Carnival Triumph/Canada cruise - Timeshare Users Group Online Community Forums

njdoofus · March 20, 2009, 06:11 AM

Howdy all. About to book a cruise on Carnival Triumph from New York to eastern Canada (Halifax, St. John's). Has anyone ever been on this ship or this itinerary? This will be the first cruise for my family

, so we'll take any cruise advice, especially when it comes to kids (12, 9 & 6). Thanks in advance

.

lprstn · March 20, 2009, 06:53 AM

check out cruisecritic.com for specifics and reviews on ships and voyages.

pcgirl54 · March 20, 2009, 08:38 AM

Depends what you are looking for and for how long. A few years back we took a 3/2 day cruise on RC for the weekend from Boston on a new ship. It went to St John. I can't recall Halifax.

We saw whales on our voyage north. It was a nice mini break.

SJ people are friendly. Highlights of the shore excursion was a church or historic monument,the Red Rose tea factory (pointed out 5 times or more)and Bay of Fundy reversing waters that did not reverse when we stopped. We were not impressed as we just stared at the water. The other choice was a brewery tour.

Hopefully there are better tours now.

However if it's affordable for your family you should have a good time. Kids will love all the food and activites on board and that's what it is all about anyway.

here's why............

Our first splurge was a cruise with our sons then 10-12-15. Went to the Southern Carribean on an old ship on the lower level and saw 5 islands. We had a ball. They could order what they wanted without Mom and Dad limiting them due to costs. It was the start of the mega cruise ships Freedom/Voyager series but there were no rooms left 14 months out so we booked an older ship without todays bells and whistles. They still talk about it. Their eyes popped at the Midnight buffet with the ice scupltures and the incredible butter sculptures and lobsters etc. Theme nights for dinner with flaming desserts liked Baked Alaska or Bananas flambe were a big hit. The waiters who were wonderful to them and spoke to my son in spanish as he was taking it in high school. I think the ship ran out of hot coco because of our sons. The towels that were left on the beds that became lobsters with sunglasses or some other creature were a delight they enjoyed finding each night.

geekette · March 20, 2009, 09:40 AM

Definitely check cruisecritic.com for both ship reviews and ports of call. You can find info on private vendors in order to escape the higher costs of booking excursions thru the ship.

CC is the Tug of cruising.

Bon Voyage!

hajjah · March 23, 2009, 01:36 AM

Yes, I took my daughter on this cruise for her 8th grade graduation two years ago. This was our first cruise and she had a great time meeting other teens. There was plenty to keep the younger children and teens busy the entire 5 days. I think the cruise was worth the price we paid, at the last minute of about $600 for both of us.

I must say that the water was pretty rough and we encountered heavy fog. I would not advise you to take the excursions from the ship. They were way over priced and we met others who merely took a taxi to see the areas at the ports of Halifax and St. John. There wasn't that much to see off ship in my opinion.

I hope you are booking this cruise at a discounted price. That's what it is worth.

Jaybee · March 23, 2009, 02:34 PM

I hope your cruise itinerary includes Bar Harbor, ME. The last time we went, we took a bus tour of Acadia Nat'l Park, and it was beautiful. It was one of the highlights of the cruise. That, and Quebec City. Enjoy!

Debbyd57 · March 23, 2009, 03:12 PM

We just got off the Triumph on Sunday. I haven't even had a chance to post a review on Cruise Critic yet. The Triumph is a nice ship. We did the Eastern Caribbean so I don't know anything about the Canada cruise. It was our first cruise on Carnival but have previously done Royal Caribbean. The food in the dining room was probably the best I have had on a cruise. The buffet food was cold and bad. They also have a 24 hour pizza,calzone and ceasar salad buffet, a taste of the nations buffet, an aisan buffet, a deli fast food window and a hamburger/hot dog window and buffet. The breakfast is probably the worst meal. The made to order omlets are very good but they usually have a fairly long line. They have a miniature golf course that was fun and free. The evening shows are good. They had quite a few activities and it looked like the kids were having a lot of fun in Camp Carnival. We didn't have any young kids so didn't have much exposure to that. They have an exercise room that overlooks the ocean. The ship looks very well kept up. It is rather dark on the inside. The cruise director was the best part of the cruise entertainment. We thought he was better than the comedian. His name was Jorge. The service (with the exception of our dining room waiter), was very good. We just happened to get the wrong waiter. From what I have heard, the Maitre De tries to put you with like cruisers at your table. He did a very good job with our table. They have a lot of deck lounges but the earliest people get the best locations. We sailed during spring break so there were a lot of college kids making noise on our cruise. I think they said there were 600 or 900 kids or something like that on our cruise. I don't think that included the college age. It seemed like we were always dodging kids. The pizza and ice cream (soft serve) are available 24 hours per day. I think they had a basketball court and I saw pingpong balls but never saw a pingpong table. Watch out if you attend classes in the spa or gym, some of them you have to pay for. The Carnival Capers will tell you what the cost is. Also, beware of free spa classes, they try to get you to purchase their products. The rooms were large and comfortable compared to other cruise ships. The bathrooms were well stocked with soap, body wash and shampoo.

If you have any other questions, feel free to send me an email or private message.

Debby

Debbyd57 · March 23, 2009, 03:15 PM

Another thing the Triumph does not announce is that they have an extensive dessert buffet one day. Ours was at noon on the last sea day. We stumbled on it accidently. It was very very good. They were even making swans out of creme puff batter and filling them with ice cream.

hvsteve1 · March 23, 2009, 07:35 PM

Here's some advice for Halifax from someone who's been there three times for week long vacations.

Many people book bus tours which take them to places like Peggy's Cove, which is nice but overrun with tour busses. Because of the time most ships are in port, you will leave without ever having seen Halifax, which is one of the great cities to visit. If you're in good shape, the city is walkable from the cruise pier. Head out along the boradwalk which starts there and continue across the lower end of the city. There are tons of booths open in the cruise terminal and one of them is from the local tourism group who can give you maps and information. There is a free bus that runs around town during the summer months. If I were to take any organized tour, it would be the duck, which takes you all over town while leaving plenty of time to explore on your own. The Citidal, with the reenactors, is worth visiting. There is an historic shopping district at the other end of the boardwalk from the pier. If you like beer, it's a religon in Halifax and some pubs, such as Maxell's Plum, have more than 60 brews on tap. Just make sure you can stagger back to the ship in time to sail.

March 20, 2009, 06:11 AM	#1
njdoofus TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Mar 9, 09 Location: New Jersey Posts: 39 Resorts: Marriott's Grande Vista	Carnival Triumph/Canada cruise Howdy all. About to book a cruise on Carnival Triumph from New York to eastern Canada (Halifax, St. John's). Has anyone ever been on this ship or this itinerary? This will be the first cruise for my family , so we'll take any cruise advice, especially when it comes to kids (12, 9 & 6). Thanks in advance .

March 20, 2009, 06:53 AM	#2
lprstn TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Sep 14, 07 Posts: 2,164 Resorts: Wyndam Bonnet Creek (311,000pts) Wyndam Nashville (189,000pts) Sheraton Vistana (Fountains) Presidential Resort, VA	check out cruisecritic.com for specifics and reviews on ships and voyages. __________________ 2009 RCI - Cliffs@Peace(LosVegas),Grand Mayan(MX), Grand Morrits Tortuga(Grand Cayman),Royal Mayan(Cancun),Wyndham Onshore(RI),Ocean Sands(VABeach), Massenutten (VA),Shawnee (PA),Mirror Lake (Wisc)

March 20, 2009, 08:38 AM	#3
pcgirl54 TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 2,633 Resorts: Marriott Barony Beach & Marriott Harbour Point HHI Brewster Green Resort on Cape Cod	Depends what you are looking for and for how long. A few years back we took a 3/2 day cruise on RC for the weekend from Boston on a new ship. It went to St John. I can't recall Halifax. We saw whales on our voyage north. It was a nice mini break. SJ people are friendly. Highlights of the shore excursion was a church or historic monument,the Red Rose tea factory (pointed out 5 times or more)and Bay of Fundy reversing waters that did not reverse when we stopped. We were not impressed as we just stared at the water. The other choice was a brewery tour. Hopefully there are better tours now. However if it's affordable for your family you should have a good time. Kids will love all the food and activites on board and that's what it is all about anyway. here's why............ Our first splurge was a cruise with our sons then 10-12-15. Went to the Southern Carribean on an old ship on the lower level and saw 5 islands. We had a ball. They could order what they wanted without Mom and Dad limiting them due to costs. It was the start of the mega cruise ships Freedom/Voyager series but there were no rooms left 14 months out so we booked an older ship without todays bells and whistles. They still talk about it. Their eyes popped at the Midnight buffet with the ice scupltures and the incredible butter sculptures and lobsters etc. Theme nights for dinner with flaming desserts liked Baked Alaska or Bananas flambe were a big hit. The waiters who were wonderful to them and spoke to my son in spanish as he was taking it in high school. I think the ship ran out of hot coco because of our sons. The towels that were left on the beds that became lobsters with sunglasses or some other creature were a delight they enjoyed finding each night. __________________ PCgirl54 Last edited by pcgirl54 : March 20, 2009 at 08:52 AM.

March 23, 2009, 01:36 AM	#5
hajjah TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 8, 05 Posts: 491 Resorts: Summer Bay-FL, Summer Bay-LV	Yes, I took my daughter on this cruise for her 8th grade graduation two years ago. This was our first cruise and she had a great time meeting other teens. There was plenty to keep the younger children and teens busy the entire 5 days. I think the cruise was worth the price we paid, at the last minute of about $600 for both of us. I must say that the water was pretty rough and we encountered heavy fog. I would not advise you to take the excursions from the ship. They were way over priced and we met others who merely took a taxi to see the areas at the ports of Halifax and St. John. There wasn't that much to see off ship in my opinion. I hope you are booking this cruise at a discounted price. That's what it is worth. Last edited by hajjah : March 24, 2009 at 12:20 AM. Reason: correction

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March 20, 2009, 09:40 AM	#4
geekette Guest BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Posts: 2,760	Definitely check cruisecritic.com for both ship reviews and ports of call. You can find info on private vendors in order to escape the higher costs of booking excursions thru the ship. CC is the Tug of cruising. Bon Voyage!

March 23, 2009, 02:34 PM	#6
Jaybee TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Sun City, CA Posts: 763 Resorts: Harbortown Point, Marriott Desert Springs II, Welk Platinum	I hope your cruise itinerary includes Bar Harbor, ME. The last time we went, we took a bus tour of Acadia Nat'l Park, and it was beautiful. It was one of the highlights of the cruise. That, and Quebec City. Enjoy!

March 23, 2009, 03:12 PM	#7
Debbyd57 TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Petal, Mississippi Posts: 255 Resorts: Fairfield 715,000 points Brookes Hill, SA Landmark Holiday Beach Resort, FL	We just got off the Triumph on Sunday. I haven't even had a chance to post a review on Cruise Critic yet. The Triumph is a nice ship. We did the Eastern Caribbean so I don't know anything about the Canada cruise. It was our first cruise on Carnival but have previously done Royal Caribbean. The food in the dining room was probably the best I have had on a cruise. The buffet food was cold and bad. They also have a 24 hour pizza,calzone and ceasar salad buffet, a taste of the nations buffet, an aisan buffet, a deli fast food window and a hamburger/hot dog window and buffet. The breakfast is probably the worst meal. The made to order omlets are very good but they usually have a fairly long line. They have a miniature golf course that was fun and free. The evening shows are good. They had quite a few activities and it looked like the kids were having a lot of fun in Camp Carnival. We didn't have any young kids so didn't have much exposure to that. They have an exercise room that overlooks the ocean. The ship looks very well kept up. It is rather dark on the inside. The cruise director was the best part of the cruise entertainment. We thought he was better than the comedian. His name was Jorge. The service (with the exception of our dining room waiter), was very good. We just happened to get the wrong waiter. From what I have heard, the Maitre De tries to put you with like cruisers at your table. He did a very good job with our table. They have a lot of deck lounges but the earliest people get the best locations. We sailed during spring break so there were a lot of college kids making noise on our cruise. I think they said there were 600 or 900 kids or something like that on our cruise. I don't think that included the college age. It seemed like we were always dodging kids. The pizza and ice cream (soft serve) are available 24 hours per day. I think they had a basketball court and I saw pingpong balls but never saw a pingpong table. Watch out if you attend classes in the spa or gym, some of them you have to pay for. The Carnival Capers will tell you what the cost is. Also, beware of free spa classes, they try to get you to purchase their products. The rooms were large and comfortable compared to other cruise ships. The bathrooms were well stocked with soap, body wash and shampoo. If you have any other questions, feel free to send me an email or private message. Debby

March 23, 2009, 03:15 PM	#8
Debbyd57 TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Petal, Mississippi Posts: 255 Resorts: Fairfield 715,000 points Brookes Hill, SA Landmark Holiday Beach Resort, FL	Another thing the Triumph does not announce is that they have an extensive dessert buffet one day. Ours was at noon on the last sea day. We stumbled on it accidently. It was very very good. They were even making swans out of creme puff batter and filling them with ice cream.

March 23, 2009, 07:35 PM	#9
hvsteve1 TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 18, 05 Location: Crossville,TN Posts: 189 Resorts: Powhatan Plantation	Here's some advice for Halifax from someone who's been there three times for week long vacations. Many people book bus tours which take them to places like Peggy's Cove, which is nice but overrun with tour busses. Because of the time most ships are in port, you will leave without ever having seen Halifax, which is one of the great cities to visit. If you're in good shape, the city is walkable from the cruise pier. Head out along the boradwalk which starts there and continue across the lower end of the city. There are tons of booths open in the cruise terminal and one of them is from the local tourism group who can give you maps and information. There is a free bus that runs around town during the summer months. If I were to take any organized tour, it would be the duck, which takes you all over town while leaving plenty of time to explore on your own. The Citidal, with the reenactors, is worth visiting. There is an historic shopping district at the other end of the boardwalk from the pier. If you like beer, it's a religon in Halifax and some pubs, such as Maxell's Plum, have more than 60 brews on tap. Just make sure you can stagger back to the ship in time to sail.