We are on the verge of becoming Platinum members with Carnival. There was a lot to enjoy on this 7 night whirlwind of the Southern Caribbean. But I am left to wonder whether the negatives we felt during the cruise are related to the ship or evidence of a new Corporate culture. Primary indicator: Carnival is no longer requesting comments/surveys from the passengers.

Sunday Embarkation in San Juan was a mess, apparently the result of a sloppy disembaration of the previous group. We were approached by departing passengers with chants of "last time on Carnival". Our enthusiasm would not be diminished. When we were finally on board by mid-afternoon, we got our first hint of the most significant problem we would encounter throughout the week; it was as if the ship's architect designed the Victory the morning after having suffered a concussion or similar head injury. The Lido deck features tiered placement for the pool view lounge chairs. Because this involves the use of more space outside, the buffet restaurant inside has seen available serving options dramatically reduced. Hence, there are not multiple buffet islands but rather one wall of cafeteria style offerings approached by 2 lines. Two very, very long lines. We ended up having breakfast & lunch in MDR way more frequently I prefer.

So..service during these (too short) open seating sessions in MDR was actually quite terrible as the staff was overwhelmed. Food, when it finally arrived, was not consistently hot. There was a strong effort by the hostess to pair unrelated couples, but the one time we agreed to this, we were seated with a couple that spoke virtually no English. This was awkward. Come on hostess, please try! Read more