Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Triumph
by Nicolas Poitras
October 7, 1999

I finally found some time to get back on-line and I'm ready to share with you my experience on the Triumph. This is my way of saying thanks to all who provided precious information before the cruise. Our cruise was on October 7th, the 4-night to Halifax itinerary. This was Triumph's second-to-last cruise to Canada before heading to the Caribbean. We are in out late twenties and this was our 6th cruise. We had sailed RCI (Sovereign and Majesty), NCL (Leeward and Majesty) and CCL (Fantasy). Overall, this was an outstanding cruise. We like bigger ships so we felt right at home on the 102 000 GRT Triumph. Contrary to what we've read before going, we had no trouble at all finding our way throughout the ship. I do have to admit that I had been studying the plans for a while... Once you know where the atrium and the interior promenade are, you can easily find your way.

EMBARKATION / DISEMBARKATION

We arrived at Pier 88 NYC around 10 am. We had to wait till noon to begin the embarkation process. Since we were among the first there, we did have to wait for the staff to get organized before letting us onboard. Overall, I have to say to went suprisingly well. We did not experience any of the "horror" stories we read on-line. By 12:30 pm, we were having lunch on the lido deck. Disembarkation was also a breeze. We had breakfast in the Paris dining room, headed to the lido deck where we were instructed to wait based on our cabin location and at 9:30 am, we were asked to head to the gangway. If you ask me, this was even to fast as we did not want to leave the ship!!!

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We had a balcony cabin on Lido deck. Carnival does not exagerate when they say their cabins are larger, they really are! Large bathroom for a ship, comfy sofa for 2 in leather, plenty of storage space, large picture windows, etc.. I had read that some people felt the balcony was small. This was our first and we were surprised by its good size. We also appreciated the CCL robes offered in that category. On the negative side, we heard a lot of noise at times coming from the corridor. Were the neighboors simply noisy or was the vent in the cabin door letting every sound go through? This should be improved. Our cabin steward was the best we've had so far. The cabin was constantly spotless and inviting... He took the time to talk to us when we arrived. Asked where we were from, if we had any question regarding the ship. Very friendly.

This was the biggest surprise. On our first cruise with CCL, we felt the food was average and the service left much to be desired. We clearly saw an improvment on the Triumph. Although dining room service is still informal, it is clearly on its way up. The food was very good to excellent. Ingredients were obviously fresh and of high quality as was the presentation. The lido food was also above average. No one should miss the pizzeria and the NY Deli. The latter has outstanding corn beef sandwiches and smoked salmon bagels. Room service was quick and had refreshing choices. We had open-face shrimp salad sandwiches that were just delicious. Lots of quality options when it comes to dining on the Triumph. With this experience, CCL is clearly above RCI and NCL for dining in my book.

This is where Carnival shines. The 2 shows were the best we've seen at sea. Obviously, the size of the ship and its equipment allow for more elaborate productions. However, CCL clearly invested in this area. Besides the Rome lounge, where most of the evening entertainment can be found, there are lots of bars and lounges that offer dancing, comedians and night-time activities like karaoke and other contests. I would have liked to hear more variety in the disco though. It played mostly teen music. Casino is of a good size also. I don't play much but I did win 20 $!!! During the day, the ship does not lack action either. There's almost always something going on in the Rome lounge or in other public areas: game shows, musicians in the atrium, band out on deck. The cruise director John Heald was, as everybody says, outstanding. He is a great comedian and he knows how to work up a crowd. Although he does use some traditional CD jokes, he is probably one of the most creative we've seen. We also appreciated how he did not over use the PA system. In terms of sports, the ship has everything: 7 hot tubs, inside and outside pools (not used on oursailing--water too cold), water slide, full spa, classes, etc. We went to the spa every single day before dinner. Very relaxing before a great evening! Overall, if you like to keep yourself busy, this ship is for you.

This is Carnival. Even if they've toned down their decor with the last few ships, it will remind you of Vegas. If you're going for an action-packed vacation, this is just the right ambiance. We liked it a lot even if we also appreciate more upscale ships in decor. The rooms we prefered: the atrium and the Oxford lounge although we spent little time in it. We didn't like the piano bar with oyster shells on the walls. The dining rooms were fine although a bit crowded and dark. Overall, the ship is attractive and is well designed.

This was a memorable long-weekend. I really feel Carnival is making immense efforts to upgrade its product. I think they're succeeding!!! This cruise was great value and it makes me want to try Carnival again. Don't hesitate to e-mail me if you want more!