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Carnival Cruise Line

MS Carnival Victory

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Reviewed by: Steven Butt
# previous cruises: 1
Date of Trip: January 2, 2005
Itinerary: Caribbean

We boarded the Victory on Jan 2, 2005, and were very excited, this being our first cruise. I had spent many months researching and reading reviews, trying to learn what I could in preparation for the special day.

Embarkation was a breeze. We arrived at the terminal and , other than traffic being heavy due to five other ships in port, things went very smooth. Once out of the cab, we were in line, and on board the ship within 45 minutes. Incredible.

Overall, we have to say our cruising experience was outstanding. We very much enjoyed it and will definitely cruise with carnival again.

The food on the Victory was wonderful. The various restaurants and choices are great. The first couple of days we had the buffet for breakfast, as we were in awe after having it the first morning. Our third day in we decided to try the dining room for breakfast, and boy were we glad. From that moment, breakfast was in the dining room each morning. The way they care for you, from refilling your coffee, juices, danish and pastries, fruits, the main breakfast entree, what a great way to start the day.

Evening dinners were also great. We initially had a table for four, however were located behind the staircase in the pacific dining room. After our first meal, we explained to the maitre'd we really didn't like our table, and without a blink, he moved us to the upper level, a table for four overlooking the lower level. Wonderful. Our waiter and assistant make our dining experience great.

We had a balcony stateroom on the Upper Deck. It was exactly as people had described. Big enough to be comfortable, and the use of space was amazing. There was more than enough storage, and trust me, we had lots to store. Flying home we had to pay additional luggage charges, but still had more than enough storage space. It was great having a balcony stateroom, but for the ten minutes a day we spent there, not sure its worth the additional money. Next time we cruise, maybe we will go with an ocean view. There is little to no time spent in the room, other than to sleep and shower.

Entertainment on board is endless. For those who find cruise sea days boring, it has to be due to lack of participation. From early morning to late evening, there are always several things to choose from. We didn't do any nightclubs, spent some time in the piano bar. We did enjoy the shows each night in the Caribbean Lounge.

The casino was as expected, like any other casino. We tried our luck and for the first two days were very happy turning ten dollars into several hundred each time. Needless to say, before weeks end, that was long gone.

Our ports of call were Cozumel, Mexico, Cayman Islands, and Ocho Rios. We didn't do an excursion in either port, however did employ the services of a local guide in each port but Cozumel.

In Cozumel, we took a taxi to the downtown area and shopped for several hours. That was an experience in itself. Its very true that bargaining is a very big part of the final price you pay. I paid $210.00 for a tri color gold bracelet and an 18 inch gold chain, total. The starting price was $285.00 for the bracelet alone! After shopping, we returned to the ship, stored our purchases, ate, and made our way to the beach. That night, we explored the area around the pier, and dropped by Fat Tuesdays for a Corona.

Cayman Islands was very interesting. We took a tour bus to various parts of the island, visited the rum factory and turtle farm, and were then dropped off at seven mile beach to enjoy the caribbean waters. Cayman is beautiful.

In Jamaica, again we had the services of a tour guide, who spent three hours taking us to various places, Dunn's River Falls, the tropical rain forest which is amazing, shopping, and again the beach.

The private tours we found were a great way to see as much of each port, that we possibly could, in the 8 or so hours we had there. We wanted to see points of interest, shop, and visit the beach, and doing any of the excursions would have made that almost impossible. Should we return to the same ports at a later date, we could do the specific excursions, having seen most interest points at least for a short time.

Debarkation again was very simple. We arrived in Miami at 6am. We had breakfast in the dining room and returned to our stateroom until 730. At that time, we made our way to the Lido Deck, and waited in the sunshine, or shade for those who chose, until our color was called to leave the ship. Whole process was very smooth.

Many people have questioned what money would be needed for a seven night cruise. We cruised, just myself and my husband, and if not for the shopping, you need very little money. Prior to taking the cruise, we had already pre purchased 20 drink coupons. They were delivered to us the first evening. That helped with the alcohol expense, its very difficult to say no to a pina colada when you're laying on deck in 85 degrees, and they are offered in colorful glasses with umbrellas. We are not big drinkers, we did purchase two bottles of wine, and a few drinks other than the coupons, and that was it for the week.

We took advantage of every port, seeing everything we could, guides costing from 30-60 dollars depending, but it is well worth it. We played the casino, did the evening shows in the lounges, enjoyed the captains welcome and farewell parties, made purchases from the onboard shopping area, had drinks each afternoon and evening, usually not more than two each, and anything else we were in the mood for. Our total sign and sail card, and the end of seven days, was $480.00, $140.00 of which were the tips. There is no need to worry about needing thousands of dollars for the week on a cruise. That amount could had been much lower, if I hadn't spent $50.00 on the internet cafe, and $140.00 at the duty free store. We did not purchase the soda cards, the endless supply of lemonades, punches, cold water, coffees, combined with the various alcoholic drinks or beer you have, was more than enough beverage.