The Carnival Triumph is the largest ship I've ever been on, and compares favorably to other ships, with it's own set of pros and cons.

First, the experience. I flew in overnight from Las Vegas, reaching Miami at about 7:30 a.m. (about an hour delayed from schedule). No problem; I grabbed a breakfast sandwich, got my luggage, and took the Super Shuttle to the Port of Miami. For one or two people it's the fastest and cheapest way to go - a taxi will cost $21, and the ship shuttle is both more expensive, and departs STARTING at 11:00 a.m. That would have meant several hours waiting at the airport. Why do that when you can wait at the port, and eventually be among the first to board the ship? In any case, 3 or more people are better off with a taxi on a per-person basis.

There was some waiting in the terminal, first to set up a sign-and-sail account, then to go through screening and security, then to get room keys and board the ship. There I obtained for the first time the revised itenerary; Costa Maya on Tuesday instead of the Grand Caymans on Wednesday. I wasn't surprised since I knew the Caymans were closed due to hurricane damage, though I had hoped they would have released the change earlier on their web site.

I boarded at noon, though had to wait until 1:30 to use my cabin. I went directly to the lido deck and enjoyed a tuna sandwich and lemonaide, then relaxed in a deck lounge chair on aft lido and read a book. At 1:30 I checked into my cabin. All I can say is WOW! This is my 7th cruise, and this was the best cabin I've ever had. I only paid for a 1A cabin, but ended up being placed in 2445 in Main Aft. It's an unusual cabin (check the floor plan on their web site), with a long thin corridor entering it, and a long, wide cabin containing a bed, a couch, desk, tv. etc. The cabin probably seemed larger than most due to the single bed (all I needed) and extra room. The cabin contained two huge portholes, but the curtains darkened the room quite well for late sleeping. My cabin contained the extention cord I had requested for my C-PAK machine, though the proximity of the power plugs made it unnecessary. All I can say if I'm ever offered this type of cabin again at 1A prices, I'd take it in a minute. Indeed, I'd recommend it for both singles, or for two people who don't share a bed (a second bed is lowered from the ceiling). Couples, particularly honeymooners will NOT like this cabin, since I doubt they could fit beds side-by-side in this cabin.

A bit of advice - pack a change of clothes in your carry on. I had long pants on for the airplane, but was wishing for a bathing suit or pair of shorts. I received by baggage before dinner - but many people weren't that lucky.

If I had any complaint about the cabin service, it is that I never got the room safe to work. I even called room service, but after waiting an hour I gave up. The cabin steward did a nice job making up the room, and left towels folded into the following animals: Bulldog, Cobra, Manatee, Swan, and Elephant. Shore tour tickets and my invitation to the past cruiser party were delivered promptly.

The food in the dining room was superb. Being from Las Vegas, I always ordered food I couldn't get cheap here, such as the duck, quail, and beef wellington (others opted for prime rib and lobster). The only item I didn't care for was the lobster bisque soup. Cruise line traditional deserts such as cherries jubilee, baked Alaska, and cherry black forest cake were served.

I was placed at a table with 7 women (Ruthie, Sarah, Lily, Marian, Helen, Joyce, and Donna). It was a diverse and interesting group. Dejan, the server, was first rate, Sergi, the assistant, always showed up with my drink (diet coke), and Panit was always ready with bread and coffee. I saw more of her than the other staff since she always worked in the Lido aft, where I spent a great deal of time. Lido aft was also were the grill and pizza stands were, both of which provided good late night snacks.

The ship shows were entertaining, and included a comedian, a magic act, two production shows, a singer, and the guest talent show. The only disappointment was the last night comedy act, which I felt didn't contain enough adult material. I wasn't impressed with the films shown on the in-room television, though I did watch the family movie (Garfield: The Movie).

One thing I excelled at was the game show mania entertainment. On the first night I was selected in the third group of contestants, won my round easily, then won the tournament of champions easily. Noonan, the social host, was visibly impressed, and actually had to disqualify one of my correct answers and toss mercy questions to the others to extend the time. Still, I walked away with both a ship trophy and a bottle of champion - as well as bragging rights. I also won the 50/50 trivia game on the last night (the subject matter was Urban Legends - something I'm something of an expert on), earning another ship trophy.. Other entertainment I watched, rather than participated in, including shipboard Survivor, sing-a-longs, family fued games, and the new/not-so-new newlywed game. I did sing karoke one night, though I realized I'm more the Superstar USA type than an American Idol.

One new item was the competition between the red, white, and blue teams (determined by dinner tables). Points were won for people winning ship events. I was on the red team, and won points for my trivia and game show wins). Other points were for bingo, longest congo lines, and the most karoke singers on a certain night. Red led the first day - and never looked back, finishing with 395 points, compared to white at 320 and blue at 290. It's just for bragging rights, and is a gimmick to get people to buy tee-shirts of the right color or play bingo, but it's just extra mini-entertainment.

On ship, I spent most of my time either at the entertainment, or on lido aft in the jacuzzi or on a lounge chair. The jacuzzis were fairly warm for a cruise ship, and the retractable roof covered the pool and hot tubs when it was raining, a nice feature. My only complaint is that they closed at 8:00 p.m.

I went on three shore tours, one in Cozumel, one in Jamacia, and one upon the return in Miami. Ordering is quick and easy through the in-room television, though it took some time for the system to work (I booked XCARET on the first day; it rejected by account until after dinner).

In Cozumel, I opted to go to XCARET, the aquatic theme part actually located near Playa de Carmen. Only nine people took that tour, which I recommend. The first half is shown by a tour guide, after which everybody was free to do their own thing. I went for the swim on the underground river (bring snorkling gear; I did), visited the manatees, watched the Mayan flyers, went to the observation tower, and many more things. I only wish I had a few more hours to spend there. I would seriously consider doing XCARET again on a future cruise - and maybe a swim with the dolphins. The two people who did that reported they got 30 minutes of swim time. I had visited Cozumel previously and did the Mayan Ruins, another tour I recommend.

In Costa Maya, I declined a shore tour. I did some shopping, buying two pieces of rock art (cat statues). Unfortunately, one of them was not well wrapped and broke at the neck on the way back. It should repair with superglue though. Anybody who buys such artwork might consider getting some kind of box or pack it in the middle of clothes (I didn't). On the whole, I would have preferred the Grand Caymans (I've been there before), so if it is important, book a cruise outside hurricane season.

In Jamacia, I opted for the Dunns River Falls / Dolphin Cove tour. Here's what I did right and wrong. Wrong - not having my swim trunks on underneath my shorts. There aren't good changing facilities at the start, and I ended up climbing the falls in my shorts. I wasn't smart enough to take out my wallet and put it in the locker along with my other stuff - it and the money in it are still damp. What I did right was bringing my deck shoes (no slip). Trust me, do not climb the falls without them. Even with them, I slipped a few times, and twisted my ankle. I limped for two days afterwards - and was exhausted from the climb (1000 feet long and 600 feet up). Still, I'm glad I did it. I bought tiki statues and another cat statue (this one made of wood) as well as coffee and tee shirts. Necklaces were given to me as a bonus (though they are not of high quality - string and beads mostly). I declined to buy the ganga (marijuana) several locals offered to sell me - I don't know how to smoke; I'm too old to learn; and it's illegal anyway. If I go back, I might take a plantation tour.

In Miami, I opted to take a tour of the Everglades. It offered early disembarkation from the ship, a trip to someplace I wouldn't normally see, and a drop off at the airport. The tour included a ride on an airboat, and a demonstration of alligators and crocodiles. I'm glad I went, but I wouldn't pay to do it a second time. After the tour I checked in at Miami airport for my return trip. A word of warning - the food there sucks, at least on terminal D. I had asked a security officer if there was anything decent there - they said yes, but I disagree. If I had known then what I knew then, I would have eaten at the Cuban restuarant before going through security.

I don't drink alcohol, so I didn't hit the bars. A nice quiet place is the Oxford Bar (where I did some brief internet mail checks); my most common hangout was aft lido. With a ship that large, activities like piano sing-alongs and karoke are offered every night, and the two discos should keep dancers happy.

I don't gamble, but the casino is large. Bingo is offered regularly, but I only sat in waiting for other events instead of playing.

The downside of a ship so large it has such a diverse range of activies and entertainment is the crowds. There are often lines for the grill and pizza, as well as for the late night buffets. The showroom can get crowded, particularly for those shows that only have one seating (such as the adults only shows).

However, on the whole I liked the large ship, feeling that the range and availablity of activies and entertainment outweighed the lines that formed at time. I can always wait out a line, but a lack of activities can't be waited out.

My next trip will be a shorter cruise to the Mexican Riveria in January, but I'm going to seriously consider another 7 day cruise on a large vessel for next fall.