Writer Rob Lovitt based this independent review on his 5-night Canada/New England cruise departing from New York City.

With her fanciful décor of aquatic art and motifs that range from the Arctic to the South China Sea, Carnival Victory reminds one of the world’s oceans, yet there’s something comfortably at-home about her, especially for the many New Yorkers who often sail her New York-roundtrip itineraries. For starters, her 214-foot waterslide is right out of Coney Island. And then there’s the disco and casino, which could just as easily be in Atlantic City. Sure, she also offers bingo, art auctions, and a spa, but this ship is really an amusement park of high-energy activity. The horn sounds, the Reggae band launches into “Get Up, Stand Up,” and the party doesn’t stop until passengers get off.

Why Victory?

• Party hearty: From tropical cocktails and Reggae by the pool to techno and tequila shots in the disco, the ship rocks as the party rolls from bar to club to casino and back.
• Join the fun: TV-style game shows, on-stage antics, and a sing-along piano bar transforms passengers from guests to willing participants in all sorts of good-natured entertainment.
• Dazzling décor: Seahorse barstools, mermaid statues, and a nine-story atrium with glass elevators and a Tiffany-style glass ceiling pack a visual punch -- part aquarium, part Trump Tower.

Who Should Go
Older couples (retired or nearly so), groups of younger couples traveling together, and large multi-generational families all find multiple ways to play. Many passengers come from the New York metropolitan area and reflect its multi-national, melting-pot roots -- public areas are a veritable U.N. of accents and dialects. Similarly, shorter itineraries make this a good option for those combining a cruise with a visit to the Big Apple.

Who shouldn’t go
Given her large size (3,400 passengers), persistent public announcements, and endless activities, guests seeking a quiet or cosmopolitan experience may find themselves overwhelmed. The same is true for those looking for more, and more upscale, dining options, and fewer children underfoot.

Heard on the deck, just after the ship passed under New York City’s startlingly-low Verrazano Narrows Bridge: “Thank God, we made it. Now we can start partying!”

Hits and misses

• Don’t miss: The Grand Gala Buffet -- it’s late, 12:30 AM, but exquisite dishes, towering desserts, and elaborate ice carvings are worth staying up for
• Best part of the ship: Triton’s Pool, with a waterslide, Reggae band, and waiters with umbrella drinks -- the party starts before the ship even sets sail
• Best experience: The sing-along piano bar -- between the rotating piano player and dozens of other guests, you can’t help but smile, applaud, and warble along
• Best shipboard activities: A guest talent show sounds cringe-worthy, but the heart and soul and artistic skills on display is often inspiring
• Needs improvement: A bench in the locker room does not constitute a spa waiting room -- a post-treatment relaxation area would be nice, too
• Activities to skip: Morning trivia -- maybe 10 AM is just too early for serious thinking, but few people seem to care how many pawns a chessboard has

How to meet the captain
For a glimpse or quick picture, head to the Captain’s Cocktail Party on Formal Night, where a live band, free cocktails, and the senior staff attract a large, lively crowd. Returning Carnival guests also get an invitation under the door for a more intimate reception on the last evening. There is a Captain’s Table (right behind the hostess stand in the Pacific Dining Room), but he often relinquishes it if there’s a large party onboard, which is generally the case.

French toast or Eggs Benedict for breakfast, spicy Szechuan chicken or a tangy Reuben for lunch, prime rib or Seafood Newburg for dinner… With two main dining rooms, four specialty eateries, and a rotating selection of bistro-style buffet lines, the ship’s culinary options are as diverse as the clientele. And that doesn’t even include the sweet shop, midnight buffet, or 24-hour room service. True foodies may hunger for more haute cuisine, but rest assured, no one ever goes hungry.

Main dining rooms: Pacific and Atlantic
The two main dining rooms – one aft, the other amidships – offer the same menu, a similar mermaid-inspired décor, and a busy, bustling atmosphere that stresses efficiency over entertainment. Occasionally, the wait staff will break out in a clap-along or conga line, but the main focus is on getting food on the table promptly. With four courses nightly, portions tend to be small, which can be a good thing when you can’t decide between the fresh salmon and the filet mignon (go ahead, order both).

Mediterranean Buffet
Twin buffet lines, separate windows for international dishes, and soft-serve ice cream and yogurt machines keep this Lido Deck restaurant hopping from early morning to after midnight. Breakfast and lunch buffets are fairly basic, but the Grand Gala Buffet, a one-night–only midnight affair, is an eye-popping, mouthwatering tour de force. Sit inside where inlaid tiles and wrought-iron accents evoke an Italian villa, or head out to the adjacent pool area for alfresco dining with ocean views.

Heard on the deck: “Oooh, the Mongolian steak salad is my new favorite lunch.”

Other dining options

• East River Deli – This take-out window features lox, pastrami, and a melt-in-your-mouth Reuben that would fit right in at Zabar’s.
• Yangtze Wok – No fortune cookies, but the crispy duck wontons, spicy Mongolian lamb, and seafood lo mein will have your taste buds tingling.
• Mississippi BBQ – This small grill station dishes up a steady stream of two-fisted burgers, plump hot dogs, and other hands-on family fare.
• Pizzeria Arno – The calzones are hearty, but it’s the six kinds of pizza that keep ‘em coming to this 24-hour, quick-service station.
• Coral Sea Café – Need a post-meal pick-me-up? Head here for German apple cake or chocolate-covered strawberries -- with a cappuccino, of course.
• Room service – The choices are limited to Continental breakfast items, sandwiches, and such, but it all arrives with a smile 24 hours a day.

Best dining

• Dish: Chateaubriand in the main dining rooms -- no knives needed for this grilled tenderloin served with a silky demi-glace and buttery Béarnaise
• Dessert: The Coral Sea Café’s white chocolate cake, a paper-thin chocolate tower filled with white cake, plump cherries, and whipped cream
• Restaurant: The Atlantic and Pacific dining rooms offer the same menu, but the Pacific restaurant has the Captain’s Table and better views

Heard on the deck, from a young woman in line for the late-night Grand Gala Buffet: “I’m not even hungry; I’m just afraid I’m going to miss something.”

How to…

• Get a table for two: There aren’t many, so your best bet is to stop by the Atlantic Dining Room before or after lunch on embarkation day
• Celebrate a birthday/anniversary: Order a cake at the Formalities formal store and your waiter will present it at your table on the appropriate day
• Change seating: The earlier you book your trip, the higher you are on the list for changes; check with the maître d’ at lunch on embarkation day.
• Dress for formal night: You won’t see many gowns or tuxedos, but rather lots of attractive after-five attire and plenty of dark suites and blazers
• Dress for casual night: Think golf resort – coordinated separates for women, slacks and dress shirts for the men – and you’ll fit right in

Tips:

• Tables at the rear of the Pacific Dining Room’s upper level offer low noise levels and 180° views that extend from port to stern to starboard.
• Skip the snaking breakfast lines in the Mediterranean restaurant and head for Siren’s Pool, where two additional buffet lines rarely have a wait.

Interior or ocean view, standard or suite, these cabins are bigger than most – 185 to 327 square feet – and seem even bigger thanks to multi-panel mirrors that brighten the salmon-colored walls and gleaming gold-metal trim. Family cabins feature floor-to-ceiling windows and fold-down bunk beds; suites offer dressing areas, minibars, and granite bathrooms with jetted tubs. And although balcony cabins lose 32-56 square feet of space, the unobstructed view is worth it.

Cabins for guests with disabilities
With approximately 30 wheelchair-accessible cabins available, guests with disabilities can choose from several cabin styles, all of which offer extra floor space, power-assisted doors, and barrier-free bathrooms. Equally important, wheelchair-accessible bathrooms are located on all public decks (the purser’s desk has maps), and all restaurants, bars, and activity areas feature at least one level with ramp access.

Tips:

• Leave the hair dryer and iron at home. There are powerful hair dryers in all cabins, plus laundry rooms with ironing equipment on every deck.
• Avoid the cabins right under the fitness center, unless you enjoy waking up to dropped weights and pounding feet.
• If you’re staying in a suite, bring your favorite video. All suites feature TV/VCR units.
• If you’ve got kids in the Camp Carnival program, save at least one of your nightly towel animals (they’ll need it for the onboard scavenger hunt).

Think mermaids and seahorses and other artistic expressions of aquatic whimsy. Stairway murals depict sea gods and ancient underwater cities, while activity areas take their names from the world’s oceans. From Neptune’s Way, the main indoor promenade, guests wander from the Arctic Club disco to the Irish Sea Bar to the dazzling Seven Seas Lobby, where glass-walled elevators whisk them through a nine-story atrium with a bright-green, Tiffany-style ceiling.

And there is always something going on (with regular announcements about upcoming activities). Bingo draws hundreds of people to the theater-style Caribbean Lounge; art auctions (with free champagne) attract a smaller but equally enthusiastic crowd. Almost all activities involve walking past the South China Casino, where clanking coins, flashing lights, and daily gaming tournaments entice almost everybody to try their luck.

Bars, lounges, and casino
It all depends on your taste. Like karaoke? The Black & Red Seas Bar packs ‘em in for age-appropriate, American Idol-like performances. Prefer cigars and single malts? The Ionian Room offers both in a clubby setting of leather chairs and Grecian urns. The best, by general consensus, is the Irish Sea Bar, where it’s standing-room–only for piano sing-alongs. When that wraps up around midnight, the disco and casino are just a few steps away.

Swimming pools
With 11 tiered levels and a good acre of lounge chairs, the Triton’s Pool area is part beach scene, part amusement park. Adults sign for towels – complimentary unless you fail to return them – and settle in with a book or a drink, while legions of kids race between two pools, two hot tubs, and a three-story, 214-foot-long waterslide. And if the poolside Reggae band is too loud, it’s usually quieter at Siren’s Pool: One small pool, twin hot tubs, and dual poolside bars.

Shows
It’s Vegas, baby! Depending on the day, the three-story Caribbean Lounge hosts late-night comedy acts, guest-participation game shows (think The Man Show or Newlywed Game), and a pair of Broadway-style revues with plenty of flash and sizzle. Professional acts draw polite applause and the game shows are hilarious, but the cheers during the guest talent shows just about raise the roof. Who knew that mild-mannered minister was a rock ‘n roller at heart?

Shore excursions
Although pre-booking isn’t an option, savvy travelers avoid the lines at the shore-excursion desk by booking their shoreside adventures through the interactive TV menu. Once on the pier, local volunteers happily direct guests to their appropriate motor coach or costumed tour guide with brisk efficiency. The excursions offered are well-organized and diverse – historic walking tours, kayak trips, lobster bakes – and run with a friendly charm.

Weddings and vow renewals
With reasonable pre-cruise notice, Carnival’s wedding planners can organize an intimate vow renewal or gala wedding for 100 or more guests. Smaller ceremonies are held in the Arctic Disco, larger ones in the Adriatic Lounge, complete with catering, flowers, photography, and, if desired, live music. All shipboard ceremonies are performed in port, typically by local, non-denominational officiants. The captain, alas, does not do weddings.

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: The Indian Library – books can only be reserved two hours a day, but the wood paneling and thick drapes provide a club-like setting available at almost any time
• Liveliest spot: South China Sea Casino – slots open at 9 AM, tables at 10, and it’s a high-fivin’, back-slappin’ party until the wee hours
• Most popular activity: Seriously, karaoke, from kids doing “YMCA” to their parents channeling Billy Joel, there’s always a line to get on stage
• Best view: From the front rail of the Deck 11 jogging track, where you can take in the Lido Deck action along with panoramic ocean vistas
• Best show: From Sweet Home Chicago to Viva Las Vegas, the “Living in America” venue blends big hits, glittering costumes, and lots of showgirl skin
• Best drink: Fun Ship Special; served prior to sailing, this tropical rum, vodka, and amaretto concoction sets the tone for the entire cruise

Tips:

• Lounge chairs near the main pool fill up first, but higher ones can be breezy. The best are on the seventh tier, set behind a glass-paneled railing.
• Need a break from the noise and neon? Head to the Ionian Room, where a virtuoso trio plays Brahms and Mozart during Classical Music and Tea Time.
• If you’re easily embarrassed, don’t raise your hand when the cruise director asks who’s celebrating a special event. You will end up on stage.
• Get to the Caribbean Lounge early for the big revues. Quite a few seats have obstructed views of the stage.
• If you plan to surf the Internet (near the Ionian Room), keep an eye on the clock. Access is cheap ($.75/minute), but outgoing mail is $3.95 a pop.
• See artwork you like around the ship? Tell the auction staff, and they’ll make sure it’s included in the next bidding session.

Heard on the deck, from a 40-something woman in the piano bar watching a 20-something woman dancing in a sultry style: “I’ll have what she’s having.”

Spa and salon
It’s not the Golden Door, but the spa packs nearly a dozen treatment rooms and a full-service salon into a fairly compact space. Book a hot-stone massage or lime and ginger salt glow treatment before sailing (or in port), and you can save 10-20%. Even the introductory Spa Taster – part Swedish massage, part aromatic facial – is a 50-minute slice of heaven. Alas, the lack of a post-treatment relaxation room brings reality back much too quickly.

Fitness areas
Meanwhile, the adjacent fitness center is a chrome-and-mirrored beehive of activity with an aerobics studio, two hot tubs, and 20-plus cardio and weight machines with ocean views. Beginner fitness classes are free; more advanced yoga, spinning, and Pilates sessions are just $10, while personal trainers offer motivational tips and lifestyle advice for $75 per 90-minute session. Many guests opt for laps on the running tracks and a session in the (complimentary) saunas and steam rooms.

Tips:

• The gym is busy from the moment it opens (6 AM) until lunchtime. After that (and on port days), finding an open machine is no problem.
• Surprisingly, the fee-based fitness classes fill up faster than the free ones.
• Buy a multi-class pass (for three, five, or unlimited classes), and they’ll throw in a metabolism test, free workout video, or spa discount.
• Want to make your sweetie smile? Buy him or her a timetospa gift card ($25 and up), hand delivered by the spa staff.
• Just say no to the hard sell for the dubious (and pricey) cellulite-reduction program. You can get the same water-weight loss with a good sauna.

Occupying prime real estate overlooking the Seven Seas Lobby, the so-called Victory Shops offer the usual souvenirs, logo wear, and duty-free perfumes, liquor, and cigarettes. The real action, though, takes place at the tables set up out front where daily discounts are offered on amber, tanzanite, dollar-an-inch gold necklaces, or name-brand watches. The “two T-shirts for $20” sale brings out some of the biggest crowds; discounts at the Formalities formal shop, not so much.

Tips:

• Be sure to check the inserts in the daily Carnival Capers newsletters. They often include coupons and discounts you won’t find elsewhere.
• Have those mixers handy: Duty-free liquor is distributed the night before disembarkation, which means the party continues even after the bars close.
• During the auctions, artwork sells at deep discounts (40-70% below retail, they say), but you’ll also pay $35 shipping and a 15% commission.

The official Camp Carnival Children’s World is tucked next to the fitness center, but really, with several hundred kids typically onboard, Victory is one big playground. Those ages 2-5 stay in the daycare facility, but older groups (6-8, 9-11, and 12-15) engage in age-appropriate games, karaoke, and disco parties throughout the ship. Older kids swarm the waterslide and video arcade; parents with younger ones appreciate the beepers (free) and morning babysitting on port days.

Tips:

• Parents suffering separation anxiety can join their “under 2s” for sing-alongs and interactive play between noon and 2 PM on sea days.
• Children not enrolled in Camp Carnival still have access to the facility’s wading pool and jungle gym.

Victory offers 4-, 5-, and 7-night cruises between New York and Atlantic Canada through September 2004 (7-night trips include stops in Boston and Portland, Maine). She then moves to the Caribbean, spending most of 2005 on 7-night sailings between Miami and the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Heard on the deck, from a couple discussing the northern itinerary:
Woman: “Maybe the captain should’ve turned right out of New York, not left.”
Man: “Yeah, he must be a Democrat.”

• Cruise line - Carnival
• Ship name - Carnival Victory
• Type of cruise - Fun/Casual
• Total cabins - 1379
• Private balcony cabins - 480
• Decks - 13
• Passenger capacity - 2758
• Total crew - 1100
• Officers nationality - Italian
• Ship size - Large
• Year entered service - 2000
• Tonnage - 101,509
• Ship length - 893
• Registry - Panama