Carnival Victory Review
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I wasn't going to submit my review until the Costa Cruise line tragedy unfolded. After I learned Carnival is their parent company, I was not surprised, and decided to submit the review, in hopes that anyone who reads this, learns from our experience. My husband and I cruised southern/eastern Caribbean on the Carnival Victory, from November 13 through November 20, 2011. This was our first cruise, so we did some research. We chose the cruise line and itinerary because it seemed to best fit our lifestyle and budget. We are in our 40's and have travelled to a few all-inclusive resorts and enjoyed the all-inclusive aspect. Before I begin the review I just want to explain that my husband and I are very laid back. We have stayed at resorts that were given mediocre reviews and we always found something to love, and often couldn't figure out why the not-so-stellar reviews. That being said, I guess the best place to start is at the beginning, it went quickly down hill from the arrival.
THE ARRIVAL: We arrived at the port of Puerto Rico, at 3:00 p.m. When we arrived at the Port we went through the 1st of FIVE checkpoints. The line was out the door (passed the escalator out the first door). Carnival had "roped off" the stairs so as not to create a "bottle neck". I was curious about that procedure; I thought it would make more sense to "rope off" the escalator. I came to that conclusion after attempting to step off the escalator; the corridor was blocked, I, my husband and approximately 10 other people all fell on top of each, only minor injuries thank God. We were then greeted by a Carnival representative yelling to "keep it moving" we then proceeded to wait on line for 2 ½ hours to check in. We were told the computers were down. We get that, things happen, but have a back up plan.
The terminal was filthy and not air-conditioned. During that time, Carnival had the audacity to request passengers take candid photos in front of a huge poster of the Victory. A fellow passenger informed us that there were lemonade and iced-tea fountains available. It amounted to two "coolers" hidden in an area littered with used Dixie cups and napkins. The trashcan directly underneath was overflowing with garbage. We then went through 4 more check-in points, and finally arrived at our room.