … but this was not our “Special Cruise” I will state here that the photographers on board the Victory were excellent. No shadows across our faces, no glare from our glasses, nicely done.

Don’t get me wrong there is some room for improvement: The TV sucked, the worst ever and the pursers desk never once answered the phone. My remote did not work and even though the steward changed the batteries it was just crap. The Casino needs a real Texas Hold’em table with a live dealer or at least a daily tournament.

Overall 2 thumbs way up!

Till next time,

Go Sox!

[MrPete]

Any fog?

[bleuiz]

We went on the Carnival Victory 4 night out of NYC to St Johns, New Brunswick Canada June 21 to June 25, 2007.

 

Overall 2 thumbs way up!

Till next time,

Go Sox!

 

Thanks...........doing this cruise July 5 (did it last year also) but this time with my parents, siblings, their families........and glad to know it was pleasurable...........

[Kurbanfan]

Great review! Wish I could book one day ahead:( On second thought I would need more time to pack LOL!

[marshabear]

i was on this sailing too....

 

no fog...just alittle rain as we were pulling out of the NYC harbor...thank goodness it waited til we were past lady liberty and the verrazano bridge!! :)

 

lots of kids onboard but it is summertime...

 

we enjoyed ourselves and agree it was a great cruise for the $$...

 

 

Marsha

[Glamourgal]

Wow!! Sounds like a "Fun" Ship!! I look forward to our April 20th cruise even more after reading your review!! Thanks for taking the time to give a great review!! That Irish sing along pub sounds great!!

[RosieRoo]

juried, thanks for the review, we are doing the same cruise in August. I am glad to see that you enjoyed it. Did you do the reversing rapids excursion thru Carnival or on your own? And did you drive to the port and if so how was the traffic, parking, etc?

[rellersi]

We went on the Carnival Victory 4 night out of NYC to St Johns, New Brunswick Canada June 21 to June 25, 2007.

This was our second cruise on the Victory, the first was back in 2002.

We were last minute booking this cruise. I called at 9pm the night prior to see if they had an open balcony cabin and had no luck but an hour later when my husband called voilla! We got a Category 8C midship on deck 8 and it was perfect for the 2 of us. I personally could never cruise without a balcony. I need to see and feel the ocean it is what makes me want to cruise. Just relaxing on my private 35 square foot paradise ….

Anyway, we had to hustle to find the passports and pack the bags. We left New Hampshire about 6:30am and arrived at the port by 1pm. Nothing could be easier. Embarkation was a breeze, I had printed our Funpass and we had to wait just a bit for our room keys since we were soooo last minute. But we were onboard by 1:30 and our cabin was ready!

We enjoyed this cruise for what it was … a long weekend. The Victory is aging well in my opinion and still has a bold, glitzy and quite green décor but it is still a very FUN ship.

I did nothing on this cruise as far as shows or deck parties or captain’s parties … but everyone I spoke with loved the Cruise Director Malcom. I caught him on TV and he was very entertaining.

This ship was loaded with kids and families but never felt really crowded until chow time and debarkation.

I enjoyed the spa and casino. We played at the ProPoker Table every night, an extremely frustrating electronic poker game which you played against fellow passengers. It was limit hold’em and the rake was about 15% (which is much more than the standard) and even though I made about $300 it was not nearly as fun as the small private no limit hold’em tournament we held in the upstairs of the Mediterranean Restaurant on Deck 10. I remembered to pack the chip set and we met some great fun people and had ourselves a little game. (The Card Room was way too small and crowded)

I enjoyed the sing a long fun in the Irish Bar and my excursion to the Reverse Rapids (Category 5 plus rapids) in St Johns was a blast… imagine being on a roller coaster and having the ice cold Atlantic slap you in the face…. well worth it! St Johns is a very welcoming port, though a bit dull ... but they give every lady a rose (a nice touch)

I thought the dinner was lacking, the bread was often dry and crumbly and the meat a bit tough. But the wait staff and singing maitre d’ as well as our wonderful tablemates made up for it. I enjoyed meeting the other 3 couples from NY, NJ and CT. We are all so different and other than a cruise, I doubt we would ever get a chance to meet.

I loved the breakfast and lunch buffets on the Lido Deck and even the room service food was quite good. I did not go hungry.

Another pleasant surprise was running into another couple we had met last September on a transatlantic cruise. It was great to see them again and spend time together (singing, drinking, chatting and getting soaked, not necessarily in that order)

Our room steward was excellent, our room was cleaned twice daily, ice replaced and the usual towel animals. I never saw him except to tip him but left a note and he obligingly replaced remote batteries and gave extra washcloths. A very good room steward indeed.

What surprised me most about this cruise was all you get for the money. This was a very inexpensive cruise and yet it never lacked for anything. You definitely get your moneys worth with Carnival. I also found the ships staff to be most courteous and helpful. I have been on many cruises and paid much more for much less. So this impressed me. The bar staff certainly did a fantastic job (my bar bill was more than my cruise!) Carnival is a casual cruise line where I think everyone feels welcome. No putting on airs, just kick back and enjoy the ride and don’t take it all so seriously. Don’t get me wrong, if you wanted it to be, this could be a formal cruise or vacation of a lifetime. We saw a fancy wedding and several family reunions, you can still make a lifetime memory and buy the video … but this was not our “Special Cruise” I will state here that the photographers on board the Victory were excellent. No shadows across our faces, no glare from our glasses, nicely done.

Don’t get me wrong there is some room for improvement: The TV sucked, the worst ever and the pursers desk never once answered the phone. My remote did not work and even though the steward changed the batteries it was just crap. The Casino needs a real Texas Hold’em table with a live dealer or at least a daily tournament.

Overall 2 thumbs way up!

Till next time,

Go Sox!

 

Glad you enjoyed the cruise. I probably met you at the poker pro table, I was one of the Roberts. Was not as lucky as you though, won about $50 there over the course of the 4 days.

Bad news as far as live poker though. Carnival has signed a deal with poker pro and is in the process of replacing all of their live games with poker pro tables, this includes on Princess, Holland America, and Costa, not sure about Cunard. Their reasoning is that it provides a quicker game (great for them, they can make more money with the rakes), and less errors (again great for them on the rakes) making it more fun for the player. I have been on the Victory 3 times now and I have only met 1 person that preferred the table.

Glad you made the cruise and enjoyed it.

[montekat]

Great review! We were on this cruise and you're right, it is nice for a short getaway. Anytime I can go on a cruise and not be at work is a bonus, plus seeing friends onboard is a real plus.

[rebeljohn]

Nice review..............now THAT is booking a last minute cruise..........

[juried]

Hi Again,

Answers: No fog, easy parking at the pier for $24 bucks a day, booked the Reverse Rapids through Carnival for $90 per ticket but loved every minute of it plus you get the mini tour of St Johns and stop at the fabled market. Our guide was fun and informative. Our boat captain Andre was hysterical and you could tell he loved his job of "soaking" Americans.

I just read another review and think perhaps I was on a different ship ….? Oh well have fewer expectations and the world will never disappoint you (ha,ha) I have been on HAL (dull as dirt) and RCCL (snobby) and NCL (I love NCL service) so I think I can compare without prejudice …. This cruise was FUN and worth every penny.

Enjoy!

Go Sox!

[just4kixx]

Although I don't think RCCL is "snobby", I do appreciate your candid review ;)

 

Can you tell me more about the weather? We've only cruised the Caribbean, so this will be a first. Not quite sure how to pack? Are the pools any colder than a non-heated swimming pool? Say... 75 degrees?

 

Thanks!

A~

[marshabear]

the temp was around 70 degrees however, the pools were freezing cause they fill them with ocean water and the north atlantic temp was 50 degrees!!

 

most people laid out in the sunshine but in clothes not swimsuits...

 

the slide was open every day though and kids made use of it!!

 

need a jacket for saint john and nighttime on the ship...very chilly up on deck after the sun sets...

 

 

Marsha

[Cassinster]

I was happy to read your post about the Victory. We are going on the 7-day cruise in September, and it was nice to hear you had fun.

 

David

[buddyjo143]

Thanks for the review. Will be there in a few days. How was the drive from NH? We are leaving the Derry area on Tuesday to drive down.

 

Can the women take the roses onto the ship? I know you can't take flowers off the ship that you buy on board.

 

Thanks for the info.

[juried]

The trip was so very easy, used the gps navigation and it took me via route 15, a lovely ride on the Merritt Pkwy (?), all grass and curved overpasses and no traffic.

Yes you can take the rose onboard but you cannot take it off the ship, kind of sad really to see the stacks of single roses at the exits at debarkation.

Enjoy your cruise, I miss it already.

[nybumpkin]

I put my rose in the DOD glass I had from embarkation - it was a nice touch in the cabin for the remainder of our cruise!

[sleeples23]

Juried,

 

Thanks for the review. Quick and to the point... I love it!

 

Any idea who the entertainer was in the Piano Bar?

 

Did you book the rapids excursion privately or through the ship?

 

Thanks,

Donna

[vjmatty]

We were probably singing in the piano bar with you... were you there the night the passenger knocked over that poor waiter's tray? Then I think it was the next night a big group of people came in with requests who sang so loudly they were drowning out the piano player.. damn what was his name :confused: