Please tell me the truth about Victory

[giords406]

Hi All,

I am new here. Please tell me the truth about Victory. I have heard alot of negatives. My husband wants to leave from NY to avoid airfare so Victory is our only choice this July. Is it really that cold in New england in July. Will we have to wear a sweater all the time?(no shorts or swimming?) Is it really foggy all the time. This sounds like a lot of negatives. Does anyone have good things to say about this ship? food etc. We dont take vacations often, so I dont want a so so trip. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.

[quest2best]

I would like to hear any replies as well. Our family is scheduled to sail on the Victory at the end of June.

[Carnival Game]

I haven't been on the Victory yet but I hear she's a good ship. Not the ship's fault if the weather is cool or foggy. ;)

[trock]

July 2007 Photos

 

I found it cold..foggy and not much 'fun'. The port in Canada was quaint and charming and the people, the nicest in the world!

 

The food was very good...Other than that, i "hated" this cruise.. I really didnt enjoy it.. I found the ship worn and messy..The crew we encountered blah and uninterested.. BUT

In Oct 2007 they rennovated.. and since then it has been getting great reviews..

You will only know if its for you if you try it... Keep in mind this is not a warm 'tropical' vacation... There are other ships sailing from NY/NJ in July..You may want to check them out..

Do some research...

 

 

No one by the pool.. too cold too foggy!

[Kempa]

See my answers below. In addition to your questions, there is a very nice point about the cruise: leaving and returning to New York. Leaving New York is unlike any other port.

 

Hi All,

I am new here. Please tell me the truth about Victory. I have heard alot of negatives. My husband wants to leave from NY to avoid airfare so Victory is our only choice this July.

Is it really that cold in New england in July. - No. But it is not the Caribbean. You will need a light jacket if you plan to be on the top decks during the evenings at sea.

Will we have to wear a sweater all the time?(no shorts or swimming?) - No. You will not need a sweater during the day onboard and on shore.

Is it really foggy all the time. - It might be. Usually if it is foggy the sea is very calm and there is little breeze. We had a lot of fog, but it was clear in St. John, and for half the day in Halifax.

This sounds like a lot of negatives. - Not really. It is very different from island hopping on the Caribbean. It is less of a party atmosphere. I don't recommend doing it with children, but if you only have adults in your party it can be fun.

Does anyone have good things to say about this ship? food etc. We dont take vacations often, so I dont want a so so trip. - It could end up being a so so trip, and it could end up being fun. But it is different than the usual cruise.

I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.

 

Fog isn't always a bad thing:

[truecruiser]

the ship is very pretty, but has a lot of dead ends. after day one you shld be able to navigate it easily though. grab a pocket sized deck plan from the purser's desk when you board. this will help.

 

lido is set up all wrong, IMO. the bandshell is almost in the middle and obstructs the free flow of foot traffic.

 

the pool has stadium seating which i remember as being very tight (a real shin banger). it was a PITA and so chair hogging (for those front loungers -- outside of the stadium "rows")was at a premium. the conquest class also has stadium seating, but to me, that class has a lot more room. again, i think the problem with the victory is due to the layout of the deck and the placement of the bandshell forcing tight quarters for the seating.

 

the crew we had was the worst crew we ever had b/c so many of them always seemed unhappy. crews rotate all of the time though, and so the likelihood that the crew we had is still onboard is slim to none. i have often wondered though if it is the senior officers, management on that ship which make for a miserable crew because i had never witnessed this much unhappiness before, and have not seen it since.

 

i was on an eastern caribbean sailing, and the cruise was great despite any of this because, frankly, to me every cruise is great, and it wld take a whole lot more than this i suspect to ruin any cruise for me.

 

i have read more disappointing things about the new england itinerary on this board, but the disappointment there seems to do more with the POC than it does the ship or crew.

 

ETA: to keep this in perspective, i was on this ship in july 2005.

[NCTribeFan]

There is no "truth" about a ship. It's all personal opinion. Anyone's experience can vary from week to week, even on the same ship. And two people on the same sailing can have very different experiences.

 

There's always a lot of talk about the "dead ends" on the Conquest class, but the Fantasy class also has the galley in the middle of the ship and no one ever mentions it! It was a little confusing, but I figured it out by Day 2. Of course, I now study the deck plans before I cruise. Sad, isn't it? :o

 

I wanted to book Victory out of San Juan, but just decided I couldn't manage all ports and the air fare. I'm sure that experience would be vastly different than sailing to New England.

[truecruiser]

There is no "truth" about a ship. It's all personal opinion. Anyone's experience can vary from week to week, even on the same ship. And two people on the same sailing can have very different experiences.

 

There's always a lot of talk about the "dead ends" on the Conquest class, but the Fantasy class also has the galley in the middle of the ship and no one ever mentions it! It was a little confusing, but I figured it out by Day 2. Of course, I now study the deck plans before I cruise. Sad, isn't it? :o

 

I wanted to book Victory out of San Juan, but just decided I couldn't manage all ports and the air fare. I'm sure that experience would be vastly different than sailing to New England.

 

this isn't a conquest class ship. i didn't really find unusual dead ends on conquest class.

 

victory is different, but is certainly NOT insurmountable.

[H82seaUgo]

Conquest class and Triumph class are basically the same layout, except the Conquest class is bigger.

[truecruiser]

Conquest class and Triumph class are basically the same layout, except the Conquest class is bigger.

 

...and does not have lido laid out the same at all :)

[H82seaUgo]

...and does not have lido laid out the same at all :)

 

They moved the bandstand off the Lido and put in under the movie screen.

[truecruiser]

They moved the bandstand off the Lido and put in under the movie screen.

 

that is GREAT news! it chopped up that deck! thanks for the info.

 

do you know when this was done?

[H82seaUgo]

Fall of '07.

[belle907]

Sailing on this ship in June with my daughter just to get away for a few days and no flying to the port. We aren't looking for perfect weather, can't be predicted on any vacation to any destination anyways.

This will be our 1st time sailing on Carnival so we are going in with open eyes, and the first time to Canada, also going to with open eyes.

We had other options of leaving from NY, NJ, Balt. or even Philly, but chose this one for a different destination.

You will get out of your vacation what you put into it. Don't set your expectations too high and you will have a great time no matter where you chose to vacation.

[dotshub]

We are sailing on June 14th and I have come to the conclusion it's going to be hit and miss with the weather. Today the web-cams in Peggy's Cove show that it's a beautiful clear day and the same in St. John's. Of course there is snow on the ground and I would hope it's gone before we go but today it's clear.Last week I checked everyday and one day it was foggy in the am and after lunch it was beautiful. I do not think we will be sitting by the pool this trip but it will be fun to find out what goes on inside for a change. As you can tell by our long list of cruises we have always been in the Carribbean. It's going to be fun whether it's sunny and clear or foggy. There is not such thing as a bad cruise. I know-we sailed thru a hurricane and it too has fun memories. Think positive and plan for both kinds of weather like I am. Dot

[mbet]

Our first cruise was on Victory in spring of 2006. We loved it! We had such a good time that we booked the Victory again in spring of 2007 for a different itinerary. The crew was mostly terrific and very helpful. We enjoyed the food very much. One of the highlights was that every day the menus had a theme from a different country or part of the world. It isn't really that hard to find your way around the ship, although we did get a laugh out of trying to find the aft dining room the first couple of days. They do have free maps/diagrams of the ship at the purser's desk.

[vacruizer]

We were on the Norfolk cruise to nowhere last June that the Victory takes on it's way up the coast to NY for the summer. I will say it is my least favorite of the ships I've been on so far. I found the same problem with the crew that the posters above mentioned. They did their jobs, but looked miserable and unahappy and overworked. We barely saw a smile from anyone. This could have changed by now. The ship itself seemed to be in good condition, although our particular cabin was not in good shape.

 

I have been on the Liberty as well (Conquest class) and while the layout is basically the same, the Victory seemed to be plagued with some areas where traffic just bottlenecked - particulary on the Lido, around the Lido buffet, and around the shops on the promenade. They seem to have shifted the layout just enough on the Conquest class - at least on the Liberty - to have fixed a fair bit of the traffic flow problems and we didn't run into the spots where you couldn't even walk through for the lines of people clogging the walkways.

 

Would I sail the Victory again? Maybe. If the price and itinerary were right I'd at least consider it. The ship tends to get much better reviews when sailing the Carribbean runs out of Florida than it does on the NY/Norfolk/SC cruises and unhappy crew is one of the main complaints I read on those trips. Not sure if it is the cooler weather or just a fluke or a bad hotel director for those trips.

[cruisinstim8r]

We keep joking here in Maine that we may still have snow on the ground in July. Just for some perspective, the ocean temperature in Portland will never get above the low 60s in high summer. Because of this, even if it is very warm, you tend to get foggy conditions along the coast in the morning and evening. We do have beach days where the temp gets into the low 90s but this is not the norm especially at the coast. You should be able to be in shorts and tshirts most days but may need a sweater or tshirt after the sun sets and in the early AM. I don't know if your itinerary includes Portland (I think that is after September) but Portland is a great cruise ship port since you dock right in the Old Port and you can walk the entire "touristy" area right from the ship. I have some pics of the Victory in portland from last fall for your viewing pleasure. See posts 30 and 31 from the attached for the pictures.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=595018&page=2

[092306]

We sailed on the Victory to New England Sept. 2007 and the weather was unexpectedly warm, so I don't think you can predict what you'll get, even in the summer months. We found the layout of the ship to be awkward and because there is more cabins/people, the public spaces seemed more crowded and smaller. We found the food and staff to be fine and took this cruise to leave out of NYC which was convenient. I think the Caribbean itineraries are much more fun and everyone just seems happier. I'm not sorry we did it, but I wouldn't jump at the chance to sail either that itinerary or that ship again.

[misguidedangel]

I was on the Victory in January 2007. I loved the ship. The decor is pleasing, oceans and bodies of water. I found that I liked the stage where it was and it was the focal point for the Lido deck and activities. If you do your homework and check the deckplans before you go, you will have no problems navigating around the ship at all.

 

As for dead ends, that would apply to where the restaurants are only. As I mentioned above, look at the map of the ship on the website or brochure and you will be able to find your way to the aft restaurant easily (Go Deck 5 Promenade all the way to the back and then down one or two decks, or Deck 4 exit and walk almost all the way back until you see a door that leads you to the back dining room!!!!

 

I would go on that ship again once I have been on all the ships I want to go on, which will be five or so cruises away....I'd love to do the southern route, alas, getting to San Juan from where I live in Canada would be an all day affair!!!!!

[nybumpkin]

We've done this itinerary on Victory 3 times, fourth booked for August. The weather is hit-or-miss. The first year (end of June 2004 - the cruise that hooked us on cruising:D) the sea days were nice, Saint John was cloudy and cool, Halifax was sunny and warm, and the fog came and went. The next time (2006 - a four-day end of August), the first sea day was nice, Halifax was a bit on the cool side (I needed a sweater), and we sailed through the remains of Tropical Storm Ernesto on the way back - but there was absolutely no fog. Last year (five-day mid-August), the first sea day was absolutely gorgeous; the Lido deck looked like a Caribbean cruise with all the sunbathers and on-deck activities. Saint John was cloudy and humid, and then the fog rolled in - and stayed through about mid-day in Halifax. The last sea day was a bit cool.

 

We've always been very satisfied with our service on Victory. I will say that on last year's sailing, we really noticed how thrilled the staff was with that gorgeous first sea day - the CD explained that it was the nicest day in three cruises. I think the weather does really play a difference.

 

New York is my favorite port for sailaway; there's so much to see. When you sail under the Verazzano Bridge, try to go up to one of the higher decks. If you can manage it coming home, get up early (5-5:30) for the return; New York at sunrise is a wonderful experience, and photos of the Statue of Liberty are better on the return (at least if sunrise is early).

 

This cruise is very different from a Caribbean cruise - you aren't going to find late-night Lido deck parties (but the midnight buffet on Halifax night is a lot of fun). However, I enjoyed visiting both Saint John and Halifax - as trock said, the folks in both towns are great.

 

dotshub - Do you have a link for the Peggy's Cove webcam?

[travelwitch23]

was great. Haven't been on the canada run. sorry. ship is gorgeous hundred different shades of green. entertainment outstanding.

 

kim

[dahkota]

I have been on two cruises: Celebrity to Alaska and Carnival Victory to Canada. I am going back to Alaska this year and going back on the Victory next year. But, I will never take the Victory back to Canada.

 

There wasn't enough interesting things to do on the ship or really in the town; I don't do typical cruise activities and you can only hang out in the gym for so long every day before they start thinking you are creepy.

 

However, if the ship had more stuff to do, say like the new RCCL ships, or, had Halifax been more interesting and less fog bound, or, if it had been sunny enough to ever be out on deck sunning, I might change my mind.

 

The Victory was great, just not for that itinerary.

 

I looked at east coast departures recently. I would do Bermuda or Bahamas before I would do Victory to Canada. I'd have to really be desperate. I love Canada and I love the Victory; I just don't like the two together.

[Clutterlady]

Most everything everyone has said about the Victory is pretty much the way it is! Went on this 5 day cruise 2nd week in July last year. Had great weather in both St. John and Halifax, sun and temp around mid 70's. Fog....yes, lots of fog, but cleared up when we hit the ports.

 

Victory could use a little updating and is very "green" a little hard to get around at first, but you soon figure it out. Honestly enjoyed the cruise, would love to do it again. We found it was a great 5 day summer get away:)

[mom23guys]

We were on the same cruise as NYBumpkin last August and the weather was just as she described. I was amazed how gorgeous the weather was on the first sea day.

Unlike some others, I found the crew of the Victory to be outstanding. Definitely our best cabin steward and head waiter although I did enjoy out wait staff on the Valor also. The ship was in great shape even before the refurbishment- oh a little wear on some carpets here and there but you really had to look for it. We enjoyed the cruise so much we're doing a 4 night this year and bringing the family. Cruising from NYC is just so easy and leaving NY harbor with Manhattan on one side and the Statue on the other is just not to be believed.

If you really are looking for beaches and that Caribbean experience, this is not the cruise. I however love going to warm climes in the winter and then North in the summer.