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Great upgrade and value. by
Duke from Florida, USA Sailing date: Oct 2006Pros: The state room. The trip was a great value and I was upgraded to a balcony, I will definately travel with carnival again! Entertainment & Activities
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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   Adult Group Cruise by
A Traveler from Tacoma, WA Sailing date: Jun 2012Pros: Cleaniness and Service staff were superb Cons: Food was disappointing in quality, It didn't live up to what I'd heard. Victory is an older ship. Dated look and worn feel. I had a great time nonetheless and really enjoyed the ports of call. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodAvailability was good, lots of options but very general buffet quality Stateroom QualityVery dated, horrible tube TV. Bathroom smelled. Bed was very comfortable. Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Nice Ship; Long Lines by
Don C. from TN Sailing date: Jul 2011Pros: Islands we visited; food Cons: Long Lines for meals and returning to ship Maybe if we hadn't previously sailed on Carnival's Freedom and Glory ships before our week on the Carnival Victory, we would have a kinder review. The three ships are similar, but having been launched first, the Victory's deck plan lacked some of the public space that was added to the later versions. It was most noticed in the Lido deck restaurant. While the Glory and Freedom each had four serving lines in their restaurants, the Victory only had two. And the design flaw was augmented by the ship frequently closing one of those two serving lines. The grill was also closed frequently. The other two ships used the serving island in their Lido restaurants to offer fresh fruit and deserts. On the Victory, that station was frequently not used. And expect a wait if you try to avoid the crowds via the open seating in the main dining room for breakfast. The service in that venue was fine, but we still had to wait through a long line to be seated.
The Victory is a good ship. For the most part it is consistent with what we've expected in our eight cruises on Carnival. We expect crowds on these ships, but the people running the Victory just didn't have the plans to deal with them in the efficient manner we saw on the Freedom, Glory, Destiny, Fascination and Imagination. (Yes, we've sailed a couple of them more than once.)
If you're a light sleeper, you may want to study the deck plans before selecting your cabin. Our cabin on the 8th (Verandah) deck was under a deck that surrounded a swimming pool. When the crew arranged the deck chairs on the 9th deck each evening or early morning, we were VERY aware of it. Similar accommodations are available on the 7th floor. These would be quieter. The 9th deck tapers off in the forward section, so you wouldn't have this problem on the 8th deck toward the front either.
A southern Caribbean cruise allows you to visit a variety of islands. Barbados is a nice place, with a good infrastructure and cordial people. We promised a cab driver named Bernie in St. Kitts that we would mention him in reviews. So if in St. Kitts, find a cab driver named Bernie. He's a nice guy and will show you a good time. He recommended Cockleshell Beach, which cost $6.50 per person each way for the cab ride, then his friends gave us beach chairs and an umbrella for $3 per person. The ride let us see a nice part of the island as well. In St. Maarten, we went to Dawn Beach. We used to like Orient Beach 20 years ago but it has become really crowded and commercial.
We have around 20 cruises behind us. The last five have been on Carnival. We'll probably try another line next time.
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Ship QualityNice ship; just can't accommodate the crowds. Dining/Food
Stateroom QualityClean. A little smaller than Carnival's similar ships Freedom and Glory. Ship Staff QualityDidn't interact with the staff much. Nice enough. Entertainment & ActivitiesAverage isn't bad when talking about cruises. No worse but not better than the others. 
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Bridgetown, BarbadosGood infrastructure, pretty beaches, and the people are cordial. FREE WIFI IN THE CRUISE DOCK!
Basseterre, St. KittsBernie the cab driver takes good care of you. Go to Cockleshell beach and enjoy the drive over there.
Castries, St. LuciaPretty place. Nice beaches.
Don't Miss: Free WIFI outside the Rum Shop in the little shopping center near the dock. Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.Always something to do there.
Philipsburg, St. MaartenNice beaches. Cab drivers were especially helpful. Try Dawn Beach.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Wonderful Family Vacation by
Peggy L. from Anniston, Alabama Sailing date: Apr 2010Pros: Everything but the food and the various islands were best Cons: The price of the alcohol on the ship The ship was VERY clean and the employees were super nice and spoke very good English. There were numerous activities to do on and off the ship and all were very entertaining. We got a room with a balcony which was the smartest move ever -- was very nice to just sit on the balcony and watch the sea. The rooms were small but much larger than what I had expected. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodOur waiter was Arnold and he was very nice. Learned our names the very first day and continued to call us by name for the duration of the cruise. Was good to recommend the best selections of the night and was very attentive to all persons in his area. Stateroom QualityOur stateroom attendant was called Super. He was very attentive -- seemed liked he clearned our room every time we went anywhere -- always had plenty of towels etc. He also made very creative towel animals each night which our 9 year old son tottally loved. Ship Staff QualityDid not meet a single employee who was not nice, helpful and polite. Was very impressed that the ship could have that many employees with no apparant bad ones in the whole mix. Entertainment & ActivitiesLots to to on the ship and off. Received a newsletter each night which informed of the following night's programs and activities -- that way we could plan our day and arrange times and locations to meet up with our friends. 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Carnival Cruise to Bahamas by
Jo N. from Virginia Sailing date: Oct 2008Pros: Casino Cons: Waiting in all the lines The ship was huge and confusing to find your way around. The wait and housekeeping staff were friendly and did a great job. but the remainder of the staff weren't very friendly. I asked what the weather was supposed to be at the next day's port and I was answered with "hot". I wanted to know about rain, I could figure the temperature. Too many long lines if you used the buffet for meals but the food was decent with enough choices. The big screen out on the Lido deck was a nice feature for entertainment while relaxing around the pool area. There didn't seem to be enough adult things to do during the day if you weren't using the pool. Ship QualityThe ship was clean but looked a bit dated and could stand some "newness". Confusing to find your way around the ship. Dining/FoodThe food was ok but the lines to use the buffet were way too long. The dining rooms were nice, the food good and the service very good. Stateroom QualityThe room was decent size. The decor was nice. The location, on the 2nd floor in the rear, made for a long walk to get anywhere on the ship. It was very noisy when the ship was docking or leaving a port. Ship Staff QualityI only found the housekeeping and wait staff to be exceptionally friendly and helpful. The dealers in the casino were also nice. Entertainment & ActivitiesNot impressed with the entertainment on the ship.
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Freeport, Grand Bahama IslandNot impressed with anything I saw.
Nassau, BahamasPlenty of stores to shop in but everything is pretty much the same no matter what store you were in...tee shirts, baskets, jewelry and booze.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Awesome Cruise by
Silvana C from Los Angeles, California Sailing date: Jun 2010Pros: I loved everything!!!! Cons: I would have liked them to honk the horn every time we left port and annouce when arrive at a new port. The ship was wonderful! It had all the ammenities available. The crew personal were nice and friendly. Ship QualityThe ship was very clean. the decor was nice but too much green. Dining/FoodThe food was delicious...mmmm I enjoyed the 24 hour pizzeria. Stateroom QualityThe stateroom had the necessary space and comfortable. The only thing was the shower didn't have a lot of pressure. Ship Staff QualityThe staff was very nice and friendly. Entertainment & ActivitiesExcellent shore excursions offered. The entertainment was good with magicians and comedians on board.
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Bridgetown, BarbadosThe beaches are beautiful... Payne's Bay. As a down side is the vendors coming and asking if you wish to purchase items. The port in barbados is not that impressive.
Don't Miss: Payne's Bay DominicaThe greeniest island in terms of natural beauty. Definitely have to visit the rainforest and try the many types of mangoes.
Don't Miss: river tubing is awesome!!! Trafalgar Falls... which includes cold and warm waters. Basseterre, St. KittsThe beaches are awesome.
Don't Miss: Frigate bay and Brimstone Fortress Castries, St. LuciaYOu definitely have to try ziplining in the rainforest. It's an adreneline rush. The beaches are nice.
Don't Miss: ziplining and the Pitons Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.Bluebeards's castle was nice to see but if you go have to be there after 10 in the morning.
Don't Miss: snorkeling was great in the clear beautiful blue water! Philipsburg, St. MaartenThe Port is okay not very good for shopping though and pricey.
The beaches are a must visit. They are good for snorkeling on your own. Its 7 dollar round trip ferry to get to Ilel Pinel. These beaches people are allowed to go nude!
Don't Miss: Ilel Pinel which have to take a ferry to get to and Oriente beach both on the French side of the island. 4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Horrible food. by
Berta from Bronx, Newyork Sailing date: Jul 2006I had gone on a cruise prior to this cruise and the food was great. Everything that we eat was enjoyable, but on this cruise everything that we eat tasted gross. We were very disappointed because this cruise was only to relax and eat but we had a bad time because we wanted to enjoy the food. We will never go on this cruise line never again. 4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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A great vacation! by
A Traveler from Boston, MA Sailing date: Jul 2012Pros: Friendly staff! Cons: Long lines at buffets! The ship was clean and nicely decorated. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was great. The lines were a little long to get on and off the ship! Overall, a great experience! Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
Children's Programs
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Awesome Experience!!! by
Maria H from Mt Kisco, NY Sailing date: Sep 2011Pros: The Fun Activities Cons: Smoking This was the first Cruise I have ever taken and I know it won't be the last. The customer service was above and beyond my expectations. The rooms are cleaned twice a day, the housekeeper I had knew my name the first day I checked in! The food is delicious, the waiters go out of their way to give excellent service. The activities such as the game shows, night-time Las Vegas style events, live bands, comedy shows, bingo nights.... I can go on and on... are so much fun!! I am already looking forward to my next cruise! Ship QualityThe rooms are kept super neat, the public bathrooms are sparkling, overall, the ship couldn't be more perfect! Dining/FoodExcellent Wait Staff! Stateroom QualityBigger rooms than expected! Ship Staff QualityI give the staff 10 stars!!! Entertainment & ActivitiesYou will never get bored, there is so much variety that you can do something different every night!
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Bridgetown, BarbadosWe took a 2 hour city tour which was nice, the tour guide took us to the oldest church St James, it was nice.
Basseterre, St. KittsThis little island has a population of 35,000 and approximately 100,000 little monkeys that are so cute, there are a lot of people walking around doing "monkey business" which really means you give a donation to their owner and take a picture with them
Don't Miss: You have to ask your tour guide to take you to this really awesome place where you get to see where the Carribean Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean meet! Castries, St. LuciaDuring this visit we took a Catamaran out to Souffriere, where we visited a volcano and also went to a Beautiful Botanical garden.
Don't Miss: The botanical garden Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.This to me was the most beautiful Island the beach: Trunk Bay located at St. Johns Island (you have to take a 15 min ferry ride which cost $12 round trip from St. Thomas) is the most beautiful beach I had ever seen!
Don't Miss: Trunk Bay at St. Johns 3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Not a fan of Carnival by
Laura F from Rochester NY Sailing date: Feb 2013Pros: Staff Cons: Food, activties, extra fees, charging gratuity on total value of cruise Staff are super friendly, soemtimes there was a language barrier. This was a bit of a surprise since we started and ended in US territory, we kinda expected everyone to be fluent in English.
Also I was sad to find out even though they charge you fifteen percent on the value of your cruise for tips, the employees don't always get that tip money. Ship QualityEven though the ship looked huge, we felt much of the movement at sea, and felt off balance and uncomfortable for most of the time at sea. Dining/FoodFood was abundant, but incredibly average. Don't get excited about formal dining, they serve the same thing they do at the buffet. There is a lot of confusion over the sitdown dining area, be advised you have a set time to dine, about 2 formal nights, and then any other time you can dine there if you want, or eat at the buffet. Stateroom QualityVery basic room, when at sea you will have limited tv channels Ship Staff QualityStaff were very friendly Entertainment & ActivitiesEntertainment was so-so, the club was not very good they play a lot of their signature songs with prechoreographed dance moves, so you may see a lot of older people dancing out there. Not at all like your club downtown. 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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