Carnival Victory?

Question

I am currently planning a cruise to the Southern Caribbean and this one seems to fit the bill. However, I am in my 30's and my parents are going with some friends and they have the impression that Carnival is a huge party line. We are looking at going Jan/Feb of 2009. Any comments on this topic would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

carribean never been there

Answer 2

i when on a cruise do i think u are going on the same boat as i did cuz the boat name was victory to and it is fun dont worry about tips when you get then the new day u will no where eveything is and you will beable to do anything it is so much fuyn

Answer 3

I have taken 3 Carnival cruises. Two with my husband as an anniversary cruise. (20th and 25th) and one we brought all three adult children (with their SOs) and we had a great time. The longer the cruise is, the less party central it becomes.  So I would always choose a week or longer. Carnival will always have to fight this mostly underserved reputation. But they did not get to be the largest cruise ship line without delivering a very good product at a value price to a very diverse group of people. There are always quiet out of the way places on every ship. Jan/Feb will be a great time for the Caribbean as most "young adults" will not be on Spring Break. You might also want to avoid President's Day week as many East coast school districts have the week off. This means many, many young kids. You can have a great time on Carnival. Bon Voyage.

Answer 4

Carnival does still have the reputation as a party line, even though they've been working hard to dispell that.

In January and early February [before President's Week] you'll have an "older" crowd than normal, with fewer families and kids.  There will probably be a range of ages from twenties through 50s, I'd guess.  Cruisers who prefer a classier, more up-scale cruise wouldn't sail with Carnival, nor would the majority of cruisers over 50.

Another factor to consider is that, sailing from Puerto Rico, there is likely to be a sizable contingent of "locals", as the cruise lines offer deals to "locals" [whether in Florida, NYC or anywhere else] to fill up the ship.  The cultural differences [manners, etc] may bother some people and not others.  San Juan is also not always the easiest airport to use.  Make sure you allow plenty of time before your flight home.

The Victory hasn't gotten stellar reviews in the last year or so, some people saying she's starting to show her age.  My first cruise was on the Victory [when she was brand-new] and it got me "hooked" on cruising.  Carnival isn't everyone's style - the glitzy decor and "party" atmosphere in the dining room [singing/dancing wait staff] is appealing to some people but annoying to others.

Overall, I'd say Carnival is a good first cruise.  The Southern Caribbean is an interesting itinerary, but there are a lot of port days, which means more expense [for shore excursions] and less time to just enjoy the relaxation of the ship [sea days].

You can get lots of good info on all aspects of cruising, from experienced cruisers, at CruiseCritic.com.  Click on "Boards", then go to whatever topic interests you.  You might also want to click on "Reviews" and read, especially, the "Member Reviews".

Hope this helps!

Answer 5

what's wrong with a party boat, that's why people take vacations isn't it, to get away from work and relax?  Can't think of a better way to do that than to drink my a$$ off on the beaches during the day and party at night, and I'm 37!

Oh John McCain supporters, shoulda said that from the get go hunee. Well I can only presume an ideal vacation for them is a trip to the local quick-E-Mart. Forget about the Caribbean it's for the younger crowd.