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Carnival Cruise Line

MS Carnival Victory

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Lisa Burruss
# previous cruises: 2
Date of Trip: October 17, 2003
Itinerary: Nowhere

This was our second cruise, and the first with our 2 teenagers. We went with 6 other couples and had a lot of fun. The food was good, the entertainment good, but not outstanding, and the service was adequate. It was a pleasant and affordable family mini-vacation that allowed us to spend some quality time with our family and friends.

The public areas were laid out similar to the Conquest, but just a little smaller. The photo gallery was not large enough, especially on the last night when every one was hurrying to buy their pictures before they returned to port. The gallery of pictures was better organized than on our last cruise because when you boarded the ship, they gave you a number when your picture was being taken, and that was where you could find your pictures later in the gallery. I wish they would do that every time they take your picture. A problem with the gallery was that it was divided in 2 sections separated by a security device that would beep if you had unpurchased pictures in your hand and went to the other side to retrieve the rest of your pictures, at least we thought so. We ended up standing in 2 lines to purchase pictures on each side of the gallery. Then, after taking an hour to go through both lines, we noticed that people were ignoring the security devices and moving freely from one side to the other. Our 2 favorite spots were the casino and the "TV bar". That was always hopping after 11:00 at night with lots of good dance music.

The food was as good as on the Conquest, it was served hot, but the service was only adequate. The server got our plates mixed up both nights, and it took an hour from "order to eat" time. Additionally, we were linked with 6 other couples and all wanted to be seated together, or next to each other. All but 2 got their request. One couple in our group ended up not only at a different seating time, but in a totally different dining hall. When they asked the Maitre 'D to accommodate them in our dining hall, they had to beg and plead, and finally the servers squeezed one chair at our table, and one chair at another table, so even though the couple got to eat at our 2 tables, they were split up. That was a fiasco. On a positive note, each night, after dinner, the waiters and waitresses entertained us with music and dancing. That was fun.

The cabin was large and spacious, just as on the Conquest. We had a private balcony room, and there was plenty of storage space. The bathroom was fine, too. The cabin service was OK. No one went out of their way to serve us, but they did their jobs. They were pleasant, but not cheerful. We got the towel animals, which I always enjoy.

I attended both shows. The first one was boring through 75% of it, then it improved toward the end. The second show was excellent, colorful and very entertaining. Both of my teenagers enjoyed both shows. The $1,000 bingo was packed, and of course, I didn't win. The only complaint I had was that if you wanted to buy your bingo card with cash, you had to raise your hand and wait for someone to come get your money. If you paid with your sail and sign card, you were allowed to stand in line up front. Well, it took at least 30 minutes for the guy to come get my cash, and my arm got awfully tired of being raised. I would have preferred to stand in line, at least my hands could stay at my side.

We had no stops, we went out in the Atlantic ocean, putted around, and came back. Most of our time was spent in the casino, it was too cold for the pool, but several people enjoyed the outdoor hot tubs. My main goal for taking the children was to get some good family portraits taken, which we did on formal night. We had many choices of background, and the pictures came out excellent. On that last night, our pictures were ready for display only a few hours after they were taken. Cudos to the photography staff.

As usual, the passengers were pleasant. We were all there on vacation, and it showed. We didn't meet as many people as on the last cruise, but I attribute that to the short length of the cruise, and being on-board with 12 other friends.