Carnival Victory August 16-20, 2007 Embarkation: Excellent experience. We arrived at the cruise terminal after coming over from NJ on the train and a cab up to the cruise terminal. We got there about 11:00 am. We were immediately registered and given our Sail And Sign cards. We sat with all of the early arriving and registered passengers and were told that boarding would start at about 11:40. True to their word about 11:40 or so we started lining up and proceeded through security, to take a photo if you like and on to the ship. It was great. The cruise terminal workers were very polite, willing to answer all questions and kept everything moving smoothly. Carnival Victory Ship: We step onto the ship and it's beautiful. Lots of sea green and undersea decor but also very clean, bright and shiny. We walked around a bit to get our bearings and since we were not allowed into our cabins until 1:00 pm we did the obvious and headed up to the Lido Deck for food. Lido Deck: We were not to much surprised at the floor plan because we had cruised on the Carnival Triumph a couple of years ago so the set up was familiar. We walked around a bit and finally decided to get some lunch. Pretty good food offerings in the buffet. I have seen far worse buffets and yes, I asked for a refund. Long lines as has been mentioned on CC and can get very crowded all at once. I tried the Asian food and it was very good, deliciously seasoned, fresh vegetables and seafood. I even tried the fried rice even though I don't care for scrambled eggs which it contained. The buffet area is and is kept in very clean organized condition. But the seating needs replacing. I mentioned this on my comment card. I sat on one of the benches and felt like I was going to fall through. They need new cushioning. Many of the chairs are very stained and threading. New seating would make the buffet are a pleasurable place to dine. Deli: Awesome! One of our favorite places to eat for any meal or snack. I highly recommend it. Crew members who sliced, heated and served were more than wonderful. Courteous, timely and organized. High praise for them and the food they served. Hamburger/Hot Dog Area: Again great crew member service, organization, courteous and efficient and they serve a lot of people all day long there is a line. Great burgers, fries and hot dogs. Pizza: Again wonderful. It wasn't my favorite pizza place at home with homemade Italian sauce and toppings but hot out of the oven it made for a great snack. Caesar salads were also great. Very nice crew members working very hard to serve all of the constant children mostly and adults pizza orders. Dining Room: We had dinner nightly in the Pacific Dining Room. Our waiter was wonderful Armando and his co-waiter, I never got his name he was so busy and efficient. It actually may have been the other way around, that Armando was his co-waiter. But however they were both wonderful, patient, efficient and fast moving with the food and requests. Thank you both. We enjoyed all of our meals there. My husband especially loved the Melting Chocolate Cake that the CC members suggested. Thanks Casino: We had a great time there. No we didn't win much but we enjoyed playing the slots. We don't gamble much so this was entertaining for us. I did find it annoying to have the band playing so close to the gaming action. At one point I had to move to a slot machine toward the back of the casino because I couldn't concentrate. The dance floor located right in front of the band is also a main walkway and is especially a problem when the shows let out from the Caribbean Lounge. But we managed. Shows: We saw three of the shows, Welcome Aboard! - Livin' In America and VROOM! We enjoyed them all dancers were fantastic and energetic. I think Livin' In America was my favorite. St. John: Our only port stop but we enjoyed it. We didn't do a tour, we just walked to some antique shops and to the malls across from each other. We were lucky. I have read on CC how foggy it can get in St. John but we were blessed with a very clear and only slightly cool day. Activities: This was a very laid back cruise for us so we really didn't push it. Besides the casino we saw a movie in one of the lounges, went to the captains party, watched some Bingo, watched a few of the games at the pool, visited the gym (and I do mean visited...lol), sat out on our balcony when the weather allowed, but not much else. There was plenty to do around the ship though. Cabin: Our cabin was spacious and very nice. The bathroom again was spacious and very nice. Closet and draw space was adequate. My only problem with our cabin was that it look like there had been a flood (maybe not but it looked that way) in the bathroom and it flowed out onto the carpet leading out of the bathroom. It would be nice if they replace that carpeting. Other than that it was a great room. Would stay in it again. CD: Malcolm (WhooHoo!) Burns. Very entertaining and knowledgeable. Funny, seems to be very excited about his job and is good at it. Not very visible around the ship though. I thought that was strange. You usually run into the CD somewhere along your cruise. Maybe I just missed him. The WhooHoo's can become annoying but he does explain during the Debarkation Talk that it is used as a way to distinguish himself and something you will remember. And sure enough, on the train back to NJ, what do I see? Two billboards with what else...WHOOHOO! on them. I immediately thought of Malcolm in the middle (that's how what he refers to himself). Crew: I found the majority of the crew to be very friendly, always greeting and acknowledging guests, helpful and generally cheerful. The only place I didn't find this to be true was on the Lido Deck in the buffet area only. The crew there seem to have very low morale. They don't smile, greet, assist and are very stand offish. I'm use to asking where they are from, how they like working on a cruise ship, about their family, etc. But they were very aloof. Hmmm...I wish them well and hope it's better if I should cruise on the Victory again. Debarkation: The the CD explained everything during his Debarkation Talk. Made it sound so simple and easy if we all would just follow the instructions given for leaving the ship. It pretty much was. I awoke at 5:55 am, looked out the window in time to see the ship going under the Veranzzano Bridge. Fifteen minutes later there was the Statue Of Liberty and on up the Hudson to Pier 92 where we docked. Got showered and changed. We decided to head down to see what the situation was or wait in the Caribbean Lounge which is what we did. About 7:35 no assist passengers we allowed to begin leaving the ship. By 8:00 am we were waiting in line for a cab back to Penn Station. So no problems at all. Very well done. Overall: This cruise was great! Very memorable and we would do it again. I suggested in my comment card about the minor changes that should be made but other than that, we had a great time, enjoyed the crew and ship, laughed a lot, didn't spend to much and look forward to our next Carnival cruise. Happy Cruising!