Carnival Victory

I actually took carnival fantasy still good food service towel animals I loved it we went to half moon Kay and Nassau

I am looking outside my window at #snowpocalypse, #snowmaggedon, #snowtorious B.I.G… whatever you wanna call it! What a perfect time to look back and reminisce on last week when I was diving into the crystal clear waters in the Grand Cayman Islands…
Ok so I don’t know why people hate on Carnival. It’s all about expectations. If you want a nice, quiet, relaxing vacation, this ain’t for you. If you want to bring the whole family (including the kids), eat a lot, dance a lot, drink a lot, and meet some really cool people, gather your coins and book your vacation today.
My sorority sister and I (both 24 year olds looking for a fun, active vacation) had a ball on this boat. Mind you, we don’t need 5 star accommodations, butler service, or filet mignon every night. We sprung for an interior (cheaper) cabin because we knew we weren’t spending any time in the room unless we were sleeping. We did buy the drink package, however (priorities). Every single Carnival employee was outstanding and friendly. Our cabin steward, Rai, was the highlight of our trip. He went above and beyond and had our room looking spotless every single day. He had the most upbeat, can-​do attitude and was a champion of towel animals. Our waiter at night was really nice too, bless his heart. Half of the time I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but he tried his best.
As far as activities go, the club on this ship was beyond fun. I am not a clubber by any means, but we had a «when-​in-​Rome» attitude and just went with it. We passed by one night and saw people having the time of their life. We went in and the rest is history. The DJ got everybody up on the dance floor! We ended up going back every single night and met some amazing people. Those bartenders know how to make a great shooter, too!
Overall, this vacation was everything we needed. The beds are surprisingly extremely comfortable. We had a great night’s sleep every single night. The room was more spacious than expected. Bathrooms were fine, although I did wish they were a little more… updated? clean? The food was fine. Nothing to write home about, but nothing was horrible either! The best thing I had was the grilled salmon on the first night and that chocolate melting cake dessert is A+.
Our biggest complaints are about the entertainment. It could use a little work. The trivia, although fun, seemed a little pointless? I wish they made it more competitive. The shows were awful. We went to see one musical which didn’t have a storyline and the singing wasn’t very good either.
In short: If you’re in your 20s or 30s and just want to have fun, the Victory is a great choice. If you need peace and quiet or are mid-​30s and over, I would choose another cruise line altogether.
Cheers!

Abridged version: if you’re on a budget and are the go with the flow type of person this is the cruise ship for you.
Unabridged version: to me, Carnival Cruise line is kind of like the Spirit Airlines of the sea. You say you’re going on a Carnival cruise and people look at you with this, «why?» look on their faces. And many will ask you, «why?»
Here’s the thing, I booked a five night cruise and paid $ 680 for the entire room. In my head I couldn’t get a better vacation if I wanted. Where can I fly to and stay for five days and spend that or less? Nowhere. So in my mind I already won.
The ship itself recently went through dry dock and has the new fun ship 2.0 amenities, but this is one of their older ships so it’s still a little tattered.
The rooms were much nicer than I expected. I figured I would be with the steerage or a broom closet but I had ample space and plenty of room in the shower (I’m 6’6).
The food was good– not amazing, but good. Nothing was so bad I couldn’t eat it but nothing made me say, «OMG I have to have that every day» either. It was average to above average.
The gym was a highlight. Probably the nicest I’ve seen on a cruise ship. And the locker room area was clean and well maintained.
There are plenty of activities on the ship including karaōke which was a huge hit on this ship.
The alchemy bar is a plus too. A place to get real drinks when you’re tired of those drink of the day which is filled with sugar.
When you’re on what people will call a budget cruise you’ll see a variety of people. And I sure did. You can just sit back and watch them have fun– and you’ll definitely laugh. This is not the ship for those who want peace and quiet for days– you won’t find that here.
Would I cruise this ship again? No, but only because I would want to try another ship of Carnivals. If I had to, absolutely, but would like a bigger ship for next time. Was I happy with my vacation? Most definitely. For the money and the days on the ship I could not beat the deal and quality Carnival provided. This is not a Princess cruise so I don’t expect Princess quality and/​or service, but what I did have was an amazing vacation I’ll always remember.

When I went on the Victory the first time back in 2004, it was GREAT! At the time it was considered a large ship, it was newer and I was in high school and had a BLAST. When I returned towards the end of 2014… wow. The ship definitely needed to be dry docked. The décor was old and outdated and the customer service was piss poor. I had never had that happen on a cruise and that was my 7^th cruise. I was flabbergasted. Going from the Oasis to Victory was definitely not a good choice. Not just because it was smaller but everything else I mentioned. The food was also only mediocre. I told myself I would not cruise with Carnival again or if I did, it would be a very long time from then. HA! They got my money though and I leave on a cruise with them this week (Breeze). My family went in November and was very impressed so I believe this will be Carnival’s chance to redeem themselves. :)
Two stars for the great price and cool people I met.

Not what I was expecting, the room is dirty and dusty, this is just awful!
They need to renovate and clean this ship.
The worst cruise ever, dont waste your time or money.

This is my third cruise ever (5 day/​4 night Carnival Victory — Key West and Cozumel) and our group wasn’t impressed. My last cruise was with Norwegian Getaway, which was a brand new boat and fantastic (but don’t let this deter how you view my rating). This cruise proved to need some renovation.
All of our sheets were worn and stained as were our towels. The beds were extremely uncomfortable and we had actually requested a double bed and got two twin beds instead — at which we moved together on our own and the steward gave poor attempt at remaking it. Also, the table in the corner literally had a comforter crumpled inside it and I swore it had to of been dirty/​used and just left there.
The steward saw us maybe twice and never fulfilled our simple requests (getting ice) without being asked more than once. He seemed bored with his presence as our steward and would stand chatting in the hall with his buddies long enough for me to hit the jacuzzi and come back and still be there.
Room service delivery — yes i know there’s 3500 people on board — always took at least 45 minutes. Even for just a pitcher of orange juice one time. Also, there are no fridges in any rooms that our group had. So bringing back milk for cereal or the water that we bought on board was nearly pointless.
Also, one person in our group once asked for a simple request on directions about which floor on the ship actually goes from aft to forward and the woman smugly replied «This isn’t the airport.» To which I restated the question and she was embarrassed by how rude she realized she was. I think she thought we were asking how we can go without walking (like those escalator things at airports that go straight across — idk what she thought really but she wasn’t nice).
Also, I know that this is out of control of the cruise line but when the weather was terrible (Cozumel seemed like a hurricane) we were limited to the two restaurants at the port, almost all excursions were canceled, and some onboard shows were cancelled with poor plan B replacements. There wasn’t even a beach at the port of Cozumel, you have to get a taxi to take you to one.
I highly suggest booking a cruise with another agency or picking a newer boat.

First time on a cruise so everything is a new experience. Price ($ 300 plus fees for 4 nights ocean view cabin). Many of their lounges, bar, and theaters looks very nice. Their room is old and dated with a funny smell. Deck 4 where we had safety drill smells like the sewer. Cassino and arcade are small. Food was average. Servers on boat are super nice and polite. There were not a lot of activity of interest to me on this cruise so it was a bit boring. $ 48 per person automatic charged for cabin cleaning fee. For massage spas, they automatically charged 15% service fee to your total so make sure you look. I had really good massage session daily at their spas, very relaxing. This cruise deserve 2 stars but their wonderful service and nice massage spas/​gym bump it up to 3 stars.

We had a suite, and I swear it was dirty!
Ship is small and old.
I will never cruise with this ship again.

I went on a 4 Day cruise on ⁸⁄₁₃ to 8÷17÷2015. To Key West and Cozumel Mexico. This was my second cruise and ship. I really had a good time. There were no issues, except the buffet after midnight, could have had a better selection. After a while burger, hot dogs, and French fries are overrated. This particular ship had a movie screen with unlimited pop corn. The room was clean and had more room to move around. I chose the interior room since, I never spend that much time inside, unless I’m changing for dinner, or sleeping. All the staff members were nice and friendly. They really make sure everything’s is working, and that you are having a good time. I would suggest checking in before you arrive at the ship, because the lines are LONG if you wait until the day of sailing.

Long lines to eat at the buffet table, but then we had a great experience at the main diningroom. I loved Marcelo the cruise director funny and makes people interact.
Our cabin steward was awesome. Made lots of animal towels for my daughter.
I had a lot of fun did not want to leave,

I just got back from a 5 day cruise on board the Carnival Victory and had a great time. I was a little skeptical boarding since i saw some negative reviews when i checked in, but i did not have really any complaints. Our room was clean. no signs of mold, and no issues thank God! The bed was comfortable which I was pleasantly surprised with since most of the time we wake up with back aches if we’re not sleeping at home!
Service: Service was excellent! Everyone on the ship was friendly and welcoming. Our cabin steward knew us by name before we had even checked into our room (still wondering how they do that) and the bartenders would always remember us whether we were by the pool, dinner or the comedy club. The waiters in the dining room were also great as well and i truly admired their kindness and professionalism.
Food: Overall the food was not bad, and they had a lot of healthy options during dinner. We had sushi, Mahi Mahi, lobster, grilled chicken breast. keep in mind though that the food will be better during a 5 day cruise, or seven compared to a 3 day weekend. There was also a coffee bar on the ship which had gelato ice cream as well (extra $)
If you’re going to take a trip on this trip i highly recommend the Alchemy bar. I personally feel like the best drinks we had were at this bar (my personal favorite being the martini seduction!)

I was on the Victory this week on a business trip with a group of 60. We all had the times of our lives! By far my favorite things were the casino bar (Neil was a great bartender!!!), the band that played 80s/​90s rock nearly every night but one and our dinner entertainment. Can’t believe I haven’t done this before but can’t wait to be back!

The Victory needs a bit of revamping! I took my cruise in March and from what I heard, it actually was scheduled to have some upgrades… which it desperately needs. There aren’t any major issues with the Victory, jut overall needs everything upgraded and some new tech improvements.
They need more outdoor seating. The seats fill out fast on the decks and people reserve them with items while they are gone for hours. They need better monitoring or to add more seating. We ended up laying out on the top deck on the wood, just on our towels each day.
Food is decent, limited hours for some of the better food options, the chocolate molten cake in the dining room is worthy of your first born. The 24 hours pizza bar is pretty cool but probably had the least friendly workers I encountered on the whole ship.
Entertainment is pretty mediocre though there is an awesome guy that plays the piano and old songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s. That little piano bar gets super full with people dancing on the bars. Nuts. We tried to go to the comedian several times but his shows were always packed to the brim!
Best part of the ship was the sports bar! We loved the bartender there plus they have the specialty frog beer on tap!
Be warned though, everyone is drinking on this ship. You will encounter tons and tons of drunken people of all ages with of course the young kids being the worst. Cheap cruise + boos = tons of college aged kids drunk out of their minds. It’s honestly not my idea of fun and I’d probably opt not to do Carnival again if only to avoid these youngins.

May I start by saying Meh. Now we are/we’re first time cruisers so we went into this with open minds.
Loading wasn’t so bad. We flew in and had to deal wit TSA so the security at the port was like a ray of sunshine. We went directly to our room with our quite strong drinks (that’s a good thing at $ 8 each)
Our room, hmm our room was $ 1400 and something for a 5 day cruise. So not so bad. We got a balcony on the 8^th floor. Here are the big turn offs:
1. We had rat droppings in our room.
2. We had mold all in the bathroom.
The room was obviously old, but not too bad.
The food was eatable. That’s the most I can say. I’m not a picky eater by any means. After 9 years in the military I’ve spit very few foods out. carnival was able to accomplish this with the food from the buffet .
The staff was very friendly. Even with them working long shifts, I didn’t see any that were not cheery and nice.
They don’t give you a detailed schedule until you’re on the ship. Even then you don’t know what’s going on until the night before. Had I know I only had a few hours here and there I don’t think I’d be as let down. We looked forward to going to Nassau the whole trip (last stop). We had a shore excursion set for 8:30am. We were on time but the crew didn’t allow any of us off to go to Atlantis it’s until 9. Our excursion had to be moved to 10:30. This pushed our whole day back. Now I know you’re reading this thinking big deal it’s just 2 hours. 2 hours is a long time when you just paid $ 500 to go to a water park and go swim with dolphins. This all has to be rushed because now you only have 5 hours to do it all in. If you do the dolphins just do dolphins and not atlantis too. We only had time to ride 3 slides.
Also unless you get there early you won’t be able to enjoy it because people hold on to those floats for the rides like gold.

This ship is dumpy. It is in major need of repair and overhaul. We read it was dry docked and remodeled, but we could not figure where. Elevator panels falling out, paint worn away everywhere you looked, cabins outdated and old, pool deck falling apart everywhere.
Food: Passable, but mostly disappointing. Bisque and entrees were not served warm. Dining room had 3 waiters for our table, but getting water glass filled or a second soda was difficult. They were more about clearing plates and rushing you out of the dining room. The buffets were not hot either, and cold food was room temp of about 80. It was basically same old food every day. Meats like canadian bacon and bacon were overcooked and shoe leather-​inedible. Eggs were dry and crumbly, and pastries for desserts and breakfast were frozen out of a box. Anyone that says this is good food, obviously has zero taste buds. I am a chef, and know this is poorly cooked food.
Room:Cabin with balcony was cramped and 5^th bed slid out a mattress from under the double bed. There was not enough room to walk once luggage delivered. Décor and carpet was old and needing help. Cabin steward was great.
Pool: Salt water pools were murky/​cloudy. Person puked on ledge, and was never cleaned up. Edges all rusty looking. Decking all different on each tier, and falling apart in many places.
Glass filthy everywhere.
Shore excursion desk: worthless. All they do is hand you a book to read and decide. No suggestions or advice. overpriced and not worth it.
Shops:There are 3 only. A very tinycandy shop (with melted hard candy), a t shirt shop, and a purse/​jewelry shop. Boring. zzzzzzzzzz
Shows: One theater, one show a night. Royal Caribbean ships have multiple theaters and shows. Again boring zzzzzzzxxxxx
DO NOT GET FASTER TO FUN for 50.00 Only good for priority boarding in miami, after that, nothing.
Overall, this us an old ship, and food/​service stinks.
Save your money for Royal Caribbean and you will have a 100% better cruise. They are service oriented, and food is sublime. Cabins are a bit larger, ships are cleaner, and more variety of shops and eateries.
I gave one star for getting us around and to ports safely, and one for our cabin steward. No more stars for the rest.

It’s the cheapest of all cruise lines and this ship in particular is one of the bigger ones. This means there is more to do. My overall feeling for this cruise is that it was fun, but that’s because I went with the right people and met the right people on the cruise to enjoy the activities with.
There is food ²⁴⁄₇ so that’s always a plus. The pizza spot is one of the 24-​hour places and it’s delicious.
The semi-​formal dinner food that is served every night is delicious and always worth it.
I enjoyed the piano bar. You are given the option of sipping on drinks while singing along to a pianist who plays crowd-​request catchy tunes.
As far as other entertainment goes, there isn’t much. If you’re a younger crowd looking for excitement, the club scene on the cruise doesn’t deliver. Book shore excursions are the port of calls of you’re looking for an adrenaline rush!
Oh and buy the alcohol pass.

Was on this ship twice. The first time for a 7 day out of miami then a 10 day out of San Juan.
This was a good ship. Not the best though.
The bathroom was smelling of mold on the 10 day cruise. Had to change rooms, thank goodness they had an extra room available! I addressed this issue with Carnival and they didnt care.
Needs revamped.
Food was good both cruises.
Entertainment was terrible on the 10 day cruise… Had a comic offend the passengers on the 10 day cruise… He literally walked off the stage.
Would not recommend this ship as the 7 day cruise was good. The 10 day cruise not so good.
Will not be going back on this ship.

In summary just okay.
This was my second time on a carnival cruise (my first was when I was 10 and I barely remember everything I now went in my 20’s and can write a validated review on this one experience).
My friends and I attended this trip in Jan 10 – 15, 2015 so my thoughts are fairly fresh since today is only the 17^th. I really have a lot to say so I will break it down in sections.
Booking– my booking was smooth until changes needed to be made. We originally booked for a small group somewhere between 5 – 10 people so did not bother asking about group rates but when everything was said and done we had just over 30 people. I called to ask if we could receive any special discounts or onboard credits but was told by two representatives that it would be more expensive since we already book and that it would be a tricky process. This being my first time on a cruise ship in my adult years I left the situation alone only to find out from a frequent carnival cruiser that we could have received some great perks. Finding this information out less than one week before the cruises departure made me feel like someone had gotten over on me and for that reason I will NEVER book with that representative again.
Food– the food was just okay but was nothing to write home about. Often times food in both the buffet and dinning room were not very hot or did not have enough seasoning which was disappointing.
Service– service was very disappointing. In my opinion most of the wait staff, bartenders, people at guest services seemed miserable to be there but I guess that is what happens when you have to work six months straight… Right? If I could give any suggestions it would be for carnival to teach their staff the importance of great customer service. A smile and a hello goes a LONG WAY! the only staff I truly felt had great customer service was housekeeping but we hardly ever saw them. LASTLY, I WAS TRULY OFFENDED BY BAGGAGE CLAIM WHEN BOARDING THE SHIP, when they took out luggage they said to us and I quote «would you like to tip to ensure your bags make it to the room safely» I personally was going to tip anyway as soon as I could gather my stuff together but when he said that I cut the tip in half. Tip is not mandatory it’s a curiosity & I really wish their employees would learn that!
Décor– I understand that we are on a cruise ship but this boats décor could use a MAJOR upgrade. I felt like I was in a crack 1970’s motel from the carpet, to the bath room to the furniture in my ocean view room it was not good.
Activities– they had a ton. Never a dull minute on the ship. From mini golf, to life size chess, bingo, casino, night club, trivia, karaōke, spa, arcade for kids, pool, water slide, teens club… They don’t lack in things to do on the ship.
Ports– we stopped at Falmouth, jamacia & grand caymand… Both were amazing. I am American and Jamaica is much cheaper in terms of everything. I would recommend buying your gifts their since our money is worth more in jamacia and they are willing to bargin with you. Grand Caymans money is much prettier in terms of beaches and things like that however our money is worth less than theirs so everything was a bit more pricey in my opinion. I did not book excursions through the ship I just took a taxi to the places I wanted to go and paid the people… This was much cheaper. Excursions that would have cost us about $ 200 USD only cost about $ 30 – 45 USD when we did it ourselves. The most important thing is that you make sure you make it back to the port on time.
Victory– if you are a person that gets motion sick quickly I do not recommend this boat for you. It was very rocky and you could feel every single move, especially when sleeping or hungover.
All in all it was just ok. Had a great time on the islands but probably could’ve did without the ship.

I don’t even no where to begin. I chose to cruise with carnival victory for my 40^th birthday. I had read other reviews and was unsure if I had made the right decision. I was a little disappointed to find out that after I had did my check in that the person that waited on me could have set up my sign and sail account. Oh well that made me have to stand in line at a later time on the ship.
Well onto the fun. We hung out on the Lido deck while others were still boarding. I was in total amazement. Between the view and the food offered. I just couldn’t believe it. I knew that I had made a good choice.
Decided to check to see if my room was ready and when I arrived there was a birthday sign on the door. When I entered my room decoration hung on honor of my birthday. Thanks to my friends request. I had an inside state room. It was small but, larger than I thought it woukd be. It was enough considering I knew that my time spent in the room was not gonna be much. The first night at dinner I had a delicious shrimp cocktail and lasagna with a glass of red wine. Later they bought out my birthday cake that I had ordered and sang happy birthday to me. Oh the joy. There was such a variety of things to do it was just impossible to get bored. I loved the Broadway like shows, saw a comedy show and even played bingo. I was just full of excitement. Even enjoyed the club on the ship. I even enjoyed the room service. It was as if anything I needed or wanted could be supplied. The two carnival employees that deserve recognition were Henri who attended to our room and always I say always had a pleasant attitude and Bentley from the dining room we ate dinner just about each night he too was always more than pleasant. I enjoyed the towel animals on my bed each night. They even did a towel animal display on the lido deck. They showed movies nightly that you could watch while in the pool or hot tub. I think this was a great experience for a first cruise. I can’t wait to cruise again.

The 1^st thing I want to say is: IF YOU ARE GOING ON A CRUISE PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH!!! WATCH YOU-​TUBE VIDEOS, THEY ARE VERY HELPFUL…
So this was my 1^st cruise… I went with friends, because someone bailed out!!! Manny Duchatellier (800−819−3902 ext. 82 995) was the planner who set-​it up for the group. We visited Ocho Rios and the Cayman Islands… Both Islands are beautiful!!!
The ship, appears as if it needs some updates! I enjoyed breakfast, Serenity (the adult area), and the night club the most. Many activities are offered, but remember you are not the only one on the ship so get there early seating. Some of the things I wished I would of done prior: brought snack, water, sodas, juice, and 2 bottles of wine!!! I also wished I would of ordered alcohol to in my room when I arrived. Also bring a surge protector, but to limited outlets in the room. The food was decent, but if you get a chance try the food at the destination location… Yum! I do plan to get the booze package.
Ocho Rios, somewhat urban, but has a beautiful beach. As a group we paid a taxi driver to take us around to a few of the local spots… I totally enjoyed it and felt like I was at home!
Cayman Island, it has a more tourist feel to it. The beach was amazing!!! Bring cash for beach activities!!! I also enjoyed Margaritaville… Didn’t get to swim with the dolphins tho. Maybe the next cruise.
I have since booked my second cruise, and it’s to Cozumel on the Ecstasy. So I will also review it upon my return.