~Triumph Travellers Reviews~ 04/05

[Chucksta63]

Here is a little review of our trip with out disclosing to much!!! LOL:)

Triumph Travellers Cruisin The Caribbean!!!!

 

This was an un-official cruise for cruise critic members that went!!! This all started out by my-self checking out the boards on this website!!!! I booked a year in advance knowing I needed a cruise, well about 3 months before we sailed I was looking at this site when I noticed the boards!!!!!!! This is what made our trip a blast!!!!!

 

Let me just start out by saying if you are cruising check out the roll call boards (on this site) and find some folks that are cruising with you on your ship, it is so much fun!!!!!

 

My cruise started 3 months early right here on these boards and it is still going after the cruise!!!

 

After talking to folks on here for 3 months we all meet in Miami at Bayside Market Place Friday Night before the cruise. Not all of us made it but a bunch of us were there! I suggest you fly the day before your cruise. We partied at HardRock Café' and then went to another bar after that!!!

 

Sat. Embarkation- We got there early and of course waited in line until we could board, no biggie knew this would happen. Some folks did not know they would have to wait if they got there early, don't know what they were thinking??? Go with a open mind and let the small stuff roll off your back and you will have a great time!!! I am not going to let small stuff ruin my vacation!! Got on the ship and went to the Lido for lunch and a drink!! Oh yea the best burgers and fries and of course a foo-foo!!! Ate and then went to our cabin after 1pm, we were told to wait till then. Oh yea we were on the ship and had lunch by 1pm. I would rather wait in a line at the port for my ship than in a lobby somewhere. First on, first to eat and start relaxing!! Went to our cabin and un-packed changed and got ready for a long night!!! My son who is 11 has his walkie talkie on and is out doing his own thing with his friends !! This is his second cruise and he knows what he wants to do.

 

I should tell you all that we meet up with I think it was 10 other families on these boards, this made it so easy and nice for the kids to start off with someone to play with and just hang out with!!!! Which makes it easer on the parents. I made hats for our whole group which makes it easer to spot one of your group. We also had 3 meet and greets scheduled for the ship on sail day!! Having other parents there is like having more eyes that lookout for your kid. We all looked out for each other it was cool with 3k people on board!!!

 

Sat.- Meet with our group on the Sky Deck for sail away got to meet some of the folks that flew in that morning and were not at HardRock. Went to dinner in the London and found out we had our own table to our selves? Bummer I like to eat with other folks on a cruise. Part of the fun I think! Well shur enough there is Dawn and Paul, folks from CC. They got the Matrade' to put them at our table!!! This was one of our highlights of the cruise!!!! Eating with folks you just meet for the first time in person the night before!! We got lucky these folks are so c@@l!! We had great dinners all week swapping stories and traditions, food and wine!!! GREAT MEMORIES!!! Oh yea nice pictures too. Son and I wore tuxes on the 2 formal nights. The wife likes the photo ops!! We rented them with shoes right from the ship!!! Great deal and no carrying of the shirt and shoes in the luggage!!

 

Sunday Sea Day- We love our sea days!!! This is why I book this ships Western Trip. Room service first thing smoked salmon and bagel, coffee, juice, tea, danish, froot-loops, etc... You get it, I have a balcony!!!! I sleep in,,,, drink coffee on my balcony,,, enjoy the morning slowly..... Kid is gone off swimming with the Brennan boys and doing the arcade. we are all on the same frequency (walkie talkie's) so we know who is doing what. This was a cool thing!!! We (adults) were able to get some alone time by knowing where they (kids) were. LOL This is what we do all trip on sea days for the most part. Relax on the balcony roam the ship at lunch time, nap, sauna, Jacuzzi, shower, dinner, party into the night!!! After 40 you need more time to recharge for the nights, just my opinion. LOL Sea days are for lounging around reading napping eating. Lots of thing going on on the ship, don't get me wrong, not like there was nothing to do!!!!!! This is just how we enjoy our cruise!!! Every night at 11pm. Lido deck Party!!!! Oh yea saving my-self for the important things you know... We did a cabin crawl one of these nights. We started off in one cabin for drinks and went to everyones cabin on our list. Wow was that great and what a buzz!!!!!

 

Shore trips- Cozumel- Great,, son and I went with Mr.Brennan and his son for a Resort Scuba Dive!!!! First time for us all!!!! Wow this was Great! divewithchristina.com Great folks to learn to dive with especially with kids!!!! We did two dives off a boat on a reef 30ft. You learn how to dive at this depth and use the equipment etc... Both the boys were able to do this so I know you can if you want!!

 

Booked all trips my-self Not thru the ship. Much cheaper usually. This one cost me $110 ea. for a two tank dive (2 separate dives). Well worth it if you have kids. Now that I know how to do it, I could go somewhere cheaper. You get what you pay for and Louis and Christina only work for themselfs not some hire!!! Personal service from people who care. Not some diver hired by some local company to take divers out.

 

Grand Cayman- Awesome booked with Nativeway for the stingray tour! These folks are Great! Sharon takes a while to get back in touch via e-mail try it a couple of times. The islands were hit hard!!! E-mail service is intermident. They are working on bring the Island back tourist spots and beaches have been worked on!!! Doesn't effect the stingrays or the snorkeling though and that’s a good thing! Enjoy we did!!

 

Ocho Rios- Well I did not do the falls at Dunns River. It had been raining for 4 days before we got there. I have a bad knee and also was hung over from the party leaving the Cayman's. We went to Jimmy B's just a walk away from the pier in Jamaica!! Our group was going to be meeting there for margaretta’s as their day's wound down so we just headed straight for it!!! Wife enjoyed the Private Beach $5ea. and the kids swam in the pool and ocean all day while us adults were Tring to get that hair of the dog thing. What a myth, what a buzz...

 

As you can see I have hardly said a thing but filled a page so we are doing it again come visit us for group rates we have an official CC Group Cruise going next April 15th 2006. follow the link...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=159334

 

Look for the Triumph Travellers Group Cruise on the Carnival Threads and Roll Call and Member Cruises All are welcome to join in the fun!!