Carnival Triumph Review 3/13/2004 Sailing

Below is a review that I posted on Cruise Critic. I have made a couple of
revisions since that original post.


I am going to post a review/thoughts of my recent cruise on the 3/13 sailing
of the Carnival Triumph to the eastern Caribbean. Please keep in mind that
this is how I viewed my recent cruise and others on board may have had a
totally different experience and I respect your opinion.

A little background on me.
43 year old single male.
Have taken over twenty cruises of which thirteen have been on Carnival. This
was my second cruise on the Triumph. The first time on the Triumph was in
1999 shortly after she was delivered from the shipyard. I had with me on
this cruise a buddy who has also cruised with Carnival quite a bit over the
last couple of years.

This cruise was a seven day trip to the eastern Caribbean with stops at San
Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. There was a large group on board from
Cruise Critic hosted by Randy.


Pre Cruise - Left Atlanta on Thursday morning. We decided to drive at the
last minute due to horrible flight times given to us by Delta. We were using
Sky Miles so we were at their mercy on the times. We had been on a wait list
for better flights but nothing came up due to the time of year. The trip
down was not so bad but coming home the traffic was a nightmare along with
road construction in spots all the way to Atlanta.

Arrived in Miami Thursday evening at the Marriott on South Beach. This hotel
is located directly on Ocean drive and is a beach front hotel. Great
location but if you are staying here one thing to note, rooms that overlook
the Southside of the hotel can easily be blocked by an apartment complex
that is located next door. We were lucky as the clerk gave us the top floor
and out close to the beach. This gave an excellent view of the ocean and
also of the ships entering and leaving port. The hotel is pricey at certain
times of the year. Two nights here, valet parking plus all of the state and
local taxes ran the bill to a little over eight-hundred bucks. By the way,
the hotel was booked solid both nights. It is a short walk to all of the hot
spots on Ocean drive. I have to tell the ones who think Carnival is
expensive with their drinks, should try some of the places located on Ocean
drive. We decided to eat dinner the first night at a place called Finnegan's
Irish pub so that we could watch the basketball tournaments. A Corona here
was six bucks each. They automatically added the 15% tip and tax on top of
that. Much more than you would ever pay on a ship. The food here sucked by
the way. Service was not much better. I would avoid this place at all costs.
The News Cafe was much better the next night.

We had a great time hanging around Miami on Friday by taking a boat trip
around the area plus spending some time at Bay Side Marketplace.

http://www.baysidemarketplace.com/

Also spent time watching the ships leave out Friday afternoon. Great way to
get the juices flowing for a Saturday cruise.

Now that I am at the area of the ship review, I will give each area a grade.
The range will be from a (1) to a (5).
1 = Needs Improvement
2= Below Average
3= Meets Expectations
4= Exceeds Expectations
5= Exceptional


Embarkation- (3) -We arrived at the port around 11:00 on Saturday morning.
We were the only Carnival ship in port out of a total of four ships. There
is a lot of construction going on around the port at this time. Things can
be quite a mess. Since we were the only ship on the far end of the port
things were not so bad. Once all the construction is complete, I think that
the area will be better than ever.

We dropped off our bags, parked the car in the new parking garage($12.00 per
day paid in advance-cash only) and proceeded inside. Since we were booked in
a category eleven suite we sought out the Skippers Club. The Skippers Club
continues to be a thorn in my side. It differs from port to port and from
cruise to cruise. In Miami, it does nothing for you to have this. We would
have been quicker to check in using the "Fun Pass" line. It actually was
moving quicker. Carnival needs to make a decision as to getting their act
together on the Skippers Club or just do away with it. At this time it has
no value at all to their guests. The rest of the embarkation went smooth.
Their was a Carnival agent who came around prior to boarding and discussed
how the boarding would take place with each section of the waiting areas.
This was very organized. We were on the ship around 12:30. Also, the
mandatory life boat drill was very quick and painless. I guess that Carnival
does read the boards on here. John Heald announced that all cabins and
"balconies" would be searched during the drill. Seems they found out one of
the secrets.

The Ship- (4)- I had heard all kinds of things about the condition of the
Triumph. I am here to tell everyone that the Triumph is in good shape
overall. Carnival has replaced all of the carpet in the hallways that leads
to the staterooms. Also the carpeting in waiting areas around the elevators
is being replaced. I thought that overall she looked good but there were
some areas that could have been cleaner. I smelled a soured smell each time
I visited the Vienna Cafe along the promenade deck. Also experienced the
same smell at times in the South Beach dining area. It smelled like dirty
dish towels that had been sitting for a while. Again some areas were just
not as clean as I have seen on other Carnival ships. The ship exceeded my
expectations due to the fact that I was expecting much worse after what I
had read on this board from recent past guests.

Stateroom- (3) - We had cabin #7279 on deck seven. This was a category
eleven suite. Overall the room was not bad. Those photos sure make the rooms
look larger than they are but there was plenty of room for storage. Had a
problem the entire cruise with the TV remote not working properly. Mentioned
it to the steward on the first day but nothing was done. Not a big deal but
it would have been nice to have it corrected. Cabin showed some wear and
tear in areas but again nothing major. It was nice having a bathtub to give
more room for showers. All bathrooms on the Triumph come with a blow dryer
but if you have long or thick hair then you might think about bringing your
own as this one is kind of weak. One other note. We had smokers on both
sides of us. At times the smoke would pour through the a/c vents into our
cabin. The smell of smoke was bad at times. I guess we all share the same
air handlers.

Room Steward-(4) - Our room steward Issac was pretty good but we had to run
him down every time we needed pool towels. He would never leave them for us
in the room each day. Also on the last day he forgot to leave the custom
cards and we had to run him down again for that. He was very polite and
always asked if we needed anything. He kept the room very clean and was
unobtrusive which I like. I think that he tried very hard to do his best. He
just needs to remember the simple things and he will be one of Carnival's
best.

Entertainment and Cruise Staff (2)- I believe that this is where some people
will think that I am being too critical but here goes.

I have always heard how great John Heald was and I did cruise with him back
in 99 on the Triumph and found him funny at that time but to be truthful, I
found him boring this time. Maybe because it was the same jokes and antics
that he was telling back in 99. Nothing has changed in his routine in five
years. Second, both John and his sidekick Wee Jimmy have some infatuation
with the words fart, farting, poo, and any other things that describes a
certain human bodily function. I heard it over and over on the cruise and it
became old after the first couple of days. Also the two major Vegas style
shows and the one magic show were the same ones that were on this ship five
years ago. Can't Carnival come up with something new once in a while or at
least move some shows around from another ship? John's bedtime story was the
exact same show as he did five years ago and the same one that Greg Kneale
does on the Glory. Again, boring. For first time cruisers, I think that they
would find John very funny but it was not the case with this seasoned
Carnival cruiser.

For some reason, the past guest party was scheduled while we were in St.
Maarten from 4:30 to 5:15 in the afternoon. Not sure who did this but it was
a bone head move IMHO. First of all, we only have three port of calls for
the entire cruise. Second who wants to come back in early, get cleaned up
after being at the beach or on the island all day to attend this? Also, we
were due to sail away at 5:00. Most passengers want to be up top for the
sail away not at some party. Just bad timing when we had two sea days on the
way back to Miami when this could have been scheduled.

We did have one funny passenger on board the ship. Her name was Dottie and
she was brought on stage the first night during the welcome aboard show. She
could be a cruise director herself. She was funny. She was used during the
week to come up on stage to do little antics. John announced that on
3/15/05, there would be a Dottie reunion cruise and he gave her and her
husband a free cruise to bring them back.

Overall I was disappointed with almost all of the entertainment on board
this time. This is a first on a Carnival ship for me.

One last thing that I did not like concerning the CD. During the week, John
kept pushing the audience to give standing ovations to the entertainers of
which some did not deserve. Also during the debarkation talk, he pushed for
top ratings to be given while filling out the comments card. I have never
heard of another Carnival CD begging(maybe not the right word but close to
it) for high marks for cruise staff. John made the comment that the Triumph
had received the highest ratings for the last nine weeks from the passenger
comments card. I can see why. I feel that John needs to give the passengers
credit for having the common sense to be able to make their own decisions on
what they want to place on their comment cards. He will be on the Valor when
she comes out in December. One reason for me not to go on this ship as I
expect his routines will be the same.

Food-(2)- I take part of the blame for the low rating myself. We chose to
eat upstairs for the entire cruise for dinner in place of going to the
dining room. The older I get and the more I cruise the less I like to be
told what time to eat dinner. I like the idea of being able to eat when the
mood hits me. Also, I am over the formal wear but will not go against the
dress policy.

I only ate breakfast once during the entire cruise and it was ok but nothing
special. Same as I have had on other cruises. Basic fare of eggs, sausage,
hash brown patties, French toast,etc. They also have the omelet station set
up.

Lunch was the best meal of the day for me. Cheeseburgers, hot dogs and the
deli. Sometimes the buffet line had some good things also. I missed the fish
n chips station that the Glory had and also the nation of the day that is
found on the Spirit class ships. Fruit punch is back but it is more like a
grape drink to me. Very sweet but still good. Along with the fruit punch,
the South Beach dining room also has lemon-ade, tea, hot chocolate and
coffee available twenty-four hours a day.

Dinner was the bad thing for me. I truly believe that Carnival uses the
"Seaview Bistro" to punish the ones that do not want to eat in the formal
dining rooms. The food here was horrible each night with the exception of
Thursday night. Very few selections each night to choose from. Also the
salad bar had less items at dinner to choose from than the lunch hour salad
bar. Also, it was common to see empty food containers on the buffet line
with no one making an attempt to fill them. I got tired of seeing rice,
gravy and steak fries every single night on the buffet. Just a poor attempt
in my opinion with the whole Seaview operation. I wish that Carnival would
keep the grill open until 9:00 each night for the ones that would like the
additional option. Overall I think that I lost weight on this cruise. On
second thought, I didn't. I liked the ice cream station too much.

Room Service was not up to par on this cruise either. Maybe it was due to
the amount of kids on board and the high usage of room service by the other
guests. The first time that I ordered room service, I waited for forty-five
minutes and then called back when the order had not arrived. They had not
even started on my order. I cancelled it. The second time took about thirty
minutes which is fine but the food was not all that great. I ordered a ham
and cheese sandwich. All that was on the bread was one slice of ham and one
slice of cheese with tomatoes. No lettuce. This is a major cut back from
past cruises. Needless to say, I did not use this service for the remainder
of the cruise.


Crew-(4) - I found the crew to be a friendly group of people. They would
smile and say hello. This is one area that I think that Carnival has
improved with over the years. The pursers desk was also great each time that
I visited them to take care of business. Very professional.

Ports of Call- (4)- If San Juan had not been a port of call then I would
have scored it a perfect (5). St. Thomas and St. Maarten have to be two of
my favorite port of calls. The people on both islands are great. Very
friendly and perfect weather.

In St. Thomas, we went to town to grab lunch at a local favorite called the
"Green House". Great food and one heck of a view of the ships in port. Next
it was a trip up to Paradise Point to have a drink and take in the view from
high up. What a great place to just sit, relax and enjoy the view, breeze
and music. No beach today as we had Orient beach in our sights for Weds.
Sail away from St. Thomas was outstanding as the sun had gone down and the
island lit up.

In St. Maarten, we grabbed a taxi and headed over to Orient beach. Rented
padded lounge chairs and umbrella from the Kon Tiki. This beach has to be
one of the most beautiful places in the world. It was crowded that day as
there were four ships in port. I saw many Carnival towels up and down the
beach so there were quite a few from the ship there also. Had lunch at
Baywatch Cafe. This is great place to grab a casual lunch. Owned by Andy and
Cheryl who are originally from the New York/Jersey area. Great food and
atmosphere. Back in town we had to visit Jimmy Buffet's "Last Mango in
Paradise" shop for T-shirts. Finished up the day with a yard long drink from
Fat Tuesday's at the dock. Walked around and looked at the ships that were
docked in port with us.

San Juan on the other hand should not be a night call. There is nothing to
do when your ship does not pull in until after five in the evening and just
about everything on the island starts closing at six. Also, it was a cattle
call in getting off of the ship. All 3100 passengers were trying to exit the
ship at one time. It was 6:30 before we got off the ship. Once off of the
ship there was only ONE way out of the terminal and it was through a hot
building with only two little doors for everyone to go through. Carnival
reps tried to use the excuse that the Navigator of the Seas was not usually
in port but that had nothing to do with it as that ship had arrived three
hours prior to us and those people were not around we when docked. Needless
to say, we grabbed dinner and went back to the ship for the rest of the time
we were docked. John continually repeated over the PA system that folks
needed to buy a tour as San Juan is not a safe place at night. Then why stop
there? San Juan needs to be removed from the itinerary or get there during
the day when there is something to do. Just a waste of time IMHO and I also
heard this same thing from many others on board.

This ship was full and I do mean full. There were lots of kids on board.
They ranged in age from very young through the college age. I fully expected
this to be a drunk fest with all of the college age kids but was surprised
at how well that age group acted. Now the younger kids on board were a
different story. They were running wild all over the place and not a parent
in site. It amazes me that with all of the kids in this world that go
missing daily, that we still have parents out there that do not give a damn
about where and what their kids are doing. I saw kids as young as five and
six years old by themselves in the lido dining room at lunch time and
playing in the elevators. Truly amazing.

I think that Carnival did the best that they could with the amount of kids
on board. They can only do so much. The rest has to come from the parents.

The weather for the first two sea days was rough. High winds caused unstable
seas. I saw many getting Bonine from the Pursers desk. It was impossible to
use our balcony due to sea spray. Once we got to San Juan things improved
100% and the weather was great throughout the rest of the cruise.

Sports bar: Carnival has a sports bar on all of their newer ships but really
do not have sports programming. On Thursday and Friday CBS was broadcasting
the basketball tournaments. The place was packed most of the time. This just
goes to show that if Carnival would get some decent sports programming
(ESPN) they would do much better with this location. The bar personnel were
very busy with drink orders. This is not usually the norm in Carnival's
sports bars.

Too many announcements over the PA system trying sell bingo,inch of gold,
shore excursions, etc. Why do we have the Capers?


Overall I gave this cruise a rating of (3) for meeting expectations but this
was not a WOW cruise by any means. I had fun but mainly because of the
islands that we visited and finding things to do that I enjoyed. For me
Carnival failed in the areas of entertainment and food. I think that part of
the problem is having been on seven Carnival ships in the last two years.
This has led to Carnival burn out. There are no surprises. I know what to
expect and this is boring. It also seems to me that if you cruise on the
Spirit class of ships you get a totally different type of cruise from
Carnival.

While in San Juan, we had the Navigator of the Seas docked next to us. The
longer that I looked at that ship, the more I wanted to go on it. I have now
booked the Navigator for the 12/04 sailing back to the eastern Caribbean. I
think that the change may do me good. I really like Carnival and will cruise
with them again one day but I think that it is time to try something else. I
will not go back on a Destiny/Conquest class ship. Too crowded and a lousy
layout of the ship. Also I think that Carnival needs to come out with a past
guest program. They show no appreciation for their past guests and I know
they feel that it is not needed because of the high percentage of repeat
passengers. Time will tell if they are right on this issue.

A cruise is great but some are better than others. This one was middle of
the road for me. If I can answer any questions please let me know. I will be
more than happy to answer them.

Photos are my cruise of at the link below. Notice that I place a lot of
photos of different ships in port as this is one of the highlights for me. I
love to walk around at the differnt ports and look at the ships that are
visiting with us.

http://community.webshots.com/user/cruisingator

"Gordon" wrote in message
...

Food-(2)- I take part of the blame for the low rating myself. We chose to
eat upstairs for the entire cruise for dinner in place of going to the
dining room. The older I get and the more I cruise the less I like to be
told what time to eat dinner. I like the idea of being able to eat when
the
mood hits me. Also, I am over the formal wear but will not go against the
dress policy.

I think you'll find Navigator very unique because of it's size, but from
what you said here, I'd suggest putting Norwegian Dawn on your short list of
ships to try.

NCL's freestyle sounds like it might be right up your alley. With options
like Mexican, Italian, Burgers, and the buffet; the extra cost
Japanese/Chinese, French and Steak restaurants; and the 3 regular dining
rooms, there is always something different to try. While I love Celebrity,
no line has more options for food than NCL on their new Freestyle ships.

Plus, there are always multiple options where you don't have to go formal.

--Tom

"Tom & Linda" wrote in message
t...

"Gordon" wrote in message
...

Food-(2)- I take part of the blame for the low rating myself. We chose
to
eat upstairs for the entire cruise for dinner in place of going to the
dining room. The older I get and the more I cruise the less I like to be
told what time to eat dinner. I like the idea of being able to eat when
the
mood hits me. Also, I am over the formal wear but will not go against
the
dress policy.

I think you'll find Navigator very unique because of it's size, but from
what you said here, I'd suggest putting Norwegian Dawn on your short list
of
ships to try.

NCL's freestyle sounds like it might be right up your alley. With options
like Mexican, Italian, Burgers, and the buffet; the extra cost
Japanese/Chinese, French and Steak restaurants; and the 3 regular dining
rooms, there is always something different to try. While I love Celebrity,
no line has more options for food than NCL on their new Freestyle ships.

Plus, there are always multiple options where you don't have to go formal.

--Tom



Tom, I want to try NCL again one day but I will wait until they place one of
their new ships sailing out of Florida. I lived in Florida for 38 years and
really do not care for the Dawn's itinerary. I know that NCL currently has
two new ships on order and I will wait to see where they place them. I also
know that the Norwegian Spirit will be doing some nine day cruises out of
Miami. That may be an option. I have no problem with paying for the
additional charge at Johnny Rockets. A frozen drink costs more than what
they are charging for the JR fee. I am just ready to try one of those
Voyager class ships. I like the Navigator and Mariner better due to the new
balconies with the glass railings in place of that punched out metal look.

Thanks for input.

Gordon

Gordon, Wow...if you had added filthy cabin at embarkation, clothing
from previous cruise found in cabin and a rude waiter you would have had
my review of the Triumph. I was (stuck) on that ship for two weeks.
If I had not sailed that ship before and read your review I would not
book it. I also take it that this was not your best cruise either. I
took AOS this past year and loved RCCL. I am sure you will also. By
the way I'm a long time Carnival pax. and will be on the Conquest this
Oct. I will also be on the DAWN in May. I was very impressed with
RCCL. Thanks for the review.

"RICK DAVIS" wrote in message
...
Gordon, Wow...if you had added filthy cabin at embarkation, clothing
from previous cruise found in cabin and a rude waiter you would have had
my review of the Triumph. I was (stuck) on that ship for two weeks.
If I had not sailed that ship before and read your review I would not
book it. I also take it that this was not your best cruise either. I
took AOS this past year and loved RCCL. I am sure you will also. By
the way I'm a long time Carnival pax. and will be on the Conquest this
Oct. I will also be on the DAWN in May. I was very impressed with
RCCL. Thanks for the review.

Rick as I stated in my review, I was on this ship shortly after she was
delivered from the shipyard and I had a totally different experience. I
guess I have one word that describes Carnival and that would be
"inconsistant". Just bad management on this ship in some areas. Also, all of
those screaming little brats running around and making life hell for the
passengers and crew did not help in the least. Again, the Legend and Pride
in 2002 were awesome cruises all the way around. This was not my worst but
not the best either. Just middle of the road.

I wish you a good time on the Conquest. I was on the Glory in September of
last year and while it was a beautiful clean ship(she was only weeks old
when I cruised on her) it had that crowded feeling all the time. To me the
Conquest class is worse than the Destiny due to the fact that Carnival only
added a little over fifty feet to the ship but added over two hundred more
passengers and did not increase the public space. She is still as chopped up
as the Destiny class. You cannot go from the front of the ship to the back
on decks three and four. It means climbing stairs or taking the elevators.

I feel that I will enjoy RCI also. I was able to grab one of the cabins on
the back of the ship so I know that will make me happy.

Gordon

the extra cost Japanese/Chinese

Uh oh. Hopefully these are two separate restaurants.

These cuisines don't coexist well. Totally different types of rice, even.

"Gordon" wrote in message
...

Rick as I stated in my review, I was on this ship shortly after she was
delivered from the shipyard and I had a totally different experience. I
guess I have one word that describes Carnival and that would be
"inconsistant".

That seems to be the way of today's cruise industry. Part of todays lower
pricing and constant growth.

Just bad management on this ship in some areas. Also, all of
those screaming little brats running around and making life hell for the
passengers and crew did not help in the least. Again, the Legend and Pride
in 2002 were awesome cruises all the way around. This was not my worst but
not the best either. Just middle of the road.

I wish you a good time on the Conquest. I was on the Glory in September of
last year and while it was a beautiful clean ship(she was only weeks old
when I cruised on her) it had that crowded feeling all the time. To me the
Conquest class is worse than the Destiny due to the fact that Carnival
only
added a little over fifty feet to the ship but added over two hundred more
passengers and did not increase the public space. She is still as chopped
up
as the Destiny class. You cannot go from the front of the ship to the back
on decks three and four. It means climbing stairs or taking the elevators.

I feel that I will enjoy RCI also. I was able to grab one of the cabins on
the back of the ship so I know that will make me happy.

I had one of those on Navigator. It had a metal structural "thingee" that
went over part of the balcony... which I thought was great, since it gave a
shade area.

A warning though... never leave any white clothing out on the balcony during
the day - the day we were in Labadee there was black soot that covered the
aft balconies. Not sure if it came from the funnel or from the island. But
it made a mess.

--Tom

"Tom & Linda" wrote in message
t...

"Gordon" wrote in message
...

Rick as I stated in my review, I was on this ship shortly after she was
delivered from the shipyard and I had a totally different experience. I
guess I have one word that describes Carnival and that would be
"inconsistant".

That seems to be the way of today's cruise industry. Part of todays lower
pricing and constant growth.

Just bad management on this ship in some areas. Also, all of
those screaming little brats running around and making life hell for the
passengers and crew did not help in the least. Again, the Legend and
Pride
in 2002 were awesome cruises all the way around. This was not my worst
but
not the best either. Just middle of the road.

I wish you a good time on the Conquest. I was on the Glory in September
of
last year and while it was a beautiful clean ship(she was only weeks old
when I cruised on her) it had that crowded feeling all the time. To me
the
Conquest class is worse than the Destiny due to the fact that Carnival
only
added a little over fifty feet to the ship but added over two hundred
more
passengers and did not increase the public space. She is still as
chopped
up
as the Destiny class. You cannot go from the front of the ship to the
back
on decks three and four. It means climbing stairs or taking the
elevators.

I feel that I will enjoy RCI also. I was able to grab one of the cabins
on
the back of the ship so I know that will make me happy.

I had one of those on Navigator. It had a metal structural "thingee" that
went over part of the balcony... which I thought was great, since it gave
a
shade area.

A warning though... never leave any white clothing out on the balcony
during
the day - the day we were in Labadee there was black soot that covered the
aft balconies. Not sure if it came from the funnel or from the island.
But
it made a mess.

--Tom


I have seen some photos of those aft cabins and they look great. We will be
on deck seven. I took one of the junior suites. From the photos that have
been sent to me, they look very nice and roomy with killer balconies. I will
keep that in mind with the soot factor.

Gordon

While in San Juan, we had the Navigator of the Seas docked next to us. The
longer that I looked at that ship, the more I wanted to go on it. I have now
booked the Navigator for the 12/04 sailing back to the eastern Caribbean. I
think that the change may do me good.

Gordon, you are in for a real treat. The Navigator is a phenomenal ship.
Even after 41 cruises, this one made me say WOW!

Arlene

"Gordon" wrote in message . ..


Entertainment and Cruise Staff (2)- I believe that this is where some people
will think that I am being too critical but here goes.

I have always heard how great John Heald was and I did cruise with him back
in 99 on the Triumph and found him funny at that time but to be truthful, I
found him boring this time. Maybe because it was the same jokes and antics
that he was telling back in 99. Nothing has changed in his routine in five
years. Second, both John and his sidekick Wee Jimmy have some infatuation
with the words fart, farting, poo, and any other things that describes a
certain human bodily function. I heard it over and over on the cruise and it
became old after the first couple of days. Also the two major Vegas style
shows and the one magic show were the same ones that were on this ship five
years ago. Can't Carnival come up with something new once in a while or at
least move some shows around from another ship? John's bedtime story was the
exact same show as he did five years ago and the same one that Greg Kneale
does on the Glory. Again, boring. For first time cruisers, I think that they
would find John very funny but it was not the case with this seasoned
Carnival cruiser.


Gordon,

very informative review.

Is Heald typical of a Carnival CD in terms of the rah-rah,
encouraging the pax to stand up for entertainers type of stuff (let's
say excluding the Spirit class)? The fart jokes are in line with what
Tom experienced.

SOS (same old you know what) is a problem with products. Variations on
themes would help but also new approaches and more imagination or even
programs for experienced cruisers or regulars of a line differing from
stuff for newbies may need to be implemented. After awhile, we may all
get a bit bored by the SOS on mainstream cruises. Maybe that's why so
many cruisers just want to hang out on their balconies much of the
time.

Ben S.