Cruise editor Brian Major and his 14-year-old son Derek sailed
on a four-day cruise from New York to Halifax, Nova Scotia, aboard
the Carnival Triumph. His report follows:
NEW YORK -- One would think that in the city that boasts the bright
lights of Broadway, the pulsating persona of Times Square and the
stately grace of the Statue of Liberty, Carnival Cruise Lines might
have trouble attracting attention to its series of four- and
five-day cruises to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Saint John, New
Brunswick, even though those cruises are being offered aboard the
line's newest and largest ship, Carnival Triumph. Guess again.
Carnival Triumph was more than full for the second sailing in
its new New York-based series. If the company's future intentions
are any indication, Carnival's New York-Canada cruises are a big
hit.
Carnival has already divulged plans to position two ships
(Carnival Destiny and Carnival Victory) here next summer, and while
Triumph's lower berths hold "only" 2,600 passengers, on this
sailing the ship carried around 3,300, with young children,
teen-agers and other members of extended families occupying almost
700 upper berths.
In fact, multigenerational groups of kids, teens and parents were
in evidence all over the ship. It's apparent the short itinerary,
along with Carnival's something-for-everyone approach, has quickly
made Triumph's summer New York series a popular getaway option for
vacationing families in and around the New York region.
Derek quickly made friends with a very trendy-looking crowd (I
kept my distance) and indeed, the Generation-X set nearly dominated
the ship's disco on most evenings. In a way, Triumph is a perfect
vacation venue for parents with teen-age kids.
I felt very comfortable allowing Derek to venture around the
ship on his own, even after dinner. I was able to allow him to hang
out late into most evenings, something I'd never do if we were
staying at a hotel or land-based resort.
A large ship at sea creates its own self-contained, secure
environment. And quite a large environment it is. At 102,000 tons,
Carnival Triumph (the second 100,000-plus ton ship in the Carnival
fleet) is designed to offer enough fun, activities, food and
entertainment to suit everyone, and in this regard, the vessel
delivers.
Triumph features a wide variety of public areas, spread out
across six of the ship's 14 decks. At any one time, passengers can
sunbathe in one of the hundreds of lounge chairs arrayed about the
ship's broad decks, work out in the Nautica gym overlooking the
ship's bridge, take a massage in the spa, or attend food
demonstrations featuring ice carvings, food sculptures and napkin
folding.
Triumph's public facilities also include two major dining rooms,
three large lounges featuring musical acts, stand-up comedians and
other performers, eight bars, a large casino, and a Lido dining
area featuring deli, Asian and grilled cuisine.
There's also a 24-hour pizzeria. Other facilities include an
aerobics room, jogging track, a midship pool with a long, twisting
slide, a library, a card room and a photo studio and gallery.
The huge ship's broad range of facilities and activities,
together with the its extensive open deck space -- littered with
comfortable deck chairs and very suitable for sunbathing -- create
a true oceangoing resort.
Within two hours of our departure from Pier 88 on a hot, sunny
afternoon, the deck was awash in groups of people lounging on deck
chairs. Meanwhile, a line of kids (and parents) formed at the
entrance to the water slide.
All around, passengers positioned themselves amid the circular,
multilevel sunbathing area near the main-deck Continental pool. A
very good reggae band played a variety of feel-good tunes. Other
passengers opted for a quieter, more out-of-the way spot on the
ship's forward or aft decks.
The crowd was quite diverse in terms of age and race but was
closely aligned in its desire for fun, and everyone seemed to be
having a good time.
The Continental pool and Jacuzzis were heavily patronized and
lines formed at the Lido-area eateries during most mornings and
afternoons
Indoors, Triumph has dining, drinking and entertainment venues
on the promenade (fifth) deck, including the Club Monaco casino,
Olympic Bar (a sports theme bar), Vienna Cafe (for flavored and
specialty coffees and teas) and California Wine Bar.
These venues are connected by a long, open corridor called the
World's Hall, and were most heavily utilized at night, although for
some passengers, the casino proved to be a popular option just
about any time.
Club Monaco, in fact, offered several gaming contests for cash
prizes, and of course, bingo was also available for those who felt
the need.
Triumph's shops are well-stocked with perfumes, beachwear and
other merchandise, including a myriad of items bearing the Carnival
logo.
Still, Triumph was surprisingly absent of some items, like basic
toiletries, during our cruise. One word of advice: Bring shampoo.
Apparently, soap is the only standard amenity included in most
Carnival staterooms.
On the other hand, discounted cruise wear and off-price gold
jewelry were frequently available, set outside the shops on
merchandise tables around the atrium. One such sale of "gold by the
inch" attracted a fair-sized crowd.
Tuxedos and evening gowns are available for rental at
Formalities, located near the shops. While some passengers donned
tuxedos, indulging in the one formal evening of the four-night
cruise, Carnival's relaxed, resort-like atmosphere means gentlemen
can comfortably tackle formal night with a dark suit (or maybe even
a light one).
Indeed, Derek and I were only two days into our cruise when we
found seated dinner to be too taxing. We opted to skip the dining
room that evening for a very casual and quite enjoyable buffet at
the South Beach Club.
The promenade deck also features Triumph's Club Rio and Venezia
Lounges. Club Rio is a midsize bar and musical venue and Venezia a
more intimate, tastefully decorated piano bar.
A good selection of well-priced non-Cuban cigars is available at
the Oxford Bar, a popular spot for after-dinner drinks and
conversation. The Oxford is located directly below the Hollywood
Dance Club disco, and is accessible from the dance floor by a
spiral staircase, a convenient set-up that allowed Dad to indulge
in a Dominican stogie downstairs while Derek, in the words of one
cigar-smoking companion, "worked on his night moves" upstairs in
the disco.
The dance club is also connected at one end to Underground
Tokyo, a video gameroom, which proved a convenient place to meet up
with Derek and indulge in a few video games before heading to our
preferred evening entertainment venues.
Freedom of choice was the main virtue throughout the cruise.
During one day at sea, passengers were able to choose from a
five-minute "magic makeover" in the aerobics studio, a slots
tournament in the large casino, cooking demonstrations in the South
Beach Club Lido dining area and art auctions, question-and-answer
sessions, dance classes, bingo, karaoke and trivia contests in one
of Triumph's lounges.
Passengers don't spend much time in their staterooms during a
Carnival cruise, and most cabins, while attractive and functional,
don't offer a lot in the way of upscale amenities.
Our panorama (10th) deck, oceanview stateroom included twin
beds, a good amount of closet space (for two guys, at least), a
phone, TV, a safe and a private balcony that, while small, added an
unmistakable element of openness to our cabin.
Although Carnival cabins are not as heavily utilized as those on
some ships, we would have welcomed a small refrigerator and better
TV reception. The broadcasting system featured two movies per day
and no CNN or MTV.
The sole port call on four-day itineraries is Halifax, a clean
and quiet but vibrant city rich in maritime tradition (some of it
of an unfortunately tragic nature).
Here, Carnival offers 15 separate shore excursions, ranging from
boat fishing off Chebucto Head, to an eagle watch at Nova Scotia's
pier, a salmon bake at nearby Peggy's Cove and a Halifax city tour.
All of the day's events are listed in a "Carnival Capers"
newsletter delivered to staterooms each evening.