Cruise Ship Reviews : Carnival Cruise Lines Reviews
SmartyPantz saw things this way:
All smiles and very happy after this great cruise with the family!, July 22, 2014
Reviewer: SmartyPantz
Pros: Great value, perfect mix of fun/excitement and relaxation
Cons: Ship was a little dirty some places, none of the food was OUTSTANDING, just good
Date of cruise: July 12, 2014
Departure port: Miami, FL
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Outside
Cabin number: 1258
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
This was our first big family vacation in four years and our first that was planned to include our six-year-old daughter. The Carnival cruise ship Victory lived up to it's old slogan - it was a FUN SHIP! Boarding was easy and the pool was open right when we arrived. Kudos to my wife who packed a bathing suit for my daughter in her purse so she could go swimming right away. With our daughter all smiles, we joined in the fun as soon as our luggage arrived and spent lots of time in the pools, hot tubs and on the water slide. I fell into playing in a ping-pong tournament and had a blast, we sang karaoke with a live band (awesome) and enjoyed ice cream on demand ... and that was just the first day at sea! The cabin surprised us. It had been 10 years since our last cruise with a different company and our room on the Victory, an oceanview on the Riviera Deck, was large and accommodating for the three of us. The housekeeping staff learned our names right away and were a friendly sight in the mornings and evenings. The Breakfast buffet was great and probably the best meal of the day! I highly recommend the omelette station. The lunch buffet was great too but we ended up getting hot dogs or chicken tenders from the grill the days we needed lunch. As a bit of a foodie, nothing in the main dining room impressed me too much yet nothing was bad either. The service certainly makes up for it and I understand when you are feeding 2,000+ people the food must stay within a certain comfort range. We are not big drinkers but did enjoy a few "boat drinks"! We got a virgin strawberry daiquiri in the souvenir cup for our daughter that will set you back about $15 but worth it! I think the best drink on the ship was the Long Island Iced Tea. Cool thing about those was that the receipts were good for $5 match play at the casino, so the last day at sea I had $15 in match play to go with my $60 and I ended up winning a little money playing black jack (which my wife then donated to the slot machines!!!) It's a nice little casino and the dealers were friendly and for the little bit we played it was very enjoyable. My wife enjoyed the Serenity adults-only deck one mid-day. I enjoyed the evening outdoor movie one evening. I'd say those were our most relaxing experiences. We sent the little one to Camp Carnival only twice and she enjoyed it very much. We were just having too much fun with her to keep her in there longer. Oh, she DID go to two kids dance parties, too. She REALLY enjoyed those as she felt very grown up (they served soda at night!). The best part of this cruise was how much time we got to spend together as a family having fun, laughing and smiling. I highly recommend this cruise to anyone.
metchie saw things this way:
Excellent time on the Carnival Victory, October 22, 2011
Reviewer: metchie
Pros: Food, service, entertainment, great cruise director- Karl with a K
Cons: Bed configuration in stateroom.
Date of cruise: October 9, 2011
Departure port: San Juan
Region visited: Caribbean - Southern
Cabin category: Inside
Cabin number: 9255
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
The Carnival Victory, as with any Carnival cruise, was excellent. The ship was very well maintained and clean. The ship had four pools, all kinds of lounges and clubs with entertainment well into the late hours. The also had a great selection of comedy shows, both PG and R, with several different comedians. You could not get bored on board. You could try bingo, go to an art auction, shop for jewelry or souvenirs, swim in the pool, watch movies, walk the track, play shuffleboard, relax at the spa or read a book on deck. There's something for everyone. We enjoyed the Anytime Dining in which we were able to do many of the activities on our schedule. The food in the main dining room was excellent, as well as the food in the alternative dining areas. We have been on many other cruise lines and Carnival out shines the other with food 24/7! You can have pizza, ice cream or room service any time of the day. The ports of call on our sailing were great. We had many great ports of call to visit and the ship had many shore excursions available. We really enjoyed St. Maarten and St. Lucia, but the others were nice too! We had an inside stateroom and the bed configuration was not great. The person sleeping next to the wall had to climb over the person on the end to get out. We also had a few other issues with the room but guest services was always there to try and help. The ship sailed full so a room change was not an option. Overall we had a great cruise and will definitely cruise with Carnival again soon!
jersey gal37 saw things this way:
Excellent time on the Victory!, May 27, 2011
Reviewer: jersey gal37
Pros: Food, Service
Cons: Sushi
Date of cruise: May 15, 2011
Departure port: Puerto Rico
Region visited: Caribbean - Southern
Cabin category: Jr. Suite
Cabin number: 7271
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Carnival Victory is a beautiful, well maintained ship. The staff were wonderful, all trying their best to accommodate the guests. The food was excellent, except for the sushi. My family are sushi lovers (not I) and were really looking forward to sushi. Unfortunately, the sushi bar (looks like a hot-dog wagon) is only open from 5-8pm and is not made fresh to order. Most of the ports were great. This was out first time in St. Kitts and probably our last. When we got off the ship to hail a taxi to the beach, we were "attacked" by natives with little monkeys. They put 3 monkeys on my husband, some wearing diapers and 3 on my teenage son. Since I was so grossed out by these little critters who carry disease/insects, I asked for the native to remove the monkeys from my son's head. Soon after, two natives insisted I give them $20 each for allowing the monkeys on my family. When I refused they got nasty. I ended up giving them $5 just to get away. In the meantime, security people were watching & did nothing to stop the harassment from the natives. We went to Cockleshell Beach where the harassing continued... from natives trying to sell aloe to trying to give aloe massages on dirty tables. When we returned to the ship after Cockelshell Beach, my husband got bit by something in more than 5 places and had to go to the ship doctor for a shot. Hint--stay away from the monkeys!! Now he had to undergo several blood tests to check for parasites and other blood diseases. Our favorite beach/island was Carlisle Bay in Barbados. This was our first cruise in May and didn't realize it was "rainy" season. Most of the ports were overcast or scattered showers. All in all, it was a wonderful vacation and we would definitely return to a Carnival cruise again.
travelguy27 saw things this way:
Great Value for the money, December 11, 2010
Reviewer: travelguy27
Pros: Always something to do; dining experience A+
Cons: Too many photographers; on one of the last nights they blocked hallway traffic
Departure port: San Juan, Puerto rico
Region visited: Caribbean - Southern
Cabin category: Inside
Cabin number: 7237
The Carnival Victory experience, as with other Carnival cruises I've been on, was excellent. I especially enjoyed this cruise since it offered such a number of port stops. We were never without something to do aboard ship. The food in the dining room was excellent, different menu choices each night. Eat early, eat late, your choice. Out of the dining room, you can eat 24/7. The spa area was much nicer than on other cruise lines: large steam and sauna rooms, as well as an exercise area. With at least 12 levels, I chose to get my exercise walking the stairs instead of taking the elevator most of the time. There was quite a choice of shows: from comedy (PG & R), to variety with singing, dancing and flamboyant costumes. Bored? try bingo, go to an art auction, shop for gold or souvenirs. Swim in the pool, walk the track, play shuffleboard. There's something for everyone. Find your something on the Carnival Victory.
fn20z0 saw things this way:
Stepping onto the Victory was like entering a magical city on the sea, July 3, 2010
Reviewer: fn20z0
Pros: Service was wonderful, shows were great, and food was delicious.
Cons: The only bad thing was that we had to leave at the end of our trip.
Date of cruise: September 1, 2023
Departure port: San Juan
Region visited: Caribbean - Southern
Cabin category: Balcony
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Stepping onto the Victory was like entering a magical city on the sea. We were greeted warmly by many of the staff. Our cabin was wonderful. We chose one with a balcony so we were able to get a good view of each port. The food was wonderful - from buffet breakfasts to deli sandwiches piled high to gourmet evening meals. Our waiter treated us like royalty. We celebrated our anniversary one evening and he even chilled our bottle of wine for us (that I had purchased ahead of time to be placed in our cabin as a surprise for my husband - very special!) The entertainment held something for everyone. We enjoyed singing in the karaoke lounge and attending the musical shows every night. We also enjoyed an art auction and a talk on gemstones and where to purchase when in port. There was so much to do whether you were up early or stayed up until the wee hours. The atrium area was gorgeous, so colorful and amazing. While picking up pictures from formal night or checking out the shops on board, we could often stop to listen to the great duet at the piano bar or stop to watch an ice sculpture being made. Our cabin was kept clean and tidy. We loved our towel animals every night. We enjoyed sitting on the balcony in the evenings and watching the ocean. Mostly we loved the wonderful service we received. We were treated like family. We have been on three cruises with Carnival and have loved each one. We will be back for more!
Carnival Victory reviews
Average customer rating:
4.75 / 5
4.75 / 5Average Rating based on 5 Reviews:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
4.80
4.40
4.80
5.00
4.80
4.80
3.00
5.00
5.00
4.40
4.80
5.00
4.80
4.80
3.00
5.00
5.00
SmartyPantz saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Staff and Service
5
5
5
4
4
3
5
5
5
4
4
3
5
All smiles and very happy after this great cruise with the family!, July 22, 2014
Reviewer: SmartyPantz
Pros: Great value, perfect mix of fun/excitement and relaxation
Cons: Ship was a little dirty some places, none of the food was OUTSTANDING, just good
Date of cruise: July 12, 2014
Departure port: Miami, FL
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Outside
Cabin number: 1258
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
This was our first big family vacation in four years and our first that was planned to include our six-year-old daughter. The Carnival cruise ship Victory lived up to it's old slogan - it was a FUN SHIP! Boarding was easy and the pool was open right when we arrived. Kudos to my wife who packed a bathing suit for my daughter in her purse so she could go swimming right away. With our daughter all smiles, we joined in the fun as soon as our luggage arrived and spent lots of time in the pools, hot tubs and on the water slide. I fell into playing in a ping-pong tournament and had a blast, we sang karaoke with a live band (awesome) and enjoyed ice cream on demand ... and that was just the first day at sea! The cabin surprised us. It had been 10 years since our last cruise with a different company and our room on the Victory, an oceanview on the Riviera Deck, was large and accommodating for the three of us. The housekeeping staff learned our names right away and were a friendly sight in the mornings and evenings. The Breakfast buffet was great and probably the best meal of the day! I highly recommend the omelette station. The lunch buffet was great too but we ended up getting hot dogs or chicken tenders from the grill the days we needed lunch. As a bit of a foodie, nothing in the main dining room impressed me too much yet nothing was bad either. The service certainly makes up for it and I understand when you are feeding 2,000+ people the food must stay within a certain comfort range. We are not big drinkers but did enjoy a few "boat drinks"! We got a virgin strawberry daiquiri in the souvenir cup for our daughter that will set you back about $15 but worth it! I think the best drink on the ship was the Long Island Iced Tea. Cool thing about those was that the receipts were good for $5 match play at the casino, so the last day at sea I had $15 in match play to go with my $60 and I ended up winning a little money playing black jack (which my wife then donated to the slot machines!!!) It's a nice little casino and the dealers were friendly and for the little bit we played it was very enjoyable. My wife enjoyed the Serenity adults-only deck one mid-day. I enjoyed the evening outdoor movie one evening. I'd say those were our most relaxing experiences. We sent the little one to Camp Carnival only twice and she enjoyed it very much. We were just having too much fun with her to keep her in there longer. Oh, she DID go to two kids dance parties, too. She REALLY enjoyed those as she felt very grown up (they served soda at night!). The best part of this cruise was how much time we got to spend together as a family having fun, laughing and smiling. I highly recommend this cruise to anyone.
metchie saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
5
4
5
5
5
5
5
4
5
5
5
5
5
Excellent time on the Carnival Victory, October 22, 2011
Reviewer: metchie
Pros: Food, service, entertainment, great cruise director- Karl with a K
Cons: Bed configuration in stateroom.
Date of cruise: October 9, 2011
Departure port: San Juan
Region visited: Caribbean - Southern
Cabin category: Inside
Cabin number: 9255
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
The Carnival Victory, as with any Carnival cruise, was excellent. The ship was very well maintained and clean. The ship had four pools, all kinds of lounges and clubs with entertainment well into the late hours. The also had a great selection of comedy shows, both PG and R, with several different comedians. You could not get bored on board. You could try bingo, go to an art auction, shop for jewelry or souvenirs, swim in the pool, watch movies, walk the track, play shuffleboard, relax at the spa or read a book on deck. There's something for everyone. We enjoyed the Anytime Dining in which we were able to do many of the activities on our schedule. The food in the main dining room was excellent, as well as the food in the alternative dining areas. We have been on many other cruise lines and Carnival out shines the other with food 24/7! You can have pizza, ice cream or room service any time of the day. The ports of call on our sailing were great. We had many great ports of call to visit and the ship had many shore excursions available. We really enjoyed St. Maarten and St. Lucia, but the others were nice too! We had an inside stateroom and the bed configuration was not great. The person sleeping next to the wall had to climb over the person on the end to get out. We also had a few other issues with the room but guest services was always there to try and help. The ship sailed full so a room change was not an option. Overall we had a great cruise and will definitely cruise with Carnival again soon!
jersey gal37 saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
4
5
5
5
5
5
Excellent time on the Victory!, May 27, 2011
Reviewer: jersey gal37
Pros: Food, Service
Cons: Sushi
Date of cruise: May 15, 2011
Departure port: Puerto Rico
Region visited: Caribbean - Southern
Cabin category: Jr. Suite
Cabin number: 7271
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Carnival Victory is a beautiful, well maintained ship. The staff were wonderful, all trying their best to accommodate the guests. The food was excellent, except for the sushi. My family are sushi lovers (not I) and were really looking forward to sushi. Unfortunately, the sushi bar (looks like a hot-dog wagon) is only open from 5-8pm and is not made fresh to order. Most of the ports were great. This was out first time in St. Kitts and probably our last. When we got off the ship to hail a taxi to the beach, we were "attacked" by natives with little monkeys. They put 3 monkeys on my husband, some wearing diapers and 3 on my teenage son. Since I was so grossed out by these little critters who carry disease/insects, I asked for the native to remove the monkeys from my son's head. Soon after, two natives insisted I give them $20 each for allowing the monkeys on my family. When I refused they got nasty. I ended up giving them $5 just to get away. In the meantime, security people were watching & did nothing to stop the harassment from the natives. We went to Cockleshell Beach where the harassing continued... from natives trying to sell aloe to trying to give aloe massages on dirty tables. When we returned to the ship after Cockelshell Beach, my husband got bit by something in more than 5 places and had to go to the ship doctor for a shot. Hint--stay away from the monkeys!! Now he had to undergo several blood tests to check for parasites and other blood diseases. Our favorite beach/island was Carlisle Bay in Barbados. This was our first cruise in May and didn't realize it was "rainy" season. Most of the ports were overcast or scattered showers. All in all, it was a wonderful vacation and we would definitely return to a Carnival cruise again.
travelguy27 saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
5
4
4
5
5
5
5
4
4
5
5
5
5
Great Value for the money, December 11, 2010
Reviewer: travelguy27
Pros: Always something to do; dining experience A+
Cons: Too many photographers; on one of the last nights they blocked hallway traffic
Departure port: San Juan, Puerto rico
Region visited: Caribbean - Southern
Cabin category: Inside
Cabin number: 7237
The Carnival Victory experience, as with other Carnival cruises I've been on, was excellent. I especially enjoyed this cruise since it offered such a number of port stops. We were never without something to do aboard ship. The food in the dining room was excellent, different menu choices each night. Eat early, eat late, your choice. Out of the dining room, you can eat 24/7. The spa area was much nicer than on other cruise lines: large steam and sauna rooms, as well as an exercise area. With at least 12 levels, I chose to get my exercise walking the stairs instead of taking the elevator most of the time. There was quite a choice of shows: from comedy (PG & R), to variety with singing, dancing and flamboyant costumes. Bored? try bingo, go to an art auction, shop for gold or souvenirs. Swim in the pool, walk the track, play shuffleboard. There's something for everyone. Find your something on the Carnival Victory.
fn20z0 saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
Stepping onto the Victory was like entering a magical city on the sea, July 3, 2010
Reviewer: fn20z0
Pros: Service was wonderful, shows were great, and food was delicious.
Cons: The only bad thing was that we had to leave at the end of our trip.
Date of cruise: September 1, 2023
Departure port: San Juan
Region visited: Caribbean - Southern
Cabin category: Balcony
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Stepping onto the Victory was like entering a magical city on the sea. We were greeted warmly by many of the staff. Our cabin was wonderful. We chose one with a balcony so we were able to get a good view of each port. The food was wonderful - from buffet breakfasts to deli sandwiches piled high to gourmet evening meals. Our waiter treated us like royalty. We celebrated our anniversary one evening and he even chilled our bottle of wine for us (that I had purchased ahead of time to be placed in our cabin as a surprise for my husband - very special!) The entertainment held something for everyone. We enjoyed singing in the karaoke lounge and attending the musical shows every night. We also enjoyed an art auction and a talk on gemstones and where to purchase when in port. There was so much to do whether you were up early or stayed up until the wee hours. The atrium area was gorgeous, so colorful and amazing. While picking up pictures from formal night or checking out the shops on board, we could often stop to listen to the great duet at the piano bar or stop to watch an ice sculpture being made. Our cabin was kept clean and tidy. We loved our towel animals every night. We enjoyed sitting on the balcony in the evenings and watching the ocean. Mostly we loved the wonderful service we received. We were treated like family. We have been on three cruises with Carnival and have loved each one. We will be back for more!
