I will definitely cruise on the Carnival Victory again! They absolutely convinced me that cruising is the ONLY way to vacation! LOVED IT!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was fast and easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
There was a wide variety of food available, pretty much any time you wanted to eat. If you don't buy the Bottomless Bubbles (sodas) or alcohol packages, your free drink options are pretty much limited to water, lemonade, and tea. In the mornings they do offer juice, milk, and coffee as well.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There was so much going on, we couldn't do it all! We spent a lot of time in the pools, we watched some of the Dive-In Movies (recent releases!), played mini golf and Bingo, etc.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The cruise director, Felipe, was wonderful. Even his ship announcements were fun! The shows were great, and the sing-along to 80s and 90s music was even better! The lounge/club/piano bar musicians were good, as well!
Children's Programs
We didn't take kids with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I wish there were more stars on this chart. The staff was helpful and courteous at all times. I never saw any of them that they didn't smile and speak to me. The room steward and waiters knew our names the first time we met them, just from our room/table assignment. There was great attention to detail. They worked so hard to make everything nice, I was annoyed when I saw passengers making messes!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
This was my first cruise, so I have nothing to compare the layout to, but I thought everything was great! The crew was literally sweeping up popcorn during the movie. Empty glasses were picked up within minutes. Water from the pool was constantly being swept from the deck with a squeegee. Tables were cleared and wiped down as soon as they were vacated. Honestly, every MOM should go on a cruise. They do for YOU what you do at home! :)
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
There were two of us in the cabin and we were not crowded at all. The room steward asked time we would like housekeeping to come, and they did a great job. We loved the towel animals that were left on the bed for us. Rigoberto was our room steward and he was so friendly! He spoke to us (usually by name!) every time we saw him.
Ship tip
If you are not traveling with kids, go to the aft (adults only) pool. It's quiet and even though people are having drinks, it's never loud or obnoxious back there. :)
We did not do an excursion because we weren't there very long. We didn't do our research, so we were very disappointed that there was NO beach to swim in. The beaches are rocky and they smell terrible. According to friends, we should have toured some of the museums, homes, etc., or gone to a small private island beach (Fort?). Next time we will know, but I will probably not schedule this stop on our next trip. Also, the island is OVERRUN in chickens. Apparently they used to have cock fighting on the island, but it was outlawed. They turned the island into a bird sanctuary, and now it is like the Chicken Capital of the World. They are running loose in the streets! This may account for some of the smell. My apologies to the people of Key West, but we didn't enjoy it.
Loved Cozumel! There are a LOT of jewelry places (which I didn't understand, but ok), and a lot of souvenir shops. We spent most of our stay on an excursion to Passion Island (Isla Pasion), a private island that's about a 45 minute catamaran ride from Cozumel port. White sand, clear blue water, a Mexican buffet, water swings, water hammocks, kayaking, and more. We LOVED it! Book your excursions through the cruise line, or you may be sorry. We booked 2 excursions through CozumelCruiseExcursions.com and they BOTH ended up having to be canceled. Be smart, be safe, book through Carnival! (It was just as cheap as the others!!)
WOW IT WAS FAST! We chose not to check out bags, but to roll them out with us. I'm so glad we did! When they called our deck, we literally walked off the boat, through the checkpoints, and to the parking garage. In 30 minutes we were driving home!
Thank you for the detailed review and for capturing the enjoyment of cruising on paper. We had an extended family cruise cruise on Carnival Victory that was absolutely wonderful. I am glad you enjoyed your cruise and any cruiseline would love to have you as a customer. Enjoy planning your next cruise warmed by the memories of your last cruise, also known as hooked on cruise vacationing.
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