Carnival Victory Thoughts

[Lakers1041]

Just came back from the Victory 4 nighter Key West and Cozumel. I was very hesitant to book this sailing since reading the previous reviews; however, i wanted to give the Victory the benefit of the doubt. Below are my thoughts:

The Bad:

· The Ship itself needs a major refurbishment, from wear and tear, broken elevators, to bathroom tiles coming off.

· Long lines at the buffet and not a lot of food choice selections.

· Cruise Director never to be seen only heard from him when docking and sales pitches.

· Main dining room food not so good-Food was served an hour and half after ordering, they were focused on the show they put on and had to wait until they finished

· Not so pleasant employees not saying or asking how your day was.- Our waited stated that he works 12 hour shifts with no days off. (Maybe they are being overworked and can understand this)

· Only water and lemonade served in the buffet area.

The Good:

· Fast Water slide

· Serenity Deck

· Itinerary

· Plenty of deck chairs and space

· Adults only pool

· Pizza was very good

· Sign & Sail card Kiosks

I have sailed other Carnival ships like the Valor and Breeze however, I believe the food choices, staff and entertainment were far better than the Victory. I am not sure when this ship will receive the 2.0 upgrades, but I won’t be sailing this ship in the future. We are looking at another 8 day Breeze during spring break. I sure Missed Guys burgers, and Blue iguana cantina.

[loubetti]

Your waiter said he only worked 12 hour days?

[Oceanborn]

Lol wow. Shows how subjective everyone's experience can be. We sailed the Victory almost a year ago today with 22 friends and family and our collective experience was almost word for word the opposite of yours including the things you liked lol. No one liked the pizza : / lol

Edited October 27, 2014 by Oceanborn

[cruzn buckeye]

i agree that the ship needs to be refurbished which is happening next year.

However I had a great time on that ship, twice, within 7 months.

The entertainment staff kept things lively, and the lido deck music was the perfect volumn, and they played a variety, not just rap.

Also, I have to disagree about the drinks in the buffet area. There is always water of course, lemonade, tea, hot chocolate, milk, juices, and coffee. wow... you must have had your eyes closed:rolleyes:

I agree that the food could be better, and perhaps you waited a long time before it got there. But the shows don't happen until dessert time. If I don't feel like being there longer, I skip dessert.

Loved the crew on this ship.. both times.. it will be even better when she gets her 2.o upgrades next year, guys included... sorry you didn't enjoy her, but don't hesitate to try it out again after the upgrades...:)

[NH Sox Fan]

We also just got off the Victory (10/23 to 10/27) and I agree with most of the bad that Lakers1041 listed. The lines for the food on Lido deck for breakfast and lunch were so long and it took so long to get the food and then the food wasn't very good. The food in the main dining room was okay, but not great. I also agree that the Cruise Director was not around much and he wasn't very exciting. The music by the main pools on the Lido was good and there are many chairs but it was very crowded. Our room was good, we had an aft balcony and it had a newer flat panel TV and was clean just a little outdated. The best entertainment was Jordan in the Piano Bar….he was very good!!!

[petesfamily]

... The best entertainment was Jordan in the Piano Bar….he was very good!!!

 

Glad you enjoyed our son, Jordan! We were on the Victory from 10/4-9 and we LOVED it.

[Hobbsey]

Glad you enjoyed our son, Jordan! We were on the Victory from 10/4-9 and we LOVED it.

 

Hi. Will your son be on board the end of Jan?

 

Thx

[petesfamily]

Hi. Will your son be on board the end of Jan?

 

Thx

 

No, sorry. He is headed back to Celebrity on the Millennium‎ in January through May headed to Asia.

Edited October 30, 2014 by petesfamily

[Hobbsey]

No, sorry. He is headed back to Celebrity on the Millennium‎ in January through May headed to Asia.

 

Very Nice! We love Celebrity. Sorry I'll miss him. My son is a professional musician too, with the Marine Corp Band at Quantico, VA

.

[terisu10]

We just returned from the Victory 10/23-27 sailing. I have to agree that the wait in the Lido was long and the food adequate. Not bad, but adequate for a buffet prepared for the masses. However, breakfast and lunch in the MDR were simply fabulous. I followed CC suggestions and ordered the eggs Benedict with the Hollandaise on the side. Perfect breakfast two mornings! It was my first time trying the Seaday Brunch! LOVE!!!!!! I ordered the steak and eggs. The filet was perfectly cooked and oh, so tender, it melted in my mouth. The eggs, were perfectly cooked to order. The presentation was just beautiful. A small glass cup was filled with delicious, seasoned fries, and sauce Béarnaise on the side. I made a glutton of myself and also ordered the Mac and cheese with bacon. I want more! We had late dinner in the MDR. I liked everything I ordered. Yes, I did notice it took longer to be served, but, there are fewer workers now, we liked our table mates, and decided to dine leisurely and enjoy the experience. As far as the entertainment, the late night comedy shows were funny, and, there were live bands all over the ship. We ended up dancing until one every night, later, going to Lido for a delicious pizza, which reminded me of a gourmet flatbread. Honestly, if you can't find something good to eat on this ship, well, I guess you can return home and cook. We took this same cruise last year and also had a great time. Yes, the ship needs its upgrades, but, it was a great vacation. Four days, two people, in a balcony cabin, Empress deck, $900. Great deal! No complaints. Would do it again today!

 

 

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[Cruisin 4 Ever]

Glad you enjoyed our son, Jordan! We were on the Victory from 10/4-9 and we LOVED it.

 

Hi Jordan's mom/dad. I just got off the Victory and you asked that I say Hi to Jordan for you so I did. I wouldn't have gone into the piano bar except I wanted to deliver the message. Boy, am I glad I did. What an incredible talent your son is. His voice, piano skills and personality make him a star. You must be very proud! We ended up going to see him every night and that was the highlight of our cruise:)

[cruzeluver]

Main dining room food not so good-Food was served an hour and half after ordering, they were focused on the show they put on and had to wait until they finished

 

 

If this is accurate, why on Earth would anyone sit there that long?

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

Just came back from the Victory 4 nighter Key West and Cozumel. I was very hesitant to book this sailing since reading the previous reviews; however, i wanted to give the Victory the benefit of the doubt. Below are my thoughts:

The Bad:

· The Ship itself needs a major refurbishment, from wear and tear, broken elevators, to bathroom tiles coming off.

· Long lines at the buffet and not a lot of food choice selections.

· Cruise Director never to be seen only heard from him when docking and sales pitches.

· Main dining room food not so good-Food was served an hour and half after ordering, they were focused on the show they put on and had to wait until they finished

· Not so pleasant employees not saying or asking how your day was.- Our waited stated that he works 12 hour shifts with no days off. (Maybe they are being overworked and can understand this)

· Only water and lemonade served in the buffet area.

The Good:

· Fast Water slide

· Serenity Deck

· Itinerary

· Plenty of deck chairs and space

· Adults only pool

· Pizza was very good

· Sign & Sail card Kiosks

I have sailed other Carnival ships like the Valor and Breeze however, I believe the food choices, staff and entertainment were far better than the Victory. I am not sure when this ship will receive the 2.0 upgrades, but I won’t be sailing this ship in the future. We are looking at another 8 day Breeze during spring break. I sure Missed Guys burgers, and Blue iguana cantina.

 

Just off the Victory yesterday. I agree the ship needs a refurbishment and the buffet line ups were long but had a different experience in other areas. The staff were some of the best I've encountered. The food in the dining room was excellent and served every night in a very reasonable amount of time.

[Orison]

Sad to read this. We sailed her three times; once when new, once when mid life, and once a year and a half ago. Considering her age, she never looked much different than when she was new. But the Lido set up is the worst of all the ships. Same as the Triumph, and used to be the Destiny. But you could work around that at least.

[petesfamily]

Hi Jordan's mom/dad. I just got off the Victory and you asked that I say Hi to Jordan for you so I did. I wouldn't have gone into the piano bar except I wanted to deliver the message. Boy, am I glad I did. What an incredible talent your son is. His voice, piano skills and personality make him a star. You must be very proud! We ended up going to see him every night and that was the highlight of our cruise:)

 

Glad you enjoyed him!! We had a blast in the piano bar in October when we went on the Victory! Thanks for the kind comments!

[DivasDare]

Just returned from the #Defeated #Victory; departed on 11/10 for the eastern Caribbean cruise. Upon arrival to my room 8248, port forward, I smelled sewer gas, and reported it to my steward and his helper. They were so nonchalant about it, and shrugged it away. Oh, let's also mention that the floor in my bathroom was sandy... I mean dirty. They NEVER mopped, never.

 

Anyway back to the issue of the smell. I went down to Guest Services, and they too were dismissive and said that they would have housekeeping to look into it. Never giving me a time, or plan of action. Only that they were busy with embarkation. I asked to be moved... nope.. again dismissed.

 

We were awakened at 5a with the smells when they flushed the bowels of the ship... why is that it that the poop comes out of the forward of the ship? And, why couldn't the staff smell it on the floors... it got worse in the common areas on 4 which is where the photo gallery is located, and one of the theaters.

 

This was the worst cruise that I have ever been on, and hated that I wasted my time and money. It's funny, I was on the Destiny before it went in, and almost hope that Victory can be updated, but I wouldn't take that ship if it was free.

 

If you choose to go, choose the starward side, aft... lol

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your report.

[donovandavis91]

We were on the cruise before you on Victory to the Bahamas. Also has the smell in 7224. Wasn't too bad and didn't notice it in common areas but definitely was there in the hallway.

 

 

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[JayMo]

Was on Victory in March and again in May of this year. Ship def does need a refurb.

 

My March cruise I was in a cabin on the 1st passenger deck, room was clean. In May, I was on the 6th deck and my room was disgusting. It was cleaned everyday, it just needed a good scrub down from top to bottom.

 

Staff was always pleasant. I'm the kind of person to speak to them first, even if it's just a quick "Hello, good afternoon". I know how hard they work, I won't make them kiss my butt by asking how my day was when I know they really don't care :)

 

But the pizza was my favorite thing. So good!

[alreadypacked]

Was on Victory in March and again in May of this year. Ship def does need a refurb.

 

My March cruise I was in a cabin on the 1st passenger deck, room was clean. In May, I was on the 6th deck and my room was disgusting. It was cleaned everyday, it just needed a good scrub down from top to bottom.

 

Staff was always pleasant. I'm the kind of person to speak to them first, even if it's just a quick "Hello, good afternoon". I know how hard they work, I won't make them kiss my butt by asking how my day was when I know they really don't care :)

 

But the pizza was my favorite thing. So good!

 

Agree wholeheartedly! I do the same.