Cruises are what you make of them. We were with a great group of folks, we had a great time, and we're looking forward to cruising on the "new" SUNRISE that will return after TRIUMPH completes her renovation/upgrade early in 2019.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
"New" process is beyond compare! Scanning one's ID/Passport during initial security screening, eliminating the need to wait to receive Sign & Sail Cards, etc., is fantastic! Once through screening, you proceed directly to the ship where your Sign & Sail Cards, etc., are waiting for you in your cabin or attached to your cabin door. Simplifies and streamlines the boarding process!!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We took our evening meal in the dining room with our group of eleven. Wait staff were terrific, putting up with eleven different likes, tastes and appetites! Breakfast was a visit to the omelet station on the Lido deck, and we seldom ate lunch, although by observation, the buffet was top shelf.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Hot tubs, as usual were full of kids, which is a deterrent to most adults' using them! Carnival needs to have English speaking American crew with authority to police the pools/hot tubs as per the posted rules. Historically it appears most crew members, with limited English, are hesitant to speak with any authority. The water slide was kept busy, particularly during sea days.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
All of the entertainment this cruise was excellent, and having a live band with the stage shows was a highlight.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
It was a day before we met our cabin steward, who explained that he had rooms on two hallways on our deck. We were never sure during the cruise when our cabin would be cleaned, and several times he'd arrive when we were still in the cabin, or had returned to it. The cabin stewards were always pleasant, but appeared to be overworked compared to past cruises. Staff in other areas were competent and friendly.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Not familiar with other cruise lines, but one is always aware of the 24/7 cleaning that goes on Carnival ships. The ship's layouts and designs are similar, so one isn't likely to get lost or confused from one ship to the other. The older ships are undergoing upgrades on a regular schedule, and it is exciting to cruise on one, and then again after a major upgrade!
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Cabin 1003 is an accessible cabin for those with some mobility handicaps. There are no step overs to the bathroom or shower, and the cabin is spacious, eliminating trip hazards, etc. It is an odd shaped cabin, at the very front of the ship, and access to the bed is somewhat restricted when it is set up as a king. The cabin is spacious enough that with the beds separated we could see several different ways of situating them that would have provided much clearer floor space for those with limited mobilty.
Ship tip
There are a limited number of cruises left before TRIUMPH heads to the shipyard in Spain for the renovation/upgrade. It will sport a new name and new look when it returns in 2019, and we'd recommend taking a cruise before she goes to the yards, and then one when she returns to the states to enjoy the "Wow!" of the upgrade!
Having lived in the city both as a child and later as an adult, while it has some great places to eat, things to do and see; it is not the city I grew up in, or worked in, and it is now, for me, simply a port where I board a cruise ship. It's sad, but reality.
A mainstay to just about every cruise line, Cozumel seems to be on every itinerary year round. We have a great time every time we're there and can always find something interesting and fun to do. We highly recommend the "Cozumel Bar Hop", a non-cruise line excursion that is an interesting, fun, and educational way to spend the day!
Shopping is very limited at this port, and with almost a 5 mile ride to the mainland, unless one is on a scheduled excursion, there are limited activities, and scheduled excursions take time getting to and from the activity, limiting time at the actual site. On this cruise, our tour to Merida was cancelled due to lack of participants, and we were only notified the night before with little time to consider any options. The ship's "shopper" told us that it would be "years" before this port was near any of the others with regard to shopping and excursions.
Ship arrived earlier than scheduled, and disembarkation was begun almost as soon as the sun rose. We were off the ship, through customs, in our vehicle and out of the port area before 8:30 AM ...
I don't think it's coming back after renovations. I can't remember where it's going though. I really would like to cruise it again though. I got hooked on cruises on triumph
Great review! Love carnival because we make the experience our own.
We noted that about the room cleaning on our last cruise too - seems there was a day or two that we didn’t get a straightening.
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