Carnival imagination-carnival victory "back-to-back" review (pics) 4-12-2013

[valancy1]

 

 

 

[fofita01]

Debra, I have been slaving at work this past week, but just checked CC and saw you had posted the FunTimes. THANK YOU!!!!

 

Now time for me to pick up where I left off reading your review. Thanks for posting it and your beautiful pictures.

[jonniangel]

Looks like a couple of great cruises, glad you got the Platinum thing worked out...on to October! :D

[caro1998]

This is great! Thanks for posting!

[ATL2LAS]

Great review and photos:D

[valancy1]

So which ship (just boat, not itinerary) did you prefer and why?

 

Oh gosh, that's hard to pick one...

 

They both have features that I love.

 

As much as I *loved* the decor on Victory and it was a bigger ship, I really enjoyed being in our location on Imagination.

 

We were in a porthole room on Empress Deck. That is the deck we came aboard on, and we were so easily able to get to places without a lot of "upping and downing" on the stairs (we don't do the elevators a lot). For that, I guess I would say Imagination. (But the Victory is a beautiful ship and we loved sailing on it.)

 

Oh and Imagination's Serenity Deck on Deck 8, aft, was WONDERFUL. I liked it better than Victory's which was ALWAYS full and broken up between 2 different decks.

 

I hope that helps :)

[supermom788]

Thank you for posting the Victory fun times and for the great pictures.

[Mrsdeedee]

Loved your pics of Imagination!!!! I will be boarding this boat in 72 hours for a much needed girlfriends cruise and I cant wait!

[JaniceB]

Hi Debra, enjoyed your review! Glad they got the platinum status straight. Going on my 9th cruise the end of May, hopefully I will be platinum before the end of 2013.

 

Did you go to any show on either ship? How about the comedy?

[valancy1]

Hi Debra, enjoyed your review! Glad they got the platinum status straight. Going on my 9th cruise the end of May, hopefully I will be platinum before the end of 2013.

 

Did you go to any show on either ship? How about the comedy?

 

Thank you for asking that... yes, we went to the shows (not the comedy). VROOM and LIVING IN AMERICA were fantabulous. VROOM especially.

 

We didn't go to the Comedy clubs because (a) they timed them so we would have missed dinner; (b) if they were at a better time for late seating, it was "adult" and I don't like F bombs every other word (and that's the only difference, imvho between the "family" comedy and the "adult" comedy); and © it would have taken time away from LIFELINE which we LOVED. :)

 

And congrats on getting to Platinum. You're this close--book another one before the end of the year. We're on Freedom on October 5... wanna join us? :)

[valancy1]

Loved your pics of Imagination!!!! I will be boarding this boat in 72 hours for a much needed girlfriends cruise and I cant wait!

 

Mrs. Dee Dee... I loved Imagination. I would sail on her again (and might!). Make sure you check out Serenity. Deck 8 aft. What's really nice is right on Lido, Deck 9, Aft, you can sit outside in shady nooks and look down on Serenity. I loved it back there!

[JaniceB]

Looking at the Freedom but not unit November. It is hard to get DH to go anywhere from April - November. He likes the Chesapeake Bay area and when winter hits we can travel. Going on the Glory with a girlfriend for her 50th.

Edited April 30, 2013 by JaniceB

[valancy1]

Looking at the Freedom but not unit November. It is hard to get DH to go anywhere from April - November. He likes the Chesapeake Bay area and when winter hits we can travel. Going on the Glory with a girlfriend for her 50th.

 

We're neighbors. We live on the Eastern Shore :)

[lovestocruise19]

This is one of my favorite sugar-free desserts. I am always happy when they offer a sugar-free cake or something on the menu in the dining room...

 

GRAND TURK:

 

 

We have visited this island so many times, and every time we come into port, I am enthralled with the incredible colors of the water.

 

 

Carnival Liberty was in port with us:

 

 

Just down the way is Jack's Shack...it's just to the left of the iceberg toys in the water.

 

I didn't take pictures of the Islander (hard ginger beer) or the jerk chicken, but it's highly recommended. YUMMY.

 

If you go to Jack's, you can rent an umbrella (chairs are free), snorkel equipment, and run a tab for food and drink. It's a very laid-back place and when we return to Grand Turk in October, that's where we'll head again. Loved it.

 

I was on the Liberty that day! April 18, right?

[lovestocruise19]

Waterworks on Victory. It was heavily used this trip!

 

Look at all the EMPTY chairs being reserved by people who have no intention of using those chairs. I am all for being able to go in the pool, come out, go back, etc... but I saw people come, adjust their stuff so it looked different, and leave. ALL AFTERNOON. Why does Carnival have a posted policy and then NOT enforce it. Arrgh.

 

Liberty kept pace with us...

 

Serenity: Forward, Deck 11, 12

 

Pool was crowded:

 

I was on the Liberty! I was on the Behind the Fun tour and was on the bridge and someone asked Second Petty Officer Antonio why we were on one side of the Victory and then the other and he said "we're just playing." LOL! He also said we had to stay behind you guys because you guys were supposed to get into Miami a half an hour before us.

[lovestocruise19]

Thanks for the review! DH and I might go on the Victory next year with my sister and her husband. Then we might get off the Victory and go on a 7 day on the Conquest! The Victory gets back on a Saturday and the Conquest sails on a Sunday. Still considered a B2B, right? :)

 

Here is a picture of the Victory at night that I took! Not very good quality, but I loved looking at her all lit up!

 

[valancy1]

Thanks for the review! DH and I might go on the Victory next year with my sister and her husband. Then we might get off the Victory and go on a 7 day on the Conquest! The Victory gets back on a Saturday and the Conquest sails on a Sunday. Still considered a B2B, right? :)

 

Here is a picture of the Victory at night that I took! Not very good quality, but I loved looking at her all lit up!

 

 

Yes, we were there on the 18th! And as far as I'm concerned (whatever that equals, lol) it would be a b2b!!

 

We are thinking possibly of the Conquest next year. Never sailed her. We are "getting there" on the Conquest class ships, but still need Conquest and Glory. Freedom is this October.

[cruise_girl2002]

Great reviews! The victory has always been my favorite interior of any cruise I have been on. I LOVED it! I sailed on the victory in 2002 and to this day, I still remember entering in the atrium and seeing the green and under the sea feeling...love it

[kmc500]

I'm not arguing with you--actually I looked and it says "complete 10 cruises by December 2013". EVERYONE I have ever talked with that is Platinum says "the 10th cruise you are Platinum."

 

So now I am *really* confused.

 

Barry takes his 10th cruise in October; does this mean he won't be Platinum then until we cruise after that? (I am so confused)

 

You should have been Platinum at the start of your tenth cruise. We've found that the best thing to do is make sure everything is addressed before you sail; once you're on the ship nothing gets done or changed.

 

We just sailed a back to back on the Imagination 4/5. It was our 9th and 10th CCL cruise, and we were made Platinum on the first leg which was excellent. I did send an email to customer service before the cruise as both legs still showed Gold status; they addressed the issue from Miami and made us Platinum on both legs (free laundry both legs - woohoo).

 

Worked out great - we had a wonderful time.

 

Kevin C

[lovestocruise19]

Yes, we were there on the 18th! And as far as I'm concerned (whatever that equals, lol) it would be a b2b!!

 

We are thinking possibly of the Conquest next year. Never sailed her. We are "getting there" on the Conquest class ships, but still need Conquest and Glory. Freedom is this October.

 

I was on the Freedom in 2012! We are "getting there" on the Conquest class as well. We've been on Freedom and Liberty and in June we will be on Glory. Just Conquest and Valor to go! :)

[valancy1]

I was on the Freedom in 2012! We are "getting there" on the Conquest class as well. We've been on Freedom and Liberty and in June we will be on Glory. Just Conquest and Valor to go! :)

 

We've done Liberty, Valor, Valor, and now Freedom. Still have Glory and Conquest. :)

[cruiseclues]

Thanks for the great B2B photo review...and the Carnival Imagination Funtimes...and Carnival Victory Funtimes...Cabin Photos and Numbers...and Food Porn, too. :):):):)

[JaniceB]

We're neighbors. We live on the Eastern Shore :)

I saw that, so I figured you would understand about the Bay.

[KatieCharlotte]

Thanks for the photos and the Funtimes. I'm thinking about planning a four-day "girls' cruise" next winter on either the Imagination, Ecstasy, or Victory. The first two seem similar to the Sensation, which I was on a few years ago. Having been on a small and a very large ship, I liked the cozy feeling of a small ship but thought there weren't enough out of the way places to read a book, including hot tubs not filled with drunk people.

 

Would you recommend the Imagination or Victory? I'm not a big fan of buffets and love fresh sandwiches from the deli. Were there any differences in the lunch offerings on Imagination versus Victory? What about the evening deck parties?

[valancy1]

Thanks for the photos and the Funtimes. I'm thinking about planning a four-day "girls' cruise" next winter on either the Imagination, Ecstasy, or Victory. The first two seem similar to the Sensation, which I was on a few years ago. Having been on a small and a very large ship, I liked the cozy feeling of a small ship but thought there weren't enough out of the way places to read a book, including hot tubs not filled with drunk people.

 

Would you recommend the Imagination or Victory? I'm not a big fan of buffets and love fresh sandwiches from the deli. Were there any differences in the lunch offerings on Imagination versus Victory? What about the evening deck parties?

 

Katie, based on what you're looking for, I would definitely recommend Victory. I loved Imagination, so please don't think there was anything wrong with this cruise because we flat out loved it. But based on your comments on wanting quiet places to tuck away, that says "Victory" to me.

 

The Victory has the Promenade, a lovely library, and many places on the Main deck in the atrium for sitting. There are many hot tubs, too... some in the back, some at the main pool and some up on Serenity in the fore of the ship.

 

I hope this helps. We actually loved our Imagination cruise. We loved the proximity of everything, but we did notice that we were "missing" our promenade experience where there are lots of nooks and crannies to sit. Not to say that they don't exist on Imagination... they are just fewer and farther between.