4/30/05 Carnival Triumph Review

[ladycaveat]

Hi ya all . . . this will be the first time I have ever written a review of one of my cruises so please be kind. A little background . . . I’m a fifty-eight-year-old divorced “lady” that just returned from my sixth cruise (second traveling solo). It is also my first cruise on Carnival and I was on Triumph’s April 30th sailing of the Western Caribbean. In a brief nutshell . . . would I cruise Carnival again? You bet I would!

 

I flew into Fort Lauderdale on April 28th and got to spend a couple days with my son before leaving Miami. Though I had been based in Miami during the early 70's (flight attendant) . . . so much has changed and having my own personal tour guide was fantastic. Not to mention having someone pick me up in Fort Lauderdale . . . take me to the Port in Miami . . . pick me up a week later . . . spend another day sightseeing and then having someone take me to the airport in Fort Lauderdale. I mean having a kid that lives in South Beach sure does have it’s perks. Tee Hee!

 

Embarkation . . . in a word . . . it was horrible! It was chaotic! Got to the Port around eleven . . . checked my two bags and then stood out in the hot sun for about thirty minutes. Finally got inside only to stand in another line for another thirty minutes. Then another line for . . . well, you get the picture. It was one long line after another and didn’t get on the ship until nearly one. Those I talked to that got to the Port later in the afternoon didn’t have to wait nearly as long. I know that Miami is one of the busiest Ports but you’d think that because of that . . . they would have a better way to board passengers. On my last cruise a year and a half ago (and I’m sorry to compare but . . . . ) - that cruise was out of Baltimore and I was on the ship in less than thirty minutes.

 

First Impression of Triumph . . . oh my goodness . . . the ship is huge! It’s beautiful and was not what I was expecting. I’d read so many things about how . . . for lack of a better word . . . “gaudy” the Triumph was . . . full of neon and flashing lights. It was not like that at all . . . it really was beautiful. Yes, there were areas that were full of Las Vegas style decor but no more so than any other ship I’ve been on (such as in the casino). I liked Triumph’s decor! The ship’s layout, however, was really lacking. There was only one deck (other than those that had nothing but cabins) that went from front to back (the Promenade on Deck 5). Were you on any other deck, you either had to go up or down in order to get from front to back. I’m sure this was because there were so many decks with balcony cabins. All I can say is forget about your Stairmaster . . . you can get the same workout just walking around the ship.

 

Cabin . . . I was in 2444 which was an outside cabin on the Main Deck. For someone traveling alone and having to pay that dreaded double supplement . . . this cabin was sheer Heaven! It was the same price as an inside cabin and it had two big windows which looked out on that great big blue ocean! There are only two of these cabins on the Triumph and I can’t recommend it enough. If you want this cabin . . . you have to book early (I booked it eight months in advance). It does have a second bed that comes out of the ceiling but when one travels alone . . . it stays in the ceiling. <G> This cabin was twice as big as the one I had on my last cruise (Celebrity’s Galaxy) and it was an outside cabin!!!!! My cabin steward was darling . . . I can’t remember his name (fact is, I was never able to pronounce it). He made the cutest little towel animals. Something I found “different” on Carnival than on any other cruise line I’ve been on . . . the cabin attendant is only “on duty” between seven and noon and five to ten. At other times, if one needed anything, you had to call the Purser’s office. On other cruise lines . . . your cabin attendant (or someone working with your steward/stewardess) was on call 24/7. There were only two times that this was a problem for me. The first time, I had used my beach towel on a shore excursion and it was wet. I wanted another one to use by the pool on the ship after returning from my shore excursion. Because it was my steward’s “off time” . . . I called the Purser and it took nearly an hour to get a dry towel. The second time . . . was on the next to last day of the cruise. I had left a cigarette in the ash tray and stepped outside my cabin for a minute to talk to someone . . . the door accidently closed (locked). My S&S card was inside the cabin. I went upstairs to call someone to let me back in. I said that I had a cigarette burning in the ashtray and was worried about it falling out. Because fire is one of the biggest concerns on a cruise ship . . . I thought someone would be there in a minute or two. Wrong . . . three phone calls and more than twenty minutes of pacing in front of my cabin . . . someone finally came. Thank Heavens the cigarette didn’t fall out of the ashtray but it did teach me something. No more smoking in my cabin! But . . . I still don’t understand why a cabin attendant wasn’t available.

 

Food and Dining . . . oh dear . . . what can I say? I know my dear old granny used to say . . . “if you can’t say anything nice - don’t say anything at all” . . . but, this is a review and I promised myself to be totally honest. First . . . the dining areas. My assigned dining room was the Paris Restaurant (8:00 p.m. seating) and it was very nice. My table was right by the window in the back and even though you couldn’t see anything out that window, it was nice. Triumph did a nice job of pairing dinner companions . . . I was seated with three single women and four single men. Though they were all about twenty years younger . . . there was never a lapse in conversation. We had a great time at dinner and joined each other during the day when we happened to run into each other (especially by the pool and in the casino). Some of the male and female waiters got on tables every night and danced . . . though we only got to see them from the back . . . it was fun to listen and watch (I did go to the front a couple of times for pictures). Food in the Paris Dining Room was okay but nothing special. Their pumpkin soup was excellent but unfortunately, the lobster was tough, the prime rib was full of fat and most other entrees were really not that good. Sorry . . . just my impression and I promised myself to be honest.

 

The South Beach buffet was convenient when using the pool . . . as was the New York Deli, the Hong Kong Noodle Company and the hamburger place. Unfortunately, what was offered at the buffet was not very good (for both breakfast and lunch). I did eat in the main dining room for breakfast twice and aside from meeting some really nice people, it was no better than the buffet on the Lido Deck. All in all . . . I was disappointed in the food offered in the main dining room and the buffet. Having said that, the New York Deli was excellent! Their sandwiches were without a doubt the best I have ever had. Never ate at the Noodle Company but did have a cheeseburger and it was really good. Desserts? Really didn’t eat much except for the frozen ice cream with was offered twenty-four hours a day and it was yummy. Oh, and lots of fresh fruit which was very good.

 

Pools . . . very tiny but about average for cruise ships. Unlike other cruises . . . I actually had no problem finding a chair . . . even close to one of the two pools. On my last cruise with Celebrity, it was a BIG problem. On that cruise, I would go out around nine in the morning and without a doubt . . . there was one person there saving an entire row of chairs. Because I was sailing solo, I would just drag a chair from the back to an area closer to the pool. But it was still a pain. On this cruise, I never got to the pool until after breakfast (around nine or ten) and always found a chair. Slide? Haven’t a clue whether or not it was open. Never saw anyone using it but then . . . really didn’t pay that much attention. Hot Tub? Never used one of them so really can’t comment. All in all . . . sitting by the pool on Carnival was sheer Heaven!

 

Entertainment . . . I know not many cared for our Cruise Director, Chris Jefferson. Aside from the fact he should have been called Sales Director . . . he really wasn’t that bad. Some of his one liners were actually pretty funny. As others have already mentioned . . . there were some events listed in the Capers that never happened. For me . . . the entertainment was just fine. I really enjoyed the two Vegas-type shows. The only other evening show I attended was the Passenger Talent contest and it was a hoot! During the day . . . I just wanted to sit by the pool on sea days and go on excursions in Port. So . . . the “hairy chest contest” and all the other “events” weren’t something I was interested in. Played bingo once and decided that the $20.00 paid for the card (three in one card . . . one bingo) was more than I wanted to pay to play. Had more fun in the casino where $20.00 got me five blackjack plays. Loved the casino . . . was up and then down and then up again. All in all . . . I just about broke even.

 

Personally, I think Carnival (and probably all cruise lines) should lighten up on the sales talks (I mean not everyone that cruises is interested in buying diamonds, tansanite or however you spell it, watches and all sorts of “stuff” available in Ports). I felt like every “talk” given was about how and where to spend money. Thought I never went to any of the “talks” . . . I did watch them on TV while getting ready for dinner in the evening. About ten percent was about the Port/Island we would be visiting with ninety percent of the talk about what to buy.

 

Excursions . . . all of my excursions were booked independently and all were great.

Cozumel . . . sea lion swim booked with Cozumel Insider was really nice but not as nice as the dolphin swim I did a year and a half ago. But . . . I would highly recommend both.

Grand Cayman . . . stingray city and snorkeling with Nativeway was fantastic! So sad to see the damage done by the hurricane . . . will take years for them to rebuild.

Jamaica . . . Phil Laffette’s tour (know I spelled that wrong) was really nice . . . got to see a lot of the island and Phil was soooo friendly . . . “no problem mo . . . you sit back and enjoy and Phil will show you Jamaica.”

 

Debarkation . . . just about as bad as Embarkation! Ship docked at 4:30 a.m. and by 10:30 a.m. we were still waiting to get off the ship. This was my first cruise out of Miami and if this is what getting on and off a cruise ship is like . . . it’s my last out of Miami’s Port.

 

I would say on a scale of one to ten . . . my cruise on Carnival’s Triumph would be an eight. Would I take another Carnival cruise . . . yeap!

[lushessjes]

I was also on this cruise and just wanted to add my two cents about a couple things mentioned...

 

I also had no problem findings chairs. I needed two and never had a problem, even when we didn't make it up to the deck until noon. And the slide was open and I personally went down it and it was fabulous!

 

I agree that embarkation took a little longer than I expected, had about the same experience. However, we opted for self-debarkation even though we had a 2:15 flight out of FLL. It was mostly just that we knew we were capable or carrying our bags ourselves and just wanted to beat the rush. There was a bit of a line to get to the immigration desks, but I'd say the whole thing took only 20 minutes and we were on our way to the airport by 9 am.

 

I enjoyed all my food, but it was my first cruise and really can't compare. I also fell in love with cruise director Chris and the other host staff and thought they were great. Went to tons of the shows and thought they were great. Also played some of the games, both in the Rome lounge and out on the Lido deck. I had a great time and everyone participating was there to have fun which made all of it worthwhile. I even came home with a "ship on a stick" and a bottle of champagne that I won!

 

Personally, I am missing my cruise life horribly right now...

[BettyB2]

Thanks for your review! I hope the food situation isnt the same when we sail in December......on the Conquest I loved pretty much everything I ate (my brother is a French sous chef at a five star) and he was quite impressed with the photos we brought home....

[ladycaveat]

I was also on this cruise and just wanted to add my two cents about a couple things mentioned...

 

I also had no problem findings chairs. I needed two and never had a problem, even when we didn't make it up to the deck until noon. And the slide was open and I personally went down it and it was fabulous!

 

I agree that embarkation took a little longer than I expected, had about the same experience. However, we opted for self-debarkation even though we had a 2:15 flight out of FLL. It was mostly just that we knew we were capable or carrying our bags ourselves and just wanted to beat the rush. There was a bit of a line to get to the immigration desks, but I'd say the whole thing took only 20 minutes and we were on our way to the airport by 9 am.

 

I enjoyed all my food, but it was my first cruise and really can't compare. I also fell in love with cruise director Chris and the other host staff and thought they were great. Went to tons of the shows and thought they were great. Also played some of the games, both in the Rome lounge and out on the Lido deck. I had a great time and everyone participating was there to have fun which made all of it worthwhile. I even came home with a "ship on a stick" and a bottle of champagne that I won!

 

Personally, I am missing my cruise life horribly right now...

 

Lushessjes . . . can you believe that it's only been four days since we left the Triumph? I too am missing the cruise life and want to go back!!!! :(

[cruisingator2]

Great review. I think that the Triumph is one of Carnival's best looking ships interior wise but the layout leaves a lot to be desired.

 

Debarkation in Miami seems to be bad for everyone. In December it took forever for RCI to get the Navigator cleared. I think most has to do with the folks running the port down there and not the cruise lines.

 

Again thanks for the review.

[ladycaveat]

Great review. I think that the Triumph is one of Carnival's best looking ships interior wise but the layout leaves a lot to be desired.

 

Debarkation in Miami seems to be bad for everyone. In December it took forever for RCI to get the Navigator cleared. I think most has to do with the folks running the port down there and not the cruise lines.

 

Again thanks for the review.

 

Oh, it is definately the people that run the Port and not the individual cruise lines. I've heard the same complaint from passengers on every cruise line that sails from Miami. It's such a shame . . . you'd think that after all these years they would come up with a better way to load and unload passengers. :(

[JudiinMt]

I think the debarkation was worse than usual the day we returned. The day we left we were onboard having lunch at noon the day we returned we had just found our luggage at noon. We've sailed many times out of Miami and it is not usually that bad. I have to agree that even with the "issues" I'd rather be back on board.

[LizaMM]

:D Great review! Thanks for sharing!

 

Personally....I don't mind the layout of the Triumph. I have sailed the Triumph 2 times and Destiny (sister ship) once. I found that I settled into a "pattern" and was able to incorporate visits to different venues during my walk :D Always left the cabin for dinner at least a half an hour early so i could pick a place to stop and "hang" for example...However, I like to walk a lot when I am cruising. Very rarely do I take an elevator and much prefer the stairs. I figure I need to walk off the extra food and mostly the extra beverage. Additionally, as a solo cruiser (even when I travel with my kids I AM the solo adult and they are off durng many hours with newly found friends) I find that walking around the ship and wandering into different places is very enjoyable as I get more opportunities to meet people.

 

 

Sorry to hear that your food experience was not the greatest. I have to agree about the prime rib. It was very fatty on my sailing as well. The plus for me is that I like it that way! But I DID order the alternative steak (not listed on the menu but there for the asking) usually a strip but to my surprise and benefit it was Filet Mignon (!!!) on the second formal night.

 

Thanks again for your review! Brings back memories for me