Navigator of the Seas Review 9.20.2015

 Navigator of the Seas Review

September 20,  2015

Just The Facts

Ship:  Navigator of the Seas

Sailing:  September 20, 2015

Captain: Frank Martinsen

Cruise Director: John Perry

Ports: Galveston-Cozumel-Grand Cayman-Falmouth, Jamaica-Galveston

Weather:  Sunny with occasional clouds…Warm

I am cruising with my DW (dear wife) and another couple both good friends and experienced cruisers.   This is my 19th Royal Caribbean cruise and third on the beautiful Navigator of the Seas although this is my 6th cruise with Captain Frank.  I had booked this cruise very early in order to get our favorite aft facing cabin with large balcony on deck seven.

Day One--Sunday—Embarkation

Great over-sized Balcony!

We left the ranch about 7:00 am and headed south to Galveston making a stop at the Love’s Store in Hearne, Texas as usual.  We stopped near Houston Hobby airport and picked up our friends about 10:40 before arriving at EZ Cruise parking about 11:30.  We were shuttled over to the Navigator strait away and zipped through security and check in and were on board about noon.  We went to the pub on Promenade deck for a cocktail until our cabins opened at 1:00 pm.  We dropped our carry-on and very soon our bags were delivered.  Amazingly fast.  We went up to Windjammer and had a light lunch and dessert then back to the cabin for a short nap attempt before boat drill at 4:00 pm. Our cabin steward is Manuel from Costa Rica and he asked if we would need anything…ice is the obvious answer.  We love this cabin and have had it on many occasions on different RCCL ships...we especially love the over sized balcony.  Our friends are regular Celebrity cruisers and Royal Caribbean allows your loyalty status between their brands so they are Diamonds on the RCCL Navigator of the Seas.  We all went up to the Diamond Lounge on deck 14 for cocktails and h’orderves.  Very nice and I enjoyed a few Cosmopolitan martini’s.  RCCL pre-loads three complementary Diamond guest cocktails on your sail and sign card so about 7:30 we went down to the Two Poets Pub  for a wine and wine to take to dinner.  It was off to the Sapphire Dining room for dinner at 8:00 pm.  Our table is located midway on level 4, we have an 8-top table with nice guests from England.   Dinner was good, I ordered:  Escargot, and the Prime Rib with Baked Potato entree.   The Welcome show was this evening, but I retired to the cabin to watch the Dallas Cowboy game. The others explored the ship.

Day Two—Monday—at Sea

Metropolis Theater

A very restful night and beautiful weather today.  We slept late for us and room service was delivered at 9:00 am.  We enjoyed a good breakfast on the large balcony enjoying the weather and view.  We ordered eggs with cheese, bacon, fruit plate, hash browns, and pastries.  This will be our norm for the cruise. I did purchase an unlimited internet package this morning, the cost will be my excursion and entertainment cost for the cruise ($80 after $40 Diamond credit).  I don’t consider a drink package with the drinks provided to Diamond Guests (plenty for me anyway).  We didn’t have to pick up ice tickets as is the norm on board on the first sea day as we actually got them the previous night in the Diamond Lounge.  We had lunch in the Windjammer, they always have a nice meat selection at the carving stations as well as other entrees, hamburgers, vegetables, and desserts.  Very easy and nice selections in the Windjammer.  About 5:00 pm we met up at the Diamond Lounge on deck 14 for cocktails then at 6:30 we went to the Metropolis Theater for the production show: Ballroom Fever featuring a selection of Music and Dance Tunes.  The Navigator Singers and Dancers were very good. They have a nice orchestra, but no orchestra for this show…it was recorded.  To be honest only a fair production.  After the show I did get a champagne on the promenade on the way to the Captains Gala Dinner.  It was a wonderful meal, I ordered: the Bay Scallop Gratin appetizer, the Artichoke-filled Crepe au Gratin, and the Carved Fillet of Beef Tenderloin  entree.  For dessert I had the BBB Creme Brulee.  All very good.  There was a 10:30 Adult Comedy show featuring Don Barnhart in the Theater, but after a great sea day I retired.  The others enjoyed the ship.

Day Three—Tuesday—Cozumel

Woody's our Cozumel HQ

I slept very well overnight and the weather was beautiful although hot and humid.  I went to breakfast in the Sapphire dining room about 8:30 am and ordered mixed fruit, Eggs Benedict, and a side of Bacon. It was excellent. DW had room service on the balcony.  We are docked at the International pier, the only RCCL ship, but I watched the Carnival Magic dock followed by the Carnival Paradise at Puerto Maya Pier.  It looks like the expansion at Puerto Maya is almost complete and actually may be now as they were only doing cosmetic clean up…they will now be able to dock three ship at the Carnival pier.  We left for San Miguel about 9:30 am arriving at the main square about 10:00 am.  I dropped my backpack at Woody’s Bar & Grill our usual HQ in San Miguel and the girls went shopping and the guys went to Angelo’s Barber Shop for my usual haircut.  Martin was late (as usual) so we went to the spa where I usually get a pedicure and they had closed.  So back to the barber shop and very soon Martin came along.  He does a great job and I really needed a haircut.  We scouted a new place for a pedicure and they did a good job ($20) my feet felt great afterward.  Returning to Woody’s the girls where in deep conversation with Nelly the owner and good long time friend.  They have my favorite Mexican beer, Bohemia, a European style pilsner. We spent several hours visiting and enjoying some Guacamole, Margarita’s and good food. Look at the size of the margarita glasses.  The ship sails much too early so we headed back about 2:30-3:00 pm.  The girls shopped at the pier shops and I boarded and went to the Windjammer for a snack.  After sail away it was time for a visit to the Diamond Lounge while waiting for showtime.  Tonight’s  entertainment was comedienne Etta May.  A very interesting comedy act, it was very funny and I’m intrigued by the person behind the persona. Think we need to book her for our local theater in Clifton.  Dinner in the Sapphire Dining Room was very good as usual.  It was a busy day so I retired after dinner, but there were a lot of evening events including: 70’s Night functions, Karaoke, Movies, and much more.

Solarium area

Day Four—Wednesday—Grand Cayman
A good nights sleep overnight.  We have decided to stay on board the ship today.  We had a very nice breakfast on the balcony and enjoyed the sea breeze and view of the island.  We went to the Solarium area located on the lido deck forward and enjoyed the swimming pool and extra large hot tubs.  It’s really nice to use the ships’ wonderful facilities when most passengers are off the ship.  Very nice indeed.  After a full morning in the Solarium it was off to the Windjammer for lunch, they had a great veal cutlet today.  I spent the afternoon enjoying cabin time and the balcony, I did bring a small sound system for music on the large balcony…a very nice relaxing day.  Soon it was cocktail hour so up to the Diamond Club for some cocktails and their nice Hors d'oeuves/Appetizers (the chicken wings were great).  The Crown & Anchor past guest party was this evening @ 7:15, but it was really much better just staying in the Diamond Club in my opinion.  I really like the Cosmopolitans they prepare on the Voyager, only a ‘touch’ of cranberry.  We had an earlier light dinner in the Windjammer and they do a very good job there for dinner...it was enjoyable and the food is better in the evenings.  Only glitch is they lost power on the ship while we were eating.  We had tickets to the first Ice Show this evening at 8:00 pm.  The sound was slightly off (due to the earlier power outage) so they stopped and restarted the show and it was flawless from that point.  An ice show, especially at sea, is always entertaining and we had very good seats.  This evening was the Love & Marriage Show in the Metropolis Theater, but I watched it later on cabin TV.

Day Five—Thursday—Falmouth, Jamaica

The new cruise terminal in Falmouth

It is another very clear and warm day.  I was up early and watched Captain Frank back the Navigator into the new pier at Falmouth.  Perfect view since we are on an aft facing balcony.  I have been to Jamaica many times, but never to Falmouth before today.  Soon room service delivered our breakfast that we enjoyed on the balcony while viewing the island of Jamaica.  We only planned to see the area around Falmouth so we were in no hurry to debark.  We have a great view of the new pier area that was developed in part by Royal Caribbean.  It has a Margaritaville and all the new upscale Caribbean tourist shops one would expect.  They do have a craft area for locals as well, sort of a clean straw market area one would find in the islands.  We took the local trolly for an hour+ tour of Falmouth’s Georgian architecture.  Interesting, but also a bit of a disappointment.  The others shopped a bit, but I boarded the ship and had a nice late lunch in the Windjammer, they had my favorite pork cutlet in addition to the usual.  I just relaxed until sail away from Falmouth and enjoyed it as we have a perfect view.    We enjoyed our usual cocktail hour+ in the Diamond Lounge.  The main entertainment tonight was comedian Dean Austin, it was also 1980’s night, and the ‘Love and Marriage Show’ was this evening.  We had reservations tonight at Giovanni’s Table, the specialty Italian restaurant on board.  They serve the appetizers family style so we got four different ones.  I liked the Eggplant and really liked the Scallops.  My entree was the choice New York steak and it was prepared exactly to order and was very good. The DW rarely praises food, but she loved the Spinach Ravioli (vegetarian) entree.  I enjoyed the Tiramisu for dessert.  An excellent evening.

Sapphire Dining Room

Day Six—Friday—at Sea
Beautiful sea day.  We enjoyed another nice breakfast on the balcony.  DW was off to the Solarium to swim and I enjoyed balcony time this morning.  I have enjoyed the Windjammer lunches all week and did so again today.  This afternoon I walked around the ship and enjoyed just relaxing.  They did have a lot of day events such as: two Ice Shows, dance classes, bingo, and more.  Wouldn’t miss cocktail hour+ … in fact we enjoyed it so much we missed the production show: Motown Live although I have seen it previously.  This was the second scheduled formal night and we’ve missed our English tablemates the previous two nights.  Dinner was again very good,  I had two very good Snow Crab Salads and the dessert was Baked Alaska.  After dinner the primary event was the adult Quest game in Studio B.  Other entertainment included the usual ship performers including the 'Salsa Band', the ‘Rock’ band, and the Piano Bar.

Day Seven--Saturday--at Sea

Cosmopolitan Club - our cocktail hour HQ

Sunny beginning that became a cloudier later today.  For a change I had breakfast in the MDR and ordered my ‘country’ breakfast’:  Assorted fruit, three fried eggs, bacon, ham, hash browns, white toast, and milk.  Very good.  DW had her balcony breakfast.  DW was off to the Solarium again and I had a repeat of the previous sea day morning.  I did visit the Future Cruise desk and booked a cruise (same corresponding cabin) on the Liberty of the Seas for 2017.  We usually always sail RCCL in January and September of each year.  I also discovered I only need 8 more days to move to Diamond Plus in the Crown & Anchor loyalty level.  Perhaps I should consider a ‘bargain’ cruise to reach that level.  After lunch I had a walk about on deck and then got a Self Assist pass from Guest services for tomorrows debarkation.  I split my time between the open decks and the cabin this afternoon.  A nice relaxing sea day.  The feature show this evening was comedian Dean Austin in the Metropolis Theater.  We all visited the Diamond Lounge for our final cocktail hour+, we have enjoyed this very much all week.  I actually have a zero bar bill for this cruise…this Diamond benefit is well worth value when determining your cruise costs.  You do not need a beverage package if you take advantage of this benefit.  Final dinner was good and I went with the NY Strip Steak.  They offer this every day and it’s not like the specialty dining steaks, but fine if you have it cooked.  (A friend ordered one medium-rare and she did not enjoy it)  After dinner were several late shows, but I did some preliminary packing before turning-in this evening.

Debarkation--Sunday
We were docked by 7:00 am and it is a rainy day in Galveston.  I was up early and finished packing. No room service on debarkation morning, but a full breakfast menu is served in the dining room.  We are doing the self debarkation and have a 7:45 - 8:00 am meet time for our self-debark Group A. You have to request self-debark on the Navigator and get a ticket at Guest Services the day prior.  Since we docked a bit early I suspected the debark would as well and it did but there was a very large self group guests, I suspect B’s and C’s were also there at the early time.  I think the smart think would be to go with Group B and let the anxious folks get out of the way.  We were off fairly soon though after a long line started moving and customs went smooth.  They did have a TABC booth set up to collect taxes on liquor and cigarettes as we left the terminal.  We took the shuttle over to EZ Cruise parking and we were off  the island by 8:40.  We dropped our friends at the Houston Hobby airport and were on our way.  We stopped in Hearne at the old Anna’s location and had Miga’s.  They were good, but not Anna’s.  We got gas in China Springs and made the ranch about 1:15 pm.  A safe travel day.

Ship
The Navigator of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s current ‘Texas’ ship being the first to berth in Galveston year round since the Rhapsody of the Seas.  After Navigator it is to be the Liberty of the Seas and following that is supposed to be an Oasis class in Galveston.  With a large ship there are a lot of people and the pools can be very crowded during peak times and the elevators are always full, but the additional size also means that there is room for an ice skating arena, the photo gallery, casino, bars, etc. without any one of them dominating an entire deck.  The Grand Promenade is very impressive indeed and must be experienced.  The theme of the ship seems to be Hollywood Movies with movie posters decorating the passageways and stairwells. They have added a Flow Rider, the Sabor restaurant, Diamond Lounge, Digital photo displays on deck three, of course the virtual balconies on deck ten.   I really like the new interactive touchscreen information centers located near all the elevators and other locations.  They have the daily Cruise Compass, guides, maps, and more.  They also have interactive menus at the Windjammer and on all entry floors of the Sapphire Dining room.  The swimming pools are saltwater and nicely designed.  Great Solarium and Lido deck areas.

Cabin
We had cabin 7688 our favorite cabin with the large aft facing corner balcony.  You can find in from the outside by find the two large 'O' cut outs in the superstructure.  The upper 'O' is our side balcony view.  (see lead photo above at top of review)  The room is a standard size balcony with: key pad safe, hair dryer, refrigerator, couch, full chair at vanity/desk, nice sliding shower door, and great lighting. The second great feature was the flat screen TV that could be adjusted to view from anywhere in the room.  Very well designed.  The air conditioning & water pressure worked well, but I’m glad I brought my personal cabin fan for circulation.

Crew
Overall very good and my individual crew contacts such as cabin steward and MDR waiters were excellent.  Manuel Stirling my Stateroom attendant was actual exceptional.  John Perry the CD was to my liking, he does not try to be an entertainer...just a good host.

Food
Our dining room was the Sapphire Dining Room, deck four the middle level of the 3 level restaurant. The waiters were nice and service was good.  The bread and appetizers were very good, and you can order the Escargot, Cesar Salad, Shrimp Cocktail, or NY Strip Steak every night.  The Windjammer is also a very good place to eat, the quality of food was very good.  It’s the best food buffet at sea IMHO.  Room service was always good and prompt averaging 30 minutes for delivery.  Johnny Rockets was a good alternative for lunch or afternoon snack.  Lunch in the Sapphire Dining Room has the same menu each day with one special item that does change daily. There are several ice crème and yogurt machines.

Cruise Highlights
Diamond Club
Complementary cocktails loaded on Sail Card
Etta May  

Balcony

Carnival Triumph Review May 14, 2015

Carnival Triumph

Cruise Review 4/14/2015

Just the Facts:

Ship: Carnival Triumph

Captain:  Mario Nicolini

Cruise Director:  Kirk Benning

Ports: Galveston-Cozumel-Galveston

This is my 54th Carnival cruise, the 9th time on the Carnival Triumph, and 104th cruise overall.  I am cruising with my beautiful dear wife (DW).

Thursday / Embarkation / May 14th, 2015 / Day 1

We left the ranch at my regular scheduled goal departure time of a 6:00 am.  You can make very good

Carnival Triumph

time in the early morning hours and I didn’t get into serious traffic until Houston.  We arrived at EZ Cruise Parking just about 10:20 am and we were shuttled over to the ship soon afterward.  We checked DW’s bag and I again decided to carry my bag with me through check-in and not leave it with a porter.  We were checked in at the VIFP priority check-in area about 10:50. Looks to be 4 Diamond guests (I always look at the Diamond page when they check me off the list) and there were several others in the VIFP lounge. After the wedding party, we boarded  about 11:25 am.  It was a smooth process.  After dropping my bag in cabin 8397 we went straight to the Lido buffet for lunch before it got too busy.  There is no Mongolian Grill, my usual first day eating choice on most Carnival ships, so I went for freshly made (especially if your early) select Asian food from Chopsticks and from the buffet I sampled the Tomato & Arugula salad,  Chicken Fingers with sweet mustard sauce, Roast Beef with Horseradish (only fair) and Grilled fish with tartar sauce.  After lunch we went out to the Pool area and saw many guests eating a Guy’s Burgers immediately on embark…amazing burgers.  DW got the Guy’s Fries with Ranch dressing…great fries too. Following our walk about we went back to the cabin for a short nap. DW’s bag was delivered about 1:00 and the Boat/Safety Drill was held just after 4:00 pm.  Safety drill went smooth and very soon the Triumph was sailing from the port of Galveston on her way into the Gulf. I went to the Alchemy Bar and was very pleased to see Marko behind the bar.  He fixed me a cherry - vodka martini as we were still in Texas waters.  The two of us went to Alchemy about 6:20 pm and it packed with people primarily doing the martini tasting.  I had a Quick Fix and DW a Cosmopolitan. The Welcome Show was scheduled for 7:30, but we have seen it many times we stayed and had our own martini sampler.  Renata from Serbia is the other Alchemist and Mario the bar server.  Dinner is at 8:15 pm, we have table 543 in the center of the Paris Dining Room (MDR), a nice table with nice people in a good location. For dinner tonight I ordered: the Escargot, the Lasagne Bolognese (as starter), the Creme of Broccoli Soup, the Pork Steak entree, and the Black Forrest Gateau for dessert.  The comedian tonight was the Cowboy Comedian and there was a full schedule of entertainment in the lounges, but we retired to the cabin after dinner.

 
Friday / Fun day at Sea / May 15th / Day 2

Wonderful World

Smooth seas overnight and I had a very good nights sleep. We were off to the Paris dining room (MDR) for breakfast about 9:30 am for the Sea Day Brunch and was expecting a long line, but there was really no line at all.  We had a nice table location and friendly table guests. I ordered the Fruit Plate and Steak & Eggs, DW ordered a Cheese Omelette and Pancakes, it was all very good.  We did go for a walk and I went by Guest Services to make a query about the drink vouchers usually in your cabin on day one.  By the time we returned to the cabin they were there, but it does take away the option of using them today if they arrive after brunch time. Guests were really happy and busy today, we had beautiful weather and the outdoor decks were packed as well as the casino. It is certainly a younger demographic on a four day cruise than the longer cruises we usually take. I enjoyed a great Guy’s burger about 2:30, then time for a short nap.  The production show Wonderful World was tonight at 7:00 pm for late setting dinner guests.  It is my favorite of the productions shows on the Carnival Triumph and features the Triumph dancers and singers and highlights music from around the world. There were songs or dances from: France, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Africa, Spain and more. It is a fantastic show with full cast of singers and dancers and full LIVE orchestra. The Can-Can is my favorite dance and Con Te Parte my favorite song.  The Captain’s elegant night dinner was tonight. I ordered the Stuffed White Mushrooms, Farfalle Pasta with Turkey (as a starter), a Shrimp Cocktail, the Prime Rib entree, and two desserts: the Cherries Jubilee and Bitter & Blanc.  Other good options were:  Roasted Pumpkin Soup, Alligator Fritters, Lobster, or Pork Spare Ribs.  The Platinum/Diamond gift was delivered tonight: a Carnival travel game board.  BTW—no more chocolates left at turn down service.

Saturday / Cozumel, Mexico / May 16th / Day 3
Calm seas overnight and I had a nice sleep. We have no early plans for the day so I slept late then

Best Burrito---EVER!

went to the Paris MDR for a nice breakfast of Eggs Benedict, French Toast, and extras. DW had room service.  We are docked at the Puerto Maya Pier and we are the only ship in Cozumel today. About 9:40 am we went down to deck zero and were on our way to San Miguel ($8 taxi). We went by the Antonio’s Barber Shop, but Martin wasn’t there as yet so we went across to street to the church for some reflection time.  When we came out Martin was open and I got a great haircut as usual.  He has been my regular barber for nine years now.  Afterward we went to Woody’s Bar to use the internet and drink some diet cokes.  DW did a little shopping and I had a couple of Bohemia beers.  I love the internet here, it’s faster than at home on the ranch.  I had heard some rumors of a new burrito place with good burritos in the neighborhood and I found Burritos Gorditos just a few blocks from the square.  The rumors were wrong, these aren’t good burritos, they are GREAT burritos, the best I have ever had…ever.  We then went over to Wet Wendy’s for one of their featured mega margaritas ($6).  Very good.  We were disappointed to hear that Chad and Claire had sold both of their places in town, but we wish them the best.  We then caught a taxi back to the pier and were back on ship about 3:00 pm.  I still believe we leave at the ridiculously early time of 4:00 pm for our return to Texas, it used to be 6:00 pm.  It was off for aperitifs at the Alchemy about 7:15 and it was busy and fun.  It was a smaller crowd in the Paris MDR for dinner as it usually is on Cozumel night.  I ordered the Chicken Breast Pasta entree in Alfredo Sauce (as a starter), the Fried Shrimp & Fries plate from the Comfort Food selection and the custom New York Strip Steak from the premium section ($20).  The steak was excellent and perfectly prepared. For dessert I had a Banana Split.  It was Mexican Fiesta night on deck and Liars Club in the Theater, but we retired to the cabin following dinner.

Sunday / Fun Day at Sea / May 17th / Day 4

Diamond Guest Party

Calm seas over night and the weather is again nice.  I was up about 8:30 am and watched Sunday Morning on CBS just as I would at home.   We went to the Paris MDR for the Sea Day brunch about 9:30.  I ordered the Hueveos Rancheros this morning and a bacon side, all very good.  I had a walkabout on the decks and checked my online account at the kiosk, always good to do on the last day to avoid any surprises. The decks and pools were packed with guests. I had a Guy’s burger today for lunch…always great.  Afterwards cabin time and I worked on this review, watched a movie, and filled out my Customs forms.  The final Production Show: The Big Easy is this evening, but at 7:00 pm the Captain and senior officers hosted the Diamond guests in the Piano Bar for Cocktails.  They served very nice h’orderves and I was able to order premium Alchemy cocktails (Renata was the bartender). It’s always a very fun gathering and I had not met Captain Nicolini.  Final dinner was good, I ordered the Penne Marisco (as a starter), and the Meat Loaf entree.  For dessert our table had preordered the Creme Brûlée the night before so we enjoyed it.  Following dinner it was off to the cabin to pack for debarkation.

Monday  /  Debarkation
We had smooth seas overnight going into Galveston.  I finished packing and we went to the Diamond area to wait for debark.  We ran into CD Kirk who I had not visited with previously.  A very nice guy and a good Cruise Director.  We are at Terminal Two and that is unusual since there is not another ship in port.  Somewhat of a delay as CBP came on board to make arrests…one of which was directly in front of us.  Interesting.  We were off the ship about 8:35 am. The Carnival Triumph still has one of the best organized debarkation of any ship I have sailed. I was through US. Customs by 8:45 and at EZ Cruise parking by 9:00.  I always walk back to the car as by the time you walk to the shuttle pick up location you could be half the way to the lot itself.  Much faster to walk.  I was off the island about by 9:15 am. (Gasoline on the island was $2.39 gal.)  It was raining through Houston and it slowed the trip home.  We stopped in Hearne for lunch at Mary’s Alamo Cafe (blah) and we were back at the ranch about 3:00 pm.

Cabin
We had cabin 8397 an interior located on deck 8 next to the aft elevators on starboard side.  I prefer this aft location just below the buffet and have actually had this cabin on previous cruises.  The cabin has a swipe type safe, twin/queen beds, three-section closet,  two electrical outlets on counter/dresser, Bottle Opener, Telephone mounted on wall, Small Table, Small Stool at Dresser, Medicine Cabinet, Kleenex dispenser, and Hair dryer in toilet, and small flat screen TV with the interactive features.  There is no refrigerator (OK by me I bring a cooler) nor couch. The cabin is great for me as a solo, but not so much for two as the configuration is unusual in this end cabin.  DW likes to read and if the beds are in normal location for lights you can’t see the TV.  Our cabin steward was very good, the cabin was always clean and ice container filled.

Dining / Food / Bars / Entertainment
Both Main Dining Rooms are very nice especially the Paris Dining room.  The Blue Iguana for burritos and Guy’s Burgers are excellent.  The buffet food is pretty standard fare, but selected desserts are good.  The MDR food is IMHO just adequate, but I had a very nice table location, good fellow guests, and the waiters were very good.  No Mongolian Grill, but they have Chopsticks, an Asian specialty spot.  Love the Alchemy Bar and the Lobby bar is very nice.  Thirsty Frog beer is available in the Red Frog Rum bar, EA Sports bar, and Lobby bar.  If guests want the full entertainment experience, then the Triumph may be the ship for you.  They have an 8 member ship orchestra, 10+ production dancers, and two excellent feature singers.  Also very good cover bands and solo performers. 

Crew
The entire ship crew were very friendly, they themselves can make the cruise more enjoyable for the guest. Waiters and Cabin stewards especially very friendly. They always seemed to have a smile on their face and eager to please the guests. The excellent training by Carnival is quite obvious.  Favorites this cruise were my MDR wait team, Alchemy Bar team; and overall Crew in general. Specifically Julius our head waiter and Elvis the Matre’D were especially helpful.   The Ship Officers were fantastic…they really seem to enjoy working as a team and are very friendly.


HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CRUISE
Diamond Guest Cocktails Party with Captain & Senior Officers
Alchemy Bar and bartenders.
Carnival Triumph Crew members
Cozumel Day

Carnival Freedom Review - February 15, 2015

Carnival Freedom - first time docked in Galveston

Carnival Freedom Review

February 15, 2015

Inaugural Texas Cruise

Just The Facts:
Ship:  Carnival Freedom
Ship Captain: Agostino Fazio
Cruise Director: Jen Baxter
Ports: Galveston, Costa Maya, Cozumel, Progreso, Galveston

This is my 4th cruise on the Carnival Freedom, 53rd Carnival Cruise, and 103rd cruise overall. This is the second leg of a B2B (back-to-back) on the Carnival Freedom.  I am cruising solo this cruise, but with nine good friends (Snoozemates) that I have traveled with many times previously including the previous cruise.  A very fun group of experienced cruisers to travel with on a cruise. This will be more a personal journal than review as I was very much under the weather, seems half the guests on the previous cruise had become ill, I didn’t get it until the last day (Friday).  Read at your own risk.

Day One—Sunday—February 15—Galveston, Texas  Embarkation
Easiest embarkation ever since we are already on the ship and we cleared customs yesterday.  All we

Mongolian Wok

had to do is pick up our new Sail & Sign cards after 9:00 am from Guest Services.  I had arranged for everyone in our group to have the same cabin for the one day as we will have for this cruise…so NO moving either.  Simple.  Since I’m solo this cruise I moved to an interior around the corner, cabin 8439.  We really had the ship to ourselves until 11:00 am too.  They were testing elevators and water tight doors this morning, but didn’t effect us much.  Our group was the first at the Red Frog Pub and first to Mongolian Wok (me).  I saw friends from Bosque County while eating lunch, but retired to the cabin for most of the rest of the day. I caught the bug that was going around on the previous cruise so this is a rest and no alcohol day for me. I did miss my people watching time on embark day.  We had a sail away balcony party while leaving Galveston harbor then met at the Alchemy Bar (me only briefly) before dinner.  We have gone from three ten-top tables to one ten-top table in the center of the POSH dining room for this cruise.  Wait staff seem good, they started us with four cheese plates before ordering. For dinner tonight I ordered the Cream of Sun Ripened Tomatoes (Soup), the Linguini with Italian Sausage, Bell Peppers & Mushrooms (as a starter), and the Chicken Greco entree.  I excused myself before dessert to get back to the cabin for needed rest.  Jen’s Welcome Show was tonight and well as 80's Pop to the Max production show.  Also tonight was the Punchliner comedy and Freedom Fun Hop.

Day Two—Monday—February 16—Fun Day at Sea

Rib entree

A little choppy seas overnight, but I slept fairly well thanks to new medications. Feeling poorly this morning though, I got around about 9:30 am and had a banana from a fruit basket that was sent by the Hotel Manager to B2B guests.  When Gede came by to clean the cabin I went upstairs to where the group usually hangs and visited with them and had some hot tea.  Back to the cabin for rest until about 2:15 pm to get to the Mongolian Wok before closing.  I actually started feeling better about this time as well.  The group had a balcony party at 4:00 and I attended for a short while.  Pretty boring day to report on the review, but guests do get sick while on a cruise.  There is a Doctor on board with regular hours that you can see if necessary, I didn’t, but I don’y go to Doctors anyway. They delivered the Chocolate covered Strawberries about 5:00pm. I did make it to the Alchemy Bar at the usual time of 7:00ish  I had an extra Spicy Chipolte cocktail thinking that may help and I believe it did.  Tonight is the Captains elegant eventing so the group is wearing our black formal Hawaiian shirts.  The menu is the same as we had on Saturday night on the one night affair so most ordered the BBQ spare Ribs, they were very good, but overlooked on the menu because of the Lobster and Prime Rib offerings.  I did leave again before dessert as I want to be rested before our arrival in port on Tuesday.  The Platinum gift was left, a portable game board.   A restful day for me, but the others attended various events such as: 80's Pop to the Max or Heart of Soul production shows, Punchliner comedy, Casino, and more.

Day Three—Tuesday—February 17—Costa Maya, Mexico

Beach at Mauhual - Costa Maya

A bit of rolling seas overnight and I slept in as long as possible. I again just had a banana for breakfast and I feel even worse today.  We are to arrive in Costa Maya about 1:00 so I just stayed in the cabin and tried to rest and relax.  The group went ashore about 1:30 and went to Mahahual where they relaxed on the beach and drank beer. They posted the photo right just so I could see what I missed. :-(  Wish I could have gone, but I watched the Rizzoli & Isles marathon on the Mexican TBS TV channel in the cabin this afternoon.  Room Service for me today and I didn’t attend dinner.  At least the room service food is very good.  Not a good cruise day for me today.  Activities tonight included:   Hasbro the Game Show,  a Mardi Gras Party, Red Frog's Latin Fusion Night, and the Love & Marriage Show.


Day Four—Wednesday—February 18—Cozumel, Mexico
Windy overnight and in fact the Captain has adjusted port times for today to 7:00 am arrival and 3:00 pm departure due to weather concerns. Today is the low day of the cruise for me…not only do I feel very bad, but my cabin has been flooded during the night from the aft pool above me on deck nine.  Oh My.  Sleep was bad because they started all the dryers and blowers running in the hallway.  I knew there was really nothing that could be done so tried to sleep late.  I spent the morning out of the cabin and knowing the right people did help as I saw the Hotel Director and he went down to my cabin and said they would get me a new one immediately since he knew I was ill. No place to go no place to rest and recover, but soon I had a balcony cabin on deck seven and friends helped me move.  Just having a clean cabin with fresh air and the Z-pack I started the night before was the turning point I believe for me.  I relaxed in the afternoon and soon began to feel better.  I went to the group sail away at 4:00 for a few minutes and then attended the Diamond event at 5:00.  Boo from the Alchemy was bartender and she prepared for me some Elderflower Spritzers as I wanted something light and somewhat healthy.  I only stayed an hour and I knew I was pushing my luck so no Alchemy or MDR dinner, but I had enough h’orderves at the Diamond party to satisfy me for the evening.  Watched the finale of one of my favorite TV shows: The Mentalist and feeling much better by sleeply time.  Other FUN things I didn't get to do:  Heart of Soul and Getaway Island (my favorite) production shows, Red Frog Beach Party, Super Star Live Karaoke, and more.

Day Five—Thursday—February 19—Progreso, Mexico

VIFP Party with Diamonds on stage

Very high seas and windy overnight, but calmer once we reached Progreso.  I feel much better this morning and even went to the MDR for breakfast about 8:45 am.  We are docked next to the Carnival Elation, hopefully we’ll see our friends that sailed with us last week on board.  My balcony is too close to the Elation’s WiFi signal so I moved back to the aft deck to use the internet this morning. Some find it cool outside so the group have moved indoors and that works very well on deck ten as there are electrical outlets there to charge computers….HQ for a while.  I rested some in the cabin in the afternoon and felt well enough to attend the VIFP Party in the Theater at 5:00 pm although I limited myself to diet coke.  The group met at the Alchemy Bar as usual and I joined them for aperitifs.  I asked Boo to prepare a nice light Elderflower Spritzer and it was very good.  I also went to the MDR for dinner for the first time in days.  I ordered:  Two Shrimp Cocktails, the Pasta (as starter), the Chateaubriand entree, and a Banana Split for dessert.  Some went to the production show: Getaway Island, others to the casino, and I retired to the cabin.

Day Six—Friday—February 20—Fun Day at Sea
Smooth seas overnight and I slept better than any night of the cruise since getting sick.  I had a nice breakfast from the Blue Iguana Grill and visited Snoozemates in our meeting area on the aft Lido deck area.  Nice weather for sitting out this morning too.  For lunch I had my final bowl from the Mongolian Wok, it’s been very good all week.  I rested this afternoon, most in the group did the Alchemy Bar class at 3:00 pm then our final balcony party.  We all met for cocktails at the Alchemy Bar then had our final dinner in the Posh MDR.  I actually excused myself early to finish packing and rest for the debark early in the morning. Other activities or events on board today included:  Groove for St. Jude, production show 88 Keys, the Punchliner Comedy, Jen's Trivia, and much more.

Debarkation—Saturday—February 21—Galveston, TX
Smooth seas overnight and we were in Galveston by 5:00 am.  I was awake and finished packing and had a light breakfast.   Designated meet time was 7:30 am for VIFP, but I went early hoping for an early debark since we were so early.  Not as early as I had hoped, but we did get off about 7:15 am and I was through U.S. Customs and at EZ Cruise Parking at 7:30 am.  A nice drive home and I was at the ranch by 1:00 pm.

Celebrate Freedom February 14, 2015

 Carnival's Celebrate Freedom

February 14, 2015

Galveston, Texas

Just The Facts:
Ship:  Carnival Freedom
Ship Captain: Agostino Fazio
Master of Ceremonies: John Heald
Featured Entertainer:  Martina McBride


I am very fortunate that is the third special event I have been able to attend in association with a Carnival Ship deployment. Carnival Magic, Carnival Sunshine, and now the Carnival Freedom.

Carnival partnered with Operation Homefront to make space available for U.S. veterans and their families for a day/night of special activities.  They were treated to a specially decorated ship and a wonderful concert by Martina McBride (photo above) in addition to all the wonderful shipboard activities.  Most of the the veteran families had young children and Carnival even furnished the Night Owl child care so that the parents could enjoy the various music venues, production shows, or just an evening to themselves in a club or dance venue. 

I know the Veteran families were very appreciative of this unique opportunity…a special thanks to Carnival Cruise Lines.  Also welcome to Texas: Carnival Freedom, we are glad to have you!

Carnival Freedom Review - February 2, 2015

Carnival Freedom in St. Lucia 2015

Carnival Freedom Review

February 2, 2015

12-day Repositioning
 

Just The Facts:

Ship:  Carnival Freedom

Captain: Agostino Fazio
Cruise Director: Jen Baxter
Ports: Ft. Lauderdale, St. Martin, St. Lucia, Curacao, Aruba, Cozumel, Galveston

This is my 3rd cruise on the Carnival Freedom, 52nd Carnival Cruise, and 102nd cruise overall.  I am cruising with the dear wife (DW) and thirty good friends (Snoozemates) that we have traveled with previously.  A very fun group of experienced cruisers to travel with on a cruise.

Travel Day One—Saturday—January 31—Travel--Houston
The purpose of travel today is to get vehicles to Galveston where the cruise we are taking will terminate following a repositioning cruise.  We left the ranch about 8:30 am for the easy drive to Valley Mills where we left a vehicle and joined up with friends joining us on the cruise.  We took two vehicles south and made our way to the LaQuinta near Hobby airport in Houston.  We dropped our bags and continued to Galveston to park one auto at EZ Cruise Parking and the other at the Port of Galveston parking lot.  Friends from Alvin picked the four of us up and we headed back to Houston stopping to enjoy a great meal at Pappasito’s Mexican Restaurant on the way.  We checked in at the LaQuinta and relaxed the rest of the evening.

Travel Day Two—Sunday—February 1—Travel—Fort Lauderdale
We were up early and took the 8:30 Hotel Shuttle to Hobby Airport.  We checked in and headed to the gate where we met up with three more couples taking the same flight and cruise.  We are gathering Snoozemates as we go, ten on the same flight.  The 10:45 am Southwest Airlines flight (flight 9) was fine and in two hours we were landing at Fort Lauderdale (FLL) airport.  We have lost an hour in time and by the time we took a taxi to our hotel, the Hyatt Place, it was check-in time.  We have several friends staying here as well as various other hotels in the near vicinity.  This is Super Bowl Sunday so after a cocktail with friends we walked to the local K-mart nearby and got supplies for our cruise,  On the way back we stopped at a Chipolte’s for dinner and made it back to the hotel in time for the Super Bowl kick off.  The rest of the evening was football and Super Bowl activities.  We were very fortunate to have a huge LG flatscreen HG television and comfortable lounging area…couldn’t have asked for more to enjoy the game. 

Day One—Monday—February 2—Fort Lauderdale Embarkation
We signed up for the hotel’s 10:00 am port shuttle so we were up and had the complementary breakfast before leaving.  The shuttle arrived at the port and parked next to a shuttle that contained ten of our group…small world.  All in the group are Diamond and Platinum guests so we went to the already full VIP lounge, but made our own area in general waiting area.  Soon we were moved to another area in the terminal that I recognized as the B2B waiting area…closer to the ship for sure.  About 11:40 we boarded the Carnival Freedom.  Most of us are located on deck 8 aft so we dropped our bags and headed to various food venues on Lido deck.  I went for the Mongolian Wok…it was good and a while since I had a bowl.  I returned to my cabin to change into cooler clothes and some luggage had arrived so it was time to set up the cabin.  The ‘Safety Drill’ was held about 4:15 pm. and seemed to go well.  I was unpacked, set up, and met my cabin steward, before sail away.  We watched us sail out of Port Everglades and then the group met at the Alchemy Bar for cocktails.  Our group wears matching red Hawaiian shirts to dinner on the first night and it made quite an impression and the group dominated the Alchemy Bar.  The Freedom Alchemist team: Bojana, Corinna, and Maria are great and it will be a great week.  For dinner I ordered two Shrimp Cocktails, the Linguini with Italian Sausage, Bell Peppers & Mushrooms (as a starter), Chicken a la Grecque, and the Creme Brûlée  for dessert.  All were good.  The Welcome Show was at 10:00 pm in the Victoriana Theater, but knowing I could watch it later on cabin TV, I retired to the cabin to rest.  Others in the group went to the casino, music venues, Red Frog Pub, and more. 


Day Two—Tuesday—February 3rd—Fun Day at Sea
Smooth seas overnight and I slept very well.  DW ordered room service breakfast as she does every morning on a cruise.  I went up one deck to Lido to get a bacon sandwich.  Our Snoozemate's group has our major function this morning, our now annual Pajama Party, from 9:30 - 11:00 am in the International Lounge.  Everyone wore the white Carnival stateroom robes and most were  in PJ’s to enjoy: Coffee, Tea, Juices, Pastries, Bloody Mary’s, Mimosa’s, Bellini’s, Screwdriver’s and more.  A great way to start a cruise is to have a great mixer at an unusual time straightaway.  We certainly did.  After our morning of cocktails we went to the Sea Day Brunch in the Posh dining room.  We do have just the right amount of sea days on this cruise to experience the brunches and regular MDR breakfasts.  After brunch it was rest and relaxation for the afternoon.  Some visited the Casino or participated in Trivia.  This is the Captain’s Elegant evening and the group met at the Alchemy Bar for cocktails all wearing our black Hawaiian shirts.  Very impressive look and we did ‘take-over’ the Alchemy.  Dinner was very good as usual.  The production shows this evening were Heart of Soul AND 80’s Pop To The Max in the Victoriana theater.  They do split up the shows on this ship, having two different ones and repeating nights as well.  A very busy and FUN day at sea.

Unfortunately at the end of this cruise as I was making a template for the cruise following I accidentally erased my review for this cruise.  I had only posted up through day two.  I will now only be able to mention the highlights of each day.  It may actually be a better review as it will be concise or at least something different.

Day Three—Wednesday—February 4th—Fun Day at SeaA usual sea day for the group.  They served the Sea Food Brunch again in the MDR.  Usual ship board activities including Triva, Texas Hold 'em Tournament, Seminars, Mixology Competition, and more.  Snoozemate's highlight was meeting in the Red Frog Pub for Latin Fusion Night.  Who knew we had Latin dancers in the group?  Great Fun.  The production shows repeated this evening:  Heart of Soul AND 80’s Pop To The Max in the Victoriana theater.

Day Four—Thursday—February 5th—St. Maarten, NA
Our first port day and almost all took a taxi to the small city of Marigot on the French side of the island.  The highlight here is Sarafina’s where they have excellent French pastries, eclairs, tarts, etc.  Also fresh bread and sandwiches, it was so good that I ate here twice.  We had our first sail away party, a Snoozemate's tradition, then cocktails at the Alchemy Bar before dinner.  Ships activities included: Bobby Borgia an illusionist, Superstar Karaoke, Motown Trivia, and more.

Day Five—Friday—February 6th—St. Lucia, West Indies

Drinking a Piton Beer in front of the Pitons

Our second port and several did private tours.  DW stayed on the ship and I did a full day tour of the island with several in the group.  We saw the banana platations, Marigo Bay, Soufriere, and more. The highlight being of course the World Heritage Picton mountains area of the island.  I really like the photo (left) taken here as the local beer matches the mountain view.  Second group sail away party and cocktails before dinner. Ships activities included: Punchliner Comedy, Adult Carnival Quest, Master Hypnotist ASAD, and more.

Day Six—Saturday—February 7th—Fun Day at Sea
A needed sea day as we head further south.  Sea Day Brunch and usual sea day ship activities.  Cocktails at the Alchemy have become an everyday thing before dinner.  Evening ship activities included: Punchliner Comedy, Production Shows: 88Keys and Getaway Island (my favorite), Red Frog's Caribbean Beach Party, and more.

Day Seven—Sunday—February 8th—Curacao
One of my favorite southern Caribbean ports with a very Dutch influence.  We walked into town from the new cruise terminal enjoying the architecture and unique colors of the city.  Unfortunately this being a Sunday most of the shops were closed although DW did find a jewelry store with local Pandora items.  We did have a nice lunch and some beer before returning to the ship.  Group cocktails before dinner.  Evening ship activities included: Superstar Live Karaoke, the Production Show: A Night To Remember, the Love & Marriage Show, and more.

Day Eight—Monday—February 9th—Aruba

Hawaiian Mafia at Alchemy Bar

DW prefers to boycott this port because of what happened here to Natalie Holloway.  We did get off
the ship for just an hour + to have a beer and I did buy one of those expensive bamboo t-shirts (I'm probably a 'sucker' for getting one).  We returned to the ship in time for a Guy's burger.  They are open until 4:00 pm each day and ideal for getting some good food upon return to the ship.  Another balcony sail away party as we sailed at sunset.  We again had group cocktails before dinner at the Alchemy Bar.  Evening ship activities included: Comedy Ventriloquist Phil Hughes,

Day Nine—Tuesday—February 10th—Fun Day at Sea
We were required to go to 'far distant' islands in order to satisfy Jones Act requirements (U.S. port to U.S. port) so we are now heading north towards Texas.  Sea Day Brunch and usual sea day ship activities.  Cocktails at the Alchemy continue to be an everyday thing before dinner.  Evening ship activities included: Punchliner Comedy, Production Show: the Juggler Edge, and more.

Day Ten—Wednesday—February 11th—Fun Day at Sea
Still heading north.  Again Sea Day Brunch and the usual sea day ship activities.  I did help several at the Future Cruises desk.  Balcony Party then cocktails at the Alchemy before the second and final elegant night dinner.  Evening ship activities included: Punchliner Comedy, Production Shows: 88Keys and Getaway Island (again my favorite), Dive-in Movie Blockbuster Night, and more.

Day Eleven—Thursday—February 12th—Cozumel Mexico

Cozumel is always a favorite port.  About ten went on a great snorkel adventure and twenty of us met at Woody's Bar in San Miguel.  The owner, Nelly, started the live entertainment early for us and even supplied a great birthday cake.  Always a fun spot for us and my usual hangout when in Cozumel.  I did get a hair cut and did some drug shopping at the local drugstores.  The Z-paks purchased were to become a life saver on the following cruise.  We returned to the ship for some rest before our final sail away party.  An apéritif before dinner as usual at the Alchemy Bar.  Always fun at the Alchemy with the girls.  This evenings ship activities included: Punchliner Comedy, the Piano Bar, the feature Show was Hasbro: The Game Show, Blue Iguana's Mexican Fiesta,  FrogFest,  and more.

Day Twelve—Friday—February 13th—Fun Day at Sea
Our final sea day as we are entering the Gulf of Mexico and now well on our way to Galveston, Texas.  Final Sea Day Brunch and sea day activities including the Groove For St. Jude.  Many prepared their debark and customs forms and those on the B2B met in the theater for further instructions.  The group had a 'get rid of excess liquor' balcony party, but we still still made it to the Alchemy Bar for our last night with Corina, Boyana, and Maria.  They have been an absolute joy each and every night.  My new favorites at the Alchemy Bar. Fianl dinner was good with the usual farewell waiter song: "All Your Bags are Packed...".  Light on the shows this evening, but they had the Showcase of Stars guest talent show and all the usual Bar & Lobby entertainment.

Debarkation--Saturday--February 14th--Galveston, Texas
DW is debarking today, but I am staying on board with nine others in our group.  DW rode back with our friends from Bosque County and was home in good shape by early evening.  I met with our group and the other B2B guests in the theater as instructed were we received our new Sail & Sign cards for the one day special event today.  We were able to enjoy complementary cocktails and the concert during the day.  They served an Elegant Night dinner tonight as well.  A very nice event. Unfortunately I was not able to 'party' or take advantage of the special events in the late evening as I am feeling the effects of a bug I picked up on the cruise.

A Funtastic Cruise with great Friends 

Visit Zydecocruiser's great photo review of this cruise: 
 Click Here!

Carnival Triumph Cruise Review 1/17/2015

Carnival Triumph Cruise Review 1/17/2015

Just the Facts:
Ship: Carnival Triumph
Captain:  Allesandro Iemmi
Cruise Director:  Kirk Benning
Ports: Galveston-Cozumel-Progreso-Galveston

This is my 51st Carnival cruise, the 8th time on the Carnival Triumph, and 101st cruise overall.  I am cruising as a solo.

Saturday / Embarkation / January 17th, 2015 / Day 1

Guy's Burger Joint

I was awake early and left the ranch about ten minutes ahead of my regular scheduled time of a 5:30am departure.  You can make very good time in the early morning hours and I didn’t get into serious traffic until Houston.  I arrived at EZ Cruise Parking just about 10:00 am and was shuttled over to the ship soon afterward.  I again decided to carry my bag with me through check-in and not leave it with a porter.  I do have a special duffle bag that I use that will fit through the security scanners.  I was checked in at the VIFP priority check-in area about 10:30. Looks to be about 4-5 Diamond guests (I always look at the Diamond page when they check me off the list) and there were several others in the VIFP lounge. After the wedding party, we boarded  about 11:25 am.  It was a smooth process.  After dropping my bag and backpack in cabin 6267 I went straight to the Lido buffet for lunch before it got too busy.  There is no Mongolian Grill, my usual first day eating choice on most Carnival ships, so I went for freshly made (especially if your early) Asian food from Chopsticks. I saw Kris the Maitre’D and he told me he had a nice MDR table for me.   After lunch I went out to the Pool area and I have to say that I had never seen so many people in line to eat a Guy’s Burgers immediately on embark.  The word is out (the lines are both to the left and right out of view in above photo) about Guy's.  I went to the Lobby Bar and watched guests embark the ship for a while then I went back to the cabin and took a short nap.   I went up to Lido and got my Guy’s Burger about 3:45. Boat/Safety Drill was held just after 4:00 pm.  Safety drill went smooth and very soon the Triumph was sailing from the port of Galveston on her way into the Gulf. I watched sail away from the balcony and once we got moving over the water the weather became cooler.   I then used the internet until we were beyond range of my wifi hotspot.  The Welcome Show was scheduled for 7:30, but I have seen it many times so I went to the Alchemy for aperitifs.  Adri and Marko are the Alchemists, Tiana the bar server.  DW made some great homemade sweets and I brought some for Adri and Tiana. It was good to see Marko back as well.  Dinner is at 8:15 pm, there is a very large group of music fans, the Bobby Sox and Boots group, on board and they have 8-9 of the tables in the center of the Paris Dining Room (MDR), but I did have table 549, a nice table with nice people in a good location.  For dinner tonight I ordered: the Escargot, the Lasagne Bolognese (as starter), the Pork Steak entree, and the Black Forrest Gateau for dessert.  Dinner and service was good. Following dinner I wanted to go to the double headliner comedy show @ 11:15 pm with both John McDonnell and CeeJay Jones, but I was a bit tired and retired to the cabin. I will see them later this cruise.

Sunday / Fun day at Sea / January 18th / Day 2

Poker Pro Table

Fairly smooth seas and I had a very good overnight sleep. I was off to the Paris dining room (MDR) for breakfast about 9:30 am for the Sea Day Brunch and was expecting a long line, but there was really no line at all.  The large group was having its functions so that may have had an effect.  I had a great table location at the aft windows and I ordered the Fruit Plate, Steak & Eggs, and side of bacon. It was all very good.  I did go by and see the music group, they had an Elvis type entertainer and a country duo the two times I walked by…I’ll adjust my schedule accordingly, but many times it is a good thing to have a big group on board with their own schedule, it makes it less crowded at other ship venues.  Olena came by to make all was well with the cabin, I actually had not seen my cabin steward until this morning, but I asked him to keep the small cooler full and we would be fine.  I did bring diet coke so with ice all will be well.  Since I’m traveling solo I had considered purchasing a Cheers program today as I sometime do if sailing solo, but decided not to do so.  I’ll order my cocktails ala carte this cruise.  Guests were really happy and busy today, we had beautiful weather and the outdoor decks were packed as well as the casino. The NFC football game was shown several places and they had Karaoke, Trivia and the usual cruise activities.  I had a very good sea day: I enjoyed a great Guy’s burger, then went to the casino and played on the Poker Pro Hold ‘em table (+), then watched the 2nd half of the exciting NFC Championship football game.  Off to the Alchemy Bar for aperitifs until dinner and it was a very FUN happy hour+.  For tonight's Captain’s elegant night dinner I ordered: the Stuffed White Mushrooms, Farfalle Pasta with Turkey, the Lobster entree, and the Cherries Jubilee for dessert.  Other good options were:  Roasted Pumpkin Soup, Alligator Fritters, Prime Rib, or Pork Spare Ribs.  The Matre'D sent me a bottle of wine tonight, but the highlight was when three 'Cowboys' came over to the table and did an a cappella serenade for us...very special.  (I had met one earlier in the Alchemy and one of the gals at my table made the request when I pointed him out)  The production show Wonderful World was tonight following dinner for late setting guests.  It is my favorite of the productions shows on the Carnival Triumph and features the Triumph dancers and singers and highlights music from around the world. There were songs or dances from: France, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Africa, Spain and more. It is a fantastic show with full cast of singers and dancers and full LIVE orchestra. The Can-Can is my favorite dance and Con Te Parte my favorite song.  I did receive the VIFP Chocolates this evening and the Platinum/Diamond gift was delivered tonight: a nice Carnival Logo small travel bag.

Monday / Cozumel, Mexico / January 19th / Day 3

VIFP Party

Calm seas overnight and I had a great relaxing sleep. I have no early plans for the day so I slept late then went to the Paris MDR for a nice breakfast of Eggs Benedict and extras.  We are docked at the International Pier next to the Celebrity Reflection and the Carnival Glory and the Carnival Sunshine are docked at Puerto Maya, there are also two ships at Puerto Langosta so a lot of tourists in Cozumel today.  Once they finish the addition to the PM pier they will be able to dock more Carnival ships at the pier. About 9:00 am I went down to deck zero and was on my way to San Miguel ($8 taxi). I went to Woody’s Bar to set up for the day.  I was early, but they set my usual table with a great overhead fan and electrical plug to recharge the computer. The wifi is faster than I have at home on the ranch so I did some work online while enjoying some Diet Coke, bottled water, Bohemia beers, and some good guacamole & chips.  Very pleasant surprise when my tab was covered by the owner.  I am a lucky guy.  I did leave a bit early so only heard one set by Pako the entertainer who provides live entertainment in the afternoons at Woody’s.  A ferry had just arrived from the mainland so I needed to walk to the taxi stand on the other side of the square, but I was soon back at the International pier and ship.  I still believe we leave much too early (at 4:00 pm) a ridiculously early time since we are only going to Progreso tomorrow. The VIFP Party was held at 4:15 in the Rome Lounge.  The Carnival Triumph live band has a new feature singer and she is very very good.  CD Kirk did a good job keeping the event rolling and there were five Diamond guests recognized. It was off for aperitifs at the Alchemy as usual about 6:15 and it was busy and fun.  It was a smaller crowd in the Paris MDR for dinner as it usually is on Cozumel night.  I ordered the Chicken Breast Pasta entree in Alfredo Sauce (as a starter), the Fried Shrimp & Fries plate from the Comfort Food selection and Tiramisu for dessert.  Stephen, the Triumph's Scottish GSM sent a wee dram to the table…thanks.  After dinner it was the Showcase of Stars in the Rome theater, but I was sidetracked by new friends at the Alchemy Bar and ended up staying until close.  The highlight was the ‘up close’ magician who did some amazing tricks.  Actually some of the BEST Magic I have ever seen.  Truly Amazing.

Tuesday / Progreso, Mexico / January 20th / Day 4

Ice Creme & Yogurt Machines

We were docked long before I awoke. I had originally planned to go into Progreso and have lunch, but it was a late Monday night especially for me so I slept very late, until 10:30 am.  I made it to the Lido deck and the omelette station before it closed at 11:00 am and had a nice fresh breakfast omelette.  It was then back to the cabin for more rest.  I had a nice afternoon walk around the ship, going to Guest Services to apply a gift card, taking some photos on Promenade deck, having half a Guy’s Burger, and more.  I had another nice visit with one of the ‘Cowboy’ singers, Tim Nichols in the lobby bar, we need to get him booked at our local honkey-tonk the Horny Toad in Cranfills Gap.  About 5:00 I ordered a BLT from room service and it was excellent (as usual) and delivered right away.  I watched sail away from the balcony as we sailed at 6:00 pm.  The production show in the Rome Theater this evening is New Wave Magic featuring Anders.  I didn’t attend having an aperitif at the Alchemy Bar.  It’s again a very interesting crowd of regulars this cruise, but very different than the previous cruise. The Paris MDR was fairly full, the several groups on this cruise helps.  For dinner tonight I had the Lobster Bisque, Shrimp Cocktail, the Pasta entree as a starter (as usual), the Chateaubriand, with Grand Marnier Souffle and a Banana Split for dessert. A very nice meal. The Rio Lounge had the late adult cabaret show: A Kiss Good Night, a very popular show, but I retired after a brief walk about the ship.

Wednesday / Fun day at Sea / January 21st / Day 5

Welcome back Marko

Calm seas over night and the weather is again nice.  I was up about 8:30 am and went to the Paris MDR for the Sea Day brunch about 9:15.  I ordered custom eggs this morning as well as hash browns, bacon and ham sides, all very good.  I had a walkabout on the decks and checked my online account at the kiosk, always good to do on the last day to avoid any surprises.  No Guy’s burger today, but I had nice afternoon lunch from Chopsticks, especially good was the Kung Pao Chicken and Spring Rolls, Chopsticks is not as nice as a full Mongolian Grill station, but now that I have discovered what and how to order, the Chopsticks choice is a good option.  Afterwards cabin time and I worked on this review and filled out my Customs forms.  At 4:45 Captain Allesandro made a ship wide announcement that the Port of Galveston was currently closed due to dense fog and may well effect our arrival into Galveston.  That usually means that it will be.  The final Production Show: The Big Easy is this evening, but at 7:15 pm the Captain and senior officers hosted the Diamond guests in the Piano Bar for Cocktails.  They served very nice h’orderves and I was able to order premium Alchemy cocktails (Marko was the bartender). It’s always a very FUN gathering.  Final dinner was good, I ordered the French Onion Soup, Penne Marisco (as a starter), and the Meat Loaf entree.  For dessert our table had pre-ordered the Creme Brûlée the night before so we had that and the traditional Baked Alaska.  One final visit to Alchemy to say farewell to new friends and the Alchemy crew since the Captain told me we’d probably get to sleep in in the morning.

Thursday  /  Debarkation

Bye little Buddy

We had slightly rocky seas overnight going into Galveston.  I was fully expecting us to be outside the harbor due to fog and checked the balcony just too see if we were within internet wifi range of port.  Imagine my surprise when we were already docked…an hour before the regular scheduled time…obviously no fog.  A cold front was just coming in so I guess it dispersed the fog.  I immediately began packing as a suspected we may be cleared early and we were.  I was off the ship well before the meet times for VIP debarkation. In the past six weeks on three different cruises I have experienced a late port arrival, an on-time port arrival, and an early port arrival and I can state that the Carnival Triumph has the best organized debarkation of any ship I have sailed. I was through US. Customs by 7:45 and at EZ Cruise parking by 8:00.  I always walk the two blocks back to the car as by the time you walk to the shuttle pick up location you could be half the way to the lot itself.  Much faster to walk.  I was off the island about by 8:15 am. (Gasoline on the island was $1.79 gal.)  I made it almost through Houston before the wind and rain came and it slowed the trip home, but I was back at the ranch before 1:00 pm.

Cabin

Cabin 6267

I had cabin 6267 a balcony located on Upper Deck (deck 6) near the forward elevators on starboard side.  I prefer an aft location but I booked late and this was one of the few available at my rate.  It was easy to get to Promenade deck.  The cabin has a swipe type safe, twin/queen beds, no refrigerator (OK by me I bring a cooler), small couch, three-section closet, three drawer cabinet, two electrical outlets on counter/dresser, Bottle Opener, Telephone mounted on wall, Medicine Cabinet, Small Table, Small Stool at Dresser, Robes (2), and the older style TV, but it does have the interactive features.   Unlike newer Carnival ships the Triumph does not have magnetic walls so I use my magnetic hooks on the ceiling or door.  My cabin steward was very good, the cabin was always clean and my small flexible ice chest filled.

Dining / Food / Bars / Entertainment
Both Main Dining Rooms are very nice especially the Paris Dining room.  The Blue Iguana for burritos and Guy’s Burgers are excellent.  The buffet food is pretty standard fare, but selected desserts are good.  The MDR food is IMHO just adequate, but I had a very nice location, good fellow guests, and the waiters were good.  No Mongolian Grill, but they have Chopsticks, an Asian specialty spot.  Love the Alchemy Bar and the Lobby bar is very nice.  Thirsty Frog beer is available in the Red Frog Rum bar, EA Sports bar, and Lobby bars.  If guests want the full entertainment experience, then the Triumph may be the ship for you.  They have a large 8 member ship orchestra, 10+ production dancers, and two excellent feature singers.  Also very good cover bands and solo performers. 

Crew
The entire ship crew were very friendly, they themselves can make the cruise more enjoyable for the guest. Waiters and Cabin stewards especially very friendly.  The excellent training by Carnival is quite obvious.  Favorites this cruise were my MDR wait team, Alchemy Bar team; and overall Crew in general.  They always seemed to have a smile on their face and eager to please the guests. The Ship Officers were fantastic…they really seem to enjoy working as a team and are very friendly.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CRUISE
Private Magic Show
Diamond Guest Cocktails Party with Captain & Senior Officers
Alchemy Bar and bartenders.
Carnival Triumph Crew members
Cozumel Day

~Another Great Cruise on the Carnival Triumph~