Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Victory Cruise Review
Canada

Phil
Age: 47
Occupation: Cognitive Therapist
Number of Cruises: 3
Sailing Date: August 25th, 2007

We came from Northern NJ by car service, being dropped off at 11.  Though we were told we couldn’t board until 1:00, many people were already in line and we boarded around noon. 

When we returned, we got off the ship carrying our own luggage at 9:00.  As we were up late the night before and had to be up and out early, we appreciated the car service more on the way home (we immediately fell asleep).

Cabin
Our party consisted of me, my wife and our 11 year old son.  We were in cabin 2271 with a king size bed and sleeper coach.  We had plenty of room.

Activities
Carnival offers many activities; at times we had to choose some over others.  I participated in the hairy chest competition and my wife and I were in the Love, Sex Romance quiz and the Battle of the Sexes game.  Though we generally don’t consider ourselves outgoing participants, we had a lot of fun.  Other activities included various trivia games, art auctions, a galley tour, spa health seminars (generally sales pitches) and exercise classes (at an extra fee).  The ship also has three pools (one indoor).  The water was cold and salty.  We spent some time in the hot tubs.  Our son enjoyed the three deck long water slide though the line could get long.  We never got around to table tennis or mini golf, though we wanted to.  The gym was crowded the few times I checked.  I never could get to a treadmill but made use of the 1/10 mile long track instead.  We didn’t spend much time in the casino but it was quite large and varied.  We did play a few games of ($20 for three card) bingo.

Entertainment
The two shows we saw were fun.  We saw a magician and a Vegas style music/dance review.  We saw some of two different comedians but didn’t stay long as we were tired.  There were several musical performers in different lounges and all were excellent.  Don’t miss Peter Kraft on piano in the Irish Sea Bar.  The Maitre D in the dining room also does a mean Sinatra.

Food
The biggest disappointment of the trip was the food.  All but the dinner in the dining room was lackluster.  The 24 hour pizza place was Domino-esque, the deli sandwiches just adequate and the buffet marginal.  Room service was quick but the food the same.

Destinations
At Saint John we went on an excursion to St Martins.  It was nice but we could not get to the caves due to it being high tide.  We went out on our own in Halifax, going along the shore to the Maritime Museum and Alexander Keith Brewery.  We recommend both.  Weather was good for Canada at the end of the summer – low 70s and not a lot of sun.


Overall, we enjoyed the trip and will probably do Carnival again in the future.

 

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