Willdra’s Valiant Venezia Review

[willdra]

Venezia Day 2~ 1st Sea Day

 

When I got up,  I saw our Diamond Brunch invitations were slid under the door like we were in solitary confinement in a penitentiary. It was giving Shawshank.  As I pondered this and a few other mysteries of life, I started to get ready. W arose shortly after. I also made a quick observation about the shower in our cabin: The ”warm” water sometimes alternates between hot and cold. It’s not horrible but the longer the shower, the more noticeable it is. Govern yourself accordingly.

 

When I was almost ready,  I signaled to W to check us in, cuz I still had my mouthwash marinade going. He said “charge your phone?” Uh uh. I sighed and went back in the bathroom, spit out my mouthwash, then came back out and checked us in. Then he said “Oh you said check us in!” ”Yes Booker T. The brunch wasn’t going to check itself in”. I was actually glad for the few extra minutes tho, but don’t tell W. Our table was ready right when I pressed the button.

 

As soon as we sat at our table, W nudged me and said “There are spoons on the table”. Say what?!? See that’s what I’m talking about. Venezia is a grown up ship. She’s house phone grown. She comes from a time when there was only one phone in the house. It was in the kitchen. It was bolted to the wall. It had a chord on it, and when you picked it up, you had to tell the operator to connect you. That’s a different kinda grown. These kids today don’t know anything about that.

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

When the server asked what we wanted, I ordered cheese grits first. The server stopped me and said ”We have plain and we have grits with cheese”. Exactly. Cheese grits are grits with cheese.  He said “Oh ok”, but I low key think he was still a little confused. We do have several different ways to say the same thing in our language so I don’t blame him. We have tons of words that are pronounced the same but are spelled completely different and have different meanings too. It’s a confusing mashed up hybrid language. As long as I got my grits with some sort of cheese sprinkled on or near them I would be happy. So do what you gotta do to get it popping sir.

 

The food actually came out fast and perfect. W liked it so much he took the server’s picture. He’s never done that in the history of cruising y’all. I Ketut and Team did their big one. They kept the coffee and cream flowing. They were refilling stuff all over the place. It was like they haven’t been “Carnivalized” or “Fun Shipped” yet. That crew seemed like they were still used to catering to a different demographic. A different clientele if you will. Not the massive hordes that we can sometimes be as travelers. They didn’t look like they were tired of us asking for extra this and extra that yet. Refreshing. If they kept this up W might try to move in. Mmm, maybe we can work out an “arrangement”. I’ll have to follow up on that one.

 

As we sat in the dining room it was apparent that we were rushing. El Capitan was hitting the gas like we were being chased. I guess we had a much farther distance to go from NY than I realized. Good thing I had the motion sickness meds on deck. I might need them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

Once the consumables were consumed, it was time for nothing. My favorite. Favorito. We went back to our cabin and I was silently praying that our steward wasn’t in there cleaning cuz I really needed to “go”. When we turned the corner on Deck 6 we didn’t see his cart and my colon rejoiced. We stayed in the cabin awhile and W got laundry ready. I dug my scissors and something else out of my suitcase that I put in there by accident. Keeping a little pair of school scissors in my toiletry bag is a lifesaver. I use them all the time while traveling.

 

On a sad note, I realized it was time to say goodbye to my all time favorite Platinum VIFP gift. This sling bag. The mother effing GOAT of VIFP gifts. I discovered a hole forming in the seam by the strap. This bag has been with me since 2008. She has been all around the world and back. She’s family. She was free. “Taps” plays softly in the background. I don’t know how I’ll ever replace her. At this point I’m praying for her strength in the Lord, that she will last through this final voyage. She’s on life support about to transition to hospice. Long live the queen. A single tear drops from my eye onto her for dramatic effect.

 

When we were ready to go out, we decided to start on Deck 5 then go from there. It was cold, raining, and windy out which we were prepared for. I checked the app the day before and the weather was very similar to what we would experience when we sailed from California. Cold the first Sea Day, hot in the middle, then cold on the last Sea Day and Debarkation Day.

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

The Venezia felt like it was built for when the weather is yucky outside. The retractable roof over the Lido makes that part a sunroom. It’s warm back there when the roof is closed. There are  lots of comfortable coves and conversation pits. We found a good spot to people watch that was nice. Even tho we were surrounded, we couldn’t hear what anyone was saying. The music helped to isolate us.

 

The DJ was playing some Mexican dance music when we pulled up. I threw my stuff down and danced off a couple of calories. There were people all around vibing and enjoying themselves. The DJ switched to playing Bob Marley and this family was here for it all. They knew all the words to every song and they were feeling it. If I were a DJ this is how I would want the crowd to react. That’s a hard job. I think one key tho is to play music that will appeal to a larger audience. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

Build A Bear was at 4 o’clock and since I didn’t see it on the schedule on any other day (I really didn’t look) I decided to go then. I stopped by our cabin on the way to the Limelight and I made it back right at 4. They started on time. I got number 20 so I hoped I wouldn’t  have to wait too long. This wasn’t as crowded as the last one that I did on Panorama. This was also the first time I really experienced our CD MarQ since we missed the Sail Away Party and the Welcome Aboard Show Monday. I liked him a lot. I could tell just by that little bit of Build A Bear intro that he was funny. I made a mental note to attend more of his events. MarQ kicked us off with the heart ritual. Then he explained that Bears are all $28 no matter which one you choose. Clothes and accessories vary. He told us that some of the bodies were stuffed inside the head. They weren’t just selling heads. Crazy.

 

When it was my turn I went up and picked out a white bear. I liked him cuz he had the whale tail on his paw. I found him the cutest little Tshirt with Carnival Venezia on it. I got that and a pair of jeans. My total was $45 for everything. Not too bad. After I paid I went to drop off my bear in the cabin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

On the way there I passed a set of cabins with an aunt yelling very loudly at some kids who were standing right by her in the hallway. My first thought was “Why are you yelling at people who are next to you?” My second thought was “Why are you doing it in the middle of the hallway??” They were so loud and disruptive. OMG whatever these kids did please just punish them and get it over with. The rest of us don’t want (or need) to hear about it.

 

Since building my bear only took a few minutes, I decided to go to Guest Services to add my gift cards to our account while I was out. That way I wouldn’t have to think about it anymore.

 

I dug them out of the safe and went to take care of that business. As I was out and about, I was amazed at how early people got dressed for elegant evening. There were people waiting already for dinner. I loved that they were making the most of their fancy clothes but that was seriously early. What do they do the rest of the night? What time do they turn back into a pumpkin?

 

The Diamond/Platinum/Faster To The Fun line was long and it didn’t move. I avoided that line like the plague and went straight for the kiosk. I could do what I needed to do on there. No human interaction was required. I got everything keyed in and the people that were in line when I got there were still in line when I left. Don’t know what was taking so long but I was happy that I didn’t have to be detained for it.

 

Going back to the cabin to drop off the spent cards and my wallet, the aunt was still in the hallway yelling AND she’d caused a traffic jam. People were afraid to pass. Welp. I wasn't afraid. That was not her hallway and I wasn't one of her kids. I said “excuse me” and walked right on by. There was a lady and her mom in front of me that had been waiting to get by. They were happy when I walked thru and they followed me. I will never understand why people feel the need to make a scene like that. It looked like calcium deficiencies and court appearances. 

 

 

[willdra]

 

I went back to Lido to join W next. Even tho the roof was still closed it was cooler up there than before. I checked the app for dinner times and I’m glad I did. Your Time Dining ended at 8:30. That meant we needed to go down around 7. 

 

We went and got ready at 6. When we first looked at the estimated time for dinner, there was a 60-70 minute wait. W checked us in after my shower. The app said 60 min. Ok I had time for makeup. W showered next. As soon as he closed the door, I heard tap tap tap. I yell “Yes?” “Does Mr. W want his ice?” “Uh No, he doesn’t need it tonight”. Not tonight Mr cabin steward. You minus well do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around. We aren’t playing that game this evening!

After W’s shower it said 40 min. Still good. 10 min later it said 20 min. Huh? OMG I was only up to Jolene on Cowboy Carter! Ok. Now I was rushing. 10 min later. Ding. Your Table Is Ready! Nooooooooooooo!!!!! I was not ready!

 

The whole wait only took around 40 min. They had me running around fussing at everything in the cabin, throwing shoes, then my favorite was having to stick my eyelashes on with wet glue (I know right!).  What am I now, a cave woman? When we walked out, I told W if he sees my eyelash on my forehead to let me know, cuz y’all know he wouldn’t tell me, unless I asked. W wouldn’t tell me if I had a whole arm growing out of the back of my head. He’s the worst when it comes to stuff like that. He would say “Oh I thought you knew, or I thought you meant to wear lipstick on your teeth”.  Why?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

We literally ran down to dinner as soon as I finished getting ready. We’ve been getting 4 top tables so far, which we loved. We had lots of room to spread out and I had somewhere to put my stuff down. There was a 4 top next to us with 4 people talking away. They talked the whole time. W and I sat and took our little selfies. When the server came over he asked if we needed a minute to look at the menu. I said yes. W asked for a Blue Moon while we were looking.  Then the server asked if I was ready to order again. Oh he really meant a minute. He's not messing around.

 

I quickly ordered Shrimp Cocktail, Cucumber Basil Avocado Soup, and Grilled Jumbo Shrimp and Fish Cake. W had Shrimp Cocktail, Duetto Di Filetto Mignon E Coste Corte. For dessert I had WCMC with butter pecan ice cream and W ordered the Gran Marnier Soufflé. He likes to mix some of the WCMC with it and he knew I wouldn’t even eat half of mine so he didn’t order it for himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

Everything was delish. No regrets. The food was out fast enough for us to run and catch the Motown Music Party. It was a lot of fun and MarQ was hilarious! I gagged when he ran upstairs to dance with this lady. He is mad as a hatter and I loved every second of it!

 

While we were standing there several people in scooters rode by. There was one guy who rode up but the people didn’t hear his little beep beep and they didn’t even look or pay attention. They just kept standing in the walkway not caring about anyone but themselves. So scooter dude just started driving right through them. I bet they moved then!  How hard is it to keep the aisles clear and if you are in the aisle,  pay attention if someone needs to pass? It doesn’t cost anything to be courteous but it can cost a heel or a toe being selfish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

When we felt the Motown Party was ending, we ran and got in line for the Comedy Show. We got there at 9:10 and the line was at the Welcome Home Bar. From previous experience we knew we were good.

 

The comedian was Paul Faulkenberry. When he came out I was concerned. It looked like this comedy show was sponsored by Geritol and Bengay. But let me tell y’all Mr. Faulkenberry put the hahas on us. I laughed way more at his jokes than the night before.

 

When the comedy concluded so did we. We went back to the cabin and called it a night.

 

Before I fell asleep I said a prayer thanking God that I finally found something to plug into that little plug in the cabin’s bathroom. It turns out that my electric toothbrush works perfectly. Why didn't y'all put me on cruise cousins? Had me plugging my toothbrush in on the desk, brushing my teeth out there like I sell oranges and socks on the side of the freeway. Savage. 

 

 

 

 

[Knights on the Beach]

11 hours ago, willdra said:

Once the consumables were consumed, it was time for nothing. My favorite. Favorito. We went back to our cabin and I was silently praying that our steward wasn’t in there cleaning cuz I really needed to “go”. When we turned the corner on Deck 6 we didn’t see his cart and my colon rejoiced. We stayed in the cabin awhile and W got laundry ready. I dug my scissors and something else out of my suitcase that I put in there by accident. Keeping a little pair of school scissors in my toiletry bag is a lifesaver. I use them all the time while traveling.

 

On a sad note, I realized it was time to say goodbye to my all time favorite Platinum VIFP gift. This sling bag. The mother effing GOAT of VIFP gifts. I discovered a hole forming in the seam by the strap. This bag has been with me since 2008. She has been all around the world and back. She’s family. She was free. “Taps” plays softly in the background. I don’t know how I’ll ever replace her. At this point I’m praying for her strength in the Lord, that she will last through this final voyage. She’s on life support about to transition to hospice. Long live the queen. A single tear drops from my eye onto her for dramatic effect.

 

When we were ready to go out, we decided to start on Deck 5 then go from there. It was cold, raining, and windy out which we were prepared for. I checked the app the day before and the weather was very similar to what we would experience when we sailed from California. Cold the first Sea Day, hot in the middle, then cold on the last Sea Day and Debarkation Day.

 

 

 

 

 

Love that sling bag! I feel like this can be fixed? I mean, I can't sew but I'd ask my husband to fix it. 😂

[Essiesmom]

Try taking it to a shoe repair place.  Sometimes they can repair odd things.  EM

[mikayla73]

I haven't started reading yet, but I'm so glad to see this! I love reading your reviews!

[Megan_Strick]

Yay yay yay! Wildra is back!

[RoperDK]

5 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Try taking it to a shoe repair place.  Sometimes they can repair odd things.  EM

This!  I once took a horse bridle to a shoe repair place where a piece of leather had snapped in two and they fixed it right up.  They were very curious about what had happened and I told them that it had been a wild ride for sure! 🤣

[TrqoisWtrs]

19 hours ago, willdra said:

On a sad note, I realized it was time to say goodbye to my all time favorite Platinum VIFP gift. This sling bag.

Hey there, loving your review, will be on Venezia for NYE…loving all the interior pics.👍🏻

 

So I still have my Carnival sling, all shiny and new, straps intact 😁, would be glad to pop it in the mail.  It’s just been sitting in the closet.  Let me know. 🛳️

 

[Frank12]

44 minutes ago, TrqoisWtrs said:

Hey there, loving your review, will be on Venezia for NYE…loving all the interior pics.👍🏻

 

So I still have my Carnival sling, all shiny and new, straps intact 😁, would be glad to pop it in the mail.  It’s just been sitting in the closet.  Let me know. 🛳️

 

We love ours!

[dolfndreams]

Yeah!! another Wildra review. Always a delight

[Drew B 58]

On 6/20/2024 at 9:07 PM, willdra said:

When we felt the Motown Party was ending, we ran and got in line for the Comedy Show. We got there at 9:10 and the line was at the Welcome Home Bar. From previous experience we knew we were good.

 

The comedian was Paul Faulkenberry. When he came out I was concerned. It looked like this comedy show was sponsored by Geritol and Bengay. But let me tell y’all Mr. Faulkenberry put the hahas on us. I laughed way more at his jokes than the night before.

 

When the comedy concluded so did we. We went back to the cabin and called it a night.

 

Before I fell asleep I said a prayer thanking God that I finally found something to plug into that little plug in the cabin’s bathroom. It turns out that my electric toothbrush works perfectly. Why didn't y'all put me on cruise cousins? Had me plugging my toothbrush in on the desk, brushing my teeth out there like I sell oranges and socks on the side of the freeway. Savage. 

 

 

 

 

I’m not positive, but I think the outlet in the Venezia bathrooms is different from the outlets in most Carnival ships’ bathrooms…

[PayneAS]

On 6/20/2024 at 9:55 PM, willdra said:

On a sad note, I realized it was time to say goodbye to my all time favorite Platinum VIFP gift. This sling bag. The mother effing GOAT of VIFP gifts. I discovered a hole forming in the seam by the strap. This bag has been with me since 2008. She has been all around the world and back. She’s family. She was free. “Taps” plays softly in the background. I don’t know how I’ll ever replace her. At this point I’m praying for her strength in the Lord, that she will last through this final voyage. She’s on life support about to transition to hospice. Long live the queen. A single tear drops from my eye onto her for dramatic effect.

 

I would find a tailor/seamstress/etc and fix that! It doesn't look unfixable. If they don't have their own shop, you can often find them near/in a drycleaners.

 

[Retired20]

I am so excited to see this new review of yours ! I have been eagerly waiting for it ! I have just finished page one and have already laughed out loud twice ! You are a fabulous writer ! I can’t wait to read more ans find out your opinion of boarding a ship in NY.

[willdra]

Venezia Day 3~ 2nd Sea Day

 

Our Diamond Brunch was at 11. I told W we could get up at 10. When my alarm rang I got up and W was already dressed. Guess I missed the “We’re waking up early memo”. I started doing what I do. Dis and dat. I’d gathered most of my life together the night before so I didn’t have too much to accomplish.

 

I was officially ready at 10:55 so that’s when we walked out. The event was held in the Marco Polo Restaurant, which we hadn’t seen yet. It was down on 3 Forward. I was glad that I threw one of the invitations in my bag, cuz they were actually collecting them at the door. They said they were checking to see if we had the 11:00am  or 1:00pm time slot. I dug out the invite to show that we had 11:00, and they took it. Swiper no swiping.

 

Walking in, I was trying to get in front of W but y’all know he can’t really hear me from behind. So he walks in behind a server who was going to seat him wherever they wanted. Meanwhile I’m behind W going “don’t sit there”. No response. So I tapped him and said let me find the table. That woke him up and broke the spell. I swear they glamoured him and all he was thinking was “Blue Moon Beer Blue Moon Beer”.

 

I chose a small table and we were good. We had other tables by us with options to converse but it wasn’t mandatory.

 

 

We sat and soon the drinks started flowing. The menu came out and W and I ordered the same thing which really tickled our Server. She couldn’t believe it. Welp there were only a few choices so…..yeah. Not so unbelievable after all.

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

When the bar servers came thru W ordered his beer and my blue margarita. He never got the first beer so he had to ask again. Once he started tipping tho, they returned more frequently to ask if we needed anything else. I got these cool red envelopes from the bank for the Chinese New Year that I thought would be good to use for special tips on the ship. I brought them for the cabin Steward, Bar Servers, or anyone else that we felt we wanted to give extra tips to. The envelopes were free and they just add a little razzle dazzle. We put their money in the envelopes and they really loved them. I’m glad I brought a lot of them with me. We needed them!

 

We ordered the Meatballs, BBQ Pot Roast and Shrimp, and the White Chocolate Bread Pudding.

 

That food was so good. The Pot Roast was tender and juicy. The grits underneath with the sauce had to be cooked by somebody’s southern Meema. They were very creamy and not gritty at all. Then the bread pudding came straight from Heaven. According to the menu, it came from Rudy’s Sea Grill. We went to Rudy’s Sea Grill on the Mardi Gras. I want to go back and kick my past self for not ordering that bread pudding if it was on the menu then. It was so yummy y’all. I wish I could’ve devoured it, but I couldn’t even put a dent in all that food. It was very filling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Money Envelope 

 

 

 

[willdra]

We stayed around about an hour. We interacted with the tables around us interjecting here and there. This is our preferred method of seating. Separate with the option of mingling. Just in case our neighbors are crazy.

 

At the conclusion of this magnificent brunch, W and I consolidated our beverages into the Yeti and my Carnival drink cup and just like the Autobots, we rolled out. Only this time we were slightly happier and we giggled way more than we did going in (and W could hear everything I said).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

W wanted to walk thru Serenity to see where we would not be sitting. I indulged him cuz I was still floating on that euphoric bread pudding cloud. It was so much nicer out that day so all the seats were taken. Good, bad, and indifferent. We continued the walk through and it netted a great big zero.

 

We went back to the elevators and selected Deck 11 as this was successful for us the day before. It still amazed me that on our 3rd day on this ship, people were just getting in the elevator and asking “Is this going down? Ok.” One guy just got on and said “Deck 10 and 11? Alright I will just walk down to 9” Then the other guy who was already in said “ Isn’t this crazy? This is not a real American elevator.” What the mess. I don’t know what that means. W and I just laughed. I can’t even begin to unravel that one for y’all. What, pray tell is a real American elevator? 

 

We got out on 11 and we found a seat right away. The DJ was bumping and some people were up dancing. I saw my dude across the way from the day before getting his groove on. The Jamaican family was actually over in that section so we would see what they were working with when they started spinning dem Caribbean beats.

 

Another cool thing about that area was the stage. When cruisers got the “spirit” they would get on the stage and start dancing. I loved that so much. It just goes to show how enjoyable it is to just vibe with the music and the energy.