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

[kyo413]

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' date=' 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.[/quote']

 

Can't wait! Been enjoying it all so far- your writing, the pictures, everything! We are doing our first B2B on her Oct 19-28 (during which I go Platinum!). Never been on Victory, or the rest of this class.

 

Thanks for such a wonderful review so far!

[summercruisin']

I'm back! Thank goodness for the tax free weekend...new computer at a bargain :D

 

I had to spend a bit of time reloading my pictures and videos and reading back what I had written already. Strange, it seems like that trip was so long ago, I'm forgetting the details. Hopefully, looking at all the pictures and paperwork will help. Looks like I left off with the night we were leaving Cozumel, but I forgot a few things. Ok, here we go...

 

At some point around this time (I think on the day we were in Key West, maybe?), the Miami Heat apparently won the NBA championship (sorry, I don't watch sports often). We were hearing bits and pieces about a celebratory parade, and I spent just a few minutes online before going into Cozumel to check my email and make sure all was okay at home. I only had about 5 minutes to spend, as it was right before my massage appointment. Anyway, in those few minutes, I found out there had been a shooting at the Walmart in my hometown :eek:. I also got an email from Carnival regarding my next cruise (as if I weren't already onboard :rolleyes:).

 

The email said that there was indeed a parade scheduled mid-day on debarkation/embarkation day. It warned us that no traffic would be allowed near the port after 11 am, so we should plan to arrive before 10:30 or after 2. That was the first indication that our return to Miami and the rest of our family's arrival was going to be a mess. Why in the world Miami decided to schedule a parade on a Monday while there were ships in port is beyond me, but whatever. I sent my sister a quick message telling her about it and got offline with plans to get more details on both the parade and the shooting when I could, which happened to be the next day during our day at sea :)

 

We slept in on our day at sea. When we got up and going (around 9:45 or so), breakfast was still on the buffet, and the line wasn't bad at all...

 

 

You can see the bacon handlers were working hard!

 

Whenever we ate in the Mediterranean Lido restaurant (every morning, most lunches), we usually sat in the same spot on the upper part of the restaurant. It was never crowded up there, even when the lower section was completely packed. In fact, this is what it usually looked like.

 

 

So, if you have your hands full of buffet food and can't find a place to sit, go on up the stairs by the desserts, and you should find plenty of room!

Edited August 3, 2013 by summercruisin'

[summercruisin']

"Our" spot was right beside the stairs.

 

 

Looking around the restaurant from up high...

 

 

and from below (these are the stairs that take you up to the better seating)

 

 

The fresh fruit was starting to look a little scarce by this time...

 

 

but there was plenty of food!

Edited August 3, 2013 by summercruisin'

[summercruisin']

After breakfast, we got a picture of DD with the famous "biting" seahorses :eek:. There are seahorses everywhere on the Victory, and these at the end of the stair rails on each floor have a tendency to get you if you get too close!

 

 

Vicious little buggers!

 

DD wanted to go to CC for the Find Freddy supervised search of the ship, which was scheduled in the morning, so off we went to take her for that. She enjoyed it very much, and it seemed like a perfect activity for kids her age.

 

I found these pictures near CC, and I found them to be interesting, first because of the Christian reference and second because it was the ark.

 

 

 

With DD in place, DS went exploring again, DH rested lazily :D, and I headed for my balcony...

 

[summercruisin']

I could just-barely-kinda-sorta see Cuba in the distance...

 

 

Just before going to pick up DD for lunch, I went to the Internet Cafe to try to get more information about the shooting (nobody was killed, thank goodness!) and to check to see if my sister responded to my message about the parade (nope). I chose to go the the Internet Cafe because the Internet was INCREDIBLY slow on my IPad out on the balcony, so I was hoping it would be a little faster on Carnival's computers. It was not. In fact, it was so slow that the Carnival employee that was in the cafe (thankfully!) gave me a refund for the minutes I "used" looking at blank pages. Interestingly, while I was there, someone was cleaning the decks above the Internet Cafe (according to the same employee), and that was causing a waterfall in the Cafe :eek:. I have to say (and I'm usually a Carnival "cheerleader" of sorts), that I had an odd sense of "so THAT'S how sewer water runs down the walls when there is a problem...

[summercruisin']

We decided to go have lunch in the main dining room, since we had free drink coupons for being past cruisers :D. It has been mentioned here many times, it is awesome to get one of those free drink coupons, not awesome that they are only good for brunch or lunch :mad:.

 

We sat very close to a mermaid...

 

 

and THAT would lead to a little explaining for some families, I'm sure.

 

You can see in the background that apparently hats are allowed in the main dining room for lunch. You DID notice that, right?? :rolleyes:

 

Lunch was really good. I had the pan fried fillet of Idaho rainbow trout almondine. If you ever get the chance to try it, I wholeheartedly recommend it. Absolutely delicious. DH and DS had burgers. DD couldn't find anything she wanted, so we asked our wait staff if it would be possible to get her some grapes and strawberries. They said "no," much to her dismay :(. Remember that, though...it will come up again later!

[summercruisin']

After lunch, DD wanted to go back to CC because they were having the magic show in the afternoon, followed by towel folding and t-shirt coloring. We found the CC kids in the Irish Seas Lounge...speaking of, it seemed like this age group of CC moved around the ship an awful lot. They held a lot of their activities in the Arctic Night Club, some in Club O2, some on the Lido stage, some in the Irish Seas Lounge, and so on. I don't know if it is because the space in CC is limited or if there is some other reason. Nonetheless the CC staff seemed very attentive and happy to see the kids wherever they were, so it worked out.

 

We got to the lounge just as the magician was starting his show. No sooner than I got DD checked in, she was volunteering to go "onstage" with the magician for his first trick, so lucky me, I got to watch her from outside the lounge...

 

 

I caught it on video, but I was so wrapped up in watching her enjoy herself, that I didn't realize I was filming with my video camera turned sideways :rolleyes:. Oh, well. She had fun.

 

With an hour or two to spare, I tried again to get online (no luck) and then explored the ship a little with DS. There were several things going on around the ship that day...trivia, tea time, the teddy bear workshop, family karaoke (we watched that for a few minutes), bingo, the Texas hold 'em tournament, a '70s dance class, and more. We didn't do any of them :D

 

At some point, I picked up DD and started getting ready for chef's table. We were supposed to meet the chef at 6:15 at the atrium bar, and we had to get DD to CC for dinner at 6. At 6, DH wasn't ready for dinner (remember....he moves slowly!), so I told him to meet me at the bar, and I took DD to find the CC kids for dinner. This was a bit of a challenge, since they were in the Mediterranean Lido restaurant and they were a bit hard to find. Also, we arrived just as they were getting the kids settled, so it took a while to check her in. I got to the bar a little late :o which was embarrassing enough....and it was even worse when I realized DH wasn't there either. I awkwardly introduced myself to the chef (Vivek), and he didn't seem very impressed with my tardiness (neither was I, buddy!) or having to wait more for my DH. I made small talk with the four other people waiting (small CT tonight!) until DH arrived...finally!

[summercruisin']

Gotta go feed these little ones who are asking about dinner! I'll be back later to tell you all about Chef's Table, more leaky ceilings, strawberries and grapes, and a ridiculously early wake-up call (all with pictures, of course) :D. Plus, we would soon be joined by the rest of my family...and they are, well, interesting. Things are about to get lively.

[shoppingfever]

YAY!!!! You are back!

[CHRISnAMY]

Thanks for taking the time to write your review! Really enjoying it! Love all the pics!

 

Amy

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[funinthesun1964]

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!

 

 

Advice? Hmm, looking back, my son was a joy to raise. (My daughter was the difficult one!) I was always encouraging for the next step, whether it was a driver's license, part-time job, college seeking, etc. He was a hard worker and I let him know he was going to succeed just as well as everyone else. I worried a lot when he was away at college (even though he was only about a half an hour away). He received his BA in 2008. He is still living at home, and that is fine with me. He helps us with dog-sitting while we go on cruises!

 

Your review is awesome! Some of your photos aren't showing? But that is okay, it was great reading!

[summercruisin']

Advice? Hmm, looking back, my son was a joy to raise. (My daughter was the difficult one!) I was always encouraging for the next step, whether it was a driver's license, part-time job, college seeking, etc. He was a hard worker and I let him know he was going to succeed just as well as everyone else. I worried a lot when he was away at college (even though he was only about a half an hour away). He received his BA in 2008. He is still living at home, and that is fine with me. He helps us with dog-sitting while we go on cruises!

 

Your review is awesome! Some of your photos aren't showing? But that is okay, it was great reading!

 

Funny you say that....I often tell people that my daughter will be a big challenge when she gets older. She is so very sassy, opinionated, determined, independent, straightforward....I don't know where she gets it all from :rolleyes: :D

 

Congratulations on your son getting his degree. Very cool. I'm hoping for that for mine as well. I, too, push him as hard as he will let me, and he knows that we expect him to do well.

 

Thanks for the compliment! There is one picture I apparently deleted from photobucket when I was cleaning up to make more space. If I could remember which one it was...

[summercruisin']

The other Chef's table guests were very patient and friendly (thankfully!). They included two sisters who cruise frequently and a husband who had surprised his wife (she was there too) with the cruise for their anniversary. Very sweet...

 

As soon as my DH arrived, we were off and going. We headed to the galley to start the tour. Any frustration the chef had stemming from our tardiness :o thankfully seemed to dissipate pretty quickly. Vivek is very business-like and serious about his job, and my guilty conscience worried me, but he made us all feel very comfortable. We heard all about how he orders the food and chooses what / how much to prepare. We also learned about the kitchens (more than one on the Victory, and the one for the MDR was not as big as the kitchen we toured on the Legend), and this explained why DD couldn't get strawberries and grapes "on demand" in the main dining room on the Victory, and I shared my "aha" moment with the chef.

 

As usual for CT, we were given champagne in the galley and then served hors d'oeuvres. Here are the parmesan core and olive and the chorizo & dates, piquillo sofrito

 

 

and these two were listed as "focaccia, mascarpone cream & prosciutto crudo" and "langoustine & sundried tomato jam fritters"

 

 

We were allowed to take pictures throughout the tour, but Carnival has a policy of no cameras in the galley. When one of the guests took a picture of the galley, the chef did gently reprimand her about that. I did not take a lot of pictures of the food at the main seating, because I already had a lot of pictures from last year and the menu was the same (except for the dessert).

[summercruisin']

The menu included

 

tomato our way (a "foam" made of aerated tomato juice served with three cherry tomatoes, one covered with chocolate and two poached in chardonnay). I did get a picture of that...

 

 

Next up was tuna banh mi (tuna served with lemon bread, sesame crisp, and miso cream avocado gel).....delicious! Got a picture of that too....in fact, I took more pictures than I thought. Did I mention that wine is included? And I'm a big wine drinker? And the glasses are big and they give you both white and red, if you ask? And I did? Details....

 

 

Next was caramelized Cornish hen served with butternut squash and sofrito. It was also served with "petals" of shallots with "caviar" made from balsamic vinegar. Wonderful! Chef Vivek told us how to make those, but I forgot what he said :(. I only got a fuzzy picture of this dish (it looked clear at the time, I swear!).

 

 

Next was the funky salad and soup mix. First you get the salad...

 

 

and then they pour soup made of warm turnip and apple juice on it...

 

 

Not really a fan of that.

[summercruisin']

We had the yummy garlicky bread cooked in a flowerpot as well. On the Legend, we got it with this salad/soup course, but it was out from the start on the Victory.

 

Next was my favorite dish, the salmon. I LOVE seafood. The menu described the salmon served with herbs pesto, cured tomatoes, carrots, fava, mushroom earth (huh?), and condensed beets. It makes a pretty dish.

 

 

The final main course dish was the wagyu, described as "slow stewed short ribs, potato pebbles, pumpkin fudge, and tomato dust." I got a picture of that too...

 

 

By that time, I was so stuffed I really couldn't fully enjoy the beef. It was good though. It was all good, even the soup/salad dish I didn't love. The company was good, the wine was good, the chef was good.....everything. It was, once again, a very nice evening. Last year we had Chef Panda on the Legend, and he was amazing. And, although I enjoyed this evening, I will say Chef Panda still has the edge overall, so if you ever get the chance to do CT with Chef Panda, I wholeheartedly recommend it.

 

And for dessert...

 

 

(the stuff on the plate, not the DH ;) ). I was underimpressed last year by the "chef in a candy shop" or whatever it was, but this one was good. It was called "Chocolate '88F'" (whatever that stands for), and it was described as "aerated pistachio and mango cake with mascarpone cream, guava, and caramel praline." Of course, I couldn't eat it all, but it was a delicious taste of sweet to wrap up the meal.

[summercruisin']

I was so.....tired (that's it!) and full that I don't remember much about the rest of the evening. I know we picked up DD and got her to bed. I do remember talking to DS about his dining experience. He had decided to go to the main dining room without us. He did this last year on the Legend, and he was so proud of himself (and we were proud of him as well), so he wanted a repeat. Also, the wait staff always dotes on him when he goes on his own, and this time was no different. We had told them in advance that he was going to be doing that, so they were prepared.

 

I did get a picture of our towel animal...

 

 

and that big ol' moon over the ocean....

 

 

I also remember thinking how glad I was that I didn't have to pack everything and put it out in the hall like everyone else :D! We got our directions as back-to-back guests for the morning. We were told to meet in the lobby at guest services at 8:45 if we wanted to go to immigration and get right back on the ship (we did). We also got the regular debarkation information, which I thought was odd and tossed aside. I wish I had read it, though, because I would have expected the EXTREMELY early wake-up that came in preparation for closing the port area for the parade. Of course, knowing wouldn't have helped change anything, and I kinda knew in the back of my mind that to be sure we would be arriving early and starting debarkation early. And we did. This is what DD thought of the 5:40-ish (not kidding) all call for self assist debarkation...

 

 

UGH! Too early to be woken up and told to get off the ship! And then, of course, they announced zones every few minutes (or re-announced zone numbers for those who didn't follow the debarkation directions), so we were up. I did get some sunrise over Miami pictures, at least...

 

 

Edited August 4, 2013 by summercruisin'

[MarkAndSandy]

Can the Chef's Table be pre-booked, or do you have to make reservations on-board?

[bonnys]

5:40 am?!?!? I am with your DD on that one. I would not have been a happy camper.

 

We leave here in 23 days for our b2b on the Victory and your review is making me want to start packing and leave now.

[dforeigner]

Thanks for taking time to write a review.

[xplnusa]

You can book the chefs table ahead of time by emailing the maitre d' on the ship.

[MarkAndSandy]

Emailed and crossing fingers... :-)

[MarkAndSandy]

Well THAT was easy... :-)

 

Received a confirmation email this morning that we are booked for the Chef's Table. Hoping for good companions to dine with, as it seems that is what can make the experience FANTASTIC versus "ho-hum".

[boaterette]

More please.

[summercruisin']

So, we're off to an unconscionably early beginning to cruise two :cool:, but I was excited for the rest of our family to join us, so it was okay. Thinking we would have an early walk off/back on time, we decided not to rush to breakfast. We hung out in the room until 8:40 and then headed down to the atrium. On the way, we passed a cabin with an open door, a lady standing in the doorway, and a guy in the bed saying something about not being ready to get up. Understood, buddy.

 

When we get to guest services, we are told that they are waiting for the last regular guests to depart (uh-oh) and that we should wait in the chairs beside guest services. We joined about 4 other families (we weren't the only b2b lucky ones!) and knew that it might be a while, considering what we had just seen upstairs :rolleyes:

 

So, I took a few pictures...

 

the lower atrium ceiling and glass elevators

 

 

the bar

 

 

with seahorses holding up the barstools

 

Edited August 7, 2013 by summercruisin'

[summercruisin']

the grand staircase

 

 

our waiting area (behind a seahorse at the foot of the stairs)

 

 

a seahorse holding up a table

 

 

the place to sign up for chef's table onboard

 

 

While I was walking around taking a few pictures, Carnival staff was calling for everyone to get off the ship. Then they eventually started calling names, so this is what happens if you don't get off the ship when they want you to....they will call you out! :p

 

At one point, one of the guest services employees came and collected all of our "old" cards to "ding" us out. Then she brought our new cards, but I didn't get one because something went wrong with their computers while they were printing them. She assured me that there would be no problems and asked me to stop by Guest Services sometime after 11 when the computers would be up and running again.

 

After quite some time, we saw the woman we had seen in the doorway earlier. She was with another young woman, and she looked irritated (I wonder why...:rolleyes:). After a few minutes, two guys joined them. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.....you know, that whole "but for the grace of God" thing. I would never dare assert that my own DH wouldn't do such a thing, especially if debarkation was starting more than two hours earlier than usual! After they left, three more names were called, and we waited.....and waited....