Carnival Victory

My first day waking up to the gentle sway of the ship was also our first and only full day on the cruise as we made our way from St. Thomas to the Barbados.

Having never been on a cruise before, this was a perfect chance to explore the ship and all its offerings. The morning wake up call and somewhat annoying host read out the schedule of activities for the day. We were also provided a handout slipped into our room the night before of our “day at sea”.

The first thing I noticed, is that everyone tends to eat WAY too much on a cruise. It’s not difficult to see why when you find out that there is basically food available 24/7 for no additional cost. That means you can have a large sit down breakfast, mosey over to the buffet for a snack, have a sit down lunch, then afternoon tea, followed by a sit down dinner… A midnight snack is optional. So its not surprising that a large portion of the passengers are obese.

The cruise ship is a bit like a Las Vegas Casino floating on its side in the sea. The offering of activities confirms this with a focus on shopping, the easily accessed casino, a number of bars and dance halls, a theater for shows, and a multitude of restaurants. Even the obnoxious carpet designs, the never-ending indoor lighting, and the starry eyed crowds are reminiscent of Vegas.

The ship is very large, but once you walk around and become familiar with the surroundings, there’s not too much to do. We did find mini-golf, a complete gym, and several pools for lounging.

One day was just the right amount of time to explore and feel comfortable in knowing that this was the only day at sea with no land stops. A few more days could lead to some serious cabin fever!

Next stop: Barbados!