Great Spring Break on the Valor, 4/4 - 4/12

[amyh13]

Just returned from a great spring break cruise on the Carnival Valor (8 day Southern, Aruba/Bonaire/Grand Turk). About us, we are 40 something professionals with a son 9 and a daughter 5. We live in Atlanta. I have a sister in Orlando so we drove down on Friday to stay with her. I typed this on the boat in quick, stream of consciousness bursts and I am too lazy to do much editing so I apologize in advance for the choppy structure.

 

Got to Port Canaveral a little after 11 am, a little later than I wanted. Lots of people arriving with us. Unloaded and checked our bags, and parked the car ($135 for an 8 day cruise).

 

FTTF: Thank goodness for Faster to the Fun. The security line for everyone else looked quite crowded with people already lined up outside. Got inside and went to our FTTF line. Seemed to go slow at first but moved along. We were on the ship by noon. Our room was ready when we boarded. All but one bag was delivered by 1. Not sure when the last bag was delivered, just looked outside and it was there. I used the guest services line once and with priority debarkation, we were in our car with our 6 bags that we left out the night before by 8 am. We had this on our last Carnival cruise and we really think it is worth $50.

 

Our cabin: We booked a GTY balcony and got assigned a Spa Deck balcony. Close to pools, Rosie's, Spa and Camp Carnival. This cabin is an adjoining cabin. I have actually used the adjoining door to hang my shoe organizer. Did not hear any noise from the adjoining cabin. Our cabin was the one cabin on the port side that was open to the elevator lobby so there was some dinging noise but not bad at all. People were usually on this deck during the day to go to the spa/gym. During sleeping hours, not much traffic at all as there are only 18 cabins on this deck. There is a good bit of daytime activity above on the sundeck but we were rarely in the room during the afternoons, and when we were, my 5 year old had no trouble taking a nap. The balcony was not completely covered but I did not find the sun to be an issue at all. And the only time people were above us and could see down was typically during sail-away, which didn’t bother me at all. In the afternoons, you can hear the music from the lido on the balcony, which I liked. We have been is suites and larger balconies for our last 3 cruises so I was afraid we would feel cramped. We have plenty of room and storage. Other features, sliding door and flat screen tv. Room temperature was great, almost chilly but we never adjusted the thermostat. We saved $900 by going from a past guest/choose your room rate to a guaranty balcony and I would do it again. We were very pleased with our assigned cabin (assigned 27 days out).

 

The rest of the day: Went to fish n chips for lunch. Quite tasty and the fritters were awesome. A little hectic/crazy on the lido but nothing too bad. Live acoustic guitar all afternoon. Quite nice. Dinner was nice. We arrived after 6 for YTD and were seated immediately. Service was fine but nothing special. Food was tasty. They showed the Final Four games by the pool.

 

Sea Day/Easter Sunday. Ordered room service for 730-800. Arrived at 810 by a very friendly guy. Room Service on time after the first day. Lido coffee not the best I have ever had but perfectly fine, and I am used to good coffee. Sea day brunch was great. We ate there all but one sea day.

 

There was an Easter egg hunt on the boat (map throughout the boat with different stations for candy). Very cute. Nondenominational service for Easter and a Passover service. Calvyn and his team did a great job with the Easter service.

 

The hiccup: We decided to let the kids eat in the club for elegant night. Thank goodness we did. We arrived around 7 to find a line just to get a pager. At least an hour later we got seated. And we said we would share a table if it would make it go faster. We finished at 945. 2 hrs and 45 minutes to eat dinner. Seriously? I felt so sorry for people with kids. And many tables seemed empty. I was furious. Basically what was supposed to be a night out for my husband and me turned out to be a night in the atrium. They blamed it on formal night.

 

So the next night we arrive at 6 and there is a line that went to the theatre. I complained (again) and they swept us in a seated us. We had an awesome server that night. We saw her a few more times and tipped her extra. Now I realize that isn’t fair to everyone else and what I really wanted was for them to adjust to fix the problem. I know that boat was full but I have cruised carnival during spring break before and didn’t have this issue. Personally I think this is a symptom of switching boats (Liberty to Valor). When you have a port intensive itinerary, people eat on shore or come back tired and order room service. They went from 5 port days/1 sea day to 3 port days/4 sea days. I think they were poorly prepared. There was still a line every night but the service seemed to improve as the week went on. But there were still many available tables in MANY sizes every night after we waited. The food was great and I got over it. This was the only hiccup in my opinion of the whole cruise.

 

I have always been a YTD cheerleader but this was crazy. For those of us traveling with our children, the time after dinner is the best time for adult time, shows, casino, bars, etc. Camp Carnival closes at 10.

 

Gym/Spa:Worked out in the gym around 10 on the 4 sea days. Lots of activity but plenty of equipment to go around. Locker room and shower facilities looked nice.

 

They announced we would arrive 1 hr late to Aruba. We had a carnival excursion planned so no worries. We had 3 hrs to kill so I went to the spa to see if they had any massage openings. 75 minute lime ginger exfoliation, body massage and scalp massage. It was awesome, $140. The spa is not ultra-fancy but it was a very nice experience. I will say that the treatment rooms are directly below camp carnival. It could get loud at times but they were keeping my kids so I did not care in the least.

 

Rosies: We only ate there for lunch and one breakfast. I thought the selection was just fine. Nothing gourmet but tasty and filling. Salad bar, hot food, desserts, breads. My son loved the Burrito Bar. My husband ate at the Mongolian wok one day but the line was crazy as it seemed to be every day. My daughter loves omelettes. There were stations in the grill area, inside and in the burrito bar. Never a wait.

 

Aruba: Our excursion was nice (Best of Aruba and Beach) but with our late arrival, all of the vendors had closed shop on the beach so no chairs or refreshment options.

 

Since they delayed departure, most folks were still shore and dinner was practically empty. And another night of good service.

 

Bonaire: Bonaire was great. We did the Woodwind snorkel excursion. It was windy and choppy but we saw some awesome stuff.

 

Grand Turk was awesome. Walked down to jacks shack to escape the crowds. Beautiful beach. Chairs free. $10 for an umbrella. Food and a bar. Beer $4, drinks $9-$10.

 

Laundry: I kept waiting for a laundry special in the Fun Times but it never happened. I decided to do two loads of laundry. The machine said 3.00 (quarters) but it started after 1.25. Dryer still took 3.00.

 

Miscellaneous info:

Green eggs and ham breakfast was awesome. Ice sculpture, cute costumes, cute music, great table decorations, creative menu and character appearances. We all loved it.

 

I think the ship looks great. Very clean and not even that dated in my opinion.

 

Bed was super comfy

 

Large bar service presence around the pool

 

Internet is slow with the old timed packages

 

Music by the pool. I think they play great music. A good mix. I am 45 with the music taste of a 16 girl. From every decade since the 70s. I was always tapping my toes.

 

Weather nice but windy. Very rocky. Upper decks often closed. No ones fault. Just an observation.

 

Played mini golf. Windy but fun.

 

Tea was a treat.

 

Ship decor: would I hire this guy to decorate my home? No. Is it classy/elegant? Do I care. No. It's festive.

 

Towels are nice and new. So is the bathrobe.

 

Just an observation, the bunks/sofa bed were left out the entire time. I thought things would be converted back during the day.

 

Shows/bars. Most of the bar music started after 9. With kids in the clubs, we have to pick them up by 10. And with YTD waits we were never really able to plan ahead. We usually just spent a little time in the casino. We were in bed by 1030 every night and sometimes earlier. We did go to the 8pm comedy show. Fun and kid friendly although we didn't have our kids with us.

 

Got our 4 liters of water. Would have preferred the free drinks but we reused the bottles all week.

 

No chocolates at turndown. Didn't bother us and the kids didn't notice.

 

Safe- credit card

 

Hair dryer/provided/push button

 

Always had ice

 

The refrigerator was quite cold. We didn't have it emptied, just used the extra space.

 

Glad I brought extra hangers

 

The ship layout was a little confusing but we figured it out eventually.

 

One outlet

 

Dresscode. Nothing offensive. And I thought everyone looked great on elegant nights. I am usually in a dress or skirt but I have no issues with jeans and shorts on the guys, but I do prefer collared shirts.

 

I would book the Valor again in a heartbeat. I do have the Fun Times/Camp Carnival Schedule for 2-5 and 9-11 but have no idea when/if I’ll have time to scan them any time soon.

[kesham13]

Thanks for the quick review. We will be on the Valor 5/30, although with the Western 7-day itinerary. Sounds like you had a great trip!

[crewsweeper]

Nice review. Thanks for posting. Enjoyed hearing about the spa deck cabins, noise level and partial covered balcony. We're in 1108 next January. We've been on the Liberty but not the Valor.

[peteukmcr]

Thanks for your review and taking the time to post. We're on Valor in 25 days and it's our first Carnival cruise. I'm a little perturbed about the lines for YTD although we do tend to eat later (8:30 pm onwards), do you think it's not as busy around that time?

 

We also have FTTF as were embarking on Valor immediately after disembarking from another cruise and want to get into our cabin asap.

[amyh13]

Thanks for your review and taking the time to post. We're on Valor in 25 days and it's our first Carnival cruise. I'm a little perturbed about the lines for YTD although we do tend to eat later (8:30 pm onwards), do you think it's not as busy around that time?

 

We also have FTTF as were embarking on Valor immediately after disembarking from another cruise and want to get into our cabin asap.

 

I think if you eat later you will be fine. We were definitely there at prime time and the ship was completely full.

 

I think sometimes it depends on the size of your party. The 2 nights with the kids, sat immediately. It really did get better throughout the week. Rosanna, Lizette and James were awesome so ask for them!

[nicole2380]

Thank you for posting we will be on the cruise 5/30

[timdeb7581]

Thanks for your review!! DW and I will be on Valor in 4 days in cabin 1102 so your review really helped. Was there a special Wi-Fi price for unlimited wifi for 60 dollars?

[amyh13]

Thanks for your review!! DW and I will be on Valor in 4 days in cabin 1102 so your review really helped. Was there a special Wi-Fi price for unlimited wifi for 60 dollars?

 

No, the WIFI packages were the old ones. We paid $89 for 240 minutes and then paid an extra $59 for 120 minutes.

 

It is REALLY slow. He was checking emails and I was posting photos to facebook. We used all of it.

[firespud]

Will be on the Valor in 4 days. Glad to hear that she still looks good. Sailed on her two times before and really enjoy this class ship. Thanks for posting.

[peteukmcr]

I think if you eat later you will be fine. We were definitely there at prime time and the ship was completely full.

 

I think sometimes it depends on the size of your party. The 2 nights with the kids, sat immediately. It really did get better throughout the week. Rosanna, Lizette and James were awesome so ask for them!

Thanks again, much appreciated.

[jonboy9756]

Could you please let me know if the band "Blood Power" was playing on the Valor?

Thanks for your review, I'll be aboard in a month from now.

Edited April 14, 2015 by jonboy9756
spelling

[pghsteelerfan]

Thank you for posting your review of Valor. I remember you commenting on my Liberty review (western Caribbean) last year and mentioned you'd be sailing on Liberty but then they switched Liberty and Valor. We were also on Valor in May 2013 on the southern itinerary out of San Juan and loved her. The main difference between Valor and Liberty is that Liberty has the 2.0 upgrades, some of which we liked but others kind of ruined the layout for us. We thought Valor was more free flowing than Liberty was, but that was because Liberty has the Red Frog Rum Bar and Blue Iguana Tequila bar but in different locations than the two bars at Valor's main pool, which weren't in the "middle of things" and kept things free flowing throughout the main pool area. It got very crowded around the two bars on Liberty, so crowded that we'd have to go up to Deck 10 just to get to the other side. I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed Valor as much as you did. On our Liberty cruise we had similar weather, windy, rocky and upper decks closed most of the time due to high winds. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience on Valor. :)

[evandbob]

I think if you eat later you will be fine. We were definitely there at prime time and the ship was completely full.

 

I think sometimes it depends on the size of your party. The 2 nights with the kids, sat immediately. It really did get better throughout the week. Rosanna, Lizette and James were awesome so ask for them!

 

I was on the March 27 Valor sailing and had late dining in the Washington Room, a deck up from the ATD. We had just 3 diners at an 8 top and ordered right after the room opened. We had an inordinate amount of time between courses, sometimes up to 45 minutes. Our entrees came out after the wait staff "entertainment was over. Just terrible, unlike my previous 6 experiences on this ship.

 

For what it's worth, breakfast room service was 40 minutes late on my 1st port of call, but on time after that. Sea brunch had good food on sea days, but this 64 yr old was seated 3 times with 75 - 85 yr old patrons.

[crewsweeper]

this 64 yr old was seated 3 times with 75 - 85 yr old patrons.

 

Hate when that happens!:eek:

And I'm sure they called you a young whippersnapper! :DTried to go cougar on you by playing Bob Segar on their iPods instead of Perry Como!:D.

[amyh13]

I was on the March 27 Valor sailing and had late dining in the Washington Room, a deck up from the ATD. We had just 3 diners at an 8 top and ordered right after the room opened. We had an inordinate amount of time between courses, sometimes up to 45 minutes. Our entrees came out after the wait staff "entertainment was over. Just terrible, unlike my previous 6 experiences on this ship.

 

For what it's worth, breakfast room service was 40 minutes late on my 1st port of call, but on time after that. Sea brunch had good food on sea days, but this 64 yr old was seated 3 times with 75 - 85 yr old patrons.

 

At least you didn't have to sit with my children. They would have talked your ear off.

[amyh13]

Thank you for posting your review of Valor. I remember you commenting on my Liberty review (western Caribbean) last year and mentioned you'd be sailing on Liberty but then they switched Liberty and Valor. We were also on Valor in May 2013 on the southern itinerary out of San Juan and loved her. The main difference between Valor and Liberty is that Liberty has the 2.0 upgrades, some of which we liked but others kind of ruined the layout for us. We thought Valor was more free flowing than Liberty was, but that was because Liberty has the Red Frog Rum Bar and Blue Iguana Tequila bar but in different locations than the two bars at Valor's main pool, which weren't in the "middle of things" and kept things free flowing throughout the main pool area. It got very crowded around the two bars on Liberty, so crowded that we'd have to go up to Deck 10 just to get to the other side. I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed Valor as much as you did. On our Liberty cruise we had similar weather, windy, rocky and upper decks closed most of the time due to high winds. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience on Valor. :)

 

Yes I loved your Liberty review. I was irritated by the swap but I finally let it go. Many of the additions were bar areas. And for now with kids we just aren't hanging out in bars. I would like to try a Guy's burger though!

 

According to the ship announcements today, the Valor is getting a dry dock in March of 2016 but all of the March cruises are still showing on the website.

[Cruisegirl6]

Was your stateroom on the warm side?

[amyh13]

Was your stateroom on the warm side?

 

Not at all. Almost chilly.

[Cruisegirl6]

Great to hear thank you!

[amyh13]

Could you please let me know if the band "Blood Power" was playing on the Valor?

Thanks for your review, I'll be aboard in a month from now.

 

 

I did not know the answer to this from memory but I just reviewed the Fun Times and there was no musical act named Blood Power.