A Marginal Cruise by
Adam R from Maine
Sailing date: Jun 2010 Pros:
Large rooms, Clean ship, multiple ports of call
Cons:
Food was mediocre at best and the staff was uninterested.
The ship is well kept. But Carnival's boasting of a "Fun Ship" is well over exaggerated. I must admit that the islands are beautiful and the idea of spending every day on a different island is wonderful. But overall the service leaves allot to be desired. If you are looking for a great cruise experience then don't look here. My family will never again waste our time and effort on this Carnival Cruise
Ship Quality The ship is well kept and clean
Dining/Food Being someone who has cruised in the past (Royal Carribean '06, Disney '08) I must say that this food is sub standard at best. The menu was rather bland and everything had a frozen food taste to it. Overall the food quality was very poor.
Stateroom Quality The room was spacious and clean. The bathroom was well kept and the shower was actually large enough for an adult to take a shower without standing in the middle of the bathroom. The only drawbacks were the molding around the window was falling out and the plastic grating that was used in the ceiling around the lights was broken and uneven so it looked strange when you turned the lights on.
Ship Staff Quality Here is where Carnival lost me......I was made aware when I boarded that the gratuities to the staff would be automatically billed to my account upon completion of the cruise. So no matter how they performed they would get their tip. I must say you can see this mentality in the staff throughout the ship. The Matre d was nowhere to be foundhe did not come to our table once in the 7 day trip to see how the food was or how the service was. He stood at the top of the stairs and would thump his microphone to announce the evening dance performance. The waiter spoke very broken English and even got some of our orders wrong on more then one occasion. The bar tenders were unhelpful when my wife asked what the bartender would recommend for her (he pushed the daily special even though my wife repeatedly told him she did not like rum). If you are looking for a cruise where you are treated like the guest you are then find another cruise line as Carnival has really lost its touch.
Entertainment & Activities Of the seven day cruise the only highlight was the comedian (Percy Cruise II). He was exceptional and I thought I was going to pass out I was laughing so hard. My wife and I saw both of his shows (one was for the family and one was for the adults). There is a casino as always and they do offer other variety shows (most were low budget wastes of time) There were movie shown on the lido deck each night at 6pm, 9pm, and 12pm. Most were decent but it got hard at times to watch with the loud and obnoxious drunks yelling across the deck at each other. There seemed to be a complete lack of involvement from the crew when it came to improper behavior. There were children (8-15yrs) roaming the decks at all hours yelling and chasing each other and bothering other adults and the staff would just stand there and watch not saying a word
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Bridgetown, Barbados It rained all day they cancelled all shore excursions and we stayed on the boat.
Dominica we only shopped we did not explore
Basseterre, St. Kitts Beautiful island
Castries, St. Lucia We used a company called Cosul Tours (not affiliated with Carnival) it was the best experience I have ever had....We spent the day touring the island enjoying complimentary breakfast and lunch. We visited the volcano, waterfall, banana plantation and snorkled between the pitons in Pitons bay.
Don't Miss: Stop in the local town and pick up some of their local cookies they are flat and hard as a rock. Wow what a cookie
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Take a taxie downtown and find the tour guid there. for about 25 bucks you can get yourself a nice tour around the island (long tour)
Don't Miss: Sapphire Beach......Free to the public and beautiful.
Philipsburg, St. Maarten wonderful island
Don't Miss: Airport beach.....
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Good cruise! by
Kim B. from Charlotte, NC
Sailing date: Apr 2010 Pros:
The ports were the best! The pastrami sandwiches, cruise director and staff
Cons:
All the kids! Too many! The buffet wasn't up to par either
The ship was in good shape. It took some getting used to the color green but the ship is actually beautiful. The TV poolside was awesome and made for a great night on deck looking at a movie while enjoying the night air. The ship was very clean and the dining staff was awesome and polite. They work really hard.
Dining/Food I'm used to better food on the buffet. Dinner was good in the dining rooms but the buffet was not up to par, especially the fruit.
Stateroom Quality Sufficient space for the money. We had a 6th floor inside room right above the casino and the club so if you don't like music until 2am don't stay on floor 6 midship. Very clean room.
Ship Staff Quality Excellent!
Entertainment & Activities Good as usual.
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Loved the cruise! by
Joan S. from Harrisburg, PA
Sailing date: Jun 2009 Pros:
Different island everyday
Cons:
Airconditioning onboard the ship was freezing
We just got back from a 7 day Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Victory. Our stateroom was great. There was plenty of storage, the bed was very comfortable and even the tiny shower was well designed and adequate for my needs. My husband used the exceptional fitness center facilities to exercise and shower each morning. Once we got accustomed to the ship's layout (some decks do not go completely fore to aft) we had no trouble finding our way around the enormous, gorgeous ship. Though we prefer the freestyle dining we have enjoyed on another cruise, we found the dining staff to be very accommodating. One night we were not ready in time for the early seating and they readily switched us to the late. Our one major complaint was the cold temperature of the ship. It was a shame to have to cover nice evening clothes with a sweater every night. We even saw some individuals using the blankets from their staterooms as shawls! Other than that, we felt as if the ship were a five-star hotel!
Ship Quality
Dining/Food We would much prefer freestyle dining to having a set seating time.
Stateroom Quality Our stateroom was thoroughly cleaned twice a day in a very unobtrusive manner.
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities The evening shows were not very good.
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St. John's, Antigua Runaway Beach was nice and private.
Bridgetown, Barbados Beach vendors at Payne's Beach were very pushy.
Dominica
Basseterre, St. Kitts The railroad ride was a nice way to see the island.
Castries, St. Lucia Loved the hike and the ambiance at the restaurant at Pigeon Island.
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Magen's Bay
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Best cruise ever by
Melissa L. from schuylkill Haven, PA
Sailing date: Jan 2009 Pros:
Loved all the different ports of call
Cons:
Disembarking because the new process
The ship itself was beautiful and there was so much to do and Karl with a K cruise director was very nice and entertaining not annoying like some.
Ship Quality layout was great and the decor was very vegasish
Dining/Food The food options were unique and great sushi, a deli, pizza and the sit down rest. was the best
Stateroom Quality Our room was actually much larger than I expected
Ship Staff Quality The friendliness of the crew was so great, Rick our Steward was great and Joel our head waiter was the best
Entertainment & Activities All though we did not do a lot of activities there was lots to choose from
Children's Programs My son is 17 so he enjoyed the xbox that was available
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St. John's, Antigua Did not care so much for this island the people were rude but the beaches made up for it
Don't Miss: The beaches
Bridgetown, Barbados Went to see the concorde experience so cool
Don't Miss: the beaches
Dominica rented a tour guide saw the emerald pool and the Talfar waterfalls
Don't Miss: Mr. Nice stand
Basseterre, St. Kitts toured the island
Don't Miss: the black sand beaches
Castries, St. Lucia everything was great went on a land and sea tour saw the drive thur volcanoe and the waterfalls
Don't Miss: explore this island it was great
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Loved Secret Harbour hated the cab ride got car sick
Don't Miss: the beaches
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A solid cruise by
A Traveler from Washington, D.C.
Sailing date: May 2008 Pros:
The food, the crew and the activities
Cons:
The calypso band
This was our first cruise and it was a great introduction to that kind of vacation. The ports were fun, but not overwhelming. But most of all, the boat had a solid crew and lots of jam-packed family fun was available to all!
Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality Cruise Director and the top managers were superior. Their personalities really fostered an environment for fun.
Entertainment & Activities The shows were not high-quality, both the comedian and the musical revues. Also, the calypso band was terrible and consistently off-tune and too loud to ignore.
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San Juan, Puerto Rico Just a fun place to walk around.
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Go to St. John! The beaches are incredible, but the rest of the island was disappointing.
Don't Miss: St. John Trunk Bay!
Philipsburg, St. Maarten Loved this port. Very cultural and more to do than St. Thomas.
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Carnival Victory..... rocked! by
Karine R. from Scottsdale, AZ
Sailing date: Apr 2008 Pros:
The food, the people, St. Maarten
Cons:
People in the duty free shop were snooty, and San Juan was awfully boring!
Loved my cruise! The Carnival Victory is a great ship to sail with i would suggest it to all. The food was amazing, and the rooms were fantastic, way more then i would have imagined them to be. Overall i loved my experience and can't wait to do it again!
Ship Quality Layout was good, pools were a little small but perfect if you have kids!
Dining/Food The food was amazing and so was the wait staff. Just excellent! You wont go home hungry, and the room service was fast and efficent!
Stateroom Quality Very large room with a balcony. I wouldn't ever cruise again without getting the balcony it's well worth it. you wont go away dissapointed.
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities The entertainment is a little cheesy, but the comedians make up for the dancing on stage!
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San Juan, Puerto Rico The outing we did was not worth the $40 bucks. they took you to 2 spots then 30 minutes to shop. I could have walked the town and seen more, was not impressed with it at all. Plus San Juan was BORING>
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas great place to see, dont buy your tour on the cruise but yet once you get off the ship way better tours that way.
Philipsburg, St. Maarten this island i can't wait to go back to. a must see... do all your shopping here well worth it!
Don't Miss: shopping in the little off the beaten stores and take the beach in !
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Most excellent! by
John P. from Generally, NY
Sailing date: Jun 2007 Pros:
Very courteous, clean, fun, THE CASINO won $1,500, even my "small room was large and comfortable.
Cons:
Did not get much time in San Juan, arrived when shops closing down.
Huge! Even that Fucillo guy would be impressed. Shops were interesting and there was always something new to find. Full casino, bars all over, clubs, shows, our comic was hilarious! Would surely go again.
Ship Quality Easy to get around.
Dining/Food Places to eat everywhere. All of it was good.
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
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Timing is everything by
Joe and Denise from Long Island, NY.
Sailing date: Sep 2007 Pros:
relaxed atmosphere, cuisine
Cons:
Hmmm - liked it all
This was the 2nd time my husband and I took this same Carnival cruise. We left on Labor Day, and there was hardly a child to be found onboard. The staff were very attentive, and our room was immaculate. This was our 5th Carnival cruise, and I would recommend them to anyone. Just remember - timing is everything.
Ship Quality The only negative is that the ship's layout takes some getting used to. Sometimes you have to go down a few decks before you can go up to the deck you want.
Dining/Food Great variety. They go out of their way to please everyone.
Stateroom Quality Are the rooms getting a little smaller, or am I enjoyng the midnight buffet a little too much!
Ship Staff Quality Nothing negative to say here. All staff were friendly, helpful and attentive.
Entertainment & Activities We didn't participate in very much this time, but many things were offered. The 2 stage shows were unbelievably wonderful. Very talented performers.
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Halifax, Nova Scotia We didn't do any tours here - just walked around town. It's a really cute little city. Last time we went to Peggy's Cove. Cute, but more hype than anything.
Saint John, New Brunswick We took a trolley ride around town - very cute.
Don't Miss: Loved the "framer's market." Not sure what it's really called.
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You Get what you pay for! by
John R from Norfolk, VA
Sailing date: Aug 2007 Pros:
Pacific Dining Room - Oceanview Stateroom
Cons:
Cruise Director - Ships Layout
I scheduled a Carnival Cruise from NY, because of the cost and Carnival is by far the best price for a cruise. Along with low prices comes other issues. I have learned that besides never cruising during Spring Break (too many kids), don't cruise the week before school starts. I believe there were tons of kids who sailed for 5 days and did not bring their parents with them. Kids were out of control throughout the cruise. Carnival Victory had a nice pool and two Adult Hot Tubs on the aft deck of Lido. There were clearly two signs on the hot tubs one said (Adults Only), the other said (Children must be accompanied by Adults). On 5 day cruise both of these hot tubs were full of children and no adults all the time. Carnival Security Personnel walked through many times and never chased them out. One evening while getting ice cream at 9:30 PM, my wife and I saw three young boys ages 10 to 12 running across the deck beside the pool and sliding like on a boogie board. (No parents insight). We heard a sickening thud as one boys feet flew out from under him and he hit his head on the hard floor next to the pool. He layed there for a minute finally his friends helped him to a table to sit down. He was holding his head and I walked over and suggested to him that he tell his parents what happend and that he banged his head pretty hard on the floor so they could keep an eye on him that night, the boy flipped me off and laughed. You gotta just love it!!!
Another issue was people eating in the Mediterranean Rest on the Lido Deck with no shirts or shoes! Just walked out of the pool and into the dinning area and had them something to eat. There was a sign clearly visible outside the buffet area that shoes and shirts are required. I can't tell you how many people I saw walk through the buffet line with no shoes and no shirts and eat dinner like it was normal. One man did it with a speedo (made me want to puke). I don't know how they were raised but I read the sign and understood what the rules were!
I understand that everyone is on vacation, but come on someone from the ship's stoff should have stopped these individuals from eating with the other guests. It was very inapprpriate.
Very disappointed in the Carninval Staff. Cruise director was clueless (who hoo) was his big thing. Needless to say I was under impressed. The first night a sea no show, silly game show. Second night we had a great Vegas Show the costumes were the best. The male singer was horrible, the female singer was passable. The cruise director scheduled karoke at the same time in another part of the ship. Only kids participated. We were on a 5 night cruise and had 3 shows, 2 Vegas style shows and 1 Magician (Okay). What about the other two nights!!! The cruise director left a lot to be desired, he missed his target audience.
We were assigned to a table in the upper level of the Pacific Dining Room, our Waiter Gede and Asst Waiter Guisti, were the class of Carnival. They did things right, the service was the best. The food was excellent also.
I am a real fan of Royal Caribbean and while it costs more, I will stick to paying a few more dollars for a better class of cruise guests. I am done with pincing pennies just to cruise.
Ship Quality The aft area near the pool and ice cream machine was general in disarray with ice cream all over the floor. When I suggested to a table attendant to find someone to clean the mess up he said he would call housekeeping. All he needed was a buck and a mop.
Dining/Food Dinning Staff was excellent the food was excellent also. Filet, Top Sirlion, Prime Rib twice, lobster, etc. All prepared and presented in a very professional manner. This was by far the best thing this ship had.
Stateroom Quality Overall impressed with the size of the oceanview stateroom. 220 SQ FT nice, full size couch to set on. Only disappointment, the cabin steward never stopped by and introduced himself nor did I every see him or her. Some individuals may like that but I found it very unpersonable. I enjoy meeting and speaking with people who are cleaning up after mee. Without a face tipping has no feeling.
Ship Staff Quality Dinning Staff very friendly, check in and check out in NY was great, very organized and friendly. Parking on pier a real treat for NY.
Entertainment & Activities Very disappointed in the Carninval Staff. Cruise director was clueless (who hoo) was his big thing. Needless to say I was under impressed. The first night a sea no show, silly game show. Second night we had a great Vegas Show the costumes were the best. The male singer was horrible, the female singer was passable. The cruise director scheduled karoke at the same time in another part of the ship. Only kids participated. We were on a 5 night cruise and had 3 shows, 2 Vegas style shows and 1 Magician (Okay). What about the other two nights!!! The cruise director left a lot to be desired, he missed his target audience.
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GREAT Cruise by
Ruth L from Boca Raton, FL
Sailing date: Oct 2006 Pros:
Cruise Director (Malcolm) was the BEST
Cons:
Not enough daytime activities
The ship was beautiful ... very clean.
Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
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Cozumel, Mexico Jewelry shopping is awesome. We visited the little Mexican Folklore show which was nice.
Colon, Panama The canal is certainly an engineering marvel!
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