Victory x 2....a b2b review! (with an obscene number of pictures...just sayin')

[summercruisin']

DD really liked these guys

 

 

striking a pose...

 

 

If you get back on board well before leaving time, the lines aren't long at all. We didn't want to miss our last dinner as a family of four in the dining room....

 

 

We got back in our room around 7:30, and we were all in desperate need for a shower, so I went to the spa to shower while DH used our cabin shower. You may not be aware, but the spa has showers that are pretty decent...nice size, nice rain-shower type showerhead. So, if you don't want to fight over who gets to shower first in cabin, it is an option. I toted my nice fluffy robe right on up there.

 

While the kids showered, I got a pretty shot of the sun setting...

 

[summercruisin']

I didn't get many pictures of dinner that night. Service was a little slower than before (but still good, and our dinners were hot...that's what matters. We don't mind taking our time through dinner). I did get a picture of my cured salmon

 

 

DD's fried chicken (looked a little overcooked)

 

 

and DS's salmon from the everyday menu (he really likes it)

 

 

Other than those, DH had the navy bean soup and the jerk pork loin. I think I just had the shrimp appetizer (fried) and a caesar salad that night, instead of ordering a main course. Nothing really appealed to me on the menu. For dessert, we all had warm chocolate melting cake (yum!).

 

After dinner this night, the waiters danced, and our head waiter caused quite the frenzy. He got up on that stage-like thing that juts out over the second floor, climbed up on the wall a little, took off his vest and swirled it around, and shook his bootie like no tomorrow. It was so funny, because he usually was so straight-faced and serious (yet friendly). It totally seemed out of character (until we got to know him a little better). Lots of fun. Gede, our asst. waiter, took DD to the little stage again and danced with her.

 

We went back to the room eager to see what surprises awaited us this evening and found our free drink coupons (about time! :rolleyes:) and our special pins for being platinum and gold VIP members

 

 

We were treated that night to the beautiful "super moon" over Mexico

 

Edited July 22, 2013 by summercruisin'

[2 cruzen]

I think it is great that Carnival has a special needs department and alternate muster drills. I should have thought of that since I work with special needs kids and that would be part of ADA but it's good to be reminded. Good of you to include that information in your review.

 

Really enjoying your review. Can't wait to be platinum and/or be able to do a b2b.

[bocephus134]

I have heard that the lines on the lido deck for breakfast and lunch are awful. Did you find that to be the case?

 

 

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[summercruisin']

I have heard that the lines on the lido deck for breakfast and lunch are awful. Did you find that to be the case?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Yes. It wasn't so bad at the very beginning, but as the week went on, it got terrible. The second cruise seemed much more crowded than the first, too, so it was really bad then. As you will discover when I talk about the Chef's Table, the chef complained about the design of the buffet line on this class of ships...very poor.

[summercruisin']

I think it is great that Carnival has a special needs department and alternate muster drills. I should have thought of that since I work with special needs kids and that would be part of ADA but it's good to be reminded. Good of you to include that information in your review.

 

Really enjoying your review. Can't wait to be platinum and/or be able to do a b2b.

 

I agree! After the experience we had on the Dream with DS in the regular muster drill (and the aftermath), we are SO thankful they have come up with alternates! I do think there still needs to be a little sensitivity training. I will never think it's okay to ask "what's wrong with your kid?" But I give Carnival two big ol' thumbs up for trying to accommodate our kids, and I understand the limitations in spreading complete understanding and empathy.

 

I never thought I'd get to do a b2b. It was great :D. I hope you get to experience it one day if you are like me and it matters :)

[Babyblue]

First let me say I am so sorry for the loss of your father. I bet he was a very special man from the way you spoke of him.

I have lost both my parents and know the loss and emptiness their absence creates .

Secondly I must say I love the style and writing your review is done in. Very interesting and impressive.

I will be on my first B2B also on the Victory in October and am so excited. Luckily we also have the same cabin for both legs.

Thank you for your service as a teacher it is such a hard job but such an important one!!!

It sounds like you have and are raising two wonderful children.

Again thank you for posting your review. I love to read reviews especially ones for ships I have yet to sail on.

Your father I am sure is very proud of you and is watching over you all.

Thank you again

Karen

[wrigley80]

Great review....I love your pictures of Key West....my favorite port of call

[summercruisin']

Sorry to hear that your father passed away in Feb. I lost my dad in January of this year. Very difficult. I also have a son on Autism Spectrum (PDD-NOS), now aged 27.

 

I hope you had a wonderful cruise(s) and also hope you have many, many more. Will be looking forward to the rest of the review.:)

 

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss as well :(. And thanks for sharing about your son...care to offer advice on how to make sure mine makes it to 27? (pretty please??? :o) Sometimes I wonder how in the world we are going to do it!

[summercruisin']

First let me say I am so sorry for the loss of your father. I bet he was a very special man from the way you spoke of him.

I have lost both my parents and know the loss and emptiness their absence creates .

Secondly I must say I love the style and writing your review is done in. Very interesting and impressive.

I will be on my first B2B also on the Victory in October and am so excited. Luckily we also have the same cabin for both legs.

Thank you for your service as a teacher it is such a hard job but such an important one!!!

It sounds like you have and are raising two wonderful children.

Again thank you for posting your review. I love to read reviews especially ones for ships I have yet to sail on.

Your father I am sure is very proud of you and is watching over you all.

Thank you again

Karen

 

Oh....this almost made me cry. Thank you so much, Karen.

[summercruisin']

Great review....I love your pictures of Key West....my favorite port of call

 

Thanks! I really like Key West as well. I'm looking forward to driving those long bridges one day and hanging out there for more than a few hours! When we bought our vacation house in Florida, someone asked me if we were going to retire there, but I told them it is too close to Disney...if I get to retire in Florida, it will be in the Keys (of course, doing a simple house search told me that probably won't happen....will never afford that on a teachers' salary!)

[New2Cruising24]

Yay! Glad to share and help another family living with ASDs.

 

For the past two years' date=' I've emailed them at specialneeds@carnival.com. Here is what I wrote last time (cut and pasted)

 

"My family is traveling on back-to-back cruises on the Carnival Victory, departing on June 20, 2013 and June 24, 2013 (booking #s ----- and -----). Our 11-year-old son has high functioning autism, sensory integration disorder, and generalized anxiety. We understand that there may be some accommodations made to help him (and us) enjoy our cruise as much as possible. Our son is very high functioning and would only need accommodations in a few particular instances.

 

Our biggest concerns are with the muster drills, especially if there is any stressor that may trigger his anxiety. Any time he is in close proximity with people he doesn't know, especially if there are sensory challenges (smells, lots of noise or perceived chaos, harsh lighting, extreme temperatures, people touching him - especially people taller than him), he may have a difficult time reacting appropriately. Are there any arrangements that can be made to help him with these moments? We have cruised as a family before with Carnival, and he has been allowed an alternate safety drill in the past.

 

Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer."

 

Both times I tried it, I got a pretty quick response with very clear directions. The first time I wrote (last year), I also asked about priority boarding should DS act up in line. They said it was fine and directed me to see the special guest services people after going through security. However, we tried to do that and were directed to wait until after boarding to do so. When we went to guest services, they seemed to know nothing about autism and only agreed to the special muster drill. It all worked out, thankfully, and since we are now platinum, I didn't even ask this time.

 

I also (last time) asked for a table in a quiet area (not by the kitchen door or in the middle of the walkways) just for our family so DS wouldn't have to sit with strangers at the table (mostly so I wouldn't have to be embarrassed IF he chose to misbehave. He usually behaves exceptionally at dinner, thank God, but as you probably know, it only takes one time for people who don't understand to judge you as a parent very harshly). This time I didn't make that same request for a number of reasons. One was I knew the rest of our family was going to join us after just 4 days; another was that last year's cruise really was a turning point for DS. He did so very well, and I truly believe it changed his entire life in some ways. So, I decided to leave our dining arrangements to fate, and it worked out well. But, depending on your LO's age, tolerance level, etc., you may consider asking for a table just for your family and away from high traffic areas.

 

Carnival seems to do pretty well with helping our kids with special needs, but they still have a way to go. For example, when we showed up at guest services last year, they already had his name on a list and knew his area of disability BUT they did not know much about it. And this year, they did NOT have his name on the list for our first cruise (but they did for the second), and even worse, when I found the person in charge of our muster area (as directed) to explain that we were told to see him to be led to the alternate area, he asked "what's wrong with your son?" Not cool, Carnival guy, not cool.

 

Camp Carnival will want to know about any accommodations your DS may need, as well. If he goes to CC, they will give you a cell phone to use to contact them (or vice versa) as needed. The cool thing about this is that our DS could also call the cell phone from anywhere on the ship. So, he was able to walk around a bit, and if he needed anything, he could pick up one of the phones by the elevators and give us a call. Very convenient.

 

Best of luck on your cruise! I know y'all will enjoy it!

 

Summercruisin' thank you so much for your response and for sharing your tips with me. This will be DS 4th cruise, and hopefully his best yet. I sent an email (thanks for the ideas) and I am looking foward to a positive response.

 

For dining we do ATD so that we can ask for a table all to ourselves. You can request the same wait staff in ATD/YTD - we have done this when our first night's servers were particularly wonderful with our DS.

 

I'm glad your DS enjoys CC, my DS only requested to go one night and it did not go well. He said he never wants to go back again, but who knows...maybe he will try again this time. This time I will be asking about that phone (thanks again for the great tip).

 

Sorry for my long winded comment, but I am so grateful for your advice and suggestions. Thanks again!

 

PS - my DS also loses it when they sing "jet plane", poor little guy (but we all kind of feel that way, don't we?!)

[summercruisin']

Summercruisin' thank you so much for your response and for sharing your tips with me. This will be DS 4th cruise, and hopefully his best yet. I sent an email (thanks for the ideas) and I am looking foward to a positive response.

 

For dining we do ATD so that we can ask for a table all to ourselves. You can request the same wait staff in ATD/YTD - we have done this when our first night's servers were particularly wonderful with our DS.

 

I'm glad your DS enjoys CC, my DS only requested to go one night and it did not go well. He said he never wants to go back again, but who knows...maybe he will try again this time. This time I will be asking about that phone (thanks again for the great tip).

 

Sorry for my long winded comment, but I am so grateful for your advice and suggestions. Thanks again!

 

PS - my DS also loses it when they sing "jet plane", poor little guy (but we all kind of feel that way, don't we?!)

 

I am so glad to share! DS's Legend cruise really changed things for us. He was 10 (turned 11 on the trip), and I guess it was a good age for building a little confidence by letting him explore a little and other things.

 

Like yours, mine does not like CC either :D. I registered him on the Legend cruise and took him the first day (we went as they were starting the scavenger hunt, thinking he would like that and it would be a good opportunity to make friends by joining a team...but he had already memorized the map of the ship and was frustrated that his team members couldn't keep up b/c they had to check their maps :p). We got the cell phone when we dropped him off, but he gave up on the scavenger hunt after about 10 minutes and never went back to CC. We kept the cell phone throughout the cruise anyway (because our DD used to have severe food allergies and does like CC) and turned it in at the end of the trip. This time we didn't even register him. We knew he wouldn't go.

 

I hope you and your family have a great time! :)

[khaide612]

Such a great review!! Keep em coming!

[4hunters]

Such a great review!! Keep em coming!

 

Ditto what khaide said! Fantastic review - please keep it coming! Thanks for taking the time to put it all together. :)

[shoppingfever]

My addiction to your reviews is pushing me to beg for more!

[purplekisses]

Waiting for more, especially the second cruise. We will be on the Victory in Dec doing the 2nd half of you trip.

[Jenny in TX]

I am so sorry for the loss of your Dad. I am sure you missed him tremendously on this trip, but I know that he was smiling down on your family knowing that you were enjoying yourselves.

 

I am really enjoying your review....thanks for sharing!

[mzthaij]

My addiction to your reviews is pushing me to beg for more!

 

agreed!!

 

 

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[ginny75]

Me to! I leave in 17 days! For my b2b2b2b!

[sjn911]

So enjoying your dear family and review. My folks had ..well dad a pacemaker and mom a pacemaker and defibrulator last summer at this time within 48 hrs of each other..but mom had a second life flight and did not make it and passed 8/2/12. Mom was only sick for a month and dad had this inbetween her last stressful shocker month and what a trooper..an awesome tough cowboy. My heart goes out to you 100% and am so glad you are keeping on..no matter what a family's issues are..if we can possibly keep growing and getting closer through these losses i think it is so beautiful for both here and our loved ones beyond, we just got back from a family wedding we made a 5 day trip together very well together... And in August will go to a summer place together through the month....Kudos to you and yours and thanks for sharing the joy and the sad...your photos and review and trip sounds just great and God bless and prayers to you and yours..here and beyond..it is such a big journey this life..much love, Sarah

 

A great back to back..so pretty you are and your family and the ship and pots and ocean..God bless our ocean and the beach...sarah

Edited July 28, 2013 by sjn911

[wmowan8485]

Loving your review as I have the same itinerary on the Victory in 16 days!!

Thanks again for sharing!

[lollylew]

Really enjoying your review! I like it when people post lots of pictures because when I read a review of a ship I will be on, I would really like to see pictures!!

 

Just upgraded to a balcony and I am sooo excited! First time and I can't wait to be able to see the beautiful sunrises and sunsets while on it :D

 

Can't wait to read the other half of your b2b :)

[summercruisin']

My apologies for disappearing. I have a very fickle computer that decides for itself when it chooses to work (or not). For a week now it has refused to come on. :mad: It does this...and in a few days it will probably work again. If not, I know one person who will be taking advantage of the tax-free weekend in a big way!!

 

I have my ipad, but it's no fun to type a review on that. I may have to, though, as I'm eager to keep reliving my trip!

 

I will be back at it soon.

[MarkAndSandy]

I agree on the bamboo sheets. They are amazing! I bought some from Cariloha (in Grand Cayman) as well and love them. I was worried about them wearing out too soon so I went to a store here in Charlotte, NC, Tuesday Morning, and found some. They are just as wonderful and under $75 for king size. So if you have one near you, check them out.

 

Been wanting to check some out. Thanks for the info! (Mooresville, NC)