Southern Caribbean Cruise

Carnival Victory

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Attraction | "Carnival Victory and my first encounter"

Carnival Victory Photo - Carnival Victory, Caribbean Islands, Caribbean

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After watching one of my favourite movies, Pirates of the Caribbean for the umpteenth time, I decided that I wanted to sail the Caribbean Sea like the unscrupulous Jack Sparrow. I reviewed many cruise lines and their ships, before finally deciding to book a 7 day sailing on the Carnival Victory. The cost of the cruise was $729 plus tax, which wasn't too bad, considering that we were sailing in July (the middle of the high season). In addition to the cost of the cruise, we were also expected to pay a gratuity of $10 per day, per person whereby the total amount sky rocketed to just under $900 each.The Carnival Victory was a wonderful ship, despite being in service since August 2000. She was ...Read More

After watching one of my favourite movies, Pirates of the Caribbean for the umpteenth time, I decided that I wanted to sail the Caribbean Sea like the unscrupulous Jack Sparrow. I reviewed many cruise lines and their ships, before finally deciding to book a 7 day sailing on the Carnival Victory. The cost of the cruise was $729 plus tax, which wasn't too bad, considering that we were sailing in July (the middle of the high season). In addition to the cost of the cruise, we were also expected to pay a gratuity of $10 per day, per person whereby the total amount sky rocketed to just under $900 each.

The Carnival Victory was a wonderful ship, despite being in service since August 2000. She was well maintained and had a certain charm which made her passengers feel right at home. The cruise ship departed from the San Juan harbour on a sunny Sunday afternoon, with over 3000 passengers that day. I remember the captain saying that we were sailing at full capacity. The ship was scheduled to dock at 6 ports within the week: St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Maarten.

Upon my arrival onboard, My boyfriend and I went to the Lido Deck to find something to eat. There was a large buffet available with many different food options. We had a burger and fries along with some pastries, and washed them down with glasses of orange juice. The meal was ok for the most part, but the pastries were very nice. I especially enjoyed the square of chocolate cake with the strawberry icing.

Following lunch, we were informed that our room was now ready, so we trudged down the hall with our carry-ons, looking for our cabin. Upon checking in, our large suitcases were tagged and taken from us, to be loaded onto the ship afterwards. After a few minutes, we located our cabin door and using the keycard which we were issued, unlocked the door. Our room was quite spacious and modern with a heart shaped towel placed on the bed as a greeting. I felt that this was quite a nice touch, and we definitely felt welcomed. There was a mini bar on the dresser and an ice bucket, but I knew before hand that those weren't for free, but for a fee instead. While we were inspecting the room, there was a knock on the door. Our room steward introduced himself and wished us a pleasant vacation, in addition to bringing the rest of our luggage. After expressing our gratitude, he departed and we set about the task of unpacking our clothing and other personal items. Needless to say, it took a while.

At this point, our cruise director, Karl with a K, announced over the ship's speaker system that we were to be sailing shortly, and as a result, all passengers should report to their muster station for the safety drill. We removed our life vests from their location above the closet, and slowly followed the crowds going down the stairs. The safety drill was carried out similar to that of an airline safety presentation. Various crew members demonstrated how to use our life vests in the unlikely event of an emergency.

Following the drill, we returned to the Lido Deck to watch the ship leaving the harbour. There was a sailaway party going on, and what a party it was. Drinks were being served left, right and center and the caribbean tunes were being blasted from the speakers. We had a few drinks observed the scene. Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for dinner. The dress code that night was casual attire, so I wore a simple black dress, while my boyfriend wore dark jeans and a black shirt.

We had a late seating arrangement for the cruise, which meant that we needed to be seated by 8:15pm. Dinner that night was pleasant, and the food was plentiful. The Pacific dining room was very glamorous with its pink, brown and blue colour scheme. The service was impeccable and we had a very dedicated head waiter from Poland. After the main course, the waiters treated us to a special song in which the staff did a very good job. We opted to have ice cream for dessert, before going in search of that night's entertainment.

The show that night in the Caribbean Lounge was called "Welcome Onboard" and featured some very talented dancers and interesting costumes. We then paid a visit to the casino, but we weren't particularly lucky. At this point, we went back to our room and got ready for bed, anxious to wake up the next morning in a new country. Read Less

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Day 2 and 3 (St. Thomas and Dominica)

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Carnival Victory docked in St. Thomas Photo - Caribbean Islands, Caribbean

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After a peaceful sleep on the extremely soft bed, I awoke to find that we had already docked in our first port, St. Thomas. After a quick shower and a bite to eat we made our way down to the gang plank and stepped ashore. The port was very busy, regardless of the fact that our vessel the only ship in that day. We slowly meandered through the stores and various tourist traps until we found what we were looking for. The Paradise Point Skyride.I've heard that this was one of the best things to do near the port and I was genuinely interested. We paid $20 for the cable car up to Paradise Point. The cable car was very modern and the glass windows provided a 360 degree panoramic view of the St. ...Read More

After a peaceful sleep on the extremely soft bed, I awoke to find that we had already docked in our first port, St. Thomas. After a quick shower and a bite to eat we made our way down to the gang plank and stepped ashore. The port was very busy, regardless of the fact that our vessel the only ship in that day. We slowly meandered through the stores and various tourist traps until we found what we were looking for. The Paradise Point Skyride.

I've heard that this was one of the best things to do near the port and I was genuinely interested. We paid $20 for the cable car up to Paradise Point. The cable car was very modern and the glass windows provided a 360 degree panoramic view of the St. Johns harbour. After the skyride arrived at Paradise Point, we climbed a few feet of stairs to the highest point and took a few photographs or the marvellous scenery. We then proceeded back down the stairs to explore the little shops that sold various knick knacks. I bought two t-shirts and a magnet (I collecg magnets) and my boyfriend bought a wooden wind chime for his mother.

We then walked into the Paradise Point bar, home of the Baileys Bushwhacker. We had a few rounds, and spoke for a bit. Shortly after, we boarded the skyride for the journey back down the hill. We then decided to take a short walk outside of the port area. We found ourselves in a small plaza which had stores such as Foot Locker and Kmart. We browsed for a bit, before heading back to the ship for lunch.

After eating, we acknowleged that it was high time we got acquainted with the Carnival Victory. We walked around for the better half on an hour, flitting through the many bars, lounges and public rooms. The pool deck was rather deserted, seeing that most of the cruisers were still ashore. Taking advantage of this rare moment, we lounged in the beach chairs and soaked up some of the warm sunshine in peace. Of course this didn't last for too long, as families started flocking back to the ship, donating a healthy dose of noise and disruption to our afternoon siesta.

We then left the top deck, and moved on to to the gym to spend some time on the treadmills. The gym facilities were very up to date and I was greatly impressed. It was then time to prepare for dinner, so we gathered our clothing and started looking for the laundry room. After finding it, we had to wait a few minutes before an ironing station became available. By the time we got through with the laundry room, we had just enough time to shower, get dressed and find the right path to the dining room.

The dress code that night was elegant, so it was quite nice to see everyone decked out in their Sunday best. The photographers onboard had quite a busy night, as everyone wanted to take a picture in their finest. The menu was also significantly better this night, offering lobster dishes and the most decadent chocolte melting cake. I ate my fill before returning to the casino, to once again try my luck. Thankfully, the slot machines loved me that night, and I returned to my room $40 richer.

The next day found us docked at the emerald isle of Dominica. We planned to hire a taxi to take us on an island tour, with a stop at the Trafalgar Falls. A bit of hiking through a dense rain forest was necessary to actually get to the falls, and we found ourselves slipping over massive mossy boulders and getting drenched by rain one minute, only to be be assaulted by heat soon after.

All our tribulations were soon forgotten however, when at last we made it to our destination. The twin falls were beauties to behold, rushing over cliffs in powerful currents, set in lush green backdrop. It was SPECTACULAR! We gazed in awe for a few moments, just enjoying nature, before starting on the gruelling journey back to the taxi. Our driver then took us the Dominica Botanical Gardens in Roseau. We saw a great number of trees and plants and our driver was very well informed. It was obvious that it filled him with pride to share a bit of his country with his patrons. There were two breeds of endangered parrots who called this park their home, the Jaco and the Sisserou. Both were really pretty with brightly coloured feathers. Our guide then gave us some local fruits such as the kenip to try. Dominica was a beautiful country, with countless rivers and friendly natives.

After such a tiring day, we retired to our ship as weary soldiers. We were too tired to make it in time for dinner, so after a long rest we went to the Lido deck for an informal buffet instead. At the buffet, we made two new friends. A newly wed couple around our age who were on their honeymoon. We really hit if off, and our conversation lasted for over two hours. They were really nice and made us laugh, definitely the type of people everyone hopes to meet while on a cruise vacation.

After dinner, we said goodbye to our new friends, making plans to meet the next day.
Thanks to the snooze earlier, we both had quite a bit of energy, so we danced the night away in Club Arcitc, the disco onboard the Carnival Victory. A great end to a terrific day. Read Less

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Day 4 and 5 (Barbados and St. Lucia)

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All dressed up on the Carnival Victory Photo - Caribbean Islands, Caribbean

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The next day we came off the ship soon after it docked, as we intended to return early. We were now on the island of Barbados. We've both been to the island before, so we weren't planning on doing a tour. There were specific buses available at the port which were used to transport cruise passangers into the city for a charge of $2. My boyfriend and I boarded on of the buses and were only seated for two minutes when something rather interesting occurred. Two uniformed officers approached our bus, apparently searching for someone or something. They peered into our bus and asked me to step out! Although I was shocked, I complied and climbed out of the vehicle. It turned out that I resemble...Read More

The next day we came off the ship soon after it docked, as we intended to return early. We were now on the island of Barbados. We've both been to the island before, so we weren't planning on doing a tour. There were specific buses available at the port which were used to transport cruise passangers into the city for a charge of $2. My boyfriend and I boarded on of the buses and were only seated for two minutes when something rather interesting occurred.

Two uniformed officers approached our bus, apparently searching for someone or something. They peered into our bus and asked me to step out! Although I was shocked, I complied and climbed out of the vehicle. It turned out that I resembled a wanted person, and after realizing that I was not the fugitive, they profusely apologized. What a way to start the day!

The bus moved off shortly after this inspection, and we arrived in Bridgetown, Barbados within a few minutes. We were only strolling around for mere seconds, before being approached by a young man. He asked if we could assist him in buying a new pair of sneakers by use of our visitor's discount. We politely declined, but learned from this mistake and removed our ship's card from the lanyard around our neck, assuming that this was how we were identified as tourists.

Bridgetown was a very modern town, with tall buildings and many familiar stores and restaurants. I bought a pair of earrings and a magnet to add to my collection, while my hunny purchased some keyrings to give to his coworkers. The rest of the morning went by with little drama, and when the sun's heat became too unbearable, we hired a taxi to return us to the port.

The ship was not as empty as the day before. Several persons were lounging by the pool, having lunch or reading in several of the public lounges. We went to the bar where we were to meet with our new friends. They were already there, so we joined them and spent the rest of the day sippin on margaritas and having a grand time.

Before we knew it, it was nightfall and rushed off to prepare for dinner. This time we arrived at the main dining room with plenty of time to spare. Dinner was particularly scrumptious. I had an appetizer of roasted pumpkin soup, an entree of well done steak and for dessert, a glass of chocolate mousse. Once again, the dinner staff treated us to some dining room entertainment, this time performing the dance of a popular hip hop song "Low" by Flo Rida. After dinner, we went to a comedy show, where the comedian was rather vulgar, but by no means overly offensive. We stayed up as late as we could, before staggering back to our cabin.

The next day found us in my most anticipated port, St. Lucia. Today was a very special day, as it made four years since my boyfriend and I started going out. We, along with our new friends booked a boat tour of the island, for a charge of USD $50 each. The boat was very large and clean, and our captain and crew were really friendly. The first stop on the tour was to see the Piton Mountains. They were trult majestic and we were able to take several wonderful shots from our position in the harbour. The boat then continued to take us to a pier where we boarded a tour bus. The bus drove us to the local drive in volcano, which had bubbling sulphuric lakes, but the stench was seriously sickening, forcing us to run back to the vehicle. The next stop was to a small but pretty waterfall, in the midst of a botanical garden. The atmosphere was pleasant, so we lingered for a while, and our tour guide gave me my first taste of cocoa straight from the pod.

The bus then drove us back to the pier, and we climbed back unto the boat, which then took us to a local beach to spend the rest of the afternoon. We were supplied with complimentary snorkeling gear and we floated around all day, peering beneath the surface of the water at the hundreds of colourful fish, sea anemones, coral and starfish. It made for a truly magical and romantic afternoon. Pleased with how our day turned out, we started the journey back to our cruise ship, and made sure to tip our sailors well.
On our arrival onboard, we went to the spa, where we had previously booked an appointment for a couple's massage. The therapists were skilled and the massage was to die for. We were pampered for 30 minutes, then we went to the steam room where we relaxed for a while. After this, were were starving, so we returned to our room and got ready for dinner.

It was another elegant night, so we dressed up, matching in a black and gold colour scheme. We took a few professional photos, then proceeded to the dining room. The day was all we could have possibly hoped for and so much more. Read Less

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Day 6 and 7 (St. Kitts and St. Maarten)

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Cliffside in St. Kitts Photo - Caribbean Islands, Caribbean

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St. Kitts was next on our itinerary. At this point, it was seriously starting to feel like a swashbuckling pirate or a new model of Christopher Columbos, as I sailed from island to island. The promise of adventure was starting to take hold like a drug and I slowly became addicted.St. Kitts is the larger island of the twin island state of St. Kitts & Nevis. The most striking feature of the island which I noticed before we arrived, was the fact that it was shaped like a butterfly on the map. With this in mind, I expected a strikingly beautiful island with a peaceful and welcoming population. I was far from disappointed when we dropped anchor. At first sight, St. Kitts captured my heart w...Read More

St. Kitts was next on our itinerary. At this point, it was seriously starting to feel like a swashbuckling pirate or a new model of Christopher Columbos, as I sailed from island to island. The promise of adventure was starting to take hold like a drug and I slowly became addicted.

St. Kitts is the larger island of the twin island state of St. Kitts & Nevis. The most striking feature of the island which I noticed before we arrived, was the fact that it was shaped like a butterfly on the map. With this in mind, I expected a strikingly beautiful island with a peaceful and welcoming population. I was far from disappointed when we dropped anchor. At first sight, St. Kitts captured my heart with its tall swaying coconut trees, colourful buildings, captivating smells and the soft sounds of steel pan floating in the air.

As I stepped off the gang plank, there were friendly locals in costumes pulling me in for a hug and a photo. Laughing, I finally pulled away to see genuine smiles on their faces, and they told me "Welcome to my isle". I thanked them then continued into the port area. The next thing which grabbed my attention was a gentleman with a small family of monkeys. I was automatically drawn towards them, and regardless of the $5 charge, I took a few photos. They were adorable, and the youngest actually had on a pair of diapers with a small hole to accommodate the tail.

The town of Basseterre was rather quiet that day, and we walked around the town, stopping to take photos of points of interest such as the town square. We finally decided to do an island tour, choosing the taxi which quoted the most reasonable price of $25 per person. The tour took us to various locations around the island, such as the batik factory where many fabrics of brilliant designs were manufactured. In this same area, there was a lovely garden with hummingbirds and brightly coloured butterflies. I giggled at the fact that I saw butterflies in the island which was shaped like a butterfly.

Afterwards, we were taken to a point on the island where a peninsular divided the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. It was quite easy to see the difference within the waters, as the Caribbean Sea was peaceful with small gentle waves, while the Atlantic Ocean was a darker blue and had much larger waves. Close to this location was a cliffside which was made of large black rocks, with angry waves crashing down below. I never knew of such geographical formations and I was rather intrigued.

We drove through several towns, and our taxi guide provided the appropriate information and at the right times. He did a really good job. Our last stop on the tour was to Cockleshell beach, where we spent the better half of our afternoon. We bid farewell to our guide, as we would have to take another taxi back to the port when we were ready to leave. We kept a proper check on the time as we relaxed on the shore and swam in the crystal blue waters. All too soon, we had to leave and head back to the ship before it left without us. There were several other cruisers at the beach and we all got together and hired a taxi to drop us back to the town. Before we knew it, our adventure in St. Kitts was over and we were showing our ID at the ship's gate, to be allowed back onboard the Carnival Victory.

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Our final destination was St. Maarten, an offshore territory of the Netherlands. This island has the reputation of being a shopper's paradise due to the lack of sales tax. The town of Phillipsburg was located mere feet away from a gorgeous beach, so we donned our swimwear underneath our clothes before heading of the ship. We did a bit of window shopping on Front Street, and bought quite a few souvenir items from several stores. Our main aim however, was to hit one last beach before our vacation came to an end.

It was a beautiful day with clear skies and lots of sun, so we could resist the temptation no longer, and left the shopping area, in search of a perfect spot on the sand to lay our towels. We had lots of fun splashing in the waves, swimming and floating, with a perfect view of our ship docked nearby. We were really surprised at the beach being so clean, considering that it was situated right next to a town. This went to show how much pride the locals had in their island, and the effort which was undertaken to keep themselves known as a wonderful tourist destination.

Before we were ready to leave, the ship's horn sounded, and with heavy hearts my boyfriend and I made our way back to the floating resort. We stayed on the top deck and watched as we sailed out of the harbour, bidding adieu to the last island which we were scheduled to visit on this week long journey.

The experience was everything I'd hoped for, and I would do gladly do it all over again. Read Less

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Tips for cruising on Carnival Cruise Lines

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Carnival Cruise Lines Photo - Caribbean Islands, Caribbean

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A list of 10 tips to help make your cruise go smoother while sailing with Carnival.1. The casino gives free lanyards. On request, they will punch a hole in your cruise card for you, and the lanyard can be worn with your card so that you won't lose it during the cruise. 2. On embarkation day, plan to eat lunch in the MDR (main dining room) as the buffet lines tend to get ridiculously long. The dining room offers a far better ambience, less crowds and good food.3. If you wake up hungry in the middle of the night, there is pizza on the lido deck available 24 hours. You can order as much as you like. It's all included in your fare. Ice cream is always there as well....Read More

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St. Maarten Shopping Tip

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The most useful tip I received prior to my trip was to get downtown before the stores open. If you are the first buyer to enter a store, the locals will literally cut their price in half in order to get you to buy an item. Reason being, in St. Maarten, the store owners believe that if the first customer leaves without buying something, they will have poor sales for that day. Hope this is useful. Remember, in St. Maarten, the early bird really does get the worm!

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