Cruise Ship: Carnival Triumph
Cruise Destination: Western Caribbean
Cruise Date: May 13 - 20, 2006
Guest Contributors: Mary and Vincent Finelli
Sometimes we book cruises with a specific aim and this was one of those times. Vincent's nephew Matteo was coming from Italy with his beautiful wife Grazia on their honeymoon. Since we had sailed with Captain Francesco La Fauci (Italy), we thought the newlyweds would feel at home on the Carnival Triumph with Captain La Fauci. We then booked ourselves on board too, after recalling how wonderful our last cruise with him was. However, the best laid plans do not always "come to pass." Captain La Fauci debarked the same day we embarked 5/13/06. But this hospitable gentleman left instructions to the new Captain Angelo Los to watch over the newlyweds. Captain Los took this very seriously and their first cruise was a "Triumph" for the honeymooners. A full moon was ordered and the setting was complete for a week of cruising in the Caribbean.
This was our second cruise on the Triumph, our first one was in 2001 when she was quite new. We are happy to report that she is kept in excellent condition and still stunning with her fourteen decks and the traditional red Carnival whale tail funnel.
Carnival Triumph Embarkation
The Port of Miami is easily accessed from I-95. There is serious reconstruction going on, but it neither blocks nor delays access. We were given wheelchair assistance and priority registration. Even though, the staterooms are not available until 1:00 pm, we were shown directly to ours on Upper Deck 6 at 12:30 pm. We checked on our dining room reservations and they were perfect --- a table for four in the London Dining Room Balcony, midship on Deck 4. Since our cabin was all the way forward, this was the closest restaurant for us. We always check the logistics when boarding these very large ships. It is important for those with limited mobility to book a centrally located stateroom to minimize the effort of getting to and from the areas of interest. However, in this ship the only two wheelchair accessible cabins with balcony are located all the forward, thus we did not have any other choice. We are thankful to Captain La Fauci who personally reserved our table in the centrally located London Dining Room. Passengers with limited mobility must plan ahead so that they can get the best enjoyment with the least possible effort, avoiding unnecessary fatigue. Captain La Fauci understood our situation and made the proper arrangements to accommodate our needs. Results: A very enjoyable cruise for us all.
After inspecting our staterooms, we went to the welcome aboard buffet at the South Beach Club on Lido Deck 9. We stopped at the Grille for tasty hot-dogs, hamburgers and French fries ---- the honeymooners loved the American food.
Carnival Triumph General Description
The Triumph was built in the Fincantieri Shipyards, Italy in 1999 and the bronze plaque on Promenade Deck 5 lists it as hull #5979. The ten deck high Capitol Lobby on Deck #3 has a magnificent geographical depiction of the world on the ceiling and more of these wonderful maps are on the ceiling of the World's Hall leading aft. The Triumph is a tastefully decorated ship, less glitzy and more functional than many of the newer ships. For a detailed description read our earlier review(9/29/2001), since this review will concentrate on both ambiance and service on board.
The Carnival Triumph is 101.509 gross tons, 893 feet long and 116 feet in the beam with a cruising speed of 21 knots. Her guest capacity is 2,758 (double occupancy) with a crew of 1,100 and registry is in the Bahamas. She has 14 numbered decks plus Deck "O", which we will discuss later.
Carnival Triumph Service and Food
It is always apparent that the level and quality of service comes from the "TOP" on down. The Captain dictates the tone and response of the crew. Under Captain Los, the Triumph aims to please. Every crew member we encountered tried their utmost to make us comfortable and happy --- and they succeeded. By keeping close tabs on his staff Hotel Director Henry D'Roza can be confident they are on their toes. Chief Purser Andrew Sideras runs the Passengers' Service Desk most efficiently and his Assistant Karine Rayneau made our life on board smooth sailing.
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