The Great Alaska Adventure

The Great Alaska Adventure
Cruise/Tour Review
MS Statendam 9.9.2012

Just The Facts:
Ship:  Holland American Line: MS Statendam
Cruise & Tour dates: 7 September - 19 September, 2012
Captain:  Frans K Consen
Cruise Director:  Anthony Choice
Ports: Vancouver BC;  Ketchikan, Alaska;  Juneau, Alaska;  Skagway, Alaska; Seward, Alaska; Denali, Alaska; Anchorage. Alaska.

This is my 2nd cruise on Holland America, my 2nd cruise to Alaska, and my 74th cruise overall. We are traveling with a group of 20 regular and new cruising friends.

Travel--Vancouver, Canada

Capilano Suspension Bridge

We had a direct flight from DFW airport to Vancouver and actually met several of our group at the airport for the flight.  We arrived in Vancouver and took a limo for six to the Hyatt Regency downtown to stay two nights pre-cruise.  All of our group are staying there and it is a great hotel and in a good location.  We had an impromptu gathering at the hotel bar and then a wonderful dinner the first night at the Black + Blue steakhouse.  The following day we had a group day trip to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.  It was very convenient as they had a shuttle from the hotel and the park was interesting with the suspension bridge, treetops walk, and cliff walk.  In the afternoon we visited the Gastown area shops and had a wonderful meal at Vancouver’s most popular Pub: The Lamplighter. We decided to walk back to the downtown and hotel area stopping at Mahony & Sons Public House on the waterfront and enjoyed a cocktail and the wonderful views of the Harbor, Canada Place, and the mountains beyond. Everyone seemed to really like our pre-cruise stay in Vancouver and the weather was wonderful.  It was a very nice start to a cruise vacation.

Day One--Sunday--Embarkation

ms Statendam at Canada Place, Vancouver Canada

We took a taxi from the hotel for the short trip to the Canada Place Cruise Terminal about 11:30.  We dropped our bags and went to the security and U.S. immigration area and soon were in the Holland America check in terminal.  It was not busy anywhere and embarkation was a simple process.  You can go direct to your cabin on Holland America Lines so that was our first stop to drop off our carry on bags.  The MDR (main dining room) is open for Mariner members (past guests), but we chose to eat at the lido buffet.  I like that the name of the area is actually The Lido, since that is generally what every cruise line calls their buffet area by default even though they usually have a specific name.  It was set up very well too and they serve your food to you so that you are not handling the utensils or food on the buffet.  I had roast beef with some extras and their wonderful bread pudding (they also had a banana bread pudding) for dessert.  After lunch everyone explored the ship and settled into their cabins until time for muster drill.  The boat deck was on our deck so attending was very easy for us, just walk directly out the passageway across from our cabin and down to our assigned life boat.  We sailed immediately as the drill ended and we stayed on boat deck until we passed under the Lions Gate bridge, then it was inside to get away from the open decks and cool weather.  Everyone in the group had Champagne, Chocolate strawberries and Beverage Cards in the cabin as a nice welcome.  Many met in the Crows Nest that will become our regular spot for the week.  I did have a “Grizzly Bear” the drink of the day.  The DW & I went to the lounge to hear some very good Jazz music before dinner.  As a group we have four tables together in the Rotterdam dining room along the aft windows.  Unfortunately, they sat some people from Anytime Dining at one of our tables so there was confusion and problems from that.  The Maitre D later sent an apology and chocolates to the group.  Although I didn’t sit at my table, dinner was good, my entree was the Prime Rib, but it was not an completely enjoyable dinner due to the confusion of their error in seating arrangements.  The production show, Nothings Going to Stop Us Now, started long before we had completed dinner service so we retired after leaving the MDR.

Day Two--Monday--at Sea

Lido Deck  -  MS Statendam

I had a good nights sleep was up early to watch us drop off the pilot at 7:45 am and leave the inside passage and into the open waters.  I went to the MDR for my usual first morning on a cruise breakfast of Eggs Benedict that were very well prepared.  Off to a better start in the dining room.  The seas were really rolling today.  It was much more than I expected it to be for sure.  The group spent the day doing various activities including the Casino, a Kitchen Tour, a Culinary presentation, Seminars, and more.  I had a very light lunch, but did have to have the wonderful bread pudding.  They have the standard raisin everyday on lido plus a flavored variety as well.  Today was Alaskan Berry (blueberries & rhubarb primarily) and both were great.  The rolling seas continued throughout the day.  In the afternoon many of the group attended the High Tea and they say they had wonderful scones.  I attended the Alaskan Beer Seminar in the Mix bar area.  Four varieties of beer for $12.50.  At 4:00 pm we all met as prearranged in the Crows Nest for Happy Hour.  We had one complete area to ourselves and it was wonderful with the view and cocktail service.  There is one thing our group is known for and that is ‘the one-hour cocktail party’ so this Happy Hour arrangement was perfect for us.  I had mojitos and then some Duck Farts to get in the Alaska mood.  We extended our time there well beyond an hour.  There is a group trivia contest at 6:30 that many used as motivation to leave the Crows Nest.  This was formal night and dinner this evening went much better.  The Matre’d came by to check that all was well.  My entree, the Beef Wellington, was very good and they also had sourdough bread pudding that was excellent.  After dinner we attended the Captains Toast and Welcome in the Theater followed by the production show: Bob Mackie’s Broadway featuring music and costumes from Broadway.

Day Three--Tuesday—Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan, Alaska

The weather is indeed rainy for the rainiest city in Alaska.  We are docked downtown and I enjoyed watching the early debarking passengers leave the ship before going to the MDR for breakfast.  We soon left the ship and went to Creek Street the location of the old bordellos and red light district that are now craft shops built along the creek.  We did visit Dolly’s, the intact bordello now a museum and it was interesting.  We saw friends that had just attended the Lumberjack Show and joined them for lunch at Annabelle’s in The Gilmore Hotel.  I had my first Alaskan Halibut of the trip and it was very good.  As a foodie though I was envious of the Snoozemates that took the Crab fishing/dinner excursion.  They got to eat the catch and the Dungeness Crab feast sounded wonderful.  In the afternoon we visited the Tongass Historical Museum and the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center operated by the U.S. National Park Service.  We returned to the ship as we had a 2:30 sail away and we were also scheduled for the 3:00 pm Cocktail Mixology Class. It was a lot of fun and the drinks we prepared were: Champagne Dreams, Tropical Cable Car, and a Pool Side Car.  I especially liked the later.  At 4:00 pm it was time for Happy Hour in the Crow’s Nest. Not only is this a regular thing for the group but we have other passengers wanting to join the fun and we do have a FUN time.  Following Happy Hour it was some R&R time in the cabin before dinner.  Dinner was good this evening, my entree was the well prepared Pork Chop. The productions shows this evening were The Marriage Game and the Filipino Crew Show.  We also set our clocks back one hour to the Alaska Time Zone before retiring.

Day Four--Wednesday—Juneau, Alaska

Mendenhall Glacier  -  Juneau Alaska

It is a rainy day in Juneau, not enough to limit a fun day though.  I had a very nice breakfast in the MDR and we took our time leaving the ship.  The Statendam is docked at the prime pier located closed to central downtown.  We booked a local tour of the city and Mendenhall Glacier ($50 for both) that left from our pier area at noon.  We really enjoyed the Glacier and the Mendenhall Visitors Center, it was unique and I had not visited on my previous trip to Juneau.  As we left the park area we stopped for a mother black bear and her two cubs that crossed the road in front of us.  First bear sighting of the trip. We also saw three Eagles on the Mendenhall Lake mud flats.  After returning to town we visited the shops and stopped at the old (1913) Alaska Hotel and Bar.  It was very nice and more original than the more famous Red Dog.  We had a very nice cheese crepe and fudge from local vendors (buy Alaskan) before meeting friends at the Red Dog Saloon.  We enjoyed the Duck Farts and Alaskan beer from 4:00ish until close about 9:30 pm. The entertainers were fun and our folks could come and go as they pleased as we had several tables. We did have 17 of our group plus some extra fans there at one time.  It was an easy one block walk back to the ship.  We briefly considered the 10:00 pm ship happy hour, but everyone split up to finish the evening doing various activities.

Day Five--Thursday—Skagway, Alaska

Skagway Alaska  -  MS Statendam in background

We arrived as scheduled at 7:00 am in Skagway and we are docked at the  Broadway pier directly in front of Skagway. The weather is overcast with a little sprinkle or mist.  We ordered room service breakfast and it was very good, not many cruise lines have a hot room service option for breakfast.  We met our group for the ‘Best of Skagway’ excursion.  We boarded a bus that gave us a brief tour of Skagway on the way to Fraser, BC, Canada to meet the White Pass & Yukon Railroad for the return trip by rail back to Skagway.  It’s a beautiful trip even with the low clouds and mist.  The railroad and train are not to be missed and is actually the most popular cruise excursion in the world. We then went to Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp for a salmon bake and show.  This is on the actual site of the tent city at the head of the White Pass trail used during gold rush days.  The press never ventured beyond this point and thus the name Liarsville.  The Salmon was cooked on an outdoor grill and was very good. They also had a nice little show.  The final ‘Best of Skagway’ tour stop was a tour of the Red Onion Saloon Brothel museum on the second floor above the bar.  After the tour the men stayed for a few Alaska beers while the ladies shopped. Overall a very nice full day tour.  We returned to the ship about 6:30 pm. in a light rain to clean up before dinner.  Dinner was good, I had the Beef Brisket entree and it was served over a mound of Alaska Gold Mashed Potatoes, an interesting presentation.  After dinner the group was off to the various venues including the Casino, Showtime with Jeff Burghart in the theater, or rest time in their cabins.

Day Six--Friday --at Sea

Happy Hour in the Crows Nest

The seas are choppy today and it is windy.  This was to have been cruising in Glacier Bay day, but the Captain announced that due to bad weather forecast for the Gulf of Alaska he wanted to go directly to Seward ahead of the weather so we are not going to visit Glacier Bay.  This is very disappointing to most.  I had breakfast at the Lido with a very nice hot fresh omelette prepared at the omelette station.  Many met this morning for our annual cruise ‘Bloody Mary’ morning in the Crows Nest.  Always fun and we did see whales.  Since this is now a sea day they did add many activities on the ship, similar to the first sea day.  They did have a very nice Salmon bake by the Lido deck pool.  And of course for dessert: Bread Pudding!  Sourdough Bread Pudding!  Glad it’s one of my favorites.  At 3:00 pm it was time for our second Mixology class.  This one featured Grey Goose vodka.  The drinks prepared were a Peartini, a High Tide, and a Ginger Rogers.  Of course at 4:00pm it’s time to meet in the Crows Nest for Happy Hour.  We had a full crew plus our add-ons.  I stayed with the Pool Side Car from the first mixology class.  This was again great fun!  At 6:30 we some how won the group trivia contest and got a nice insulated tumbler as a prize.  We then had to prepare for dinner, this was the final formal night, but the men in our group wore our signature matching Hawaiian shirts...but they were a formal black.  Dinner was one of the best, my entree was the Surf & Turf and it was excellent.  After dinner I saw the production show: Encore in the Showroom at Sea theater.

Day Seven--Saturday--Seward, Alaska

"Making her Momma Proud' @ Mixology Seminar

We docked very early in Seward and it is a rainy day.  I enjoyed the previous days omelette so much I had the same again for breakfast in the Lido.  Very nice.  HAL provided shuttles into Seward so about noon we thought we would go into town to see what we could see.  They do have a very nice aquarium: The Alaska Sea Life Center.  We looked at some shops and enjoyed a very nice late lunch at Alaska Nellies Roadhouse.  We had a Halibut basket and sweet potato fries. We were to have attended the Mariner luncheon today, but due to the schedule change forgot, we heard that we had made the better choice as friends said the luncheon was not good.  We returned to the ship about 3:00 to attend the final Mixology class.  Todays drinks were: Fashionista, Tuscan Lemon Drop, and the Sunsicle.  The Sunsicle was my favorite.  It’s 4:00 pm and time for our final happy Hour.  I again personally stayed with the Pool Side Car cocktail, it may become a regular for me.  It was great fun and the cocktail servers were very attentive to us as usual and they allowed us to stretch the hour (also as usual).  We went down to Mix to try our luck again at group trivia, and something unusual happened....the ship lost power.  It was about 6:15 and there was nothing we could do about the power, but fortunately the safety lights came on in the passageways and some in the public areas including Mix where many of us are now staying.  The Captain did make several announcements and the CD was told to carry on with usual activities as best he could so we played trivia in the dark.  Of course the Snoozemates doubled up the next closest score and dominated the game.  Our prize was champagne for the group which was then expanded upon as those that still had the complementary bottles given to us brought them for a great Champagne Party in the Dark!  That’s whats great about the group...they can make any situation into a party.  Also thanks to the bar staff who traded our bottles for cold bottles of champagne and did the opening and serving as necessary.  It was now dinner time and it was unknown if they would even be serving, but we went to our tables about 8:15pm.  Dinner was interesting, we were served sandwiches on white bread.  We did have two choices:  Cheese or sliced egg.  That’s it.  Dessert was whole apples or oranges.  That’s it.  Dinner didn’t take long and then ‘let there be light’  the lights came back on.  This was a great relief as there was no lighting at all in the cabin and with no electricity there are no toilets either, both needed very much.  Since we now had power we went to the cabin to clean up and pack as we knew we would be leaving very early the next morning.

Day Eight--Sunday--Seward to Denali

Cabin Night Dinner Theater  -  Denali Alaska

Still rainy and windy this morning.  We ordered early (6:00 am) room service breakfast before meeting our tour group at 7:15 in the theater.  Our bus was first to leave so we hope to arrive in Denali in time for Cabin Night.  Our group of 20 makes up half the bus group and the driver, Melissa was very good.  We started north on the Seward Highway towards Anchorage and points north.  First stop was Portage Glacier and the winds were so high it rocked the bus and the rain was blowing parallel.  Few got off the bus.  The waterfalls were here were very impressive due to the recent heavy rains.  Next stop was Settlers Bay Lodge just north of Wasilla for lunch.  This was a make your own sandwich buffet and I enjoyed it.  Fresh breads and choice of ham, turkey, roast beef, cheeses, etc. with potato salad and slaw.  A nice lodge with a good view.  We were off again and because of the weather not a chance of viewing Mt. McKinley so our final stop was the Alaska Veterans Memorial along the highway.  Since we knew we would be on time we used mobile phones to get advance tickets for Cabin Night.  We actually arrived a little early at the McKinley Lodge and we had time to freshen before the Cabin Night Dinner Theater began at 7:00.  Everyone in the group attended and enjoyed a great family style meal of Salmon, BBQ Ribs, Corn, Potatoes, Baked Beans and Cobbler for dessert.  DW had a very nice vegetarian Pasta.  There were a few pitchers of Alaskan beer too.  The show was very good centered around Fanny Quigley’s roadhouse in Kantishna (now within Denali Nat'l Park) and featuring historical characters from the early days of Denali Park and Alaska.  It was a very enjoyable evening.

Day Nine--Monday--Denali, Alaska

Mt. McKinley (Denali) from 75 miles away in Denali Park

The day started with broken clouds, but it became a beautiful day.  We slept in a bit this morning then went to the main lodge and across the highway to Glitter Gulch, the shopping and souvenir areas across from the Park Properties.  This being the last week on the season there were some great close out pricing.  I looked for a while, but while DW and some friends shopped I went down to the Fish Shop for a very nice Captains Basket of both Cod and Halibut with french fried potatoes.  Very good.  At 2:00 pm we met our group for our big adventure into Denali National Park.  We boarded our assigned Park Service bus and our driver/guide Lisa Frederic was fantastic.  The weather really cooperated, the best we have had in Alaska so far.  Hopes were high that we may even get to see Mount McKinley.  They say that only 30% of visitors ever get to see the mountain, but our driver said it was more like 20% this year.  We didn’t see any wildlife early, but enjoyed the scenery of the park until we came up to the first vista that allowed a view of Denali itself.  It was primarily covered in clouds, but you could see the northern slope of the mountain.  Very impressive since it was 75 miles away.  As the weather was still continuing to improve hope were high for a better view later.  We continued into the park stopping several times for photos or breaks as Lisa told us tales of her adventures in the iditirod and dog training.  As we retuned we did see some moose just off the road.  There was not near as much wildlife as when I toured last year, but the mountains were much more impressive as they had already received their first coating of snow for the season.  We soon returned to the area that we could observe Mount McKinley (Denali) and what cloud were there took the form of the mountain and the north peak was very clear and the slope of the south peak was very noticeable.  Fantastic.  Very majestic and so dominating over the other peaks.  We are defiantly in the 20% club.  We finished our tour and returned to the lodge about 7:00 pm.  A great highlight for the Alaskan Adventure.  As a group we were able to get tables for dinner in the main lodge.  DW had the Mckinley Salad with cranberries, cheese, pecans, etc.  One of her favorite meals of the trip.  I had a Petit Steak and Baked Salmon combo with Alaska Gold Potatoes and some shared McKinley Salad.  A very good meal with great company.  We did see some of the Northern Lights that night upon walking back to our lodge.  A super great day on our Alaska Adventure.

Day Ten--Tuesday--Denali to Anchorage

Our rail car on the Alaska Railroad

It’s cloudy today with some light rain.  We put our bags out by 9:00 am this morning to be collected as this is a travel day with a noon train to catch.  I had a nice buffet breakfast ($18) in the Lodge and then we took an early shuttle over to the Denali Visitors Center to see a movie and see the exhibits.  We then proceeded down to the train station located just below  the Visitors Center and watched the Alaska Railroad train arrive from Fairbanks.  Soon we were loaded in the very nice Holland America rail car in the upper observation area.  Very nice with roomy seats and I got a Moose Mary cocktail as well.  Very beautiful scenery and mountain views as we headed south to Anchorage. Soon we were called for lunch service in the dining area below the upper observation deck.  I had reindeer chili and a salad.  While dining we observed rail workers moving about in a determined manner.  Soon it was announced that there were problems along the line and a wash out of the rail line had occurred just ahead.  We proceeded over Hurricane Gulch then stopped at the Hurricane maintenance yard where we then boarded buses that took us the remanding way (4+ hours) to Anchorage.  Very disappointing as this is my favorite part or the entire trip.  The rail road trip is very relaxing and beautiful and the best way to end the Alaskan Adventure.  We arrived in Anchorage about 7:00 pm at the Westmark Hotel.  We received our room assignments and we had the top floor, the 14th, overlooking the Cook Inlet.  The group gathered in the lobby and many went to eat at Humpy’s and a group went to the Glacier Brewhouse.  We went to the Glacier Brewhouse located just across the street for a wonderful late dinner.  I had a combo of Rib Eye Steak and King Crab Legs.  It was wonderful.  The in-house brewed beers were also very good, I enjoyed a couple Bavarian Hefeweizen and DW had a very nice Passion Fruit Mojito.  For dessert I had the bread pudding (what else), it was nice with pecans and pecan topping.  This was the best meal, by far, of the Alaskan Adventure.

Day Eleven--Wednesday--Anchorage, Alaska
Rainy day in Anchorage.  We slept as late as possible as we have a late flight.  We completely repacked our bags to get below the 50lb. air weight limit, then we went down to the lobby about noon to visit with departing friends.  We shopped for a while at the tourist locations then went over to Humpy’s Alehouse for a long casual late lunch.  I had the Halibut Fish basket as I knew it would be the last proper Alaskan meal.  I also had the bread pudding, it is served with a warm whisky sauce...both were very good. We then did some more shopping and returned to the hotel to relax and visit with the friends remaining before heading to the Ted Stevens Anchorage Int’l Airport.  It is very common for people to book red eye flights from Anchorage, but we are fortunate to have a direct flight to DFW leaving at 8:30 pm.  Due to weather  and wind there were many flight cancellations, but we got away almost on time.

Ship
The MS Statendam is now considered a smaller cruise ship at 719 feet long and 55,819 gross tons.   The ship never seemed crowded and was very clean and well maintained.  There were more than enough activities to keep everyone busy if they wished.  They had daily: Movies, Culinary Demonstrations, Trivia, Games, and various Seminars.  Also Productions shows, Musical groups, and Dancing.  The ship has a covered lido pool area that is ideal for Alaska cruising. 

Cabin
We have cabin 417 an interior cabin located very aft on the starboard side of lower promenade deck (6).  The cabin has an exterior access to the outer deck just across from the cabin, great for viewing or a shortcut to forward area of ship as it circled the ship. The cabin has a lot of floor space if you split the beds into twins, larger than a Carnival standard interior cabin. It has the standard three sets of closets, key code safe, flat screen TV, hair dryer, and full couch.  Our cabin steward did a good job maintaining the cabin.  I would certainly recommend this cabin to the value cruiser.

Crew
The crew was for the most part very good.  Of course the cocktail servers and bartenders in the Crows Nest became favorites and well as the mixology staff.  Disappointed with dining room staff, not consistent at all.  Anthony the CD seemed quite good.  We enjoyed the Captain’s announcements in his unique staccato manner of delivery, very interesting. ;-)

Food
My favorite food was the bread pudding, they usually had it somewhere every day.  Also in a variety of styles: raison, rhubarb, sourdough, etc.  The dinner entrees, when served, were all good and the buffet although not a big variety was also good.  DW said the cookies were very good.  Of course the first and last nights in the dining room were not a good experience.

Alaska Adventure Highlights
Two things were the highlight for me:  The view of Mount McKinley (or Denali), the largest mountain in North America was tops.  Although it wasn’t 100% clear, only 20% of visitors actually get to see it at all so we were lucky.  I also very much enjoyed the Happy Hours in the Crow’s Nest that were wonderful. I later saw the bar manager (during the blackout) and asked him about our fun group at Happy Hour and he was very pleased with the volume of business and fun we added.  They were nice to us and furnished hot horderves as a snack at each gathering, it really did make wonderful cocktail hours.  I also enjoyed Cabin Night and our dinner at the Glacier Brewhouse very much.

What made the trip FUN was traveling with a fun group.  Always rolling with the punches and making the best of every situation, the group was determined to have a great Alaska experience!

IT WAS AN ADVENTURE!

Snoozemates in Alaska

Carnival Glory

Carnival Glory Review

7.13.12 & 7.20.12 Sailings

Just The Facts:
Ship:  Carnival Glory
16 July through 26 July, 2012... Back to Back Cruises
Captain:  Salvatore Rassello
Cruise Director:  Josh ‘Big Sexy’ Waitzman
Ports: Boston,MA- Saint John, New Brunswick- Halifax, Nova Scotia
Weather:  Good all week

This review is for two 5-day cruises on The Carnival Glory.  This was my 30th and 31st Carnival cruises, 72nd & 73rd overall, 3rd & 4th time on the Carnival Glory, but my first time to sail from Boston and this itinerary.  I am traveling solo on the 7/13 and the following cruise 7/20 for a B2B, but have some good cruise friends on board for the first sailing.

Day One--Monday--Travel--Embarkation

Carnival Glory Lobby Bar

A very long travel day starts with a 3:30 am wake up to finalize packing and loading as I have a 5:30 am check-in at the Waco regional airport.  I was away just a little after 4:00 am for the hour drive to Waco.  I arrived in good time and check-in had begun by the time I arrived at the terminal from long term (free) parking.  A simple connection and a nice flight to DFW for the 8:10 am flight to Boston’s Logan airport.  Our flight flew right over NYC and you could clearly see the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Manhattan Island, Brooklyn, Long Island, and even the Statue of Liberty although it was very small from that altitude. Still very interesting to see.  Just a few more minutes to Boston and when we approached Logan airport we flew just above the Carnival Glory docked in the harbor.  They have free bus service from Logan this month and I had some detailed instructions so I thought I’d try it.  I found the bus pick up and did fairly well although I got off one stop early at the transfer point, (there was two stops for the World Trade Center-one above and outside and one a level below street level) but soon figured out my error.  The final bus drives directly in front of and drops you just a block from the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal.  It was a simple process and would have taken less than 30 minutes without my mistake, but still only took 45 minutes.  The price was certainly right.  This put my arrival at the terminal at about 2:00 pm.  There was a long line for people to check their bags with the porters, but I had a smaller bag so bypassed that process.  Once past the guard who wanted me to check my bag (I didn’t) it went very quick.  I went through security (the bag fit the scanner just fine) then used the VIP check in line and was processed straight away.  Carnival has a brand new VIFP rewards system and after having received a ‘white’ card for the previous six cruises it did seem a bit of a let down to get the ‘platinum’ card once again.  I’ll be noting some of the changes to the program on this cruise review.  From off the bus to the lobby took less than 20 minutes and I then went straight to my cabin to drop my bags. It was easy to get to my cabin as I was only one level below the lobby area.  It was a relief to settle in and refresh as it was a hot day in Boston and I was tired from the long trip.  I did  want to eat before they closed the Lido buffet for boat drill so I sample the roast beef as I always do on the first day of the buffet and it was only fair.  My primary late lunch was the Mongolian Grill and it was very good as usual then the Mango Mousse and the Dulce de Leche cheesecake for dessert.  It was now nap time and my interior cabin is ideal for that.  I napped until the numerous  announcements about boat drill that began about 4:45.  For sail away I invited myself to my friends balcony as we sailed from Boston.  It was located far forward on starboard side just below the wings of the navigational bridge, in fact we waved at the harbor pilot and ships officers, who return the wave.  It was interesting sailing directly below the approach flight path to Logan airport.  I have ‘Anytime’ dining on this cruise and I met my friends for dinner about 7:15 or so.  There was a fair line for seating but it moved fairly quickly.  Once we reached the MD station a few well placed suggestions to the MaitreD about Diamond VIFP’s  having to wait was quickly addressed. Alwyn and Desmond arranged to have a 4-top table next to a window standing ready for our party for the balance of the trip.  Dinner was very good. I had the Pasta with Marinara sauce as a starter and two entrees: Shrimp with Sweet & Sour Sauce and the Sliced Beef Brisket.  All were very good.  The Welcome Show was scheduled for 10:15, but knowing I could see it later on the ship TV and being so tired from the LONG day I retired to the cabin following dinner.

Day Two--Tuesday--at Sea

Monica

The water is dead calm and it’s a bit hazy this morning.  I had a great nights sleep and didn’t get around until 9:00 am..  I went to the MDR for my usual first morning on a Carnival ship breakfast of Eggs Benedict, Bacon, Hash Browns, Melon, Pastry, Tomato Juice, and Milk.  It was all very good a good sign for breakfasts this week.  After breakfast I explored the ship and visited most of the public rooms.  They do have Thirsty Frog beer on draught at the lobby and sports bars.  Good to locate that right away.  I had some cabin time and worked on this review from the lobby area on deck 3.  I am very used to an aft cabin, but think I think I can make this work very well. I had a late light lunch at the Fish & Chips on deck ten then attended the Glory Murder Mystery in the Amber Palace Theater.  They will have a murder mystery fun event during the course of the cruise, that’s something new so I will try to participate.  The water is still very calm, but the haze became a fog by early evening.  I met my friends at 6:30 for dinner.  I am very glad that we made prior arrangements for a standing table as there was a very long line for the dining room.  I guess everyone wanted the Captains night special dinner.  We entered from upstairs as previously arranged and the Maitre’d Desmond seated us immediately.  Sweet.  Our waitress tonight was Monica and she did a great job.  I ordered the Pasta Carbonara, White Stuffed Mushrooms, Shrimp Cocktail, Prime Rib with Baked Potato, and Fruit Plate.  Others ordered the Lobster, Pumpkin Soup, and Strawberry Bisque.  Lot’s of good selections tonight and all were very good.  After dinner we attended the late production show Just Rock in the Amber Palace Theater.  It featured some great music from the early days of Rock&Roll and some pop as well.  The productions singers were very good and the dancers and costumes were wonderful. A very high energy show.  There were a lot of activities on the ship...something for everyone I would say.  Following the show my friends saw the late night adult comedy show in the Ebony Cabaret, but I retired early after a short walk around the ship.  It was a wonderful FUN day on the Carnival Glory.

Day Three--Wednesday—Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Village of St. Martins, New Brunswick

Fog very early, but soon it was beautiful weather in Saint John this day. I had a very nice MDR breakfast in the Platinum dining room as we sailed into Saint John harbor.  The Disney Magic is already docked and we were as well by the scheduled time of 8:00 am.  We left the ship and met a local friend who happens to operate a business, Distant Waters, directly across the street from the cruise terminal. She loaned us her car for the day (how great) so we drove up the coast to the St. Martins area and the Bay of Fundy Trail.  St. Martins is a very small fishing village with a pair of covered bridges and very near the famous caves created by the extreme tides in the Bay of Fundy, approximately 60 feet every 12 hours.  At low tide you can walk to the caves and at high tide they are covered by water.  We drove the Fundy Trail, a National Park Trail, taking in the coastal sights and even a waterfall then returned to the Caves overlook restaurants for lunch.  We all had the special of the day: Lobster roll and a Moosehead draught beer.  The lobster roll was fantastic, one of the best I can remember.  We returned to St John and returned the car and visited with our cruise friend (Thanks so much!) then went down to Steamers Lobster Company just across from the cruise terminal for some beers and to take advantage of the free Wifi.  In addition to the Alpine beer I had to take advantage of the opportunity to have another Lobster roll.  It was good, but not as the one early in the day.  We boarded the ship about 3:30 and I was off to the cabin shower before the ship activities.  BTW--because of the extreme tides we debarked on deck 3 not deck zero as usual in a port.  The VIFP Party was held in the Ebony Cabaret at 4:30. This was the first I have attended since the new past guest program was introduced just a few weeks ago.  There was a big difference with no blue and red cards in attendance, I’d estimate there were 120-150 people at most.  There certainly was an effort by Carnival to make the party different & special.  The live band opened with a few numbers, they had some audience participation with a conga line & some new dance steps, the complimentary drinks and appetizers were plentiful, they showed the usual film with all the old & new Carnival ships, and my friends were recognized as the only Diamonds on board.  Josh, the CD did his part to make it special. It was different and an improvement, but It will be interesting to see how long this level of commitment is maintained.  I enjoyed the Fun Ship Specials from the party and spent some time in the casino and the sports bar before dinner.  Dinner was again good and since I basically had two lunches I ordered light: just the French Onion Soup and the Seafood Pasta.   The productions show tonight was ‘The Magic and Dance of Justin Illusion’ in the Amber Palace Theater.  Then late they had Superstar Live in the Ebony Cabaret.  There were a lot of other interesting activities such as: Bingo, Latin Fiesta, Romantic Dance, Sing-Along in the Piano Bar, and more.

Day Four--Thursday—Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Tall Ships in Halifax, Nova Scotia

It rained overnight, but weather cleared and it was a beautiful day. I was up early and prepared a laundry order for my cabin steward before going to the MDR for breakfast.  I had to send back my eggs, they were very over cooked, but the waiter made it right.  We arrived a little late into Halifax but was docked a little after the 9:00 am scheduled arrival.  We actually debarked on deck 3 and deck 2...so it was very convenient for me on deck two. My plans for the day was to enjoy the waterfront and the Tall Ship Festival fortunately scheduled for Halifax that day.  The cruise pier is a great facility located right on one end of the Halifax waterfront.  Soon I met my friends just off the ship and we started down the waterfront.  There are nice shops, restaurants, monuments, and interesting attractions all along the waterfront.  Soon we came to the first tall ship, the Peacemaker. Then another and another, all very interesting.  We did sail on the tall ship Silva for a nice harbor cruise.  It was great seeing the tall ships from the water side as well as a great view of our cruise ship and the harbor.  After the cruise we had a very nice lunch (and free Wifi) at Salty’s a famous Halifax eatery right on the waterfront.  I ordered a scallop plate and it was wonderful.  In two days I met two of my culinary goals for this cruise:  a good Lobster Roll and some Digby Scallops.  After lunch we saw more Tall Ships such as the Roseway, Unicorn, Pride of Baltimore, CSS Acadia, Lynx, USS Providence, and HMS Bounty.  We even took the ferry across the harbor to Dartmouth for additional interesting views of the harbor.  Most of the day was gone and we had not even visited  two of the best sites in Halifax: The Historic Citadel, and the Maritime Atlantic Museum.  We did hear the noon cannon fired from the Citadel.  There were many 1812 era reenactors all along the waterfront, I enjoyed them having previously been one myself in younger days.  Dinner tonight was good.  I ordered the Tom Ka Gai soup, Beef Stroganoff, Pork Tenderloin and Tiramisu & a Fruit Plate for dessert.  Tonight was the Mega Promenade Fun Hop with the late night Mexican buffet.  After a long day though I had some cabin time and relaxed.

Day Five--Friday—at Sea

Air evacuation by Canadian Coast Guard

A great night at sea, very smooth sailing.  I usually leave the TV on in the cabin on the navigational channel overnight as a night light, for ships position, and ships time.  When I looked at it very early this morning it indicated that we were heading northeast, that’s opposite what we should be doing.  About an hour later I found out why when they announced that we had a medical issue and we would be having an air/sea rescue.  About 8:30 am a helicopter rescued the patient using the aft area of deck ten as a staging point for the lifts up to the helicopter.  I had never witnessed one before and it was interesting to see first hand.  The crew did a very good job as did the Canadian rescue crew.  After the rescue I met my friends for a MDR breakfast. We needed to use the new breakfast drink vouchers that the Platinum guests receive in the new VIFP program.  The dining room was absolutely packed, the line stretched beyond the lobby & elevators to the stairwell.  They had to get help from the buffet area because of the MDR demand.  We got seated, got our Bloody Marys, and got a great breakfast.  I casually roamed the ship this morning after the excitement and long breakfast. It’s somewhat cool I guess, the staff are wearing jackets, but I find it very pleasant weather.  I had the Mongolian Grill for lunch, a much longer line today from the first day before anyone had discovered it then cabin time and clean up before meeting the Captain.  My friends were the only Diamonds on board and they are allowed to invite one guest so I was able to accompany them to an invitation to Tea hosted by Captain Rassello on the Bridge.  This is a part of the new VIFP program.  We met Sebastian Emura at the Guest Services desk and he took us to the Bridge to meet the Captain and staff Captain.  The Bridge is cool for sure and the view is so good from there...we did see a whale at a distance.  They served tea and coffee and some light cakes.  It was very casual and very nice with just the three of us and three ships officers.  We took several photos and the ships photographer also took a photo that the Captain signed and gave to us.  After tea time I watched JJ the solo guitarist performing in the lobby area.  He is very good.  I’m a fan of Timmy Pierce and Will Marion (now on the Breeze) and made a point to catch him again when I could hear more music.  While listening to JJ I could see the huge lines forming for AnyTime dining in the lobby.  It make me appreciate the special table set aside for us in the dining room.  Dinner was very good tonight, I ordered the New England Crab Cake, Panko Crusted Jumbo Shrimp, and the Prime Rib of Beef with Gran Mariner Souffle for desert.  It was good bye to Monica and crew as I will be eating in the Platinum dining room on the next cruise.  After dinner I attended the production show Livin’ In America.  It was fantastic, I’d seen it before, but still really enjoyed seeing the show again,   lot’s of action and the dance costumes are very interesting.  Not needing to pack I could stay out later tonight so I did get to go see JJ perform for a full set.  I’ll have to add him to my favorites.

Day Six (1st day of 2nd Cruise)--Saturday--Boston, Massachusetts

First at Mongolian Grill and Desert Station

I tried to sleep, but announcements began fairly early this morning. I went down to the MDR for breakfast as they were already calling various decks for debarkation.  After breakfast I went back to the cabin to pack since I have to change cabins and finished that by 9:30 am. I went to deck three to use the telephone and wait for guest services since I was to be there at 10:00 for my B2B.  They have a very efficient debark and had everyone off before 10:00 other than a few stragglers. Evidently customs is a very easy process in Boston and they only take your Customs Declaration card with no ID checking.  I was the only B2B guest this cruise and all I had to do was walk to the end of the gangway and give them my card and go right back on the ship. Didn’t actually have to set foot on the ground....very easy.  I then returned to my cabin to move my bags to the new cabin and they were already gone.  I then went up to my new cabin on deck seven and the cabin was ready for me with my bags inside.  Thank you Carnival Glory guest services and housekeeping departments.  Easiest B2B ever.  I settled in to my new cabin then went down to guest services to get my new Sail Card at 11:00 am. when the computers reset for the new guests. I also got to visit with a lot of crew and observe operations for the brief time that I was the ONLY passenger on board.  Right at 11:00 I noticed new guests coming aboard so I went to the Platinum/Diamond window and voila my new card was ready and I’m all set for the new cruise.  I now went upstairs to the Red Sail (lido deck buffet) for lunch before it would get busy.  I actually was the first through the Mongolian Grill and it was very good-as always.  I stayed on Lido deck for desert and to use the telephone while I had coverage.  I did talk to the DW and talk her through the process of how to boot the internet network modem as she had lost internet service on the ranch.  We use satellite in the rural areas just as on the cruise ship.  And I thought she was mad & ignoring me the past few days (LOL).  After lunch I went down to deck three to drink a Thirsty Frog Red, listen to JJ, and watch passengers board.  Very interesting observing people coming on the ship.  I went back to the cabin to finish my comments for the previous cruise and get ready for Safety Drill that began about 4:30 pm.  Following the Safety Drill I watched us sail away from Boston from the upper decks.  It was a beautiful day to begin a cruise.  While watching the deck party and sail away I received a phone call on my cell from Carnival.  They asked where I was and thought I had missed the ship.  They were surprised to hear that I was on board, but it was confirmed by the background noise of the sail away party.  It had to be a mix up with the B2B, but nice that they were concerned that I had missed the ship.  I checked out the Serenity Deck area and some other places I had not explored on the first cruise.   I actually saw them enforce the adult pool restrictions.  Before dinner I went by to hear the band Music Connections in the Blue lounge. I have late seating this cruise in the Platinum Dining room located far aft of the ship.  I have a ten top table on the main floor, a good location, and nice fellow guests.  For dinner I ordered the Tomato Soup, the Shrimp with Sweet&Sour Sauce, a Chicken Pasta dish and a Fruit Plate for dessert.  I skipped the Welcome show (again) and retired after dinner.

Day Seven (2nd day of 2nd Cruise)--Sunday--at Sea

They still have an adult pool & hot tub on the Glory!

Very calm seas and great weather.  I went for my usual 1st day breakfast in the MDR this morning.  There were two other groups from Texas at the table, unusual on this itinerary.  Another great breakfast then I popped into the internet center to get my account extended from previous cruise...save the $3.95 set up fee and get some bonus minutes.  I walked around the ship this morning and the decks are packed with pax taking in the sun.  Alwyn introduced me to the Sous Chef yesterday and I happened to see him in the Red Sail while sampling some desserts (Key Lime pie & Cherry Mousse) and asked him about the Chef’s Table.  I decided I’d do it and he reserved a space for me for the following evening.  I enjoyed some good afternoon movies in the cabin and had some great BLT’s from room service.  It actually cooled on deck when I took my early evening walk, but that’s fine with me since I’m escaping the Texas heat.  The show band played in the lobby area before dinner, a very nice touch. This was again Cruise Elegant night, but truthfully the majority did not dress up and less than half the men wore a jacket.  Dinner was again very good, I ordered Pumpkin Soup, White Stuffed Mushrooms, Shrimp Cocktail, Prime Rib with Baked Potato, and Fruit Plate.  The chef came by the table to explain about the Chefs Table Dinner too.  After dinner I went to the late showing of Livin’ In America.

Day Eight (3rd day of 2nd Cruise)--Monday--Saint John, New Brunswick

City Market in Saint John

Very smooth seas overnight and beautiful weather today.  I was up, but skipped breakfast as Chef said to eat light today so my plan is to just have an early lunch.  I was off the ship about 9:00 am and the plan was to walk around uptown Saint John.  I went to the City Market first then spent some time in Kings Square and the Loyalist Burial Ground.  Soon it was time for my early lunch so I went to Billy’s Seafood Market located at the City Market for a Lobster Roll.  It was served with a choice of salad, (I had greek) and it was fantastic, best of the trip.  After lunch I went through Brunswick Square (an indoor mall), Market Square, and used the Library WiFi to catch up on email.  On the Boardwalk I saw a boat coming in and made a query and it goes to the only other area I wanted to see: the Rapids. My timing could not have been better, It was both high tide and I was allowed to join the next tour ($40). We were off on a harbor tour then the rapids that are created when the tides of the Bay of Fundy push back the flow of the St John’s river. Very interesting.  I headed back to the ship about 3:15 pm for the 4:00 sailing.  It was a FUN day in Saint John.  The VIFP Party was held from 4:30-5:15 so I went to get my complementary Funship Special cocktails.  It was the same procedure as the previous cruise.  There were no Diamond Members on board so I was senior Platinum guest with my 193 sailing days and got my photograph on stage with the department heads.  I then had to get ready for my special Chef’s Table dinner as we were meeting at 6:30 in the lobby.  There were 13 guests for the evening and we first went to the very busy galley for champagne and appetizers.  We even made a Warm Chocolate Cake from scratch and placed it in the oven.  We then went to our private dining area, the Silver Room, located off the Golden Dining room. We enjoyed a wonderful eight course dinner, my favorite being the Wagyn (Kobe beef).  I may have a separate review of then dinner.  After the 3 hour dinner I saw some of my MDR tablemates on Lido and ended up in the White Heat Disco.  Very interesting to see the music change from tunes and music I knew in the earlier hours to more up to date urban music that the younger set enjoyed later in the evening.  Certainly felt my age, so a change to the Cinn-A Bar piano bar that had a very lively crowd of sing along folk.  A very late night for me getting to the cabin about 1:00 am.

Day Nine (4th day of 2nd Cruise)--Tuesday--Halifax, Nova Scotia

Five Fisherman located in one of the oldest & most historic buildings in Halifax

It’s a cloudy morning that later turned to drizzle then rain throughout the day.  We arrived in Halifax by 9:00 am and since I’m not in a rush to debark enjoyed a nice MDR breakfast.  I debarked after 10:00 and went over to Garrisons Brewery location just a few blocks from the terminal to use their free WiFi for an hour to catch up on emails and Facebook.  I casually walked down the waterfront as the rain began and eventually headed up the hill to the Five Fisherman restaurant.  This has always been one of my favorite restaurants in Halifax and now with the Bistro area of it open for lunch I wanted to eat there.  I had a Lobster Roll (what else) served with french fries.  It was good, a little different, more of a lobster salad served on a larger french baguette.  After lunch I had an Alexander Keith’s beer in the bar and used their WiFi for a while.  With the rain not slacking I walked down to the Historic Properties area on the waterfront and to Moo’s the famous ice creamery.  After my double dip for desert I started back down the waterfront boardwalk towards the ship, visiting a few shops along the way.  I was back at the ship by 3:30 but soaking wet.  Knowing how hot and dry it is in Texas I really didn’t mind.  After drying off in the cabin it was now ‘power nap’ time.  I came very close to sleeping through dinner, just waking at 8:00 pm.  I did make it to the MDR just past 8:15 and enjoyed a nice dinner:  I ordered the Tom Ka Gai soup, the Neptune Seafood dish, and the Pork Loin.  For dessert I sampled the Tiramisu and the Bitter & Blanc.  After dinner I met our table mates in the disco for a short while, but proceeded to the Colors Lobby to hear JJ until the Mega Promenade Party began at 11:30 hosted by Josh our Cruise Director.  They had some very funny ‘music video’ competitions.  Following that I was able to visit with Josh and his wife Sooz at the bar for a while before turning in.  It was another fun port day on the Carnival Glory.

Day Ten (5th day of 2nd Cruise)--Wednesday--at Sea

MDR table of new friends

Smooth seas overnight.  I had a very good MDR breakfast and used my drink voucher for a nice Bloody Mary this morning.  After breakfast I had a nice walk on deck and everyone was out on the sunny day, but most were bundled up in blankets or towels.  It was chilly, but I enjoyed it.  I had some nice internet and cabin time today.  I confirmed my air reservations online, prepared my tip envelopes and debarkation forms, and had a nice lunch of BLT’s from room service.  They also delivered some chilled champagne and strawberries that made an excellent desert. My thanks to Josh, Carnival, & staff. I had another nice walk on deck and it was warmer, but still chilly. I had a cabin party with the champagne, strawberries, and music from my travel speakers before dinner.  Too bad I was the only one there although I did take a large glass to dinner.  Tonight I ordered the Sweet Potato Soup, New England Crab Cake, Panko Crusted Jumbo Shrimp, and the Prime Rib of Beef with Gran Mariner Souffle for desert.  It was very good.  After dinner I attended the production show: Just Rock.  After the late show I retired, it’s been a great 10 days and you know it’s been a busy cruise when you haven’t opened the only magazine your brought along to read.

Debarkation--Thursday--Boston, Massachusetts

Black Falcon Cruise Terminal-Boston

We arrived in Boston early on an overcast day.  They started calling for self debark by 7:00 am.  I packed after I awoke then went for my final breakfast in the MDR.  I debarked after 9:00 am and it was a very easy process, no immigration, you just hand over your Customs Declaration Card to the official on the gangway.  I took the City Bus back to the airport ($2.50) and it was very easy, took less than 20-25 minutes.  I was early, but they do have WiFi at Logan so took advantage of the internet.  Even booked a cruise for the friends who had been on board the 1st 5-days.  At 1:30 I was in the air and on my way to DFW airport.  I had a great view of the Mississippi River when we flew over.  A quick connection at DFW and then on my way to the Waco airport.  Believe me I noticed the Texas heat immediately upon rolling my bags out to the truck.  At least I escaped it for a while.  After the hour drive from the Waco airport (free parking) I was home about 7:00 pm.

Ship
The Carnival Glory is a Conquest class ship 952 feet long and 110,000 gross tons.   The sailings were full, about 3600 passengers.  She is really in good shape and will even be better once she receives the new 2.0 upgrades in November.

Cabins
First Cruise--I have cabin 2207 a category 1A very forward on the starboard side of Main deck (2).   The cabin is ideal for a solo and has a lot of floor space, I believe more than a standard cabin. It has one single bed, the standard three sets of closets, card swipe safe, flat screen TV, refrigerator, hair dryer, and full couch.  Mr. Kiren the cabin steward did a great job maintaining the cabin.  Second Cruise--I have cabin 7236 a category 4E interior.  I had booked a guarantee so this was a good cabin assignment.  It  has twin beds, the standard three sets of closets, card swipe safe, flat screen TV, refrigerator, hair dryer, but no couch.  Cabin service was adequate from William and his assistant. Interesting that I got new wallpaper on St John day.

Crew
The crew was fantastic.  Desmond Stephens the Sr. Maitre’d and Senior Assistant Alwyn Olivera were absolutely fantastic.  They made sure that the Diamond guests were well taken care of and could avoid the long lines for Anytime Dining.  The MDR waiters Monica and Maribel in the Golden Dining room and Edward in the Platinum Dining room were all very good. Sebastian Emura the Guest Services Manager was also very helpful and friendly.  Josh ‘Big Sexy’ Waitzman, the Cruise Director, really worked very hard at keeping all the guests happy and busy, he’s also a very nice guy and truly into the cruise experience.  All are on my list of favorite Carnival employees.

Food
We of course had the new Carnival Menus that are not so new now so this will be the last time I refer to them as the ‘new’.  In fact very soon a NEW menu will be out with shrimp cocktails & spring rolls available daily.  There is an ‘Every Day’ section and a ‘Specials of the Day’ section.  Also a ‘Didja’ selection of an unusual item and a ‘Comfort Food’ selection of a traditional item.  Our dining room for the first cruise was the Golden Dining Room located midship on decks 3 & 4.  Alwyn and Desmond arranged for us to have a standing table next to the window that was always set for three...that was very special.  The food was excellent.  Amazing that the same dishes on different ships can be varied in taste and quality.  The servers may have something to do with that as well.  Hot food is better food.  Breakfasts in the MDR were very good, I only missed one morning. The Mongolian Grill and BLT’s from room service remain some of my favorites. There are several ice crème and yogurt machines on Lido deck.  Of course the Chef’s Table experience ($75pp) was very unique.

Exceeded Expectations
The Glory still has an Adult Pool located aft on Lido deck--that’s getting hard to find on a Carnival ship. Attention in the dining room for Diamond guests is wonderful. I enjoyed the productions shows and attended each one twice.

Cruise Highlights
Everything.  This was a very enjoyable cruise.  Everything was wonderful.  Josh, Alwyn, and the other staff and crew were outstanding. The fact that I had one cruise with friends and the other with new friends provided a good mix for the 10 days.  I now have a new favorite Carnival ship: The Carnival Glory.  I just wish it was sailing from Galveston.

   One of my best Cruise Experiences-Ever!

Sunset from the Carnival Glory

 

Carnival Glory ... Bay of Fundy tides

I have just returned from a B2B cruise on the Carnival Glory and will post the review very soon.  I want to highlight this unique phenomena with this post.

We docked at Saint John New Brunswick located on the Bay of Fundy.  The bay has the some of the largest tides in the world.  When one usually docks at a port the guests debark from deck 0 (zero), but in St John we debarked from deck 3.  These photos will tell you why.  The first was taken in the morning from the gangway when I debarked....the second was taken when I returned to the ship in the late afternoon.

New Liquor Reg's for Texas

For many years Texans were legally limited to one bottle of liquor that could be brought back with you from a cruise.  The Texas legislature has now raised the limit to one gallon.  I know that's good news for those of you that bring back rum for your home made rum cakes!

Carnival Triumph

 Carnival Triumph Review 5.21.2012

Just The Facts:
Ship:  Carnival Triumph
21 May-26 May, 2012
Captain:  Vittorio Marchi
Cruise Director:  Jeremy ‘Tex’ Mayes
Ports: Galveston, TX- Progreso, Mexico- Cozumel, Mexico
Weather:  Good all week

This was my 29th Carnival cruise, 71st overall, but the first time on the Carnival Triumph.  I booked only a week+ before departure as a quick get away and are joined by the DW (dear wife) and a couple of cruise friends.

Day Zero--Sunday--Travel
We are going a day early and meeting cruise friends at their home in Cypress/Houston area for dinner.  We got away about 2:00 pm and arrived about 5:45.  We had a great dinner and visit and then off to Alvin, Texas for the night with the cruise friends we are sailing with this week.

Day One--Monday--Embarkation
We awoke early and it’s great knowing that you are only 30+ miles from the  cruise terminal.  Great weather today.  I started the day with a wonderful breakfast buffet from Joe’s a famous local restaurant.  We left Alvin about 10:00 am and since we are early dropped our bags at the cruise terminal.  I  then drove over to EZ Cruise parking and walked back to the terminal.  A very simple process.  We then proceeded through VIP security and then to the VIP check-in area. We were processed and sent on our way...they actually had already started boarding the ship, that’s as early as I have ever known that to happen.  Upon entering the ship the security officer noticed a glitch on my sail & sign card.  It had my personal information, but didn’t have the name of the ship printed on the card, an unusual thing.   They called Guest Services and I had to wait until they arrived.  Soon Teja the Guest Services Supervisor arrived and at least I was able to get her to agree to allow me to wait in the lobby bar area until they straightened out ‘their’ error.  It was an interesting introduction for my first time on the ship, but I had time to view the very nice lobby area.  My first impressions were very good.  Both the DW and I like the decor of the ship very much.  The theme of the ship is ‘Cities of the World’  and the lobby has a relief of the world and world globes in the decor.  Very nice.   We knew that our friend Marusya, who we knew from the Carnival Magic, was now working in Guest Services on the Triumph and soon she came over and explained that they would need to make me a new S&S card, but they could not until later when the system opened.  It was really good seeing her and we did get to visit for awhile, but she is very busy with embarkation so we made plans to meet later.  We were now off to the Lido deck and the South Beach Buffet.  It was Italian food day in the buffet so I tried that and my traditional roast beef for lunch.  The food was just okay, but the dulce de leche cheesecake dessert was very good.  We then went down to deck 8 to see if our cabins were available.  Our friends have 8404 and we have 8420 both interiors.  There were only four cabins available when we booked and at least these cabins were aft in our favorite area just below the Lido deck buffet.  The 8404 is set up as a handicap so has a nice over sized toilet area.  The 8420 is a standard interior.  After dropping my bag I went down to see Marusya at Guest Services and got my new S&S card.  Then back up to the Lido deck for the Carnival traditional sail away drink, the FunShip Special.  When I walked by the Chinese deli there was no one in line so I tried a couple of dishes.  The chinese food was good, but I wish the Triumph had the Mongolian Grill now found on most Carnival ships.  I went back to the cabin to wait for our bags and for boat drill to begin when we received a telephone call from Teja.  Because of the mix up with my card and the fact I am the only Milestone on board she offered to upgrade us if we wished to an ocean view. I was under the impression that it was just an O/V cabin and considered not taking it, but decided that we would take it so Teja took us to the new cabin.  Wow! what a surprise when we discovered that it was an not an ocean view cabin, but an ocean view SUITE!  What a fantastic cabin.  The new cabin is deck seven forward on the starboard side.  It has a small marble entry, a king bed, couch, chair, oversize balcony, bar area, dressing area, jetted bath tub, two large closets, and nice decor (trim, flooring, table tops, etc.).  The new cabin was a great surprise!  It was now time for boat drill or the Safety Instruction as it’s now called.  We went to our new muster station and received our safety instructions.  It took about 20 minutes and was not too bad considering it was a warm day.  After safety drill we were now underway and our friends joined us for an impromptu sail away balcony party.   We have sailed from Galveston many times and usually see dolphins, but today was extra special.  As we approached the final buoys we could see lots and lots of dolphin swimming and waiting for the ship.  As the ship passed through this large pod of dolphin, they began riding the wake of the ship.  They were jumping 3-5 at a time and stretched from the ship as far wide as the wake would reach or several hundred yards. It was an absolutely amazing sight.  The cabin is located just a deck below and 100 feet behind the bridge so had a good view of the Captain waving to the harbor pilot as the pilot jumped onto the pilot boat picking him up below us to the aft.  So much happening at the final buoys to Galveston harbor and to think we probably would have missed all this if we had not received the new balcony cabin.  Amazing.  We had one bag delivered just before safety drill and we did find our other bag at the old cabin after sail away so all was now well with the move and we could unpack and settle in to our suite.  All is very well and what a beginning to the cruise.  After some rest and cabin time we went to the Welcome Show at 7:30pm in the Rome Lounge (theater).  It was hosted by Cruise Director Tex and featured the Triumph Singers and Dancers with a brief appearance by the two comedians.  It was now dinner time and we were assigned the London dining room.  We had a very unusually high table so moved to the next table for the night although it was a high traffic area.  We had a nice long visit from Vlad the (up close) magician who did several amazing tricks for us.  Dinner was just good.  I ordered the Civiche from the Didja section of the menu, the Pasta Pomodoro, and the Pork Tenderloin with the Black Forest Gateau for dessert.  DW ordered the Vegetarian pot pie that she had ordered and found to be good on other Carnival ships, but it was not up to par so she just had several of the macaroni and cheese side dish.  There was a full range of ship activities this evening including the comedians in the Punchliner Comedy Club, but we retired to the cabin for the evening.

Day Two--Tuesday--at Sea

Paris Dining Room

Great weather today and the gulf is very calm. I had a great nights sleep, nothing like the gentile rocking of the ship to make one sleep well. DW prefers simple room service breakfast, but I met our friends for a very nice breakfast in the Paris dining room. The assistant Matre’D Alexandra remembered me from breakfasts on the Ecstasy.  I had my usual first morning on a ship breakfast of Eggs Benedict, Bacon, Hash Browns, Melon, Pastry, and Leche Caliente.  It was all very good.  This morning we explored the ship and visited all the public rooms.  We really like the decor and style.  I believe the Triumph is second only to the Conquest in style and decor of the Carnival ships we have sailed.  If you could add a Red Frog Pub and Mongolian Grill this ship would be ideal.  I found Scott, the FCC rep, and purchased three Future Cruise Certificates. I had used my last available one on this cruise.  We saw our friends and had some cocktails at the Capital (Lobby) Bar.  The Red Frog beer dispenser is not working...not good, but Elizabeth got some for us from deck 5.  I entered the slot tournament, but didn’t make the big board.   We had lunch on the Lido deck buffet, it was American food day.  I had fried chicken, yankee pot roast,   cole slaw, and Virginia baked ham from the carving station.  The food was better today.   The key lime pie was just okay, not tart or even really lime flavored IMHO.  After cocktails and a late lunch it was nap time in the cabin.  I enjoyed the afternoon cabin time in the suite.  We went to the 7:30 comedy show in Punchliner’s to see Chas Elstner.  He was very funny and this was a new routine from previous shows I have seen.  Tonight we moved to the Paris Dining room for dinner.  We have a nice 8-top table in the center of the nice dining room.  This is elegant night and dinner was very good.  I ordered the Pumpkin Soup, White Stuffed Mushrooms, Shrimp Cocktail, Prime Rib with Baked Potato, with Bitter & Blanc and Cherries Jubilee for dessert.  A good dinner tonight and I thought the Prime Rib was very good.  After dinner we attended the late production show The Big Easy in the Theater.  It featured almost every popular song or music with a New Orleans theme or subject.  The productions singers were very good and the dancers and costumes were wonderful.  I really enjoyed the show better than any show I saw on the Carnival Magic.  A wonderful FUN day on the Carnival Triumph.

Day Three--Wednesday—Progreso, Mexico

Le Saint Bonnet

Beautiful weather in Progreso this morning. I joined our friends for a MDR breakfast in the Paris dining room.  We again had a great picture window table and the waiter remembered my Leche Caliente.  I had three fried eggs with bacon, etc. and it was all very good.  We (just the two of us) decided to go into town about 10:00 am.  We took the shuttle into Progreso and went to our favorite Progreso ‘hangout’ Le Saint Bonnet, a restaurant on the waterfront.  There was a great breeze off the water so it was very nice.  We had some diet coke and water to cool off from the trip over then some very good guacamole and salsa.  It’s a great people watching spot as you can see the tourists and the vendors passing by on the sidewalk.  Eventually everyone will pass by and you can do your shopping without leaving your table.  The fact that they have internet access via wifi is a great bonus and I did bring my laptop to catch up with the outside world.  We enjoyed some nice lime frozen margarita’s, the ocean breeze, live mariachi music, and did some shopping.  We got a great large basket similar to the previous trip to Progreso, some large shells for the pool, and DW got another nice handmade top. After the drinks we needed to eat so we requested and they made a special vegetarian plate for us with cucumber & jicama strips and cheese quesadillas. It was very good and we had a fine afternoon at Saint Bonnet.  As usual we took a taxi back to the terminal ($8), then bought some Talavera cocktail glasses at a gift shop before boarding the ship.  It was a warm day so a shower and nap was just the thing for me.  I probably could have slept through the night, but I hate to miss dinner.  Tonight I ordered: a Green Salad, the Jerk Pork, Shrimp & Fries from the comfort food section, and Tiramisu for desert.  Tonights production show was Showcase of the Stars a guest talent show, but a well rehearsed production.  After the long port day we were happy to return to the cabin and rest.

Day Four--Thursday—Cozumel, Mexico

New Pool at Paradise Beach

I had a great nights sleep and went outside early to see the Triumph enter the straights of Cozumel.  We seem to be the only ship arriving today.  I went to the MDR for a nice Eggs Benedict breakfast and then we met our friends at 8:30 am to leave the ship for the day.  We took a taxi ($13) to Paradise Beach ($2 pp chair fees).  It was our first time here since they built the new swimming pool.  It is beautiful.  We found a table and loungers between the beach and the swimming pool and settled in for the morning.  We ordered some diet cokes (they are much better in Mexico) and water fro  our waiter.  The Caribbean water was very nice and I had a nice swim.  DW was in the pool so I spent some time in the very large pool too.  The pool water was warmer than the sea and was very enjoyable.  Since the Triumph is the only ship in port it was not busy at all.  We wanted to go into San Miguel to eat so we went took a taxi to town ($20) and went to Wet Wendy’s.  We ordered two of their famous Mango Margaritas.  They are excellent.  We also ordered lunch, we had the Vegetarian Quesadillos and Chili Relleno and our friends had the special Lobster Tacos.  We did see Klara and Chad, the owners before we left.  They are very nice and we like catching up with all their experiences on the island.  They are constructing very nice new toilets at Wet Wendy’s, that will be a big physical improvement.  The food & drink are already very good and the new toilets will be great asset.  After eating we went to see our friend Nelly who owns a couple of gift stores in town.  She is now the owner of Woody’s, the sports bar, located between her shop and the 7-11 on the corner of the main square.  She has added very nice tables and chairs and has a very nice sidewalk dining area.  This is now a great people watching place or a spot husbands can have a cerveza while the ladies shop the downtown area.  Nelly gave us a tour and they have a nice large air conditioned indoor dining area and very nice toilets.  Two very important things to look for in Cozumel.  They also have Wifi.  Great job Nelly!  The only downside to our port call to Cozumel is that the ship has a 3:00 pm scheduled departure time.  That’s much too early.  We returned to the ship and cleaned up before sail away actually at 3:50.   It was cabin time until we met our friends in the Oxford Lounge before dinner.  The Oxford Lounge is a very nice room with a British Library decor.  Dinner tonight was good.  I ordered the Lobster Bisque, Pasta, Chateaubriand, and Grand Marnier Souffle for dessert.  The production show was New Wave Magic with Anders.  At midnight they also had A Kiss Goodnight, a wonderful burlesque style adult show.

Day Five--Friday—at Sea
Another great night at sea, very smooth sailing.  I had the usual MDR breakfast in the Paris dining room then some cabin time.  We spent the morning on the aft Lido deck.  Too bad the aft pools are no longer adult only.  It really makes it difficult to get swim time when kids are filling the pool even though they have designated pools for themselves.  We ate in the MDR for lunch for the first time.  It was good.  I ordered the Neptune Salad, Pepper Steak, and a Fruit mousse.  I had a walk around the ship and did some afternoon packing and balcony time before attending a Q&A session with Tex, the cruise director, in the Big Easy lounge.  The Big Easy is the piano bar and is uniquely decorated with clam shells a very interesting room.  We were able to purchase liquor and return it to our cabin at 7:00 pm so I made our purchase so that we could get our packing finalized.  We again met our friends in the Oxford Lounge before dinner.  Tonight was just an okay dinner, I ordered the Green Salad, Onion Soup (good), the Meat Loaf from the comfort foods, and the Veal Parmesian.  For dessert I had the Baked Alaska and a Fruit Platter.  Vlad, the magician came by for the final time to show us more tricks, he came by most every night and we enjoyed his talent this cruise.  The production show tonight was Wonderful World.  For late dining the show was before dinner so we actually missed it while packing, an excuse to return to the Triumph.  After dinner we retired to the cabin.

Day Six--Saturday—Debarkation--Galveston, Texas
I was up early and in the MDR at 7:00 am for my final wonderful breakfast of the cruise.  After a quick breakfast we were off to the London dining room for early self-debarkation.  We were called about 8:05 and were off the ship in just minutes.  We walked over to EZ Cruise parking and were on our way.  We crossed the bridge and were off the island by 8:30 am.  (Galveston gasoline was $3.49)

Ship
The Carnival Triumph is a Triumph class ship 890 feet long and 101,509 gross tons.  Larger than the Fantasy class ships and a bit smaller than the Conquest class. It is a very nice ship and the theme is Cities of the World with each public room representing a specific city or location.  The lobby areas have a multi-color world relief display using LED lights and panels. Our sailing was very full, probably 120% capacity or 3500 passengers.  I’ve sailed the Conquest with much fewer, but it didn’t seem overly crowded except at the pools. There was a lot that I just didn’t have time to see and do such as: bingo, the piano entertainer, tea time, the Spa, the many trivia contests, etc., but I certainly had plenty to keep me busy.  The Triumph seemed a little worn, but my last three cruises were on the brand new Carnival Magic so a 13+ year old ship is different.

Cabin
We had cabin 7233 a category OS Oceanview Suite on the starboard side  of deck 7.   The cabin has a king bed, two sets of closets, card swipe safe, flat screen TV, refrigerator, hair dryer, ship’s clock, couch, chair, dressing table & area, mirrored bar, marble entry, oversize balcony, jetted tub, and premium decor.   It was our first full suite and we really enjoyed it.  Mr. Arnold, our cabin steward, did a great job maintaining the cabin for us and keeping us in ice.

Crew
All of our MDR waiters were very good and we were glad we moved from the London to the Paris dining room.  We just prefer the aft MDR and it is usually the better of the two.  I really thought the crew overall were very good.  I was called by name most of the time.   Arnold, our Cabin Steward was fantastic.  Teja and Marusya from Guest Services were wonderful.  Alexandra made sure I always had a nice table for breakfast, Tex did a great job as CD. The bar servers were nice especially Elizabeth who was the keeper of the Thirsty Frog Ale working both in the Capital (lobby) and Olympic Sports Bar, another interesting public room. 

Food
We of course had the new Carnival Menus.  There is an ‘Every Day’ section and a ‘Specials of the Day’ section.  Also a ‘Didja’ selection of an unusual item and a ‘Comfort Food’ selection of a traditional item.  Our dining room was the Paris Dining Room located aft on decks 3 & 4.  We had an eight top table on the lower level.  The food was very hit & miss, some items were great and many were very weak.  Breakfasts, both MDR & buffet were much better than the MDR dinners-IMHO. Overall I thought that the breads were very good and that the desserts were not comparable to other Carnival ships. The cookies were always good and the salads were wonderful.  DW reports that the Vegetarian selections were not well prepared. There are several ice crème and yogurt machines on Lido deck.  I think the best food of the week was my daily breakfast in the Paris dining room and my two room service sandwiches.

Interesting
There was NO Fun Farewell party. There were no cherries in the ‘whiskey sours’ that the bar servers push during the past guest party. 

Needs Improvement
Consistency in MDR food.  Port time in Cozumel...2:30 pm is too early for a return...with the new ships coming to Galveston guests will (and should) book the ships with the better port times.

Cruise Highlights
Actually I think it was the crew of the ship.  They were all very nice and tried very hard to please.  Second would be the show: The Big Easy, and of course we enjoyed our cabin upgrade.

Another FUN Cruise on a FUN ship!!