!!! Carnival Victory !!! ^_^ The Ultimate Review and Complete Pictorial Guide!!!

[Eng23]

Hi Gambee! Whew! I just finished catching up on the review today. I have been away from the computer a couple of days because of work. Boy did I miss a lot over the last couple of days. I have to say that HMC looks amazing! This is the first review I have seen with such great photos and description of HMC. I definitely have to plan a cruise that goes there! Keep up the good work! Your review is helping me to pass the time leading up to my next cruise! :D

[happy cruzin]

You just might have to try it one day, great little island.

 

Come with us!!! The Pride - Baltimore - June 12, 2016 ;)

[Eng23]

Gambee! Thanks for another great review. I have been reading a little a day but I just can't keep up, so I'm finally posting to let you know I'm here. Your reviews, your blog, and your social network page are all great resources for good info, as well as a good diversion when I want to think about "the cruising life". Thank you for all the effort you put into these.

 

I'm back on page 19 and enjoying all the GREENon this boat. Very "retro" 80s/90s and different from what we saw on the Breeze and see on other ships.

 

Wondering about the piano bar too. Based on the ship's deck plans, it seems like it's located about the same place as "88" is on Breeze. Wonder if they could just take out a couple of walls to open it up. I think the draw for the piano bar on Breeze was that you basically couldn't get to the lounge on that end of the ship (or the steakhouse) without walking past it, so everyone wanted to stop.

Can someone point me to the Mitsygirly review? I found the other two. I tried searching the user name and can't find it.

Hi Susan!!!! :D

[FMZ]

Love your reviews Gambee! Thank you so much for taking all your time and putting these masterpieces together for us.

 

And your family looks awesome!

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[llg13]

Awesome review Gambee!!

I love your pics and commentary.

I must get to HMC one day soon!!

Your pics make it look amazing!!

[JennN]

I got to page 28 Gambee and now it is time for me to depart for the airport - I am on this very cruise tomorrow!

 

Thank you for the amazing review (PS - the reason why there are so many darned seagulls is because people like you feed them! STOP :) Haha, I do not like birds)!

[retiring soon]

HI all!

 

gambee ~ just before you said you were getting used to the green I had "thunk that" too. It is a pretty emerald green.;)

 

swwake ~ here's the link to the mitsugirly Pride review.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2199226&highlight=mitsugirly

 

Jamman 54 also went to HMC recently & Patti had some beautiful pictures as well.

 

JennN ~ have a great cruise!

 

~ Jo ~ :)

[gambee]

 

Day Four, Grand Turk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gambee]

 

 

[gambee]

It was another marvelous day in the Caribbean! We had woken up to calm seas and a beautiful sunshine!

 

 

We were due to arrive in Grand Turk around 10am, the ship was going full steam to make it in time. In the mean time we got ready to go get some breakfast. My uncle and I were ever so hungover, after a night of star gazing, talking and drinking.

 

A light breakfast was in order.

 

 

There was no rush, so the lines were tolerable.

 

 

 

 

It is kind of funny, everyday we all wondered what that was. Then later on we learned that it was cottage cheese. I have still yet to try it.

 

 

[gambee]

 

You still can’t blame me for having a light breakfast, I was not going to risk it again.

 

 

I guess I forgot to charge the phone at night, and the waves application had drained my battery completely. I think the phone died around 3am. I was trying to charge it quickly because I had no interest in bringing any gear with me to Grand Turk other than the two cameras and the phone. Remember that I told you that I stick the selfie stick in my bathing suit? So, actually carrying both cameras is fairly easy.

 

 

We then headed to the aft pool to wait for the ship to arrive. My aunt was a feeling a bit uneasy. This was after all her first cruise. She kept saying that it was the never ending earthquake. Please keep in mind, that not too long ago a huge earthquake leveled our home town in Colombia. It is actually a big surprise to me how my mom overcame that fear, and is able to cruise with ease. Nonetheless, my aunt was struggling to stay calm. The ship had some minor movement, nothing dramatic or anything, but still enough to make her feel uncomfortable.

 

We tried to calm her down, but in the end nothing would. So we just tried avoiding the topic.

 

We decided to wait by the aft pool.

 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2015 by gambee

[gambee]

I was feeling hungry and I got a few more things to eat. I am not used to eating so much meat for breakfast. But the eggs were really bad, and I did not feel like having too much bread. So a pound of bacon and ham would have to do :D

 

 

 

My uncle went to get some bread for the fish in Grand Turk, which by the way never made it to the fish's mouth.

 

And they kept blowing away with the wind! It was quite windy that morning, I think he picked it up from the floor about 3 times. You figure he learned the lesson and put something heavy on it, LoL.

 

 

 

 

[gambee]

Soon enough, we started approaching the island.

 

 

 

My aunt was feeling much better now that she saw dry land :)

 

 

 

 

 

[gambee]

There was another Carnival ship waiting for us.

 

 

 

 

 

Where you see the boat parked at the beach, is Jack's.

 

 

[gambee]

Those cabanas look like some kind of resort.

 

 

 

 

There are a bunch of places that offer umbrellas for rent as well as food, but quite honestly only one of them was making enough moolah that day.

 

 

That water slide looks much cooler than ours!

 

 

 

[gambee]

It was the Carnival Fantasy.

 

 

 

The international Airport is nearby.

 

 

 

 

[gambee]

I love that serenity area in the AFT, although the jaccuzis are kind of small.

 

 

 

Tossing the line to start docking.

 

 

They have 2 beautiful cats there.

 

 

 

[gambee]

 

 

I've always wanted to try this in Miami, but I have been afraid that mom would get injured in it. Seem like a rough ride.

 

 

 

At some point we finished docking and the clear to get off the ship came through the speakers. Like I said before, since we got there around 10am everyone wanted to get off the ship ASAP. We gave up on waiting for the elevator and took the stairs.

 

 

It is a nice pier with a short walk.

 

 

[gambee]

 

 

 

This is were you want to go if you want to avoid the crowds.

 

 

 

 

[gambee]

 

 

The water was full of seaweed. You could walk away from the main areas and they would clear up a little. But it was a shame to see them in that condition.

 

 

 

 

[gambee]

As in like any other port, Grand Turk is full of shops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gambee]

 

 

Here is the area where you can book shore excursions. Please note that they do not take cash here, you have to pay through your key card.

 

 

 

 

 

[gambee]

I really did not have plans for Grand Turk other than a little snorkeling. I had brought my gear with me and my uncle was carrying the umbrellas. It was incredibly hot and humid that day. I also had plans to go and meet Topher at Jack’s Shack. Ever since I started cruising I have been seeing this dog in Grand Turk and I was intrigued to go meet him.

 

My family went directly to one of the tour kiosks and bought a $20 each around the island. I really had no plans in doing so, but after asking the driver if the bus had A/C, I decided to join them. Plus, I would get to go around and see a little of the island for the review.

 

 

We had just missed one tour so we had to wait until the next one. The tours leave every 30 minutes and they have 4 stops, you can get off at any of the 4 stops and then board the next bus in 30 minutes. We just waited there for a little while, and I think the girls bought a few shirts and whatnot.

 

 

 

The area is very clean and organized.

 

 

I went and got a large water for the tour.

 

 

[gambee]

Here is a map of the Cruise Port area.

 

 

Our driver was quite boring and he had limited information on the island. Then again, I think that there is no much to talk about. The island is 2x4 miles, and it is incredibly arid. They used to produce salt, but they haven’t done so for over 30 years. There are a few nice houses on the east side of the island, he said that most of them were over a million dollars. But overall he would say, “this is our bank, where you can take money out”, “there is our grocery market”, etc. It was a very basic tour. I do not recommend it, unless you want to get own downtown, the beach there seemed really nice.

 

 

There were 3 families aboard that bus.

 

 

 

[gambee]

 

 

 

 

I think that was their supermarket.

 

 

There is an incredible amount of garbage all over the island. Mostly plastic containers.