I selected this cruise primarily for the itinerary & price, as I was bringing my 18-yr old daughter for a graduation gift (and wanted to see as many places as possible for the money). This was my 3rd cruise overall, and the first with Carnival.
Although most of the CC reviews are favorable, I did make note of the few negative reviews (primarily bashing the age of the ship). Well, I can tell you a simple Google search will enlighten any prospective cruiser to the fact that the Victory is 12 years old - so no one should be "surprised" by this (and it is certainly no cause for a negative review). Although the Victory may not have all the "bells & whistles" of a more recently-built ship, I found her to be VERY clean, well-maintained, visually appealing, and much more spacious than I ever expected. Yes, upon a very detailed examination, the grout along the very bottom edge of my cabin's shower stall was slightly disintegrating - but it was very minor and I imagine this is the kind of normal wear & tear that would be remedied at the next dry dock (would be hard to do otherwise, since the cabins are only vacated for approx 3 hours between cruises). It was certainly NOTHING that put a damper on my vacation, and I've seen much worse at "nice" hotels. I truly believe that a vacation is what you make of it, and anyone who'd let a very small amount of discolored/disintegrating grout RUIN a perfectly good cruise is completely insane (and should consult a therapist). Victory is in BEAUTIFUL shape, especially considering her age. I believe the price of her cruises do reflect the fact that she is a little older than other ships; I was quite happy with the overall experience and she exceeeded all my expectations.
ARRIVAL/EMBARKATION: We arrived in San Jan the afternoon before, and split a cab with another couple from CC on our same flight... total fare was $30 for 4 people/6 bags, or $15 per couple. My daughter & I stayed at a quaint little "hostel" (Posada San Francisco) in the heart of Old San Juan, which was recommended by a fellow CC reviewer. $55/person (inc. taxes) got us a clean room, comfortable beds, and warm shower for the night, plus it was the equivalent of maybe 4-5 blocks from the dock (which we walked to w/our luggage the next morning). I believe we got to the dock around 11am, checked our bags, walked right up to the registration area and had our ship ID's in hand by 11:45am. We were told boarding would not begin for another 30-45 min., but were given a boarding group # and told we could wait in the lounge area. We opted instead to go back out and explore Old San Juan some more, made the obligatory last-minute stop at CVS across from the dock, and was back inside the cruise terminal around 3pm. The security line to board the ship was considerably longer at this point, but I don't think it took more than 30 min. to get through. Our luggage had not all arrived at our room yet, but I think the last bag was delivered around 5pm. We had grabbed a snack at the Lido buffet first thing, then set off exploring the rest of the ship before returning to unpack and make the room our own.
CABIN #6432: We had booked one of the few category 8A "Premium" L-shaped balcony rooms, which are priced the same as a regular balcony - but with twice the balcony length (due the unusual L-shape of the room). I had done a fair amount of research / weighed the reported pros & cons before booking this cabin, and I can tell you my initial hesitancy was completely unfounded. This cabin was FABULOUS in every way, and had no issues w/noise whatsoever despite being directly above one of the lounges below. The L-shape (built around a crew stairwell) made the room feel more like an actual suite, vs. the usual sardine can. Ours was the very last cabin on the port side of the ship, directly adjacent to the aft-wrap (corner) cabin. There was actually a separate door/entryway to access only our cabin and the aft-wrap, which provided additional privacy/peace and quiet (no little kids running outside our "actual" cabin door at all hours of the day & night)... it was pure heaven. Chaintai was our wonderful cabin steward, and greeted us by name after the first night/introduction, often engaging in conversation and asking how our day had gone, etc. We loved the towel animals set out for us each night, and my daughter actually bought the towel animal How-To book for $15 midway through the cruise. Our double-lengh balcony was THE BEST, and came furnished with 3 deck chairs and a side table plus room to spare (you easily could have fit 2 more chairs out there). I know some cruisers feel they don't spend enough time on a balcony to justify the add'l price, but I feel it's well worth it - if no other reason than to be able to prop the door open (bring a bungee cord for this purpose) and listen to the waves all night long while you sleep. I also love grabbing breakfast from the buffet (2 decks directly above us on this ship - quite convenient!) and bringing my plate back down to the room, so I can eat on the balcony while watching us pull into port. Balcony chairs are also great for drying your swimwear after a day in port (much easier than trying to line dry them in the air-conditioned bathroom). Rest assured, fellow CC members, I would NEVER dream of hanging my clothes over the railing - proper cruising etiquette (for all the newbies out there) forbids hanging your unsightly clothing/swimwear over the railing - not to mention it would likely blow overboard once you start sailing (*wink*). Anyway, the L-shaped cabins get 5 stars in my book, and I would take one again in a heartbeat!