Carnival Victory Review (6/10-6/17)

[Krazy4Krusin]

Well, I apologize for the long delay in writing our trip review aboard the Carnival Victory. We came home to a dead computer and a busted air conditioner and, in Florida, you NEED the air conditioner! But after buying a new computer and repairing our a/c unit...here we go! A little background on us before we get going. My wife, daughter and myself have been on nine cruises (mostly with Carnival), my mom and dad (they're platinum...the show-offs) and my brother and sister-in-law (working on #4 this time) had been planning this family vacation for months. We planned on heading to San Juan a day early just in case we had a little snafu and needed the extra day to catch the Carnival Victory out of San Juan for a seven day cruise to St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Martin. Now, on with the tour...

 

We headed to the airport bright and early for a 7:00am flight direct to San Juan from Tampa. We flew on Jet Blue and the flight was uneventful. It was smooth flying and 2 1/2 hours later we were landing in San Juan.

We gabbed our bags, headed to the taxi stand and were off to the hotel. We are happy to report that we had no issues with taxi drivers trying to con us for more money, but when we disembarked from the ship...well, that's a whole other story. At the airport, the taxi master asked us how many people we had, how many bags and where we were heading. He issued us a receipt, hailed our cab and we got an impromptu tour on our way to the hotel.

We stayed at the San Juan Marriott and Stellaris Casino in the Condado area of San Juan.

Check in was breeze and they had complimentary drinks while we waited. Our rooms were ready at check-in, so we dropped off our bags and headed into the city for some lunch. A quick synopsis of our rooms for those who are curious. We had a standard king bed with a couch that pulled out into a bed, bathroom was more than ample for us and a balcony overlooking the pool and beach area. So, like I said, we dropped our bags off in the rooms and headed out for some lunch.

We had a nice meal at La Raices.

The restaurant is decorated with murals and paintings of old San Juan from years ago and the staff dressed as they would have back then. The food was good and after the trip, we were glad to have something in our bellies.

After lunch, we headed to Fort San Cristobal for a tour and came to find out that there was no charge for admission thanks to Obama's recognition of National Parks Day. We didn't know anything about that before we headed there, but needless to say it was a nice surprise. If you have never been to either fort (El Morro or San Cristobal), it's definitely a must see. San Cristobal is the largest of the two, with wonderful views of Old San Juan and El Morro has a beautiful open grass area where the locals come to relax and views of the Caribbean Sea. They are both unique in their own ways, so you can't go wrong with either one.

We headed back to the hotel for a dip in the pool and some beach time. The pool area was nice and very lush with palm trees and tropical flowers everywhere.

Mom dove into her new book, Dad caught a few zzz's and the rest of us enjoyed the waters. There was a separate wading area with zero degree entry for the younger kids, a swimming pool with a slide and a spa off to the side. The beach area was nice and there were people there to help you with the umbrellas and chairs. There was no charge to use the chairs and umbrellas as these were part of the hotel. The water was a little too rough for us, so we hung around a little bit before heading back in to shower and change.

 

 

Next Up...Day two in San Juan

[Krazy4Krusin]

Soon morning came, so we checked out and headed to breakfast. They held our bags at the hotel so we wouldn't have to tote them around with us. We ate at a lovely little hole in the wall called "Pinkies". I highly recommended it. They only have a small bar and two tables inside with about a dozen or so tables outside and the food was delicious and plentiful.

With our bellies full (this will end up being a recurring theme for this trip as you will come to find out), we headed back to the hotel to grab our bags, catch a taxi and make our way to the ship. As we came around the corner, there she was in all her red, white and blue glory...the Carnival Victory.

 

Embarkation was a breeze. As soon as we exited the taxi, a porter took our luggage and we didn't see it again until we were on board. We headed up the stairs to the main area where the typical cruise check-in occurs. We got our pictures taken, received our room keys and headed back out to explore a little more of old San Juan. We explored the Paseo De Princessa along the waterfront (great photo ops),

walked through the original gates to San Juan

and up the hill to the Cathedral of John Baptiste.

We were hoping to get some photos of inside the cathedral, but it was locked up and so we moved on. We saw Christ's Chapel

 

(absolutely beautiful and ornate with all the gold and silver),

Pigeon Park

(where my brother made friends with an injured pigeon he named "Pablo"),

La Fortaleza

(the Governor's Mansion) and some gorgeous homes along the way back to the ship.

Now, about the Carnival Victory...it's GREEN!!! However, once you understand the theme of the ship, the green starts to subside into the background. When they built the Victory, they themed it after the Seven Seas. Hence, the green ceilings and sea creatures everywhere...and yes, be sure to watch out for those darn seahorses! This was a port intensive cruise, so we didn't get as much time as we would have liked to explore everything the ship has to offer. I will say this though, the staff was extremely friendly, the food was typical Carnival good (they still have the "Bacon ****" dishing out bacon in the mornings...ugh), the beds were comfy and we enjoyed our time on board. I'd tell you all about the meals, but to be honest I can't recall what I had nor what they looked like. The ship docked at the pier at all of our ports of call, so we didn't have to tender anywhere and disembarking was easy with no lines. Our usual routine consisted of breakfast on the Lido Deck before heading to our tours. Then following the tours, we had our mandatory ice cream cones, washed up for dinner, caught a few shows, actually made some money in the casino, enjoyed a nice cigar on the balcony and then off to bed for the next morning. Overall, the Victory is a nice ship, but is showing some wear and tear in the main areas.

Next Up...St. Thomas

[Krazy4Krusin]

Our first port of call was St. Thomas, USVI and we had booked a tour with Godfrey Renal. We met up at 9:00am so the girls could do a little shopping before we actually saw the island. We headed into downtown Charlotte Amalie where the girls picked up a few items. Shopping here is very similar to back in the states in regards to the stores. They don't negotiate prices and are firm on what they want to sell you, but the perk is it is duty free. If you want to bargain and haggle prices, the outside vendors are your best bet. While waiting for Godfrey to pick us up for the second part of our tour, we stopped by the local fire station to talk with the guys. Being a fellow brother firefighter from Hillsborough County, it was nice to see how the St. Thomas Firefighters deal with emergencies on their island.

After shopping, Godfrey loaded us up on an open air bus (there were about 20 people in our group) and we set out to see St. Thomas. The roads are very winding and they drive on the left side of the road there, so if you suffer from motion sickness, better medicate yourself before driving there. We made our way up to Mountain Top for some gorgeous views of the island and the most delicious banana daiquiris.

With a healthy little buzz from the daiquiris, we made our way down to Megan's Bay then to Coki Beach where a few from our group decided to stay. Godfrey graciously offered to pick them up at 3:30pm since we had to be back on board the ship by 4:30pm and we continued on our way. We drove by Bluebeard's Castle, Mahogany Run Golf Course and Blackbeard's Castle before heading back to the ship. Overall, it was a very nice tour at a leisurely pace and gave us an opportunity to see St. Thomas.

Next Up...Day At Sea

[Krazy4Krusin]

Our next day was a sea day and it gave us an opportunity to walk around the ship and enjoy the Lido Deck, mini golf course, slides and pools. On the Lido Deck, there were plenty of empty chairs and only a few chair hogs were noticed. We found a couple of chairs near the slide so that our daughter could go down it a few times and we could relax and enjoy the breeze. She saw in the pool and being the quickly observant child she is climbed out of the pool, made a "yuck face" and said that the water in the pool was all salty. After explaining it to her in my own way (well, we're in the middle of the ocean, so what were you expecting"), she was off to enjoy the pool for a few more hours. We met up with the rest of the gang for some mini-golf up on the Spa Deck. Now, if you have never played a round of mini-golf on a moving cruise ship, I highly recommend you try. There is nothing funnier than watching seven grown adults chase after little multi-colored balls while trying to maintain their balance to avoid being blown over by the wind. Needless to say, we didn't keep score, took lots of pictures and had a great time.

 

Next Up...Barbados!

[nycfa]

Did they enjoy Coki Beach? We plan to head over there after Coral World in St. Thomas.

 

Great review so far! We cruise in August!

[Krazy4Krusin]

Next port of call was Barbados and we had booked a snorkel trip with Calabaza Catamaran. When we booked this excursion, I kept asking Gina if we needed to bring anything and her response was "Just your towels, sunscreen and sunshine!". Well, she was right. They took care of everything. We met up with our taxi and headed over to where the catamaran was docked where we were welcomed aboard by Gina, Captain Danny and Andrew. Gina had hot coffee, tea and homemade banana bread waiting for us and, after introductions and a safety tour of the vessel, we were off. As we headed to our first dive spot, Gina had made some delicious "fish fritters" and a variety of other appetizers to snack on. OK, here comes the cheap promo...You have got to try her rum punch. There is nothing better than sitting on the front of the catamaran, wind in your face, beautiful scenery passing by and enjoying a cool glass of rum punch.

Arriving at our first dive site, we grabbed our snorkels (provided by Calabaza) and jumped into the cool waters. For those of you who are non-swimmers (like my mother), Calabaza provides inflatable life vests and swim noodles to float with. Andrew joined us in the water with some fish food to feed the turtles and it didn't take long until they were all around us. There is something magical about watching these creatures glide gracefully through the water.

After spending about an hour snorkeling with them, the other catamaran tours started to arrive and Captain Danny raise the anchor and we headed out to our second dive spot. Along the way, Gina had some more snacks for us to enjoy (I wish I could remember what they were, but I can assure you everything was delicious) and we enjoyed the magnificent homes along the waterfront. As we approached our second dive site, Captain Danny noted the number of vessels already there and how cloudy the water was. He told us our vision would be hazy, but we could stay here if we wanted or he could take us to an alternate dive site.

We opted for the alternate dive site and were not disappointed. Back in the water with Andrew, he took us around showing us the different varieties of coral underwater. We dropped anchor here for lunch which was a scrumptious buffet of salad, chicken, baked macaroni, fish, couscous and some other items I can't recall all prepared by Gina. Oh and how could I forget, she made desserts too! We enjoyed another quick dip in the crystal blue waters before making our way back.

As we headed back in, Captain Danny decided to have a little fun with my daughter and angled the bow of the vessel down a bit. This way as we crested over one wave, the bow would drop causing water to splash up through the net in the front. I couldn't tell who was having more fun...my daughter or Gina who was laughing with her.

Along the way, we passed several other catamarans and commented how cramped everyone looked. It was really nice having just nine of us (not including the crew) on board and how it added to the personal attention everyone received. Gina, Danny and Andrew really go out of their way to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves. Sadly, we tied up to the dock and it was time to say our good-byes. The personal attention didn't end here mind you. The other couple that cruised with us wanted to find an internet cafe, so Gina had the taxi driver drop them off before heading back to the port. We wanted to stop by Royal Barbados Cigar Factory before getting back on board the ship, so Gina had the taxi driver drop us off there too.

I highly recommend cruising with Gina and crew. We left there with full bellies, beautiful pictures, a unique experience and best of all 3 new family members...Gina, Danny & Andrew! When we got back home and checked our emails, Gina had sent us all the recipes for the food that we had on board. It's not the same as being on the catamaran, but they will tide you over until you return.

Next Up...St. Lucia

[Krazy4Krusin]

Did they enjoy Coki Beach? We plan to head over there after Coral World in St. Thomas.

 

Great review so far! We cruise in August!

 

Coki Beach was nice. It is a little crowded at the entrance, but spreads out once you're in. The water is a crystal blue and refreshing!

[Krazy4Krusin]

The next morning we woke up as we cruised into St. Lucia. What an absolutely beautiful island. It was so lush and green with all sorts of different flora. I think the neatest thing about this island was that if there was anything you needed, you could find it along the roadside. We had booked the Soufriere Island Tour with James. James was easy to find with his Steeler colors and met us right outside the gate. We hopped inside his van and were off to see the island. James made mention that he wanted to change up the tour a little bit as there were quite a number of other land tours heading out and he wanted to make sure we didn't end up in a large group at the volcano. We had no clue to what he was talking about, but we put our faith in James and were not disappointed. Now, we have taken a number of island tours through our nine cruises, but none like this. James is a most gracious and humble man that truly loves his island and is proud to show it to you. He is very attentive to his guests and goes out of his way to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves...you'll see what I mean a little later on in this review. We made our way out of downtown and James explained to us that if wanted to do any shopping with the roadside vendors that he would give us a wink if the price was right. Our first stop was a view overlooking the bay where they filmed "Pirates of the Caribbean".

After a few photos we moved on to a banana plantation where James explained how each banana plant will only yield one bunch of bananas, why they put blue bags over the bunches (no, it's not because these are the boy bananas) and introduced us to banana ketchup.

As we made our way to the volcano, James picked us fresh bananas, bought some fresh Kasava Bread,

literally jumped to pick us some cashew nuts

 

 

(no wonder they are so expensive), bought us some hot baked bread then stopped for fresh cinnamon, cocoa and tried to find some red bananas for us to try. James explained to us why the Caribbean is called the Caribbean and introduced us to a gentleman called a Caribe. Remember this event because later on you'll see why we think James is such a gracious man. As we cruised along the road, James pointed out how we needed to be careful of scams and pointed to a man handling a snake. He explained how he goes out grabs the first snake he sees and holds his neck so tight the snake feels like it is being choked. He went on to explain how this is not safe for guests nor the snake. James introduced us to Patrick. Patrick is a nine foot long boa constrictor who is just a pussy cat. He'll hang around your neck, just relaxing and will bring his head up when you say "picture".

Continue...

[Krazy4Krusin]

James asked us to close our eyes and not to open them until he said to. Once he did, we caught our first glimpse of the Pitons. Breath taking...simply breath taking.

We arrived at the drive-in volcano (James paid for our admission) where we met our guide, Felipe. There was only seven of us in our group and we got a very nice tour of the volcano. Yes, the sulfur smell is strong, but after a while you tend not to notice it. There are some steep steps to get into and out of the volcano, but there are outlooks with benches for those that can't make it.

As we made our way out of the volcano, we saw what James had been talking about. There was a group of about 30-40 people straining to hear their guide explain the volcano and what they were looking at. We met back up with James and headed back down the road to our lunch stop. The road was very winding and my sister-in-law started to get car sick. No problem for James. He stopped along the way, picked some leaves, washed them, mashed them up and told her to eat them. A few minutes later, no car sickness and an educational experience. We arrived at La Haut for lunch which was a buffet provided by the hotel. There was salad with fresh onion dressing, fried green bananas, yucca, lentils, Caribbean chicken, Dorado fish, rice, fresh mango juice and passion fruit cake with ice cream. James had a cooler stocked full of drinks (he asked us if we had any special requests when we booked the tour with him), so we broke open a few Piton beers. My daughter had time to play in the garden while we got some great photos of the Pitons. We made our way back into town and stopped off at the bakery again where James bought us the bread. James stopped back by the old Caribe man we had met earlier and gave his wife the bread. It was a very touching moment to see how happy this lady was to receive just some bread and bestowed a blessing on James and us. We haggled with the roadside vendors for some necklaces and other trinkets and James helped us as he said he would. We arrived back at the port and said good bye to James, but not before snapping the mandatory picture with James.

This was one of the best tours we had ever taken. It is done at your pace and James will go out of his way to make sure you see what you want to see if you have any special requests. If you are ever in St. Lucia, be sure to catch up with James.

Next Up...St. Kitts

[Krazy4Krusin]

Day five of the cruise found us docked in St. Kitts where we had booked "The Tour" with Thenford Gray. Once again, we were met on the dock by Thenford himself and were soon boarding his air conditioned bus for a tour of St. Kitts. Thenford is a well educated man who has a vast understanding of the history of his island as well as its people, plants and sites. We rode through downtown and the port area getting a feel for the history of this island and why it was called the Gibraltar of the West. We made our way out to Romney Manor

and got an inside look at the Batik Factory and how they make their clothes. Thenford walked us through the gardens of Romney Manor pointing out several plants along the way.

He is a very personable tour guide offering multiple times to take pictures of families on his tour. Back on board his bus, we came to find out just how personal Thenford takes each of his guests. While we were waiting for the other couples to return, Thenford pulled out a two dollar bill and a twenty dollar bill to help explain to my 10 year old daughter the history of Romney Manor. He also went on to teach her a game Thenford played when he was little. Using a bud off a plant (I can't recall the name), Thenford opened it to expose the thistle. He challenged my daughter to a duel using the thistles and whoever's thistle broke was the loser and they would battle again until there weren't any thistles left.

Once everyone was back on board, we headed to Brimstone Hill Fortress. We received a brief orientation from the staff there and set out to explore the fort on our own. Now, I didn't find this out until we got back home, but my mother and father aren't able to walk long distances and couldn't make it up the steep incline to the main fort. Well, Thenford took it upon himself to load them into the bus and drive them to various sites around the fort. He explained what they were looking at and gave them a personal tour.

We finished our exploration of the fort and headed to the other side of the island to Timothy Hill. We got some great photo ops of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Some of the guests asked to be dropped off at the beach for some surf time and Thenford graciously agreed and told them he would pick them up in two hours. We finished the tour and had lunch in Piccadilly Square at a place called Ballahoo's that Thenford recommended. After our delicious meal, we headed back to the ship.

Next Up...St. Martin

[Krazy4Krusin]

Sadly, our final day had us pulling into St. Martin. We had booked a private tour with Joyce Prince. Joyce was a wonderful guide who loves her island. She is very attentive to her guests and does her best to make each trip special. We met Joyce right outside the port and after some quick introductions were off to explore her island.

As we headed out of the port, she explained the history of the island and wanted to let the girls do some shopping as the vendors are more willing to negotiate early in the morning than in the afternoon when we return. So, our first stop was at Rema's. The girls did their shopping, the guys relaxed outside and soon we were on our way again. We headed up to Guana Bay for some great photos and the required Guavaberry Smoothie (yum yum!). We crossed over into the French side of the island and Joyce explained the architectural differences and difference in government.

We stopped to do a little shopping on the French side, but we unimpressed with area. We made our way to the highlight of the tour...Maho Beach. Joyce timed our tour perfectly. The large commercial jets had just started to come in as we arrived. We watched a JetBlue and United plane land and watched a grown man get blown into the water from the jet wash of a 747.

All I can say is that there are some crazy people out there...especially those that hang on to the fence as the jets take-off. We hung out there for about 30-45 minutes before making our way back to the Dutch side of the island. We asked Joyce to recommend a place to eat lunch and she introduced us to the Harborside Restaurant. Finally, I had my curry goat and a cold beer!

Lunch was delicious and we left there completely stuffed. Joyce took us back to the port and we headed back to the ship. Joyce has a multitude of talents and offers a variety of tours. If you ever find yourself in St. Martin and are wondering what to do, be sure to call Joyce up. You won't be disappointed.

[Krazy4Krusin]

Alas, we're back in San Juan and in no hurry to get off the ship. Our flight didn't leave until 7:30 that evening and we had some more of San Juan to see. We headed up to Lido Deck for the usual breakfast and sat around as they started calling disembarkation numbers discussing the trip. Finally it was time for us to get off the ship and we made our way into the port. Finding our luggage was easy since we were in group 16, but didn't get off until they made the last call. I told you we were in no hurry. We gathered our luggage, made our way through customs with no problems and headed to find a taxi. Now, here's where one taxi (Plate #0455TT) tried to con us. We needed a lift to Barrachina Restaurant where we were going to store our luggage so we could finish touring San Juan before our flight. Well, the driver wanted to charge us $35 plus $1 a bag. We told him that the set rate was $19 for that zone. He agreed, but as he was loading our luggage he told his friend in Spanish that he was going to charge us $35 anyways. We told him in Spanish that wasn't the price we agreed on and he told us $21 plus $1 a bag. We pulled our luggage out of his van, told him we were going to report him and snagged another taxi who charged the correct price and received a healthy tip for his troubles. We stashed our luggage at Barrachina's (thank you Raphael!) and headed to the cathedral where mass was going on.

We saw the tomb of Ponce De Leon, said a few prayers and made our way to a local cigar shop. The cigars were just ok, but nothing special to write home about. The girls hit a few more shops and then we headed back to Barrachina's for lunch and a few Pina Coladas. It was pushing 3:00pm, so we headed to the airport. **Helpful Hint: Make sure you get your bags checked by the USDA scanner before getting in line**. Once you have your red sticker from them, you can check your luggage. We reminisced about the trip and waited for our flight. Now, boredom and mischievousness are a bad combination when traveling with us.

My poor father suffered the attack of the Del Sol nail polish. It goes on clear then changes to a bright PINK in the sunlight. So, needless to say, the next afternoon I got a nice little phone call from him. It's all out of love and an ending to a great family vacation.

[cojuqui]

Enjoying your review. I was on the same ship and came home to no computer as well. I have a laptop thought so I had no excuse taking this long to start my review. I just started posting today. But as I posted in mine, I didnt know how to get pictures in there so it took a while. I loved loved loved this trip. Cant say enough good things about everything. I look forward to reading the rest.

 

Connie

[Herfnerd]

Great review - loved the pictures!

 

Plan on hitting Royal Barbados Cigar shop - I enjoy cigars too, if you can't tell by my handle!

[acsfl]

We were on the same cruise as well! We had a great time. I don't know that I'm ever going to get caught up enough to do a review(I haven't even finished going through and editing the pics I took!).

[Coolcruise02]

Great review and pictures! Can't wait for more. :)

[Krazy4Krusin]

Great review - loved the pictures!

 

Plan on hitting Royal Barbados Cigar shop - I enjoy cigars too, if you can't tell by my handle!

 

I like that handle. The shop is in easy walking distance of where the ship docks. If you're facing the main building, their shop is behind it and to the right. You have to cross over a little bridge and they are upstairs. It was tricky finding them, but definitely worth it. The ladies there will give you a nice tour explaining all the steps they do.

 

Enjoy!

[erby2283]

I enjoyed your review. Took the same cruise in Nov and was my favorite to date!

[Krazy4Krusin]

We were on the same cruise as well! We had a great time. I don't know that I'm ever going to get caught up enough to do a review(I haven't even finished going through and editing the pics I took!).

 

 

They only reason I had time now was because I spent the last week (while waiting for the new computer) typing my review out in Microsoft Word and then cutting and pasting. :D

[vivavegas]

Great review! Love th story about your dad and the nail polish. Sounds like you had a fun time. Thanks for sharing!:)

[boaterette]

Loved the ending. Still laughing, Thank you.

[bullieowner]

Do you recall which ports have beaches close to the ship?

Loved your review. I just booked this cruise for January 2013

[Krazy4Krusin]

Do you recall which ports have beaches close to the ship?

Loved your review. I just booked this cruise for January 2013

 

Good question. In St. Thomas, Megan's Bay & Coki Beach are on the west side of the island. You'll need to take a taxi there. I don't know about Barbados since we had booked a catamaran tour and only saw the sights from the water. You'll definitely need to take a taxi or tour to get to the beaches as you are docked in the downtown area. St. Kitts has beaches near the port, but it is quite a walk to get there. St. Martin probably had the easiest beaches to get to. It's a 20-30 minute walk or a 5 minute cab ride to the downtown shopping area and the beach is right there. There are plenty of restaurants along the beach to fill your bellies and you can get some great photos of the ship docked.

 

If you want to get a tour of the island and some beach time, Godfrey (in St. Thomas), Thenford (in St. Kitts), James (in St. Lucia) and Joyce (in St. Martin have tours that include beach time.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Handsome58]

for your great review!! I go on her in several weeks and I can't wait! Thanks again!

[ComeSailWithME]

thanks for your review. I am curious about your tour of St Thomas. What time did it start & end? You mentioned shopping first at 9 am and then getting back to by 430.

 

How long were you at Megan's Bay? Did you walk to CA (if you were docked in Havensight)? If so, how long of a walk was it and were the sidewalk/streets stroller friendly?