We just returned a few days ago from a 5 day Western Caribbean cruise. Prior to our trip, I read through many of the reviews for The Triumph. I must admit that I was a little worried and skeptical due to negative reviews from previous guests. Although this was our 4th Carnival cruise, we were traveling with our extended family and another family (23 in all), and most of them were first time cruisers. I really wanted the experience to be a good one for everyone. We had my parents (67 & 70), my siblings and their spouses, and children ranging from ages 18 to 2.

Several reviews expressed disappointment in the decor, but I was not disappointed. The common areas and hallways were actually more updated than one of the newer ships we have sailed on. The rooms were slightly outdated, but nothing that I was offended by. The bathroom was probably the most outdated, but nothing that prevented us from enjoying the cruise. Some reviewers also expressed negative comments about long lines. I never once thought that the lines were any longer than other cruises. During peak breakfast/lunch times. you're going to have lines.

This was our first time to sail out of New Orleans- usually we sail from Galveston. The embarkation process was very smooth. We stayed in Baton Rouge the night before due a large festival that was taking place in New Orleans. On the morning of our cruise, we arrived at the terminal around 9:30 am. We parked at the terminal and had easy access to parking/porters, and entered the terminal entrance through the parking garage. The lines were not long and we were through the entire check-in process within 1 hour. We were seated in n large waiting area until it was time to board. They began boarding at approximately 11:30. As soon as we boarded, we headed to the Lido deck for lunch. It was pretty crowded, but nothing that was unusual considering the number of people who were boarding and had no place to go. We explored the ship after lunch and then went to our rooms, which were ready by 1:30. We had ocean view rooms on the Main deck (FABULOUS stewards), which ended up being very convenient easily accessible to our dining room and lounge. The dining room was similar to the cuisine that we have experienced on previous cruises, so no disappointment there. Our wait staff was AWESOME.... probably the best that we've ever had! They knew each one of us by name and memorized our preferences. I can honestly say that we did not encounter anyone who was unfriendly or not willing to offer help. Read more