The Carnival Victory is the third and final ship of the Destiny Class, an odd series of 3 ships that was being changed before the steel for the second one was cut. The second ship, Carnival Triumph, is significantly different from the Destiny, and the Destiny itself was later rebuilt to the extent that it was renamed the Sunshine and is considered to be a completely different ship. For these reasons Carnival’s Triumph and Victory are unofficially—and more accurately—considered to be Triumph class ships. Confusing the issue even further are two more ships built to the Triumph’s plans for Carnival’s sister brand Costa and named the Fortuna class.
Why there has been so much messing about with the naming of the “Destiny” class is a mystery. They are a successful class of ships that have been sailing since 1996, and are well thought of by cruisers. Whatever the reasoning, Carnival Victory has been sailing since 2000 and has gotten cruising down to a science. The biggest complaint, and oddly compliment—leveled, at Carnival Victory is that its worn in, but in the manner of your favorite sneakers rather than a malfunctioning car. The quality of service aboard the Victory is uniformly praised, and it’s likely due to the Victory’s length of service. With a refurbishment and Carnival’s Fun Ship 2.0 completed in early 2015 the Victory’s only real problem has been addressed.
The Victory’s design theme is the seven seas with aquatic colors like green and blue featuring throughout, and mermaid statues in the dining rooms which are named after the Atlantic and the Pacific. Prior to the refurbishment, the amount of green and teal colors were a little overwhelming. As part of the refurbishment they seem to have been dialed down a notch.
Carnival Victory: Staterooms and Suites
While the Carnival Victory isn’t a mega-ship in the way Royal Caribbean’s Oasis and Destiny classes are, it is still a large ship. One of Carnival’s hallmarks is that the staterooms are larger than the other lines, and the Victory’s staterooms are quite spacious. The majority of cabins have twin beds that can be pushed together to form a larger single. Unlike most other cruise lines, Carnival’s beds are true twins and when squeezed together form a king rather than a double or a queen.
Deck 1 – The Riviera Deck
Carnival also names its decks, in addition to numbering them. These names are consistent across the fleet. For instance, the Riviera Deck is always going to be Deck 1 whether you’re on the Victory or the Valor. On the Riviera Deck you’ll find interior and exterior staterooms, and because there is nothing above them but more staterooms it is one of the quieter decks on the ship. However, this deck is closest to the crew and mechanical areas of the ships, so hearing propeller noise is increasingly likely the farther aft you go.
Deck 2 – The Main Deck
The second deck is known as the Main Deck on Carnival ships. Bafflingly so, there isn’t much here except for interior and exterior staterooms. There is a great possibility of noise on this deck, as the deck above is home to the Pacific Dining Room aft, the Atlantic Dining Room amidships, and Caribbean theater forward. There are relatively few staterooms on the Main Deck that do not have some sort of crowd drawing venue above. To be fair, these venues are not likely to be open during sleeping hours, but those who like to sleep in would probably prefer to avoid reserving staterooms below the two main dining rooms at the very least. Of interest are the exterior staterooms all-the-way aft. They’re larger than normal and have a good view. The next deck up is the Lobby Deck, it and the next three decks are given over to public areas.
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Deck 6 – The Upper Deck
Passenger quarters do not make a return until Deck 6 or the Upper Deck. This is the first of two decks where you’ll find balcony staterooms. The aft corner staterooms are oddly shape, and may offer more space than a standard stateroom. They certainly offer more exterior space as the balcony wraps around the corner. However, there is the potential of serious noise on this deck. The deck below is home to bars, dance clubs, and the casino. In short every serious round-the-clock noise maker aboard is directly below this deck. Possibly a benefit for night owls, but a serious concern for everyone else.
Deck 7 & 8 – The Empress & the Verandah Decks
The Empress Deck, or Deck 7 is indisputably the high rent area of the ship. It is shielded from the noise below by Deck 6 and above by Deck 8. This deck is also home to the Victory’s suites, both Ocean and Junior Grand, and if you’re looking for a better steward without paying the price for a suite then this might be your preferred deck. Be aware though that the Victory’s suites are more like studios than true two-room suites. In fact, it may be preferable to book a corner balcony room on this deck or the previous one than pay the price for a suite. They offer much the same amenities for a smaller price. Up a level Deck 8 or the Verandah Deck is the same as Deck 6 with the noise concern coming from the Lido Deck above rather than below.
The only other place you’ll find cabins aboard the Carnival Victory are in the spa. These come at a premium cost, and have unlimited access to the spa. They’re also next door to Camp Carnival, or the children’s play area on the ship. A possible source of noise, but possibly not that big of a drawback.
The Victorious Life at Sea
What does set the Carnival Victory apart from other cruise ships is the level of service involved. Cruisers are hard to please in general, and the Victory is nearly universally praised for its level of service, and the effortless way the staff seems to pull it off. It is not really possible to put into words how unlikely—not to mention rare—this sort of universal praise really is. This level of service combined with the recent refurbishments means that, in spite of the Victory’s age, a cruise aboard her is still very much worth taking. With the recent refurbishment removing the main complaint people had a Victory cruise may be something truly special.
Recommend 
