My wife and I took our family of four boys, 8, 10, 16, and 18, on the Carnival Victory 12/16/01. This is a review of the trip. Please keep in mind that this is a review from a first time cruiser's perspective. The review is very detailed, and very long. I hope it helps other first timers, or anyone who is planning on a trip on the Victory.
We are a one-income family, and this cruise represented a big expense for us. My wife had received an inheritance that we used for part of the expense, and the rest came from our budget. We were interested in keep costs under control, and our pocket book was not bottomless by any means.
Our cruise was through the Eastern Caribbean. We left from Miami and sailed one and a half days to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The next day we were in St. Croix, and the next in St. Thomas, both a part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Two days of sailing brought us back to Miami. The ship was full. There were 3,280 people cruising on the ship that week.