What is VICTORY really like?

I'm thinking of going on VIctory in March 09 .Itinerary seems great out of sju .I think it is replacing Destiny.

What can anyone tell me about it? Food? Entertainment? Cabins?Ports?

Does it look and feel "old"

Will we like it .Really liked Miracle .Been on Destiny it was OK except for the smoking (back in 2001)

Been on two cruises first on the Glory second on the victory.

We liked the Glory better but it was our first.

If you want to have a good time you will.

If you go looking for a disappointing trip you will find it!

Here is my review hope you enjoy.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=662846

It is almost exactly like the Destiny, layout wise, with some enhancements corrected from the Destiny design.

We were on her last July, before her refurbishment, and she still looked exactly the same as when we sailed her when she was new.

She is very GREEN.

And, of course, watch out for those seahorses!

It is almost exactly like the Destiny, layout wise, with some enhancements corrected from the Destiny design.

 

We were on her last July, before her refurbishment, and she still looked exactly the same as when we sailed her when she was new.

 

She is very GREEN.

 

And, of course, watch out for those seahorses!

I don't get it

What is Green -ecological?

Seahorses where ?

I don't get it

What is Green -ecological?

Seahorses where ?

.....and seahorses are these decorations on the stairs that will bite you if you get too close.

:D

Im interested in hearing all about this too !!

I booked a Southern Caribbean on the Victory for my birthday 2009 !!

I thought it would be neat doing a different island every day

What is everyones opinion ... is that too rushed or hectic ?:confused:

Will there be anything that gets missed like the Tea , because there is No Sea Days ?

I would love to see photos or videos for the ship and the different ports if anyone wants to share :)

Thanks so Much !!

....but on the Fascination and then the Destiny.

We sailed out of San Juan. The big draw back there was our desire to go to Aruba. On one sailing, we got to South America in Caracus.

Having that many stops was a bit much, but it was different, and we enjoyed it. But we do love our sea days.

Both times, we needed a vacation from our vacation. But the memories are still great 13 and 7 years later.

Fascination: St. Thomas-Grenada-Gualaloupe-Aruba

Destiny: St. Thomas-St. Lucia-Curacao-Caracus-Aruba

My daughter and I were on the Victory on the May 9 cruise to the Eastern caribbean. No, she does not look "old" and there's lots of green decor. Prior to going I heard it referred to as the "neon nightmare"...didn't find that. The bars are nice, the cabins and bathroms very nice (we had a balcony.....won't go any other way again especially in warm waters!!!) Service was wonderful, food great and all kinds. Entertainment wise....don't expect Las Vegas typ shows, these are not professional dancers but do well. I was surprised that the casino slots were kind to me whether nickle or quarter.............my daughter won over $800 playing blackjack ! The only thing I was disappointed in was the lobster on formal night...really "skinny" but good. Lots of things happening around the pool. As a previous poster said...regardless of the ship it's what YOU make it on ANY ship. Personally I would miss those sea days. We had a 7 day cruise with 3 islands all in a row.....the rest sea days and WONDERFUL !

We were on the Victory May 18-25:

We had the early dinner seating, upper level Pacific Dining Room. With our table of 11 (seven of whom were male ages 20-33), our wait staff handled everyone quite well I thought. Food was better this year than last, even the filet. A couple of our guys really enjoyed the flat iron steak. I ordered mostly seafood entrees, mainly because I knew if I didn't like it I could get something else. Didn't send anything back.

Our cabin stewards did their job, nothing over the top but we didn't ask for anything extra from them and were completely satisfied. Can't compare cabin sizes to any other class of ships and we've only had balcony cabins but there was plenty of room for storage.

Bar servers were friendly and took very good care of us.

Saw the magic show and one late night comedy show. Others in our group said the comedian was funnier at the earlier shows. I appreciated the fact that although his subject matter was adult-oriented he did not have to use the famous swear word to get his point across.

The passengers in the dance club and piano bar seemed to be having a good time when we looked in.

Cheapest cruise in the casino for me this time around. Still spent too much time there. The entertainment at the casino bar was very good.

Not thrilled with the big screen on the Lido deck and dismantling of the stage. Lido deck band was ok but there was very little interaction with the passengers.

Overall found the ship to be clean. No sewer smells or messy public restrooms. One of our guys had too much to drink one night. Umm, let's just say that within two hours the carpet was cleaned.

Of course there were some lines for the breakfast buffet but that was just our lousy timing.

Plenty of appetizers and beverages at both the Captain's Cocktail party and past cruisers party.

On our Destiny cruises we visited St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados and Aruba if you're interested in seeing pics from those ports.

I'd be happy to try to answer any other questions.

Come on, some people act like a nine year old ship is a dinosaur! I cruised on a ship that was over 40 years old!

Anyway, the Victory is beautiful, lots of green and aqua. The cruise director, Malcolm Burn, is funny. Food in the dining room was a slight disappointment - good but not great. The pizza on lido deck was undercooked. However, we were surprised at the food at the buffet. Everything was tasty and there were lots of dessert choices. The shows, at least on our Eastern run, were excellent!

We would love to sail on the Victory again, but only if it's leaving from Florida -- not NY, San Juan or anywhere else.

Im interested in hearing all about this too !!

I booked a Southern Caribbean on the Victory for my birthday 2009 !!

I thought it would be neat doing a different island every day

 

What is everyones opinion ... is that too rushed or hectic ?:confused:

 

Will there be anything that gets missed like the Tea , because there is No Sea Days ?

 

I would love to see photos or videos for the ship and the different ports if anyone wants to share :)

 

Thanks so Much !!

Carolinamamasita~

I have photos from May 2008, April 2007, and October 2006 cruises on the Victory at irishlizz.shutterfly.com Personally, I love the ship. And yes, it is very 'green'. :eek: Pictures in one of those albums will explain... but I also think it is very cool. Habby (Sandy) and I were both on the ship in May, and also at the same time last April. I had a great time every time. Always do!

Had requested late seating when I booked my cruise, ended up with early, but the maitre d' changed us to late, table for two no problem. I was in Pacific Dining, late seating table 403, and our waitstaff was great. Bhutti and Claudio. I had no issues with the food, and all three times on ship thought the food was great. Only exception, and it was due to my taste buds, not the meal, was I didn't care for the jerk pork tenderloin. Prime rib, steak, seafood, all pretty damn tasty. Same for room service. And the pizzeria. And lunch at the buffet. And lunch in the dining room (opened for lunch on those days at sea). Never went to dining for breakfast, and always managed to luck out at breakfast on the Lido Deck... no real lines. I must be the exception to the rule, or just have amazing luck in that department!

We had an inside cabin, didn't get to really know the stewards this time out, but they were very good. Every time I needed an extra hand when trying to juggle drinks and get in the cabin, one of the guys would appear and help me out.

Bar server, IMade from Indonesia, the best! Kept us well refreshed at Captain's Cocktail Party and Past Guest Party. Tipping well has its perks...

Didn't go to any of the shows, because I just don't care about those type of things, so I'm no help in that department. Also don't gamble, so...

Don't really care for the new Seaside Theater. Think it detracts from Lido Deck entertainment, and this time out the band... well I wasn't impressed. The other two times on board was Cool Runnings, and they were talented and fun.

Personally, I enjoy the days at sea, and frequently don't even get off the ship when in port. Enjoy having the ship to myself. Well sort of. For Bill and I cruising is all about no phones and relaxing and relaxing is what we do. No rushing around for us. We like to kick it in the sun.

Anyways, check out the pictures.

Lizz :cool:

Great pictures of the Victory!

How did you get a 'zoo' of towel animals? Ours was taken down the next night when a new one was put up.

My kids kept the towel animals together on the vanity. Steward never touched. My oldest ds ripped them aprt one night and my youngest ds ahd a meltdown.:(

WOW !!

Thank you all for sharing :)

You are all just super !!

This is one of the many reasons why I love the Cruise Critic

website !!

Thanks

Carolina

Great pictures of the Victory!

 

How did you get a 'zoo' of towel animals? Ours was taken down the next night when a new one was put up.

This was the first cruise where our animal friends kept multiplying! I loved it. I think might have had something to do with maybe the room stewards thought we were a bit whacky... pirate flags hung in our cabin, etc. and maybe they thought they should add to our insanity.:D

Every cruise is an adventure, and all the little, fun things are what I love the best about cruising. One night at dinner on my first Carnival cruise (Imagination) I kept telling the waiter "No. Nothing thanks." re: dessert. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me when he brought me a plate of "nothing". The word was written in chocolate. So special and fun and one of those little moments I will always treasure. :) :cool:

Im interested in hearing all about this too !!

I booked a Southern Caribbean on the Victory for my birthday 2009 !!

I thought it would be neat doing a different island every day

 

What is everyones opinion ... is that too rushed or hectic ?:confused:

 

Thanks so Much !!

Oh, it will be hectic!!! We are doing the same cruise in November! But, those are all fabulous ports (although we may use the Antigua stop as a ship day!) Will did a similar itinerary on the Crown Princess out of OSJ two years ago, and we loved the islands in the Southern Caribbean! In fact, the Carnival cruise has one more port than our earlier cruise! When I saw this cruise and the great pricing, we had to book it. You'll be tired, but I doubt you'll regret the experience! We also do a few land days in OSJ by coming in early.

Pete

Thanks for the great advice on the Victory and the ports. I just booked the Southern Caribbean cruise on the Victory for April 2009. I just returned from the Mexican Riviera on the Pride and I am so addicted to this cruising thing. Anyway, the pictures were incredible and I am now even more excited. I am sure it will be hectic with a different port each day, but I am going solo (the best way for me to go) and I can go at my own pace. Any other suggestions or hints about the ports would be great. Someone mentioned that one of the ports they used as their own sea day - which ports are best for that?

Thanks,

Karen

Oh, it will be hectic!!! We are doing the same cruise in November! But, those are all fabulous ports (although we may use the Antigua stop as a ship day!) Will did a similar itinerary on the Crown Princess out of OSJ two years ago, and we loved the islands in the Southern Caribbean! In fact, the Carnival cruise has one more port than our earlier cruise! When I saw this cruise and the great pricing, we had to book it. You'll be tired, but I doubt you'll regret the experience! We also do a few land days in OSJ by coming in early.

 

Pete

Hope you will share your experience with us when you return :)

and would love to see pics , if you can

Thanks

Carolinamamasita~

 

I have photos from May 2008, April 2007, and October 2006 cruises on the Victory at irishlizz.shutterfly.com Personally, I love the ship. And yes, it is very 'green'. :eek: Pictures in one of those albums will explain... but I also think it is very cool. Habby (Sandy) and I were both on the ship in May, and also at the same time last April. I had a great time every time. Always do!

 

Lizz :cool:

Thanks for the pics! those were great. We are booked on the Victory 2/01/09 out of San Juan. We are also taking advantage of the port and coming in a day early to spend a little time in Old San Juan. Booked a cool hotel in downtown OSJ. Found a good price and great location. I can't wait!

Lizz, your pics are great. Thanks for sharing. Now I see those infamous seahorses everyone's been talking about! :D

Lizz, your pics are great. Thanks for sharing. Now I see those infamous seahorses everyone's been talking about! :D

Glad everyone enjoyed the pics. :D Nothing like keeping the cruise and vacation adventure going for as long as possible! You know what is kind of funny is I never really gave the seahorses much thought my first two times on the Victory, and this time for whatever reason, thought maybe I should grab a shot or two. Glad I did!

So Stacey, where in California do you reside? I'm a Southern California, (Inland Empire, Riverside area), transplant now residing in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. It is beautiful here, been here five years but there are times I do miss my old stompin' grounds. :cool:

Thanks for the pics! those were great. We are booked on the Victory 2/01/09 out of San Juan. We are also taking advantage of the port and coming in a day early to spend a little time in Old San Juan. Booked a cool hotel in downtown OSJ. Found a good price and great location. I can't wait!

I'm booked on this cruise in Jan '09. May I ask what hotel you found?

We wanted to come in a day early too but found most hotels require a 2 night min. Would you mind sharing the name of your hotel?:)

One day early would be better for for us if we can find somewhere to stay that doesn't require 2 nights.

Thanks

Debbie

So Stacey, where in California do you reside? I'm a Southern California, (Inland Empire, Riverside area), transplant now residing in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. It is beautiful here, been here five years but there are times I do miss my old stompin' grounds. :cool:

Hey Lizz,

We're currently in Monterey, but we used to live in San Diego. I must say I miss the warm, sunny weather of Southern California, but I'm originally from the east coast and I miss it!

Lizz - your pictures helped me to make up my mind! The rates are pretty good for a 7 day cruise out of SJ, so I am going to call my TA and book my anniversary cruise...for Sept 2009! Kind of feel crazy booking so far ahead, but I like the fact that I can lock in my price. If it goes down, great! If not, still a great rate. Just hope that the price of airfare won't cost me all that I saved!

I've always done my own air travel...should we consider booking our air and cruise together?

Book your own air to get the flights you want.