Our Victory Vacation to the Western Caribbean Jan. 15-19, 2015

[jpm1973]

As expected, as it got closer to our departure time the lines to get on the ship were quite long. This is what it looked like at 1:45; 15 minutes before when we were scheduled to leave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By 2:15 everyone in line was on board but they were still waiting, likely for one last hold out who lost track of time. Sure enough, a few minutes later we see a woman come running up the pier and get on board. By 2:20 they were loading up the gangways and we were soon on our way.

 

 

 



Getting ready to unhook the last lines.

 

 



 

 



Some were feeding the birds as we sailed away.

[jpm1973]

After sail away I had wanted to check out the art auction, as I'd never participated in one. Really had no intention of buying anything, but figured it would be a good way to pass the time on a rather cloudy day. I did see a few things I liked, but didn't end up bidding on anything. Though my bid number was chosen for one of the raffles so I did "win" some sort of art. We set up a time to go meet with the auctioneer after dinner that night to claim my prize.

 

For the rest of the afternoon we wandered around the ship a bit and played some slots for a while. This was our elegant night for dinner so we headed back to the cabin somewhat early to get ourselves ready. Since we had planned to meet the auctioneer around 8, we went to dinner at 7 to allow ourselves enough time to eat. We had also planned to check out the show in the main lounge that was scheduled for 8:15.

 

Neither of us is a lobster fan so we opted for other things. Will just had the grilled chicken again while I chose a Greek salad and the basa filet. We skipped dessert tonight since there wasn’t anything on the menu that really appealed to either of us. On our way to meet with the auctioneer we stopped off to get our picture taken:

 

 

 

 

We chatted with the auctioneer for a bit; he asked us how we liked the auction and if there was anything in particular that we liked. I mentioned a few items, including a cool animation cell of Fred and Wilma Flinstone called Viva Rock Vegas. I’ve always been a big Flinstones fan since I was a kid and even have a tattoo of Fred on my ankle. After a little bit of back and forth I ended up buying it. I don’t have anything like it and the price for the art and framing was really not too bad. I also got to pick out another piece I had liked as my raffle-drawing prize, though that will not be framed.

 

After making our big art purchase we headed into the Caribbean Main Lounge to watch the show, “Living in America.” Overall it wasn’t too bad; the two singers from the previous nights’ Welcome Aboard show plus the dancers and the band. They performed some decent songs and overall it was pretty entertaining.

 

After the show we tried our luck in the casino again. Will stuck with his favorite machine while I tried my luck with the dice. They were not friendly to me at all but I had fun playing. I stopped off at the casino bar to grab one last drink and then we headed back to our cabin for the night. This guy was waiting for us when we got back:

 

 

 

Next up … Cozumel.

[TrqoisWtrs]

Great review. I see Marcelo was ur CD...also known as Marshmellow? :D

[lgerrish]

Enjoying your review and especially your photos! The Victory holds a special place in my heart...so #4 coming up. I've shared your review with my group sailing on Feb 16, many of them have either never cruised or been on the Victory. Keep posting your awesome photos and review.

[jpm1973]

Our scheduled arrival in Cozumel was at 1 p.m. so we were in no hurry to get up today. Since we had some time, we decided to skip ordering room service as we usually do and head up to the buffet to check out what they offer for breakfast up there; definitely plenty to choose from. We ate a leisurely breakfast in our favorite spot at the very back of the ship and then wandered around a bit. I took this time to snap some pics of various spots around the ship.

 

 

 

The Seven Seas Bar and Lobby

 

 



The South China Sea Club Casino

 

 



Coral Sea Cafe

 

 



Caspian Wine Bar

 

 



Ionian Bar & Cigar Room

 



Sirens' Aft Pool

 

[jpm1973]

Enjoying your review and especially your photos! The Victory holds a special place in my heart...so #4 coming up. I've shared your review with my group sailing on Feb 16, many of them have either never cruised or been on the Victory. Keep posting your awesome photos and review.

 

Thanks for reading! Glad you're enjoying the review and pictures...I always feel like I should take more but I never seem to remember once I'm actually on board. Hope you have a great time next month! We really enjoyed the Victory.

[jpm1973]

Making our way to Cozumel

 

 

 

 

 

Once we were close to Cozumel, we went out to the observation area at the front of deck 7 to get a better view of our arrival. We had a zip line excursion planned with a meeting time of 1:30 so we wanted to try to get off the ship as quickly as possible once we had finally docked. The Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise were already in port; we would be pulling in alongside the Paradise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[simplelife]

Enjoying your review - makes me even more excited about our cruise on the Victory in June.

[jpm1973]

We docked right around 1 p.m. and we made our way down to deck 0 about 20 minutes later. The lines moved relatively quickly and in less than 10 minutes we were off the ship and on our way to the end of the pier to the meeting point for our excursion. We had booked a zip line tour that afterward included admittance to a resort near the pier and access to their beach and pools. We had been zip lining once before in Kauai a few years ago and loved it so we were very much looking forward to this one.

 

While it had been mostly cloudy all day, it was starting to clear up and bit and warm up; we were hopeful it would stay nice for our time off the ship so we could enjoy the zip lining and get some sun afterward.

 

 

 

We only had to wander around for a few minutes until we found the right meeting spot; we were the first to arrive so we just had to wait for the rest of the group before we would head out. Ten young ladies from Wisconsin who were on their first-ever cruise, as well as first zip line experience joined us. They were a riot and we had a lot of fun with them.

 

Once we had all assembled the guide led us to a pick-up area where we all piled into two taxis for the short ride to the zip line park. Once we arrived we completed all the necessary “this is dangerous, you could get hurt, we’re not responsible” paperwork and then stored our stuff in a locker. We then got suited up in our harnesses and helmets and had our picture taken. Ready for fun!

 

 

 

 

Once everyone was suited up and ready, they gave us a brief orientation about the equipment and how everything worked and then we were on our way to the first line. In Kauai, we were in the middle of a large open area with valleys so some of the lines we were on were incredibly high up. These lines were all built between man-made towers, so none was so high to be terribly scary. Regardless, it was still exhilarating to fly through the air at some pretty good speeds. We also got some nice views of the ships in port from some of the towers and lines.

 

In all we traveled on 12 lines of varying speeds and lengths and were done in about an hour. They had a photographer along with us and we were able to review the pictures she took of us during our rides. They offered a CD with all your groups’ pictures based on number of people – for 1 to 4 people it was only $39 to get the CD with all the pictures. Not a bad deal really, so we bought it.

 

 

 

 



 

 



 

 

[erewhon]

Great photos, enjoying your review, thank you.

[jpm1973]

Great photos, enjoying your review, thank you.

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Heavens2Betsy]

LOVE your review and pics! Looks like you had a great time.

 

We will be on the 4/4 sailing - hubby and 3 kids (8, 12 and 15) crammed in a balcony stateroom. Might not be the most comfortable time, but we'll make the most of it.

 

Your review is making me even more excited about our trip. Thanks!!!

[oncruisecontrol]

We docked right around 1 p.m. and we made our way down to deck 0 about 20 minutes later. The lines moved relatively quickly and in less than 10 minutes we were off the ship and on our way to the end of the pier to the meeting point for our excursion. We had booked a zip line tour that afterward included admittance to a resort near the pier and access to their beach and pools. We had been zip lining once before in Kauai a few years ago and loved it so we were very much looking forward to this one.

 

While it had been mostly cloudy all day, it was starting to clear up and bit and warm up; we were hopeful it would stay nice for our time off the ship so we could enjoy the zip lining and get some sun afterward.

 

 

 

We only had to wander around for a few minutes until we found the right meeting spot; we were the first to arrive so we just had to wait for the rest of the group before we would head out. Ten young ladies from Wisconsin who were on their first-ever cruise, as well as first zip line experience joined us. They were a riot and we had a lot of fun with them.

 

Once we had all assembled the guide led us to a pick-up area where we all piled into two taxis for the short ride to the zip line park. Once we arrived we completed all the necessary “this is dangerous, you could get hurt, we’re not responsible” paperwork and then stored our stuff in a locker. We then got suited up in our harnesses and helmets and had our picture taken. Ready for fun!

 

 

 

 

Once everyone was suited up and ready, they gave us a brief orientation about the equipment and how everything worked and then we were on our way to the first line. In Kauai, we were in the middle of a large open area with valleys so some of the lines we were on were incredibly high up. These lines were all built between man-made towers, so none was so high to be terribly scary. Regardless, it was still exhilarating to fly through the air at some pretty good speeds. We also got some nice views of the ships in port from some of the towers and lines.

 

In all we traveled on 12 lines of varying speeds and lengths and were done in about an hour. They had a photographer along with us and we were able to review the pictures she took of us during our rides. They offered a CD with all your groups’ pictures based on number of people – for 1 to 4 people it was only $39 to get the CD with all the pictures. Not a bad deal really, so we bought it.

 

 

 

 



 

 



 

 

 

These are very nice photos on the zipline. I am not the adventurous sort especially when it comes to heights, so I really appreciate your photos.

[kruuuuznutt]

So looking forward to the Victory for our 20th Anniversary in September! His 3rd cruise, my 8th (unless I can sneak one in between now and then!!)

Appreciate the pics you posted. Looking forward to Caspian Wine Bar. Unless they change it to Alchemy Martini Bar during Dry Dock. I like Alchemy too, but was really wanting to see the Caspian Wine Bar. Actually picked this cruise as green is my favorite color. Yes, I'm that shallow, lol. Looks like you guys had a great time. Our itinerary is Jamaica/Grand Cayman. I'd cruise every month if I lived in Miami!

[SASA13]

We are deciding on the Victory for June, I think our decision has been made

due to your review and pics. Thanks for taking the time to post.

[jpm1973]

We are deciding on the Victory for June, I think our decision has been made

due to your review and pics. Thanks for taking the time to post.

 

I think you'll really enjoy it! I actually just booked this same cruise again in May with my mom and sister. Hope to finally get this review wrapped up in the next day or so.

[Cruisegirl6]

Been keeping up with your review, want more lol

[Hazelroo]

Loving your review and photos! Going on the Victory in May and you review is making me even more excited! :D

[Texasgalsa]

Following

[watermelonqueen99]

Loving your review! Subscribing! :D

[SMSACE6]

I remember your Glory review, and just found this one, since I am looking for all things Victory. I just booked this ship for a 5 day in October. Very nice review, and excellent photos. Thanks for posting:)

[notmissintheboat]

Do you have any reasons why this is your favorite over other ships. Never been on victory, just got off the breeze whish is the newest ship, kind of big and didn't like the way it is situated, not like the old "promenade area" that had all the bars and so forth, this has a lot of areas tucked away that you would never know were there in fact on the last day we found two bars we didn't see and a coffee shop because they were so far away and tucked by the kids club. The set up is very different on the breeze then the way the other ships are and I am not of fan. but curious to find out what things you l ike best on the victory

[jpm1973]

It's been a while but finally trying to wrap up this review! I'm ready for another vacation...

 

After the zip lining was over our taxis took us to the resort where we could enjoy the pool, beach, and restaurant. We even were given some free drink coupons and discounts on snorkeling equipment. The resort itself was fine – nice pool area and a good-sized beach with plenty of lounge chairs. We found a couple loungers by the pool and parked ourselves for a bit, hoping the sun would stay out and we could enjoy some warmth. I stopped at the bar and got two beers with our coupons – both for me since Will doesn’t drink.

 

 

We lounged for a while but maybe after 30 minutes it started to cloud up again and look a bit menacing. Sure enough it wasn’t long before the rain started. We packed up our stuff and found a seat in the lobby area to wait it out and then head back to the ship. Luckily it only rained hard for about 15 minutes so we were able to head back to the ship fairly quickly. Took a few shots of the various ships as we made our way back to the Victory.

 

 



 



 

Edited March 4, 2015 by jpm1973

[jpm1973]

Once back on board we headed up to grab a late lunch from the buffet and then decided to try out one of the hot tubs on the Serenity deck. From here we watched the Paradise and Elation head out and lounged for a bit enjoying the quietness on board with most people still out enjoying Cozumel.

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 

 

After spending a few hours dozing on the lounge chairs, we made our way back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. Tonight I opted for a salad and the jerked pork loin while Will chose a shrimp cocktail and roasted turkey. Both were excellent. For dessert we chose tiramisu and apple pie with ice cream.

 

Since the casino wasn’t open while we were still in port, after dinner we wandered around a bit and I grabbed a drink from the Caspian wine bar while we waited for our 10 p.m. departure time. Close to 10 we went outside on deck 3 to get a view of Cozumel as we departed. By 10:15 we still hadn’t moved and the gangway was still in place, guaranteeing that we were going to see some pier runners. Sure enough a few minutes later a man and a woman came running up the pier and onto the ship, apparently our last two holdouts as the crew then loaded up the gangway and the mooring lines were undone.

 

After sail away we tried our luck at couple machines in the casino. We held our own for a while, and I actually ended up a bit ahead. We made our way back to the cabin and decided to call it a night.

 

 

Next up: our only sea day, Behind the Fun tour, and a bad reaction to the motion sickness patch.

Edited March 4, 2015 by jpm1973

[jpm1973]

Day 4 - At Sea

 

For Sunday, our only sea day, we had booked the Behind the Fun tour right after boarding on Thursday. Neither of us had ever done this tour so we were both quite excited to see some of those areas of the ship out of public view. Our tour meeting time was scheduled for 8:45 a.m. so we ordered some room service between 8:15 and 8:30. Based on the sunrise it looked like we were going to have some decent weather today, too.

 

 

We made it to the library at 8:45 and there were already several members of our tour group there. We got checked in and got our Behind the Fun lanyards and waited for only a few minutes for the rest of the group to arrive. We got underway right around 9 and our first stop was the main kitchen and galley area.

 

It was prime brunch time so the kitchen was hopping for sure. We met with the chef de cuisine who shared a lot of information on how they keep up with feeding more than 3,000 guests over the course of an entire cruise, which I always thought was an amazing feat. It was amazing how clean everything was, which I suppose shouldn’t be so surprising as I’m sure their inspection process is pretty intense. At the end of our time in the kitchen we each got to enjoy a chocolate-covered strawberry.

 

Next up we were off to the main lounge and stage where we met with the lead dancer for the ship’s entertainment crew. He shared a lot on how each ship is a bit different with the shows offered, and how all the planning and choreography is done off-ship and then brought on board and performed for a certain period of time. Since the costs to develop a new show are so high, the shows stay on rotation for a few years.

 

The Victory still has a live show band, two lead singers (one male, one female) and a complement of dancers (I think 10 total, but since we couldn’t take notes my memory is a bit foggy). As the lead he is responsible for teaching the shows to any new crew members and making choreography changes should one member be sick or injured and unable to perform.

 

He then took us back stage and showed us the dressing room, which like anything else on board was jam packed and cramped. Each female dancer has a collection of wigs she is responsible for maintaining and each crew member is responsible for maintaining their own costumes. He said early on they try to identify one or two crew members that have sewing experience and assign them to make any necessary repairs or modifications as needed. It was definitely interesting to see things from this perspective after having watched two of the shows on this cruise from the audience.

 

We headed outside on deck five to the crew area at the very front of the ship. This is where crew members come when they’re off for time outside, or to have a cigarette, or whatever. There appeared to be two hot tubs here but they were covered up and I’m not sure if they were working or not. Being at the very front of the ship this area was, not surprisingly, quite windy. Not sure I’d want to spend much time here if I were a crew member but I gathered that this is one of the few open deck areas open to just crew.

 

Next up we went inside and just behind this open deck area was the crew bar. Much smaller than I had envisioned, but adequate I’m sure. Our guide didn’t share what crew pays for drinks, but did lead us to believe that they get a pretty nice discount on what they purchase here.

 

Next we headed out and down to the laundry area. On the way we walked through some crew cabin areas and while our tour did not include a formal viewing of a cabin, we were able to peek into one that was open for cleaning. Pretty sparse and small and without a window I’m sure I’d begin to feel quite claustrophobic fast staying in one of those.

 

We made our way down several decks to the laundry area, where we saw the ENORMOUS machines used to launder all the linens, crew uniforms, and everything else that gets dirty every day on board. They only use the dryers for towels and clothing, using these large steam iron rollers to both dry and press the sheets at the same time.

 

Next we made our way down even further to the below-water decks and the famous I-95 corridor that runs along the length of the ship. Lots of activity here, which I imagine is true at most times. We took a short walk down the corridor, seeing lots of fork lifts, huge containers and other things lining the area. We were on our way to the engine control room where one of the engineers gave us a short talk on what they’re responsible for 24 hours a day and how they can monitor all the ship’s systems from this one room. It was pretty incredible to see the walls lined with diagrams of the ship and indicators related to various systems on board: plumbing, heating and A/C, ventilation, etc. Not sure how they keep it all in check but am grateful that they do! We found out the engineer briefing us was getting off the ship after our cruise to return to Italy to get married. We gave him our congratulations as we made our way back out and onto the next stop on the tour.

 

Further up I-95 we stopped at two of the food storage areas. We got to see a huge cooler filled with cases and cases of beer, pop, water, wine, liquor and every other drink you could imagine being served on board. Across from this cooler we saw the meat storage locker, which as you’d expect was freezing. Not being a fan of raw meat Will was not at all thrilled with this portion of the tour.

 

Our guide told us that they always stock extra drinks and food well above and beyond what they might possibly need for that particular cruise in case of emergency or delay that requires the ship be away from port for any longer-than-expected time. We each received a Behind the Fun Ship Facts that listed the amounts of specific food and drink items that the Victory serves guests in any one week. Pretty amazing to think about how much this really is.

 

 

He also talked about disposal of waste in response to a question from someone in our group. Anything perishable gets ground up into a very fine paste-like substance and is then release into the water in places deemed appropriate by maritime law. So whatever we don’t eat becomes food for the fish and other ocean-dwellers we pass by. Anything that isn’t food related is compacted and bundled and then removed in port to be disposed of.

 

Once finished we made our way back above the water and up to deck 8 for the final stop on the tour – the bridge. Obviously up here we got some of the best views around – we could see everything in front and on either side all the way to the rear of the ship. There are three control areas on the bridge: one in the center, used most of the time, and then two on either side that are used when arriving or leaving port.

 

We had a chance to meet the captain and ask him some questions. He told us he spends six months on board and then has several months off, when he goes home to Ohio where his family is. While that might sound like a lot of time off, when you consider that he never has time off during his six months on board it starts to sound like a well-deserved long break! Once we had asked all our questions, we posed for a quick picture with the captain and made our way back down to deck five to wrap up our tour.

 

 

Overall we had a great time on the tour – definitely worth the money to learn a bit more about how things work on board and see some of the behind-the-scenes areas of the ship.