Review Carnival Triumph September 22-29, 2007

[texanitalian]

We'll be leaving for our first cruise on the Triumph soon and I saw people relaxing along the beach on floats in your pictures. Do we need to bring some cheap floats or are they available for rent? We're also thinking about bringing snorkel masks (no fins) because we're not really planning on doing any excursions, just relaxing on the beach/shopping.

 

Great pics! Thanks for your info.

[Rick-n-MeMe]

At Half Moon Cay, private island stop and Magens Bay, St. Thomas (both pictured in the photo show) you can rent float mats. No need to bring your own. I don't know the cost but is minimal. The salt water allows you to naturally be very buoyant! Enjoy your future cruise!

[Froufie]

Just off the Triumph and about to post my own review - did you sail out of the new Terminal D? If so what did you think?

[Rick-n-MeMe]

I didn't notice which terminal number we were at! Oops. BUT it surely wasn't the same one I sailed out of on the Carnival Victory a couple of years ago. It was very clean and orderly. I liked the lay out. I assume that we were in the new terminal and it sure was more organized and quicker than my previous exerience. Pays to arrive early if you are able to. We were onboard by 11:00 am and having fun.

[adammaxpnut]

First off, thanks for the great and informational review. My wife and I are sailing on the Triumph in less than a week (sail date Oct. 13) to celebrate our 1-year wedding anniversary. Neither one of us has ever been on a cruise, so if you don't mind I have a few questions...

 

What would be a few things that we NEED to try on our cruise, that you could not imagine going on a cruise and NOT doing, some essential cruise basics that we need to try? We're sailing on the Eastern Caribbean itinerary, do you recommend trying excursions on all 4 stops or are there some that you recommend just relaxing? Is there anything special I can do for my wife for our anniversary? If we are "scheduled" not to arrive for embarkation until 1:00 p.m., is there any harm in showing up early to try and board the ship?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can give to a newbie cruiser! Any other tidbits of advice you feel like sharing for the first time cruiser, please share!

[Rick-n-MeMe]

Answer to adammaxpnut:

 

Everyone's experiences are different and once I answer this, I will then think of 10 other things I could/should have added, but here are some thoughts:

 

To honor your wife and your 1st year Anniverary, I would order her a dozen red roses and champagne to be delivered on embarkation. My husband did that for me on our first cruise and it was such a surprise to walk into the stateroom and see the roses and champagne sitting there. You could also get an Anniversary package from the Carnival website. Your best bet is to go to the Carnival website, click on the section called "Gifts" and have a look around. You can specify when you want the items delivered. We have ours delivered at embarkation but you might want them delivered another day.

 

Another idea for Anniversary: Let your waiter know it is your Anniversary and they will sing to you and make a fuss over you which is kind of fun.

 

As far as things NOT TO MISS on a cruise: Since everyone is different, it is hard for me to answer this. I would say to enjoy your dinner hour and to get spiffed up and go out for a before dinner drink and an after dinner drink and attend some shows. Whatever suits your fancy. This last trip, we were tired and didn't make the shows but in earlier cruises, it could be a highlight of our day to go out "on the town".

 

Do NOT miss Half Moon Cay. It has to be one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever been to and believe me, we love to seek out the beautiful beaches. The water is so warm and relaxing.

 

Also, don't worry over the little things. There will be mishaps in vacations but it is what you and your wife make of it. Smile and be friendly to the staff and they will be happy and smiling back. They always love to talk about families and home. The ship's staff can have very long contracts and are often missing their loved ones. It is nice to pay some attention to them. Ask them about their family and when they next go home. You will feel more a part of the cruise if you get to know some of the staff. Sometimes we just expect great service and forget to thank them for their hard work. And they do work very hard and long hours.

 

St. Thomas: If you are beach people or snorkelers, you might want to seriously consider going to Trunk Bay, St. John. It is a wonderful beach and we've always enjoyed the trip over. Just take a cab to Red Hook Ferry, ferry over to Cruz Bay, St. John and at the end of the pier, take a jitney to Trunk Bay. You won't be sorry you did and you will have some incredible photo ops. Trunk Bay can be a very romantic place as well. Once you return to Cruz Bay (yes, there are always jitneys waiting to take you back), if you have time before the next ferry, you can eat lunch somewhere in town. We've enjoyed Woody's and High Tide. But any spot will do. Just have a Caribe for us!!

 

San Juan: Just grab a tour van/bus at the end of the pier for a wonderful tour. Lasts about 1 1/2 hours or 2 and is $20 per person. You can also book through the cruise ship, but we've normally done things on our own to avoid the extra costs.

 

Grand Turk: I've read on these boards that the Dune Buggy tour is fun. I do believe you have to book this one through the cruiseline but I am not positive about this. The wave runners looked fun too. We watched many people on them from our balcony. Us? We like hanging out on the beach when the weather is good.

 

Sea Days: Enjoy sleeping in! The rest of the day is yours. We really enjoyed our dining room breakfasts and reading and laying in the sun. If you like a lot of activity, do your sunning in the main pool area but if you like a more quiet atmosphere, try the aft pool.

 

We don't participate in a lot of drinking and partying and we don't do the casino or the areas that have a lot of smokers, so cannot advise about these type things.

 

But, no matter what, just relax, enjoy each other and make your vacation-anniversary a memorable one by making every moment a special one!!

[Texalana]

Those are some excellent suggestions Rick and Anne!

 

The roses in the cabin are perfect for an anniversary couple! They're gorgeous and will last the whole week. Not a bad price either, especially considering the quality. You can also pre-order an anniversary cake to be delivered at dinner and all the waiters will sing to you when they bring it.

 

As new cruisers, you may not feel comfortable doing an independent excursion to Trunk Bay. However, Carnival does offer the St. John Trunk Bay Beach & Snorkel trip, so you have an option to visit Trunk Bay without having to worry about missing the ship. Also, the St. John Catamaran Sailaway, which goes to Honeymoon Beach, is offered through the ship. It has gotten excellent reviews and is supposed to be quite romantic.

 

Texalana :)

[ljknecht570]

We were on the same cruise. This was our second. We brought some newbies with us. We were a little nervous about booking it during hurricane season but the price was right ($399). They are right about the ocean. It looked like glass. I kept asking my husband if we were moving. We loved every minute of it. We were entertained nightly by the tall blond guy, cruising by himself who was decked out everynight for dinner in a unbelievable outfit. Kudos to him. He looked like he was having fun. We are considering the Triumph next May for the Western Caribbean. We are hooked!