Victory - Southern Carribean - any recommendations??

[2HawkFans]

My husband and I just got back from our first cruise and loved it! We are looking at booking another cruise for next February and are interested in the southern Carribean cruise on Victory. Since our only experience is on the Legend, I wondered if anyone has done both cruises and could point out some differences between ships or recommendations for the Victory.

 

Also, on the Legend we had an extended balcony but we are thinking of just booking a oceanview room for the Victory due to being at ports every day. What are people's thoughts between the two classifications of room types.

 

Thanks for all your help. BTW - I have thoroughly enjoyed being on this website and wished I would have found it before my last cruise but will know more the next time!

[VABeach]

I'm doing this cruise in May and CAN'T WAIT. I'll give you the run down as soon as I get back. :D

 

Until then, I'd like to hear what everyone else has to say about it too!!! :D

[missabbi]

I'm doing it in June...can't wait. Although I may have to create a few "sea days" for myself. :D

[TheVegasMan]

In Barbados you MUST go and snorkel with the turtles. Whether you go on one of the excursions or just take a cab to Payne's Bay. It was the highlight of our cruise. Below are photos of the turtles and a Flying Gurnard "Batfish" that I saw there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[linkinsama]

We're going on Victory in July. We booked an aft balcony figuring we'd enjoy it in the morning and evenings. I don't think I'd spend much time on a balcony in the middle of the day even if we weren't at port.

[cruiseawaits]

My husband and I just got back from our first cruise and loved it! We are looking at booking another cruise for next February and are interested in the southern Carribean cruise on Victory. Since our only experience is on the Legend, I wondered if anyone has done both cruises and could point out some differences between ships or recommendations for the Victory.

 

Also, on the Legend we had an extended balcony but we are thinking of just booking a oceanview room for the Victory due to being at ports every day. What are people's thoughts between the two classifications of room types.

 

Thanks for all your help. BTW - I have thoroughly enjoyed being on this website and wished I would have found it before my last cruise but will know more the next time!

 

What week in February are you looking to book? I'm also looking into the Victory for her February 14, 2010 booking. My only concern is that here, in Connecticut, it is the most popular "winter break" week for school systems. This is, in fact, why I need to sail this week. I'm afraid it will be overrun with kids.

[tiggerman101]

I just got off the Victory today. It was my favorite cruise so far. I had an aft balcony cabin on deck 6 and loved it. The sail aways alone were worth it as it provided some fantastic views. The cruise was a bit exhausting, but the itinerary is great. I could write for hours about the cruise but I am very tired right now. My advice is to just get out and see as much as possible. I highly recommend independent tour guides for most of the islands especially Dominica and St Lucia. If anyone has any questions the fire away. I will get back to this thread tomorrow and will try to answer anything I can.

[virginiatechmom]

Can't wait to hear all about it! What did you do in St. Lucia? I am trying to get to Jalousie Beach for the day, but I don't want to do all the stops that go along with the usual tours. I have been quoted $200.00 for my daughter and I for the day to go to Jalouse and back and that is just too high for me! We are on the Victory on 5/17.

[*Luv2Cruz*]

I'm putting together a CC Group on the Victory for early May 2010.:D For anyone who is interested, please see the link below in my signature. It's a great cruise!:cool:

[mara93]

I just posted our Victory review this weekend.

Here it is:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=957226

 

It was our first cruise & we absolutely loved it & are already planning our next!

[Minoushka]

Check my review plenty of suggestions there

[baseball921]

I am also trying to get info on this inten, my brother and his fiancee are wanting to get married on the Victory next May, parents, DH and I, and sister BIL and nephew are already booked into the aft balconies and a wrap. I am worried about being exhausted when I get off! Is there an island anyone recommends skipping or just wondering near the port? The whole family are all water babies, DH and I should be SCUBA certified, so I know I want to do at least one dive. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks,

~Kristie

[bp traveler]

We just returned from this cruise and we have also sailed on the Legend.

 

We had a fantastic time, it was port intensive but how can you complain when everyday you end up at a new beautiful beach each day!

 

You will love the ship and the stops all of them are great!

 

There was more nightlife than I expected so enjoy!

[2HawkFans]

Thanks everyone - I appreciate your feedback. We are looking at the week of the 21st so we will be embarking when you debark! Anyone have any feeback on the room question? We had an extended balcony on the Legend and loved it but wondered if just doing an ocean view room would make more sense for the Victory due to being in Port every day. Any thoughts?

[baseball921]

Thanks everyone - I appreciate your feedback. We are looking at the week of the 21st so we will be embarking when you debark! Anyone have any feeback on the room question? We had an extended balcony on the Legend and loved it but wondered if just doing an ocean view room would make more sense for the Victory due to being in Port every day. Any thoughts?

 

 

This will be my first balcony, I am excited to watch the beach fade away at the end of every day. We had an OV, and it was fun, we could see the flying fish at our window. I am very excited about the aft!

 

~Kristie

[CWcruisers]

Thanks everyone - I appreciate your feedback. We are looking at the week of the 21st so we will be embarking when you debark! Anyone have any feeback on the room question? We had an extended balcony on the Legend and loved it but wondered if just doing an ocean view room would make more sense for the Victory due to being in Port every day. Any thoughts?

 

 

This is a good idea. Back in the day when I first started cruising, I booked many insides, graduating to oceanviews and then to balcony's.

 

I have also done many port intensive itineraries and it make sense to cut expenses with a lessor cabin because you just are not in your cabin long enough for it to be worthwhile. By the time you get back on the ship, go to dinner and see the show or whatever you do in the evening, you are usually exhausted and just fall into bed.

 

If saving money is your goal, this is the itinerary to do it.

[tiggerman101]

As I said, I loved our Aft Balcony. The sail aways alone were worth the price. It was also neat to see other islands that you pass in the night. You pass right next to Martinique twice and many others. I just wished that I had something to tell me what each island we passed was.

 

As for St Lucia and Jalousie Beach.....We did a private tour with Fabian Tours. I HIGHLY recommend this. It was just my partner and I and it was incredible. Our driver showed us so many sights and also did little things for us along the way. He stopped many times to pick us fresh bananas from a plantation, showed us where they made Cassava bread (and bought us some), stopped on the side of the road and bought us coconuts to drink the water out of, picked edible pods off a tree for us to eat and also bought some fresh, hot bread from a lady selling it out of her home in one of the fishing villages. You really want to see as much of St Lucia as you can. It is one gorgeous island with many beautiful sights. Our driver personalized the tour to a great extent and also left it open for us to choose what we wanted to do.

 

As for Jalousie Beach....we went there and it is an amazing beach setting. There is an interesting story of getting down to the beach itself. The hotel on the beach is a rather nice and expensive resort. At first they tried to say that no one could use their road to get down there. However, the government told them they had to allow access. So they originally said fine, but no one could drive down on their roads. Again the government told them they had to work something else out. The road down there is long and making people walk is just absurd. So now you can park (we were let out) at the gate to the resort. They then call a driver to come pick you up in a van and drive you to the beach free of charge. The van is smaller and I suppose this is so they can't ferry tours down there. However, we had no problem getting to the beach itself. Our driver stayed behind with the car and asked when we wanted to come back up. We could have stayed there as long as we wanted. We actually stayed down on the beach for about 45 mins and went back up.

 

As I said the beach setting is magnificent. The white sand is brought in by the resort because it would naturally be a black (volcanic) sand beach. You are between the Pitons, but smack up against Petit Piton with Gros Piton just a bit away. It was also extremely hot on the beach. Here is a pic of the beach with Gros Piton in the back

 

 

Again, I used Fabian Tours who provided us with a private driver for $100 each. It was very much worth it. You can still go to Jalousie beach and also see many incredible sites. You want to see St Lucia.

[jessemon]

My husband and I just got back from our first cruise and loved it! We are looking at booking another cruise for next February and are interested in the southern Carribean cruise on Victory. Since our only experience is on the Legend, I wondered if anyone has done both cruises and could point out some differences between ships or recommendations for the Victory.

 

Also, on the Legend we had an extended balcony but we are thinking of just booking a oceanview room for the Victory due to being at ports every day. What are people's thoughts between the two classifications of room types.

 

Thanks for all your help. BTW - I have thoroughly enjoyed being on this website and wished I would have found it before my last cruise but will know more the next time!

Have cruised on both classes of ships. I like them both. The class of ship you cruised on seems a little less crowded. But like I said I like both classes.

I probably like you are thinking for such a port intensive cruise do the OV. Doesn't seem to me to be worth the extra money. Long days on shore then back on the ship for sailaway, shower and then off to dinner.....Just my feeling.....

To let you know that I have booked with a group cruise here on Cruise Critic doing this itinerary with a great bunch of people I have met in the past on different group cruises through Cruise Critic. It is on the boards here and it is called "The Southern Crossers Cruise" after Crosby, Stills and Nash's "Southerh Cross"

It is in April though not February. But it will be a great time.....;)

Go over and check it out. If you want to post there to ask questions feel free. We are all more than happy to help.....:cool:

[tiggerman101]

I just want to add that I experienced none of the negatives that were posted in the early reviews of this ship's itinerary. I didn't feel overly crowded and never came across rude people (local or otherwise). I am assuming that those problems have faded away now that the Victory is more established leaving out of San Juan.

[Aplmac]

I have been quoted $200.00 for my daughter and I for the day

to go to Jalouse and back and that is just too high for me! ===> Is it really?

What currency were you quoted in??

 

You assumed your quote was U.S.Dollars

But that dollar-figure sounds just around the correct amount of E.C.$

Eastern Caribbean Dollars..("St.Lucia money")

 

2.70 EC$ = 1 U.S.Dollar

 

EC$270 = $100 U.S.

 

Suddenly everything makes sense, huh!

 

 

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