Carnival's newest cruise liner, the 102,000-ton MS Carnival
Triumph, made its New York inaugural debut last July. Built
at the cost of approximately $410 million, the 893-foot-long
vessel has a maximum draft of 27 feet and a cruising speed of
22.5 knots. The Panama-registered ship is powered by a diesel
electric propulsion system that employs six medium-speed engines,
developing approximately 84,933 horsepower. On board an international
crew of about 1,150 is on hand to cater to passenger needs.
To accomodate its nearly 3,000 guests, the ship was constructed
with 1,379 cabins including eight penthouse suites on 13 passenger
decks. Most of the staterooms are decorated in muted browns
and mauves and have tiled bathrooms, close-circuit television,
and 24-hour room service.
The Triumph is the latest product of Carnival's 20 year-long
shipbuilding program thatproduced a series of superliners in
the 1980's. Then in 1990, the Fantasy was introduced as the
first of a series of mega-liners. It was followed by the Ecstasy
(1991); the Sensation (1993), the Fascination (1994); the Imagination
(1995); the Inspiration (1996) and the Paradise (1998). In 1996,
Carnival introduced the 2,642 passenger MS Carnival Destiny
which was the world's first cruise liner to exceed 100,000-gross
registered tons. The
Triumph is the second Destiny-class vessel to debut. "It
is the product of a process that began with the Tropicale design
in in 1980,'' saidCarnival CEO Bob Dickinson during the ship's
inaugural activities. "As we gain ship design and building
experience we have gradually enhanced the features of the Fun
Ship Fleet.''On the horizon are plans to build five new ships
over the next four years, bringing the total number of Carnival's
fleet vessels to 19. Changes can be seen on the ship's Lido
Deck--an open-air recreation and entertainment complex where
guests relax poolside. More deck chair space has been alloted
and wading areas border the Continent and New World pools.The
big stage adjoining the main Continent pool is bigger and has
been
reconfigured to allow more space for guests at deck parties.
In other areas flowing fountains and add elegant touches to
the pool area as does a winding staircase leading to upper decks.
"Many of the enhancements on Carnival Triumph were made
with the goal of creating a unique on board vacation
experience," said Joe Farcus, Carnival's chief interior-design
architect. Changes to the lounges and bars will provide guests
with a wide choice of entertainment venues, from dance clubs
to intimate gathering places. An offbeat example is the walnut-paneled
Oxford Bar, designed to resemble a traditional British library
(which it is not) and which sports a large dance floor. Public
areas throughout the vessel pay homage to key world cities while
abstract works underlining the global theme by international
artists decorate
the stair landings and World's Way, the enclosed walkway
that traverses the length of the ship on Promenade Deck. "I
took the world as the central theme of Carnival Triumph and
named its public spaces after some of the most popular locations
people enjoy visiting on vacation," said Mr. Farcus. "The
design of these rooms is intended not to recreate these cities
but to capture their spirit." Passengers coming on board
get their first glimpse of the design on Deck 3 where a huge
gold-leafed globe dominates a nine-deck-high atrium called the
Capitol. The gilded globe is inlaid with twinkling fiber-optic
lights that highlight the world's great cities. Around the globe
are plush seating areas, a small stage for live music, amid
four glass elevators that carry guests from Deck 2 up nine decks
to Panorama Deck. The globe motif continues in other ship areas
such as the stair rail endings, door handles, and in glass-door
etchings. A series of of partial globes that display both the
Northern and Southern hemispheres with flashing lights illuminating
various cities winds along the ceiling of the World's Way promenade
where the majority of the ship's 18 bars and lounges can be
accessed. All have a global theme: The Vienna Cafe offers coffees
and pastries, the Venezia Lounge recalls age-old Venice, the
casino is named Club Monaco, and the Club Rio cabaret aft is
patterned after
Carnavale. Forward on World's Way is the three-deck high
Rome Lounge that was designed to recall the days of Imperial
Rome and where Las Vegas-style revues are held, America's presence
is felt with a New Orleans jazz-style Big Easy piano bar where
thousands of oyster shells (imported from New Orleans to the
shipyard) line the walls; the California Wine Bar; the
ultramodern Hollywood Dance Club, and the Washington Library
decorated with presidential portraits and a mural of Washington
D.C. (Here one can checkout books and games.)
To feed nearly 3,000 passengers three or more times a
day sounds daunting, but there are two two-tiered dining rooms
located on Deck 3. The London Dining room is centrally positioned
but I preferred the aft Paris dining room with its wide sea
vistas. Besides these somewhat formal restaurants which both
offer American and Continental cuisines (heavy on the Italian),
cruisers can opt for more casual dining at the South Beach Club
(named after that "in'' place outside Miami) on Lido Deck.
While the Club becomes the Seaview Bistro at night, during the
day it is open for breakfast and lunch as well. Lunchers can
choose from a variety of foods such as a corn beef and rye from
the New York Deli, or a bowl of Asian noodles at the Hong Kong
Noodle Factory, or just good old American beach food. There
is also a 24-hour
pizzeria. My favorite spot on board was the 15,000 square-foot
Club Nautica, a calming spacious health club on Spa Deck forward.
Here in the two-level spa, those wishing to work off those calories
have a choice of 40 pieces of exercise equiment, including 16
Keiser resistance machines as well as stationary
bikes, stair-climbers, treadmills and rowing equipment.
Besides a choice of classes in the mirrored aerobics studio,
the spa offers a variety of full scalp and body massages, mud
packs and seaweed wraps.
Carnival "has expanded its" children's Camp
Carnival program,'' says Mr. Dickinson. In line with that, many
staterooms have interconnecting cabins for large families or
family gatherings. There is a babysitting service while in the
restaurants children's menus were expanded to include a wider
variety of their favorite foods. The enclosed 1,300 square-foot
Children's World play area on Spa and Sun decks offers wading
pools, an outside play area with playground equipment, arts
and crafts, and an activity wall. And there is Underground Tokyo,
a pseudocave next to the casino filled with high-tech video
and arcade games for the older set. But despite the expansion
I felt the ship--and the cruiselife--was more adult oriented.
Smoking is permitted in designated areas although it is
banned from the two formal dining rooms and the Rome Lounge.
I also noticed environmental moves by Carnival in the use of
nondisposable products if possible, such as cloth napkins and
plastic plates-as opposed to paper--in the casual eateries.
In the lavoratories there is also an effort to cut down on paper
waste with the use of electric air dryers.
Triumph being a "Fun Ship'' is designed--at least
to this reviewer-- to appeal to fun-loving adults wanting an
activity-filled cruise. And so, a typical day could be as follows:
arise for breakfast, take a jog on the Jogging Track on Spa
deck (8 times around equals a mile); or a workout in the health
club. After lunch it's time for a facial or massage in the spa
or try the de-stresser machine called the Noveau Yu Health Environment
Capsule--but make sure you are not claustophobic. Laze the rest
of the afternoon at one of the four swimming pools (one has
a 214-foot waterslide) or at one of seven whirlpools. As dinner
approaches, there is a choice of one of 18 bars and lounges
for a predinner drink. After dinner, its off to the Rome Lounge
for
the evening's show, or maybe a try of luck at the Club
Monaco casino, or even dancing at the Hollywood Dance Club.
Before calling it a day--and night--perhaps a stop at the Olympic
Bar (the bar also offers live TV sporting events via satellite)
for the day's sports results--or a final nightcap at one of
the watering holes missed earlier.After such a nonstop, fun-filled,
schedule, cruisers may just need a another vacation to recouperate
from it all.
The Triumph sails every Saturday from Miami on alternating
eastern and western Caribbean seven-day cruises. The ports of
call in the western Caribbean are Playa del Carmen, Cozumel,
Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios. In the eastern Caribbean, the ship
will visit San Juan, Thomas and St. Croix. For
more information, go to
www.carnival.com
