We just returned from being on the Triumph on the 15th. My husband had never been on a cruise before so I thought it would make a great 40th birthday present. Had it not been for the massive amounts of alcohol he imbibed I'm sure it would have been perfect. This was my first time on the Triumph and 2nd time crusing with Carnival. Prior to sailing I feel quite certain that I read every FAQ and every review on the internet I could get my hands on.

The ship itself was nice. My only real complaint about the cruise itself was that the service was not what I was expecting. I never once laid eyes on my Steward much less met him/her. When I passed them in the hallway it was hit or miss whether they would even acknowledge my presence. We were on deck 6. However, I will say everytime we found ourselves on deck 2, because it ran the length of the ship, the stewards there were always very friendly and always had a smile and a hello. The service at the Red Frog Rum Bar was atrocious to downright non-existent. I stood at the bar and watched one female bartender wait on everyone else around me and then proceed to go to new people who were coming up. Finally I walked away and always found excellent service at the Blue Iquana Bar. It seemed to me that the majority of the crew were really unhappy. I understand that they work solely on commission but it is hard to warrant tipping someone who gives horrible service. (I still do though because I'm a sucker)

I spent most of my time at night in the casino. The pit bosses Lee and Enrique were super fun and always had a smile. Even bought the table a round a few times. Damian, Roxanna and Maria were fun dealers and still seemed to enjoy the job a bit. In fact I spent so much time in the casino I earned a free cruise, which the hubster and I will taking in April on the Dream out of New Orleans. Read more