mroden2699

Great review! We're doing this same itinerary July 20th 2018 as well. If you could send me the funtimes I would greatly appreciate it.

mroden2699@gmail.com

We just got off the Breeze, stayed in room 2370 cove balcony. To answer the above question, the noise with the balcony door shut was non existent. And no water spray, we left clothes to dry on the balcony. I would do another cove balcony in a heartbeat, more privacy and I loved being close to the water.

^ Agreed! Caribbean Manhattan is my favorite.

Usually a night owl, so I'll get up around 11am and start my day with an iced Americano from the coffee bar. Grab a salmon bagel sandwich or a breakfast burrito (w/ habanero salsa, sparingly) for breakfast, paired with a bloody mary or an IPA. Hang out at the lido and drink a cruiser and kiss on the lips. Take a brief nap on the lido. Wake up, hit up a game of bingo or two, order a couple makers with coke. Grab some bonsai sushi, and by this time alchemy should be open. I'll start off my grabbing a Caribbean Manhattan and cucumber sunrise. Head to the room, get ready for a night at the comedy show and night club while drinking a second Caribbean Manhattan in the room. Grab a slice of pizza with an IPA then hit up the comedy show. Have at least one more Caribbean Manhattan, basil drop, and maybe a deal closer. End my night at the night club with a few more makers and coke finishing it all with an Irish car bomb.

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I have a question:

Say the wife and I buy 3 drinks on the first day, then decide to buy the Cheers program after those 3 drinks.

Will those 3 drinks count as the 15/day limit? Or am I paying for those drinks separately in my final bill?

I'm going on Fridays victory cruise, and recieved the same call/email. Following other posts, it seems they will not let anybody on the ship before 1:30. Our check in time was originally scheduled for 2pm, and I really wish we didn't have to hang out in Miami for an extra 2 hours. I'd like to know if there's anything else to do on the port as well.

On the Victory right now. All cabins completed. I am on the lido deck. We had the delay but they started boarding right at 1:30. We got to the terminal at 12:30 and we were onboard by 2.

 

 

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What time was your check in time? What time did the cruise take off?

My check in time is at 2pm, and just got the email for the 2 hour delay for the 3/10 cruise.

We will be in Miami with nothing to do, I'm wondering if still arriving at 2-2:30 is acceptable, or will they make us wait in the terminal for 2+ hours.

I guess I could just take my time, eating a late lunch somewhere..

I leave for a small, 3 day cruise with Carnival Victory March 10th and was shopping for excursions. I noticed the details about the shuttle bus on Carnivals website had disappeared from the "excursion details" & "notes" section... What's going on here? I realize I could take a taxi, but just last week I seen they offered a free shuttle...

No, in that case get there for 2:00 pm or anytime between that and 2:30 pm.

 

 

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Sorry for the confusion, but you replied "no" as in I wouldn't be able to board. So come in at 2-2:30 still as originally scheduled, right?

Just get there for 1:30 pm if you have a 12 pm, 12:30 or 1:30 pm boarding time. Expect long lines. We sailed at 7:00 pm on Monday evening (Feb 27th).

 

 

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If I get the dreaded delay email for my March 10th Victory cruise, and my check in time is at 2-2:30... Could I still come in at 2-2:30, and still be able to board? I'd rather not have to wait around Miami for an extra 2 hours..

Not sure if Sensation has a steakhouse, but the extra money was definitely worth it. Other than that, you appear to be set (from all I would spend)

Of course I'd take some cash for souvenirs in Cozumel. The port is great for shopping.

So my check in window for the March 10th Victory cruise is 2:00-2:30. If this cruise happens to get delayed like most Victory cruises are, does my check in window time also get delayed? Would I have no choice other than to come in at 4:00-4:30?

This is a tough decision. One I had to make myself with my mother. I can not answer your questions about refunds and penalties but I can tell you my experience. Your description of your grandmother's medical decisions were exactly what happened with my mother. In my case I sat down with mom and basically told her my dilema. The nerve of her to be dying! As only a mother could she told me she would kick my a__ if I wasted all that money over her! After laughing all around I told her my fear was that I would not be able to have my last kiss. She said it was ok, she new that I loved her but since it seemed to mean so much to me that should she pass she would instruct my sister to not have the cremation till I returned. Fortunately my mother did not pass while we were on the cruise.

Looking back I would recommend that you have a talk with grandma, talk with the family and once you make your decision be at peace with it. I will say one thing and it is not to be cold, Whether you are there or are not there, if it is grandma's time to go she will pass. At the same time she will know that you love her and she will know that you are having a great cruise and she will be happy for you.

My condolences in advance.

Thank you for your insight, it truly means a lot.

Hello guys, I was all set to sail on March 10th out of Miami for a 3 day cruise on Carnival Victory. I just found out my grandmother will be refusing all treatment for her cancer, and will opt to do hospice. She's already stopped eating, and drinking very little. My whole family is encouraging me to spend as much time with her now, but also encouraging me to take the cruise. Right now, it's looking like a 50/50 chance for me to still take the cruise. I'm really not sure what to do.

This leads to my question, because the trip is only 9 days away, I'm assuming cancelling the cruise and getting a 100% refund is totally out the question? Does Carnival offer a deal where I could use my money spent as credit for a future cruise, or is this also out the question. If I don't go, could I just assume that my $900+ spent is just money down the drain?

I'm sure I could call them, but would like to hear any insight from past experiences dealing with cancelling. Thanks guys!

Sorry to barge into this thread guys, but I'm heading to Atlantis next month, and getting a day pass. I am curious if there's any places in Atlantis that serve legit Bahamian cuisine? I'd hate to travel all the way out that way to eat a burger...

So for the record, decks 1 and 2 are updated?

I wonder what the chances of the 3-day March 10th cruise getting delayed is?

Quick question. So I take a 3 day cruise next month, so would a plan (for the duration of the cruise) be cheaper than my previous cruise, which was 5 days?

Thanks. Well, I guess my best option would be to go ahead and pay the $179 through Carnival. For $10 more than bahamasdaypass, you get a free shuttle and lunch.

Hate to barge in, but I'm cruising out of Port of Miami March 10th. The website said parking is $20 a day, and there is no need to reserve ahead of time. In the Galveston Port, they always recommend to reserve parking ahead of time and is also way cheaper.

Is there really no need to reserve ahead of time, and is there anything cheaper than $20/ day?

Hey guys, second time cruiser here. Anyways, wife and I are flying out to Miami March 9th, to cruise on the Carnival Victory. I have a few questions, and would greatly appreciate any input!

My main question is, my Nassau itinerary? I am pretty much set on going to Atlantis. However, the $179/pp for the 'Atlantis Adventure Full Day w/ Lunch' offer through Carnival is pretty pricey. I've been looking at cheaper alternatives to spending the day at Atlantis. The website http://www.bahamasdaypass.com has an offer for $10 cheaper. Ideally, I would just like to check out the aquarium, relax in some pools/river rides, relax on the beach and grab a bite to eat. What's a cheap, safe and convenient option for me to do this?

Thank you guys.

Appreciate the help guys. Browsing through the Ports of Call threads, I could be interested in booking a Atlantis visit through http://www.bahamasdaypass.com .. Anybody have any experience with them?

Hey guys, second time cruiser here. Anyways, wife and I are flying out to Miami March 9th, to cruise on the Carnival Victory. I have a few questions, and would greatly appreciate any input!

1) First time on Carnival Victory. I am curious how this compares to Carnival Liberty, if by any chance someone here has been on both. I reviewed the ships layout, and there seems to be almost NO difference. I'm certainly hoping to not have delays/technical failures like last time we were on Liberty! Overall, we had a fun time on Liberty but it could've went a lot more smoother. Hoping for a better experience with Victory.

2) My main question is, my Nassau itinerary? I am pretty much set on going to Atlantis (for now). But I'm curious if anybody has any other suggestions. All my co-workers say, once they visited Atlantis they pretty much had no reason to leave, which kind of swayed me. However, the $179/pp for the 'Atlantis Adventure Full Day w/ Lunch' is pretty pricey. Is there any cheaper alternatives to check out Atlantis? Ideally, I'd like to visit the water park, check out the aquarium, grab a bite to eat and relax on the beach...

3) How's the Nassau port? After a long day, I'd like to do some shopping, and possibly grab a bite to eat preferably close to the port. The only other ports I've been to are Cozumel, is it generally the same? (shopping/restaurants right next to ship). Any suggestions on things to do close to the port?

4) Also, I'd like to note that this is my first time where the cruise itinerary is OVERNIGHT. I'm assuming it's not much of a difference than normal itineraries other than you can stay out real late, and have more time to explore?

Thank you guys.

DAY 4 (FUN DAY AT SEA)

We stayed up so late last night, we didn't end up waking up until around noon. Me being a huge NFL fan, I made my way down to the Skybox sports bar to hopefully catch what games they're playing. Looking forward to a bigger variety of games, the Saints game seemed to steal the show. I watched the first half, and went back to the stateroom.

This is when the captain finally announced the estimated time of arrival to Galveston: 6pm. Luckily, we live about an hour from the port. Other people are panicking, and guest services has the longest line I've seen yet. Anyways, this is the same day I located the "secret deck" on levels 6 & 7 mentioned in another thread, aimlessly wandering around taking pictures with dark clouds in the horizon:

We were in search of eating something different and decided to try the seafood shack near the aft. We got the lobster rolls and fried clam strips, it was okay but nothing I'd pay for again. After the late lunch we decided to give the Casino one more try before we enter Texas waters, no luck. But winning the $2500 earlier was something we were trying to leave to home with anyways.

Unfortunately we missed out on elegant night, which was something we will try to be involved in next time around. So we decided to spend our last night on the ship at the MDR. We were assigned in the Silver Olympian dining room at 6pm. My jerk chicken was okay at best, and my wife ordered a steak that was over cooked. We were happy to find out we had a dining table for 2 this whole time, and this is when the captain gave a nice farewell speech and the servers performed Gangnam Style which was pretty funny and entertaining.

We then decided to check out a 50's-80's rock and roll tribute at the Venetian Palace. The stage props and lighting effects were the highlight here, executed very well. Choreography was okay at best, and same with the singing. It was a solid show overall though, nice to do something different in the Venetian besides Bingo and game shows.

We decided to end the night relaxing in the Serenity deck on a hammock, definitely the most peaceful area of the ship.

FINAL DAY

We woke up this morning to find a bonus FUN TIMES that they printed last minute due to our delay. Not too much going on today, just bingo and a stage show that got delayed due to the ship rocking so much on Day 2. We spent most this day gathering our belongings and thoughts, pretty much ready to get back to Galveston. We grabbed breakfast from Blueguanas, not nearly as good as the lunch. And lunch from the deli, the salmon on a bagel was excellent.

We knew Galveston was coming close once the aroma of hydrocarbons and sulfur was in the air, and we seen oil rigs and tankers.

Finally around 6pm, we arrived to Galveston. Debarkation was completely the opposite as embarkation. Nobody listened to the deck by deck rule as everyone was anxious to get off the ship, cutting corners and all. The terminal had a huge line, and luckily Lighthouse parking was still readily available and quick to take us back to the parking lot. We finally got in our car around 7:30pm.

Overall, this wasn't a perfect cruise but still a fun experience nonetheless. I know we can't control mother nature, as the weather was ugly about 90% of the time. We can't control mechanical issues with the ship either, which Carnival always maintained great communication about even if the truth was ugly. Service was excellent, and Liberty being a renowned 'party ship' didn't bother me too much. There's always plenty of things to do, and I'd still sail with Carnival again in a heart beat.

After finding out the October 31st cruise got cancelled, we're lucky we even made this cruise, although we arrived back home as late as we did. If anybody has any questions I'd be happy to answer. Thanks for reading!

DAY 3 (COZUMEL)

Woke up late in the morning, grabbed a free cup of coffee from the Lido buffet. First thing I noticed was the ship seemed to be sailing a lot smoother. Not sure if this is because of our moderately slow sailing speed due to the technical issue? Not sure. Either way, I made it to the top of the aft deck on level 10. Definitely one of my favorite locations on the ship as it's the most scenic in my opinion. Of course, the weather is still nasty, but we're smooth sailing...

After grabbing a Blueguana burrito (my favorite) for Wife and I, we decided to get ready for our excursion. As noted earlier, our arrival time got delayed to 4pm. We were told for all Carnival booked excursions to meet in the Venetian Palace before arrival to Cozumel. After some briefing, and buying a $3 poncho for the rainy weather, we made our way off the ship on to Mexico around 3pm (earlier than expected)

We opted for La Casa en la Playa, an all inclusive beach with free alcohol and food. After being greeted by super friendly and engaging tour guides at the end of the pier, we all hopped in a van for a 20min ride to the beach. They ensured our safety, and that we'll all leave together and come back together. The 'House on the Beach' is just as expected, a villa style home complete with restrooms, a bar/kitchen, outdoor seating on a patio over looking the ocean. The service was A1, made sure your cup was never empty and always supplied you with chips and pico/guac. The beach is super rocky, but water shoes are provided. Wife and I relaxed under an umbrella as there was still light rain going on. The main entrée my wife chose was the stuffed peppers, and I chose the grilled chicken wrapped in banana leaf. Both were fantastic. After a few games of Jenga, they offered to take us back at 6:30pm instead of the scheduled 7pm time so we could shop on the pier. Our time in Cozumel got cut in half anyways due to the delays. We had a great, relaxing time, and experienced the best customer service on our whole trip here.

After making it back to the pier, we bought a few loved ones some souvenirs. Arriving to a beautifully lit up Liberty.

We arrived just in time for our steakhouse reservation at 8:30. For $35/ per person, you each get an appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert. Solid wine selection too. Well worth it. I got the surf and turf, the best meal I've had on the ship.

Also this evening, the captain announced our arrival time to Galveston will be delayed (as expected). They will release a better timeframe tomorrow.

In the meantime after dinner, we visited the Alchemy Bar for the first time. Definitely the best cocktail selection on the whole ship. Wife enjoyed the Cucumber Sunrise and I loved the Caribbean Manhattan. After another great comedy show from Azeem and Kelly Terranova, the rest of the night was a blur. We've been drinking since Cozumel, and ended this night similar to our first night on the ship: at the Hot & Cool night club, and Pirates Pizza. Now I'm starting to think we've should've got the Cheers package! Oh well

Finally after taking off again at 9:30pm, we decided to hit up the buffet and Casino. This is when we met our room steward for the first time, and he asked us when was a good time to come clean up. We elected 11am every morning.

Honestly I couldn't remember what I had at the buffet that night, some veggie quesadillas are the only thing I remember. Wasn't nothing special. After a quick meal, we hit up the Casino. Wife and I aren't big on table games, so we played slots and a lot of other games where you can win bundles of cash. We were blessed this night, as we won $2500 on this game!!:

Believe me when I say this isn't rigged, you basically have to have perfect timing as my wife won after her 2nd try. The stack of $2500 dropped, and the Casino crew was quick on the scene to retrieve the money and gave us $100 bills instead of 2500 1's.

After a couple drinks we went to see the first R+ comedy show. Azeem is a hilarious comedian, just don't sit in the front expecting not to get called out. This guy has no filter, which only makes the show more enjoyable.

We then went to the Hot & Cool nightclub. Definitely a young adult crowd, which is fine with the Wife and I as we're in our mid to late 20's. Primarily plays Hip Hop and Latin dance music. After more drinks than I could count, we ate at Pizza Pirate at around 2am-3am. At these hours, it seems the chef doesn't want to deal with the drunks so pepperoni pizza is the only thing he's making. Of course if you're drunk with munchies this shouldn't matter. Which in our case, it didn't. The pepperoni pizza was good, crust was a little crunchy and burnt. Wish I could've tried the Margherita pizza. Time to sleep!

DAY 2 (FUN DAY AT SEA)

In the late morning hours, the captain made a follow up on our estimated arrival time in Cozumel. Saying it will get pushed back from 9am to 12pm. Which will also push back the departure from Cozumel from 4pm to 7pm. Didn't bother me much. But this announcement was only the beginning of our delays...

The Fun Times was dropped of at our stateroom the previous evening. Expecting us to stay out late the previous night, we wanted to check out the Steakhouse cooking demonstration at 12pm. If you're a foodie like myself you definitely do not want to miss this, a very entertaining, free and informative way of getting full.

After this, we were sold on booking a night at the steakhouse. We booked it at 8:30pm on our excursion day (tomorrow)

Coming back to the stateroom, cabin decorations for our anniversary with a bottle of barefoot bubbly was waiting for us. At this point, the weather was rainy and the ship was rocking really bad. Stage performances, and anything outside on the Lido deck has been cancelled. Grabbing some burritos from the Blueguana Grill, (which is excellent by the way, Habenero salsa for the win)the pool on the Lido turned into a wave pool, splashing water everywhere. Definitely the worse motion sickness I've experienced so far. We popped some Dramamine, which helped out a lot. I'm sure weather was a factor for the ship rocking so hard, but was curious if travelling at top speed (according to the captains announcement due to the delay) was causing this?

Anyways while I was grabbing some burritos, the captain made an announcement that one of the diesel back up generators has FAILED, delaying our arrival to Cozumel once again. This time from 12pm arrival to a 4pm arrival. They announced our all aboard time for leaving Cozumel is now 7:30pm.

We then decided to try out our chances on Bingo in the Venetian Palace. It was a fun time, but unfortunately we did not win nothing. Shortly after that was a game show for married couples, which was entertaining to watch. Frankie is a great game show host, and does a good job at keeping the crowd involved. The married couples game show was probably my favorite game show on the cruise.

Later that night we went on to visit another comedy show by Kelly Terranova. His delivery is very funny, and subject matter is even better. He was talking negative about the whole ship from an employees perspective, which I found hilarious.

Overall, our first fun day at sea was mainly interrupted by bad ship rocking and nasty weather. We tried to make the best of it though, and was hoping for the skies to clear up before Cozumel...