Triumph 11/24

[cruzen07]

Just got back Saturday from the Triumph. Port of Miami is okay, but expensive to park. $20.00 day. Arrived by 11:00am and check in was quick and smooth. Can't stand the musical chairs before you go up the escalator. This seemed to anger many people before they even get on board. Upon entering the ship there was no one giving any direction or information. It was mass confusion. You were pretty well on your own. The first person to approach you is a waiter with a tray full of exotic drinks, beware, they are not free.....NOTHING IS except your meals, coffee, tea, and juice. Purchased the coke card, but did not even get a complimentary cup, that was an additional 6.95. Everywhere you turn on this cruise someone was trying to nickle and dime you to death. Oh, yes, there was free soft ice cream aft 24/7. Sorry, would not cruise this ship again just for free ice cream.

 

Had a balcony cabin, lido deck. It was spacious with a nice sized bathroom. Lots of storage and closet space. Cabin steward was as efficient as any other cruise I've taken. Not better or worse. We did however go the whole cruise without lifejackets.

 

The buffets were horrible. The lines were the longest I've ever seen on a ship (this was my 12th cruise). The food was the quality of the Golden Corral (don't mean to offend anyone) except the Corral has a better seleciton. The design of the ship is just not condusive to 3,000 passengers. The hallways on the public decks were always crowded and blocked. They set up jewelry tables where there was not enough room to pass. The entrance to the lido pool is a small opening causing backups at that door. The sushi bar and New York deli lines overlap with the buffet lines making in nearly impossible to pass.

 

The only staff I could give any kind of praise to was the dining room staff. Our Waiter and assistant were fantastic. Their attention to detail was equivelant to any 5star restraunt. That's where it ends. Maitre'd had a skit he obviously memorized and it was evident he never changes it from cruise to cruise. No one on that ship seemed sincere or happy to be there or have us there. The bar service was terrible, especially the pool bar, smoking side. The bartenders were indifferent and you got the feeling they wished they were somewhere else. The automatic tipping is the worst thing that happened on these ships.

 

The casino staff were the friendliest people on the ship. After the first night, I figured out why. This was the worst casino I had ever played in (land or sea) for pay backs. The slots did not pay back at all! It was a complaint I heard from everyone on board.

 

I chose this cruise for the itinerary. I expected one beach port and the rest to be much more interesting. The only two ports worth while were San Juan and St. Thomas. Half moon cay has a great (crowded) beach. The lunch carnival served on the island was horrible. Don't go hungry and don't want a drink. The lines for drinks were 10minutes long. Grand Turk has NOTHING on it. It's a beautiful beach, but that's it. We met up with a few people who went to town and were very disappointed to find out town consisted of a hospital and grocery store. The port shopping was such a total rip off. It is just put there for the cruise ship. The prices were outrageous and quality of most items poor.

 

The entertainment was typical cruise entertainment. I was not expecting much and was not disappointed. All in all I would give this cruise a 3 out of 10. The features I found worthwhile were not enough to make me ever cruise on Carnival again. The only thing they have going for them is their price and as we all know, you get what you pay for!

[DqALEX]

Thanks for your review. The Triumph was my least favorite ship too. Those Eyes up on the lido deck looked like something out of that book 1984. Did you have any sewer smell?

[NCTribeFan]

I considered the Triumph for my upcoming cruise, but liked the size of Miracle and the itinerary better. I discovered Cruise Critic after I booked, but I had done some research prior to making my decision.

 

I absolutely love HMC. I think it is one of the nicest beaches I've visited. Our luncheon was better last December than it was in May. No problems getting drinks. We walked way down the beach away from the mobs near the cruise terminal and rented clamshells. I truly would go to HMC on every cruise if I could.

 

Grand Turk is a nice, little island. I'm not into the whole Margaritaville scene. Snorkeling and stingrays were just OK. Loved the Horseback Ride & Swim (did it twice and would do it again in a couple of weeks but for some bizarre reason it isn't offered).

 

Really looking forward to St. Thomas and Old San Juan.

 

I honestly don't believe the autotips have anything to do with the service you receive. JMHO. I've had both good and not-so-good service back in the old days when you tipped with cash and since the autotips have been introduced.

 

Sorry you didn't have the best cruise. I'm very leery of the larger ships simply because of the crowds.

 

I've found that I've gotten extremely good value for my vacation dollar, which is why I keep going back.

 

Plenty of people who pay more for their cruises on other lines also give poor reviews with many of the same sorts of complaints. Every sailing on every ship will differ for every passenger.

 

Thanks for your review.

[Sandi149]

Sorry you had such a lousy time.

 

Did you actually think that the drinks were going to be free? Alcohol is not free on any of the mass market lines. Did you do any research about Carnival before you went? If you did, you would have known that alcoholic drinks are not included in the price of the cruise fare.

 

The price of the parking is not Carnival's fault either. That is priced by the garage/lot of the port. If you think $20 a day is expensive, you should come up here to NYC and see what our garages charge for parking per day.

 

You did say the dining room was great. So at least you liked something.

 

Hope your next cruise on a different cruiseline is better. Just remember that they will charge you for alcoholic drinks also. ;)

[gobux]

Wow, first I read the LSU fans talking smack and now this bad review on a ship I am getting on in a couple of days. I definitely should have stayed off the board today.

[Raceroc]

Sorry your experience was not as expected...

 

Although The Triumph is not my favorite ship, The only thing listed above that we experienced (or thought was out of line) was the outrageous cost for parking at the port.

 

We walked on at 11:30 (no musical chairs and no confusion). We were greeted and directed to the lido deck. The waiters always have trays of drinks for sale on every ship we have been on (normally push them hard on the first day). The staff seemed very friendly.

 

There were lines, but not unbearable. The food was not the greatest, but not bad.

 

All in all I'm always glad to be on a cruise.

We very much enjoyed our trip on the Triumph.

[Dave85]

I think Carnival's biggest issue overall is passenger flow on its ships... I found it to be even worse on the Spirit Class than the Destiny class. Granted a lot of it depends on time of day, but that needs to be taken into consideration in planning the ships.

 

I hope Carnival will consider these issues as they complete their new ship design. I also think this is a place Carnival could learn something from RCI. I found passenger flow considerably worse on Carnival Destiny/Spirit/Conquest class ships than on RCI's behemouth Voyager/Freedom class ships, which people more universally fear sailing due to being too large or having too many pax.

[Sandi149]

I think Carnival's biggest issue overall is passenger flow on its ships... I found it to be even worse on the Spirit Class than the Destiny class. Granted a lot of it depends on time of day, but that needs to be taken into consideration in planning the ships.

 

I hope Carnival will consider these issues as they complete their new ship design. I also think this is a place Carnival could learn something from RCI. I found passenger flow considerably worse on Carnival Destiny/Spirit/Conquest class ships than on RCI's behemouth Voyager/Freedom class ships, which people more universally fear sailing due to being too large or having too many pax.

 

I've only been on the Spirit Class (Legend and Miracle) and found that the passenger flow was excellent. Every deck went straight through from the front to the back with no dead ends.

[Froufie]

Just got off the Triumph in October and really had no complaints? Yes there some long lines - but that is to be expected with a larger ship and lots of passengers. (I was a bit leery after booking due to bad reviews, substandard food, sewer smells, etc - but encountered none of that on my trip)

 

We also had a very smooth embarkation - directed to the Lido - knew we had to 'pay' for the drink...and honestly the staff was one of the friendliest - everyone always saying hello, how are you as we passed in the hallways. Our wait staff was also excellent - and the food was pretty good too.

 

Sorry to hear your experience was not up to par!

[aggieastrosfan]

Your prior cruises must have been on Crystal if you expected those drinks to be free. And if they were, no wonder you didn't like Carnival.

 

All of your "complaints" just sound like someone who didn't do their research prior to boarding. Your complaints on the ports have nothing to do with Carnival - and they're issues you could've prepared yourself for very easy with a little research.

[Dave85]

I've only been on the Spirit Class (Legend and Miracle) and found that the passenger flow was excellent. Every deck went straight through from the front to the back with no dead ends.

 

My bad, I should have been more clear in my critique. I'm referring more to passenger congestion rather than actual passageways.

 

The way the aft of the ship on decks 4-5 (I think it was, it's been a while) before and after each dinner seating was complete gridlock and also unsafe. It was a product of having the one large restaurant all the way aft and having VERY narrow (albeit continuous) passageways leading back to it.

[Sandi149]

My bad, I should have been more clear in my critique. I'm referring more to passenger congestion rather than actual passageways.

 

The way the aft of the ship on decks 4-5 (I think it was, it's been a while) before and after each dinner seating was complete gridlock and also unsafe. It was a product of having the one large restaurant all the way aft and having VERY narrow (albeit continuous) passageways leading back to it.

 

It's deck 2 and 3 but I didn't find them too crowded at all. Also, if you had a table on deck 3, there was a door in the back of the dining room that led out to the open air deck which was a nice way to escape if you wanted. :p

 

If they had the dining room in the middle of the ship, then those two decks wouldn't have gone straight through.

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

I think your review was fair enough.

 

I do have to ask about your expectation of free drinks. You say you have been on other cruises, did you get free booze on those ships?

 

Driving to and parking at the port optional. The port authority(or other owners), not Carnival, is responsible for the parking fees.

 

I am curious as to the other cruiselines you have been on and how they compare to your complaints.

 

Thanks again for the review.

[samiam0403]

Goodness gracious - was I on the same cruise? I am sorry the Triumph was not to your liking - but if everyone loved Carnival, there wouldn't be room for me! I was also on the 24 Nov sailing of the Triumph, and found it to be a wonderful cruise. We arrived at the terminal at 11:00 am and were on the Lido deck by 11:30. No lines, no wait. I was immediately welcomed by smiling, friendly staff members who continued to greet me all week long with a "hello, miss!" Even the cleaning and maintenance staff smiled and said hello! Of course, I made it a point of acknowledging them first with at the very least a smile and nod, so perhaps that's the difference? I also found the slots in the casino to be the same as any other cruise. It all depends on the machine. If I found one that didn't pay, I moved. I was also lucky enough to win $500 on one spin of a penny slot! Of course I proceeded to give it back through the course of the week...:o I also fell in love with Half Moon Cay (highly suggest the cabana rental), even though I'm not a 'beachy' person. The rest of the ports were just as lovely. I truly hope your next cruise is more enjoyable, and am sorry you were disappointed with this one. Thank you for your review though!

[Wennfred]

Thats what I was wondering, I like to know also what ships offer free drinks :D

 

We were on the Triumph in 2001, didn't experience any of that, in fact it was Wendy's first cruise and she was totally hooked after that.

 

 

Fred

[kgk]

Troll alert? (or stupid alert?). You went the entire cruise without PFDs (Personal Floatation Devices -- life jackets)? Did you not think to ask? And at muster, they would have surely gotten you some. It's the law.

 

Where did you read that drinks are free?

 

Ports no good? What type of research did you do? You were the one that chose the cruise -- how did you do that?

 

Maybe we need another poll. Troll or stupid. (guess I'm gonna get banned ...)

[Wennfred]

Troll alert? (or stupid alert?). You went the entire cruise without PFDs (Personal Floatation Devices -- life jackets)? Did you not think to ask? And at muster, they would have surely gotten you some. It's the law.

 

Im guess on Crystal Cruiseline the crew comes into the cabin and suit you up in one, or did they not bother to look for them in the cabin?

 

 

Fred

[Sandi149]

Im guess on Crystal Cruiseline the crew comes into the cabin and suit you up in one, or did they not bother to look for them in the cabin?

 

 

Fred

 

So thats why they pay $4000 p/p to sail that line, eh Fred? LOL!!! :p:D

[Wennfred]

So thats why they pay $4000 p/p to sail that line, eh Fred? LOL!!! :p:D

 

Yep and probably their floation device comes with a rubber ducky in front :D

 

 

Fred

[Sandi149]

Yep and probably their floation device comes with a rubber ducky in front :D

 

 

Fred

 

Coated in diamonds. :D

[kgk]

Coated in diamonds. :D

 

And speaking of diamonds, last year we went to diamonds international and do you know what? They wanted to charge us for the diamonds. No free samples or anything (OK they did give us that little charm thingee for my daughter). Can you imagine?

[Sandi149]

And speaking of diamonds, last year we went to diamonds international and do you know what? They wanted to charge us for the diamonds. No free samples or anything (OK they did give us that little charm thingee for my daughter). Can you imagine?

 

No!!!!! :p:D

[DqALEX]

We got free drinks last year on the Legend when we boarded, and around 11:45New Years Eve, the drinks just kept comming. That was one good cruise.

[Sandi149]

We got free drinks last year on the Legend when we boarded, and around 11:45New Years Eve, the drinks just kept comming. That was one good cruise.

 

Hey Alex.

 

I bet that's cause it was NYE. Otherwise the only free drinks that I know of are at the Captain's welcome party and the past guest party.

 

Ohhh I wanted to add.....aren't you sailing on the Miracle soon? Are you also taking the NYE cruise?

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Coated in diamonds. :D

 

You go gurl! :D