I liked this ship (Victory) much better than the Imagination.
We also specifically picked this cruise because there was a long time at the ports and at least one day spent at sea with no ports. I think this really contributed to my enjoyment of this cruise over previous cruises, where there was no dedicated day at sea and/or really short times spent at port.
Overall, good ship, great staff and great port experiences. Thanks!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We did Your Time Dining, which we would not do again because there were unexpectedly long waits on some nights, we didn't get to meet new people at a large table (just seated by ourselves) and weren't guaranteed to have the same wait staff each night.
The food itself was generally amazing, especially at dinner. The warm chocolate melting cake was amazing as usual, but my new favorite is the grand marnier soufflé. I always love the salmon benedicts at breakfast, although the quality control on the buffet line wasn't great this time around. The first morning, I got one that was so overdone/had been waiting under the heat so long that the egg yolk was completely cooked and the hollandaise was crusty. But I brought it back and they replaced it for me without having to wait in the whole line again.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We didn't go to very many shows this time. I felt that the Living in America show wasn't great - the female costumes were gratuitously skimpy. But the female vocal lead was particularly good.
Really liked AJ , the acoustic guitar guy who spent time on deck and in the atrium area. He had a great selection of song titles and a good vibe. The piano guy was good too.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
N/A
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
For 3 out of 4 nights, we had Andrew as our head waiter and he was outstanding. Really friendly and great at anticipating what we needed or wanted. Also very entertaining and funny.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
On the ship, the serenity deck was really great - two separate decks with lots of space and a variety of chair/lounging options. However, it was located right next to the water slide entrance and other spaces frequented by children, so sometimes kids would wander in or just be noisy right on the other side of the wall. Also, on the last day, there was were some drunk adults that overtook the bar area and hot tub and were smoking even though this was a non-smoking area.
I would have liked to have a way to go through the ship on deck 5 without having to walk through the casino because the smoke was usually pretty thick there. It would be even better if smoking was not permitted in the casino.
The cleanliness was sometimes an issue. We don't think our rooms had been thoroughly cleaned before we went to them because we found several items apparently left over from previous occupants.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
I handpicked our rooms this time (2456 and 2457), so that instead of just a porthole for an ocean view room, we each had a large window. The windows actually jutted out over the back of the ship, so it was a great view and you could make a window seat with the extra blankets/pillows in the room. These rooms were very spacious compared to the other rooms and had lots of closet space. But being on deck 2, you can really feel it rocking sometimes and you can hear the engine in the mornings when coming into port, etc.
The TVs are terrible. It's not just that they are box TVs; the picture is horrendous. I didn't really spend time watching TV, but the picture was so blurry/shaky/jumpy as to almost make you sick when trying to order services or review your sign and sail account
Ship tip
Carnival should really look into coordinating with the Bahamas National Trust to create an official excursion to the Primeval Forest or their other parks. A great alternative to the Atlantis excursions and a way to give back to the country and fund preservation!
We also had a great cruise, no complaints about staff as they were always right there and very professional. Think we're going to go on the Magic next year for a 7 day. First cruise and I'm hooked!
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