Valor Southern Caribbean review with pictures and Fun Times - better late than never

[pghsteelerfan]

When we got back into Basseterre, our driver asked us if we wanted him to take us right up to the ship or if we wanted dropped off at the Duty Free shops. DH and I decided we’d just do our shopping then and get back on the ship when we were done. I think the other couple ended up doing the same. Since there were four of us, the ride back was $7.00 per person but we tipped him pretty well because he waited there for us and didn’t have to. That was the one thing I worried about, being stranded by a cab driver with no way back to the ship. We also always had our passports and two major credit cards, just in case that happened. After saying good bye to our driver we walked around and browsed the Duty Free shops. I was able to find Christmas ornaments, a refrigerator magnet and shot glass. I also found two t-shirts that I liked but couldn’t decide on which one. Since the prices were reasonable, I got both. DH found another combo t-shirt/baseball hat for $15.00 that he got. I was also able to exchange some US Dollars for the local currency, which was the same currency used in St. Lucia, Eastern Caribbean. We walked around some more and got pictures of the cruise center area. It was raining on and off the whole time.

 

Pictures of the cruise center shopping area

 

 

 

 

 

[pghsteelerfan]

More of the cruise center shopping area

 

 

 

 

 

After spending about an hour in the cruise center, we got back on Valor, who had a neighbor. There was a pretty large barge docked right next to her and were trying to figure out what it was.

 

[pghsteelerfan]

We boarded Valor right around 3:00PM and went to our cabin and dropped our stuff off in the cabin then went to the balcony for a better look at the barge docked next to us. There was a smaller boat that looked kind of light a pilot boat on the other side of the barge and we thought that maybe the barge had just arrived.

 

We have neighbors

 

 

By that time, we could tell that it was pouring down rain again and it was so hard we could barely even see Basseterre.

 

 

 

Not much to see and there seemed to be no action on the barge, so we went upstairs to the Lido Deck grille for lunch, filled our plates and got a table by the windows facing the barge to see if we could see anything. We also noticed that none of the tables had ash trays and thought that was kind of strange since we were on the Starboard (smoking) side. That’s when we guess that that might be a fuel barge. We’d never noticed a ship getting refueled while on before though. After a few minutes, we heard one of the announcements asking those who smoke to only do so in the designated smoking areas inside the ship and to not smoke on any balcony or outside decks while the ship is getting fuel. We were right, a fuel barge. We made our way to the bar when we finished our lunch and got something to drink. They didn’t have any new souvenir cups today but still had coconut monkeys, blowfish cups, “whale tail” funnel cups displayed on the bar. Siliyan told us that they only have different cups the first five days (plastic hurricane, coconut monkeys, blowfish, disco ball, and “whale tail” funnel cups) then try to sell what’s left over the last two days. I didn’t notice any of the disco ball cups or hurricane cups out. I ordered a Captain & coke, “NFL”, from Stiliyan. Stiliyan didn’t know what I meant by “NFL”, so I told him what that meant. He loved it and we told him we heard it from the other guy, who just so happened to be at the bar that day. I just wish I had gotten his name too, he was also great. He told us that he would be leaving Valor after that week. I think he said he was going home for vacation (forget where, but it’s in Europe) then he’d be on another ship. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Argonaut pool bar and right before it was time to sail away, we went up to Panorama Deck 10.

 

 

 

 

 

[pghsteelerfan]

The rain finally stopped and the sky looked really pretty to the west. The clouds were blanketing the mountains of St. Kitts and never cleared away at all that day. I was really hoping to see the volcano, Mt. Liamuiga. I found out the name by looking St. Kitts up on Google Maps before we went on our cruise to get an idea of where different places were.

I will admit the clouds did look really cool, but I was really hoping to be able to see more of this beautiful island. I’d definitely love to get back here someday soon to see more and will hope for a sunny day. As we sailed away from St. Kitts, I got pictures and DH got video and pictures. Panorama Deck 10 was still soaked, but the reflection of the sky on the deck looked really cool, so there I was talking more pictures of the deck. I got a couple of the big, fat raindrops that were still on the railings. We could see the island of St. Eustatius, which is just north of St. Kitts, in the distance once we got farther out. Right around that time the sun finally broke through the clouds for a really nice sunset. It only broke through for a short time and we never did see it drop below the horizon, so no green flash tonight. We walked around Panorama Deck 10 and got pictures of the Argonaut Pool and hot tubs and Seaside Theatre area with St. Kitts and its cloud covered mountains as a background. I also got more pictures of Valor’s “Whale Tail” funnel reflection on the wet deck, but they didn’t look as good as the one I got in San Juan right after boarding. We went back down to the Argonaut Pool bar and got pictures of that area and also the pool. We never made it down to the VIFP gathering in the Ivanhoe Theater.

 

Pictures of St. Kitts as we sailed out

 

 

 

 

 

[pghsteelerfan]

More sailing from St. Kitts

 

 

 

I'm not a big fan of rain, but for some reason I'm mesmerized by the reflections in the wet cruise ship decks

 

 

[pghsteelerfan]

In the distance is another island, that's St. Eustatius

 

Those clouds were still smothering St. Kitts

 

 

 

 

Ah, sunlight

[pghsteelerfan]

 

 

 

The sun was trying to break through to the west

 

 

[pghsteelerfan]

We noticed lights coming on in St. Kitts

 

 

 

 

 

[pghsteelerfan]

 

Another Valor "Whale Tail" funnel reflection on the wet deck

 

 

 

 

[pghsteelerfan]

Same as the last picture but I "forced" the flash on the camera to see if there was a difference

 

The Argonaut Pool bar and there were still some of the souvenir cups left

 

These are the tables right above our cabin (between the doors and the pool bar)

 

 

[pghsteelerfan]

After getting the pictures we went back down to our cabin to get ready for dinner and saw that Camelo had already been to our cabin, leaving a towel animal, a stingray, the Fun Times, and chocolates on the bed.

 

 

 

 

 

After we were ready but before actually going to dinner, we went out on our balcony to see if we were passing any of the other nearby islands and we were, St. Eustatius. We could tell by all the lights that were on and could still see St. Kitts in the distance.

 

 

 

Not much to see, but this is St. Eustatius, St. Kitts' next door neighbor to the north, all lit up at night

 

 

 

 

After getting a few pictures we went to dinner and tonight we were at our normal late seating in the dining room. When we got to dinner, our table mates weren’t there but arrived shortly after we did. I was happy to see them because we enjoyed visiting with them and hearing what they did. Between dinner and desert, they came around with the tray of shot glasses. They had all of the colors available and since I already had my complete set, I didn’t order one. When it was time for the dancing, I finally went up, with two other “volunteers” (thankfully) and danced with Jorge. He tried to get me to dance the first night and DH and our table mates tried to get me to do it. It’s not that I didn’t want to dance with Jorge, I just can’t dance prefer blending into the background than being front and center. DH and I have a rule and it’s that if I get up on the dance floor then it’s time to cut me off, if any alcoholic beverages are involved. I will dance a slow dance with DH at a wedding, but that’s about it. But when Jorge asked a few nights before, I really felt bad so I promised him the next time. So this time, when he asked, I went up with him. We got two others on the way up and thankfully, we were in an area that wasn’t font and center for all in the dining room to see. Only those in the immediate area could see us. Jorge was great, he told us just to do what he did, and we did, so it wasn’t as embarrassing as I thought. When I got back to our table after the dance was done, I told DH and our table mates that the next time would be their turn and I’d watch.

 

After dinner we wandered the ship for a little while and browsed the Fun Shops and a few other areas then went up to the Argonaut Pool bar for a night cap to take back to the cabin to enjoy on the balcony. We couldn’t see any other islands at this point and went to bed after our drinks were finished.

 

 

***Now for some final thoughts on St. Kitts: We basically winged it this day and due to the weather we had, it worked out for us. While planning our cruise and trying to figure out what we were going to do in each port, we thought St. Kitts was a lot larger and thought it would take a whole day to do an island tour to see more of St. Kitts. To do an island tour and see some of the hi-lights, like the Brimstone Hill Fortress, among others, it would only take a couple of hours. The road circles the northern part of the island and where there are plenty of places of interests, including views of neighboring islands. We were on the southern end, which an island tour would also include. Many tours will also drop you off at a beach, usually a beach closer to Basseterre like Frigate Bay or South Friars Bay for a few hours before picking you up and taking you back to the cruise ship with time for shopping. I've seen decent reviews on both of these beaches. The next time we visit St. Kitts (and yes, I'd love to get back to see what we missed), our plans would be an island tour. There are several that can be booked through Carnival, private tours that can be booked ahead of time or tours that you can get that day. When we got off the ship to get a cab, there was a man holding a sign for different tours. We talked to others who said they got a taxi to take them on a tour. There are ways to do it. If you need ideas, the Ports of Call boards, Caribbean, St. Kitts, is full of great information. There is also a picture thread but you may hav to go in a few pages. Had the weather been nice that day, I think we would have regretted our decision to just go to the beach because we would have missed so much.

 

 

Next up...St. Maarten/St. Martin and our day at Pinel Island

[mykindaparty]

Following

[deetrayn]

Dee, I will be sure to tell them for you. I don't know if they are on the roll call or not, but I'll be sure to ask them this weekend when we see them.

 

For this trip, we basically "winged it" with no prearranged plans except for St. Lucia (Spencer's Jalousie Beach Break) and St. Maarten/St. Martin when we went to Pinel Island. We knew we wanted to go to Sapphire and felt comfortable enough getting a cab (thanks to the reviews I read & CC port of call boards). We ended up doing that the rest of the trip and it worked out well for us.

 

I really hope you knee holds up and doesn't give you any trouble on your trip. I would think a nice and relaxing cruise will be the best thing. :)

 

I hope you have a wonderful time and great weather.

 

Thanks! We will most likely "wing it" for most of the port stops. The only port we have been to is St Thomas, and we're planning to stay on the ship that day and relax.

 

My knee should be fine by then, but we're getting off the ship at 9 different ports so don't want to over do it. :o

 

Dee

[ibcnusoon]

I really liked St. Kitts. We did take an island tour, then got dropped off at the beach. We saw the Brimestone Fort, Caribelle Batik, Timothy Hill, we even drove past the vet college that a lot of American kids go to school - and we saw a lot of them at Shipwreck Beach (where we were dropped off at after the tour).

 

St. Kitts has a lot to offer, there are a number of other things you can do on the island too, even take a trip over to Nevis. We would love to go back.

[pghsteelerfan]

Following

 

Thank you.

[fragilek]

I really liked St. Kitts. We did take an island tour, then got dropped off at the beach. We saw the Brimestone Fort, Caribelle Batik, Timothy Hill, we even drove past the vet college that a lot of American kids go to school - and we saw a lot of them at Shipwreck Beach (where we were dropped off at after the tour).

 

St. Kitts has a lot to offer, there are a number of other things you can do on the island too, even take a trip over to Nevis. We would love to go back.

 

which tour did you do- we are trying to plan for a few weeks time- thank you for any help.

[pghsteelerfan]

Thanks! We will most likely "wing it" for most of the port stops. The only port we have been to is St Thomas, and we're planning to stay on the ship that day and relax.

 

My knee should be fine by then, but we're getting off the ship at 9 different ports so don't want to over do it. :o

 

Dee

 

If we ever do a repeat island that we've seen what we wanted to previously, I'd love to do that. And with St. Thomas, you don't have to leave the ship for those views. :) I'd love that time to go through the ship and get interior pictures then enjoy the deck and the pools.

[pghsteelerfan]

I really liked St. Kitts. We did take an island tour, then got dropped off at the beach. We saw the Brimestone Fort, Caribelle Batik, Timothy Hill, we even drove past the vet college that a lot of American kids go to school - and we saw a lot of them at Shipwreck Beach (where we were dropped off at after the tour).

 

St. Kitts has a lot to offer, there are a number of other things you can do on the island too, even take a trip over to Nevis. We would love to go back.

 

How was the weather when you were there? I hope you had a nice day and were able to see everything. Even with the rain that day, from what I was able to see, it was very pretty. This is one island I'd love to get back to. I'd actually like to do the same cruise again another time.

[BettyGiggles]

Thank you again. :) You will really enjoy Spencer and his whole group. We really had a wonderful time on the Jalousie Beach Break and the scenery was breathtaking. The pictures don't do the Pitons justice...when we got within good view by boat, they were huge. Which of Spencer's tours will you be doing? If we ever get back to St. Lucia, and I really hope to soon, we've already decided to do his "Land and Sea Tour" to see more of St. Lucia. Again, I really hope you have a wonderful time. :)

 

We are doing the exact same as you did, Jalousie Beach Break :) I know most of the times pictures are beautiful but being there seeing it for real, with all emotions going through and trying to take in how gorgeous scenery it is, the feelings won't be there unless you are there or have been there. I can't wait to see what you saw and feel totally taken away by the Pitons, for one. Very excited indeed :) I would like to see more of St Lucia but maybe by cruising to different ports we would want to book a land vacation and stay longer but for right now, we just discovered cruises and want more of it (bye bye Walt Disney World trips, hello cruises) :D

[tomsgirl84]

I just sent a booking request with Spencer!:) Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us. It's nice to see your pictures so we know that it is something we want to do!:D

[pc2425]

I'm loving your review, as I said a few pages back. But I wanted to say THANKS again because after reading your review, we just changed our plans for St. Lucia and booked the Land & Sea tour with Spencer. I'm so excited now!

[pghsteelerfan]

We are doing the exact same as you did, Jalousie Beach Break :) I know most of the times pictures are beautiful but being there seeing it for real, with all emotions going through and trying to take in how gorgeous scenery it is, the feelings won't be there unless you are there or have been there. I can't wait to see what you saw and feel totally taken away by the Pitons, for one. Very excited indeed :) I would like to see more of St Lucia but maybe by cruising to different ports we would want to book a land vacation and stay longer but for right now, we just discovered cruises and want more of it (bye bye Walt Disney World trips, hello cruises) :D

 

It was beautiful and the one of the reasons we chose Spencer's Jalousie Beach break was because it allowed four hours at the beach. It was just a fun and relaxing day set in beautiful scenery. That's what I really like about cruising, being able to go and see different places and maybe, some day, doing a land vacation there. St. Lucia is now on that list. :)

[pghsteelerfan]

I just sent a booking request with Spencer!:) Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us. It's nice to see your pictures so we know that it is something we want to do!:D

 

Thanks. I found out about Spencer's tours through reviews with pictures posted by others. We booked the cruise in January 2013 (for May 2013) and as soon as the cruise was booked, we booked with Spencer. Which of his tours are you going to do? If we ever get back, we'll go for the Land & Sea Tour to see more of the island.

[pghsteelerfan]

I'm loving your review, as I said a few pages back. But I wanted to say THANKS again because after reading your review, we just changed our plans for St. Lucia and booked the Land & Sea tour with Spencer. I'm so excited now!

 

Thank you again and I'm glad this review was helpful to you for your St. Lucia day. Since we did the "Jalousie Beach Break", which was four hours at the beach and the "Sea Tour" on the way back, we'd love to do the Land & Sea tour if we ever get back to see more of the island. I saw some really good Victory reviews with some beautiful pictures of the Land & Sea Tour. Someone's (I'm thinking Dirkgun's Victory Superbowl review from Jan. 2010) review had beautiful pictures from the Land & Sea Tour and they had a picture from the mountains above one of the towns with an excellent view of the Pitons.

[Dirkgun]

I'm loving your review, as I said a few pages back. But I wanted to say THANKS again because after reading your review, we just changed our plans for St. Lucia and booked the Land & Sea tour with Spencer. I'm so excited now!

 

 

You will love the Land and Sea tour with Spencer. We did that one with him on the Victory this last December and it is awesome. You are right St Lucia is definitely one of the islands worth visiting for an extended stay.