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Truimph Review - organized by category for EZ reading

Travelitis

By Travelitis,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Travelitis

Travelitis

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I hate reading day-by-day travel logs, so I split it up by category for you to skip over the stuff that doesn't interest you. I'm happy to answer any questions.

 

Handicapped Parking at Miami is free - Didn't have to do paperwork - very easy. A shuttle runs between the garage and ship.

 

Embarkation - Arrived at 11:30 and were onboard by 12:30. Cabins were ready at 1:30. The lines moved quickly, and people were directed to the ship without much waiting.

 

Cabin 1280 - inside on Riviera (usually book outsides and balconies) - loved being on this deck when in port - so convenient getting on and off the ship and more appealing than it looked in pictures. It was also quiet even with Spring Breakers staying nearby. The outside cabins on this deck were a bit bigger than insides which meant room to walk all the way around the bed. I had about 6 in. between wall and bed. Storage space was ample but poorly utilized. There were 3 drawers, a small cabinet with 2 shallow shelves, and 3 big closets in need of more shelves. At the CC meet and greet we discussed the shelf shortage. There was space under the bed for suitcases and a big box for life preservers that had plenty of extra space to stash stuff. We'd book an inside again, but we prefer an outside still.

 

Blowdryer - located in the bathroom, looks like a vaccuum, but it was powerful.

 

Bedding - I've never paid any attention to bed reviews, and even laughed at them, but after this cruise, I know why people review beds. My dh summed it up with, "My rack on the USS Boone was better". A bed of nails might have been softer, and we did bring this to Carnival's attention. They added comforters, (the linens were very nice) and said they'd switch mattresses, but they did that. Ironically, they were advertising the "Carnival Comfort Bedding" which was a hot topic and comic inspiration at dinner. Save your backs and pass on cabin 1280 until after the refurb. Our dinner companions had better beds but nothing they'd order for home.

 

Ship - Shows signs of use, but that's expected. Overall, it's an appealing ship. I think Carnival ships don't photograph as well as other lines and look better in person. Considering 3500 people a week sail this ship and don't take particular care how they treat the carpet, etc., we thought it looked very nicely kept. Women's restrooms were clean, but the public men's rooms had issues. Maybe that's more of a comment on the folks using them than Carnival's cleaning efforts.:rolleyes:

 

Value - A good value for the money, especially for families. Carnival doesn't have some of the extras of certain other lines, but they offer 24 hr. ice cream & frozen yogurt machines (3 locations on Triumph) vs. RCI's machines being open 1 day only when we sailed the Mariner. They had fruit punch, lemonade, and apple juice available 24 hrs. at the drink stations, another extra we've not found on other lines. This ship feels budget compared to RCI Voyager class ships but is on par with Rhapsody. For what we paid, we have no complaint about the quality and were happy with our cruise.

 

Gym/Spa - We enjoyed using the facilities, and even at peak times there was enough equipment to go around if you were flexible about your routine. I sampled the sauna, steamroom, and jacuzzi. We preferred hot tubs outside for atmosphere. Using the sauna then steamroom was very relaxing. The showers are big with space to hang clothes and dress. To keep the door closed, take an extra towel, hang it over the door and between the door and frame. You get a locker key by turning in your room key at the main desk. I showered at the spa, and my dh went back to the cabin. There were always plenty of clean towels.

 

Service - The Triumph gets criticized a bit about service, but we got the normal service expected on a cruise, with nothing terrible or absolutely outstanding. I really think that there were fewer crew to man the stations than on other lines, so they have less time to chit-chat and socialize. That translates to less friendly service, but it's because the crew is having to work even harder to make a nice experience for the passengers. On the Mariner there was someone just holding sanitizing wipes at each eatery, but the Triumph didn't have extra folks just standing. The crew works hard, and they try to smile and be friendly, but dang, they are busy! At least we didn't hear the staff in the buffet griping about how they can't wait to get home where they don't have to clean up after other people like we did on the Mariner. :eek: (she said she has a maid)

 

Infirmary - has complimentary aspirin, acetaminphen, ibuprophen, and mecklazine if you need it. The waiting room had bins of it, so check there first. We had to get some distilled water for a CPAP (forgot ours) and aspirin.

 

Carnival Handles Potential Annoyances

Spring Breakers - Carnival was carding them at the disco :D I'd cruise Carnival during Spring Break again in a heartbeat.

 

Kids in adult hot tubs - Carnival was policing this as well and doing a great job

 

Chair Hogs - Bad on first sea day, and Carnival could've fit more chairs on the deck. Passengers took matters into their own hands and went to a closed deck and brought more down. Purser's desk said to tell the staff member (dressed like them in all white) out on deck about saved chairs, and they would reassign them. We found 2 chairs on our 2nd trip outside and didn't have to ask for assistance, but chair hogging was a factor, and we heard others complaining about walking around the ship all day since there were no chairs.

 

Food -

NY Deli - Don't overlook this. Lines were short and food was good! Reuben lovers want to stop here, especially on embarkation day when the buffet line is the longest ever and slow moving.

 

Hong Kong Noodle Company - tried once and liked - short hours

 

Buffet - Would like cheese and hard boiled egg added to salad bar. Salad dressings needed labelled with more low fat selections. (oil and vinegar was it) Caesar salad was down by meats rather than by the salad bar. Selections seemed more limited than on other ships we've sailed, but we didn't go hungry.:cool:

 

The Grill - great hot dogs (when they had them) and good burgers & fries - loved the cookies that came out at night (brownies got a thumbs down)

 

Room Service - tried to use it once for dessert at about 10 pm, but they had an hour wait, so we passed. Very limited breakfast menu, but looked good for later in the day.

 

Pizza Station - good crust and toppings, but the sauce is bland. I wanted a chicken Caesar but just couldn't seem to hit it when chicken was ready, so I had Caesar. (tasted the same at all locations)

 

ice cream/frozen yogurt - 3 pairs of machines open all the time - yum!

 

Dining Room Latest seating 8:30 - liked this time - First 3 nights were the best. Everyone at our table thought it declined afterwards. It was mainly about the menu being a bit boring, but I was the only one out of 6 who got the filet mignon prepared as I'd ordered it. The first night I had the Indian Supper - wonderful! The escargot needed garlic badly and was the worst I've had. I learned not to get the spa meal on lobster/shrimp night and sent it back (the only time I've ever done that). Obviously people weren't ordering it, and it sat around drying out. It would've made a good doorstop. CHOCOHOLICS don't miss the melting chocolate cake.

 

Entertainment - more to do than I expected, and I'd looked for Capers

online. We're not into the hairy chest contest or Bingo, but we liked Win, Lose or Draw. I got a couple of books from the library in spite of the incredibly short hours. The scrapbooking required you go buy a kit from the photo gallery, so I passed. Some lines provide supplies and show you how to make embellishments which makes it more worthwhile. In the evenings we enjoyed watching skaraokein the Rome Lounge. Tried the piano bar, but there was never a crowd. Too bad, because that could be fun. He can really tear it up on the piano, too. His mic could be toned down to encourage the sing-along aspect. We didn't do the song and dance shows except Legends. There was hypnotist who was very funny, but the magic show had too much thong and feather parade between tricks, and I fell asleep. We don't go to the casino, but it seemed busy enough each night. We had to walk through it each night.

 

Ports

Half Moon Cay - beautiful, but we had lousy weather. We've been here with HAL and had a wonderful day snorkeling and beaching it. It's a free beach day.

 

San Juan - took the free trolley to both forts/castles. If you're doing both, you get a reduced admission fee. It was $10 for both of us to see Fort San Cristobal and Del Morro. The trolley stops across the street from pier 4. If you have the open air trolley, it will go all the way up the long walkway at Del Morro.

 

St. Thomas - walked downtown (there's a nice new sidewalk through the upscale shopping center by Havensight.), did the hill to get to the 48 steps that get you to the 99 steps (really 101) and Blackbeard's Castle which we toured. Walked downtown and caught a cab to Emerald Beach. Cab fare from town to Emerald beach then back to ship was $24 total. Walking from town is faster than a cab at 5 pm. We didn't feel the need to go to the gym this day. Priced perfume, and I can do as well at home, so ladies know your prices before you go.

 

Nassau - snorkel tour with Stuart Cove's - outstanding! Last of 3 stops we swam with reef sharks that were feeding. Well, my dh swam. I got in and out fast. The timing was really tight, though. It's almost an hour to Stuart Cove's. We got off the ship and met them at noon then had to wait until 12:25 to leave. We got back to the pier at 6:00 and had to be onboard by 6:30. They'd said it'd be a 5 hour tour, but it was longer.

 

Debarkation - Just like every other cruise. We needed to go earlier than assigned, so we talked to a Carnival rep, and it was no big deal. Took the shuttle back to the parking garage. He loaded our stuff and didn't wait for others before taking us.

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Guppie45

Guppie45

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Thank you for the great, straight forward review of the Triumph. We are leaving on May 24th for the 8 day trip from Miami. I don't see many reviews lately on this ship and it is nice to see some information about it.

 

Thanks,

Laurie

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Sami1220

Sami1220

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Thank you for your great review of the Triumph...DH, myself and a large group of other crazies will be sailing on her in less than 3 weeks.

 

I have two questions for you:

 

1) Can you please describe the hairdryers better? I have long thick hair that is hard to dry so I am wondering If I should still pack my own.

 

2) The distilled water for the CPAP machine. Is it really as easy as going down to the infirmary to get it? A friend of ours has one and we were going to request the water directly from Carnival. Did you have to do that ahead of time and then it was ok to go down and get it? Please let me know.

 

Thank you

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hurls88

hurls88

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"Cabin 1280 - inside on Riviera (usually book outsides and balconies) - loved being on this deck when in port - so convenient getting on and off the ship and more appealing than it looked in pictures. It was also quiet even with Spring Breakers staying nearby. The outside cabins on this deck were a bit bigger than insides which meant room to walk all the way around the bed. I had about 6 in. between wall and bed."

 

 

 

 

Each Cabin is 185 sq/ft

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Richard's Mom

Richard's Mom

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I hate reading day-by-day travel logs, so I split it up by category for you to skip over the stuff that doesn't interest you. I'm happy to answer any questions.

 

Handicapped Parking at Miami is free - Didn't have to do paperwork - very easy. A shuttle runs between the garage and ship.

 

THANK you for taking your time to write your review. I will be on this cruise on June 8th. I have traveled with Carnival before but never on this ship. I appreciate your time.

 

Oh, by the way --- Hello, from a fellow Orange Park, FL cruise critic member.

Julie

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Travelitis

Travelitis

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The omelet station is outside by the breakfast buffet that's by the pool. It is right beside it, and the line moves quickly. We never encountered a long line for omelets.

 

The hairdryers are big boxes on the wall of the bathroom. They do look like vaccuums. They have the flex hose with an oblong attachment that looks like a vaccuum, but it is equivalent in size to 2 barrels of a blowdryer. I have a double barrel blowdryer at home, and I think theirs was comparable in drying power. I was very happily surprised with how quickly it dried my hair. However, not being able to sit at the vanity and having to stand in the bathroom is not the most convenient arrangement. I'd take my own to have the option of using the vanity area. It also frees the bathroom for other users.

 

Cruisemates says, "outside standard cabins are an ample 220 square feet and include a sofa and coffee table, while inside cabins measure 195 square feet". That matches what we saw, and I was scoping out those outsides as the room stewards were making them up, because they looked a bit bigger. My husband insisted the outsides were the same size UNTIL he got a really good look. There was room between the bed and the wall for the room steward to easily stand and walk while making the bed. In other words, you could comfortably get in and out of bed from both sides. There is a cabinet that limits how far from the wall the bed can be moved, and our bed was all the way against the cabinet (as far from the wall as possible), yet there was no standing space between the bed and wall. I'm not heavy (could lose a few pounds but wear size 12), and I couldn't fit between the bed and wall.

 

Distilled Water - I'd let Carnival know ahead of time. The nurse at the infirmary wasn't sure what to charge us, and since it wasn't on their price list, she gave us a gallon for free. It's much more convenient to have it waiting for you. We didn't need much, so the gallon was overkill. We asked if they wanted to just pour us a glass and keep the rest, but they declined. We booked last minute and didn't think about it until less than a week prior, so we were going to take a little in an empty water bottle but forgot. We did not need an extension cord, because there's an outlet close enough to the bed.

 

 

 

This ship was at capacity, and it did not feel crowded in spite of what the above review says. We like to avoid crowds, and this ship is well designed to spread out the action and disperse crowds.

 

We enjoyed this ship and would recommend it.

 

Hi Julie!! We met a couple from Middleburg on the Triumph.

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bankonus

bankonus

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Thanks Travelitis!!! I really enjoyed reading your review. My kids will be in an inside cabin this. (We are traveling with Julie in June as well) Wondering if you have any pics of your inside room, or bathroom that you could post? Thanks!

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jennieW

jennieW

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Thanks for the review! We are cruising on her this Saturday and your review was very helpful! One question, was there a build-a-bear on the ship? We heard there was and our 7yo is very excited about that!

 

We don't live too far from you either, just the other side of Starke. My DH grew up in Middleburg/OP.:)

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bankonus

bankonus

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Thanks for the review. By the by, I like the overall review, but this way is nice too. You did a great job of covering just about everything. However, did you go to the fish and chips station?

 

 

There's no Fish and Chips on the Triumph. Sorry:(

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TexasCruiser31

TexasCruiser31

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Were you on the Triumph 03/29-04/05? I am assuming this since the post was on 04/06, but I didn't know for sure.

 

Great review.

 

I don't know if you went to the Carnival Legends show on Friday; if you did you saw me as Frank Sinatra & my wife as Madonna.

 

Glad to have sailed with you.

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Travelitis

Travelitis

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OOOH! I not only saw you 2 at Legends but at skaraoke! Your wife is Bentley! You two did such a good job with Love Shack! You guys were great in the show, too. My dh was going nuts over B doing all the Madonna choreography. I take it that you do a bit of karaoke at home?:D

My dh was the sailor who did the Angry American song. Your wife grabbed the marine officer and danced to it! We never do karaoke, but he did that to keep me from signing him up to do Village People's "In the Navy". I have no guts when it comes to that stuff. I can sing in tune but have a weak, forgetable voice.

 

There was one thing I forgot that I wanted to add:

 

INSIDE CABIN/TV - NO bridge cam means total cave!! I want them to add a bridge cam like we've had on every other ship.

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TexasCruiser31

TexasCruiser31

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I remember your husband singing.

 

We actually don't do a lot of karaoke, now that I think about it.

 

In fact, I think the only other time we did Love Shack was when we went on the Conquest in 2006.

 

This may come as shock, but they have Legends on the Conquest as well, and Bentley was Madonna in that show as well.

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