Just off the Valor with Lots of Kids

[kellygirl3]

I have been diligently reading posts about the Valor for about seven months now and I am embarrassed to admit that several times on the boat something would strike me and I would think to myself “I need to remember to put this in my review”. I guess I should have taken notes because now that I am home, my brain has turned to mush. I wanted to post this in the family section because I had a hard time finding information about kids activities on the boat and islands. Here is my trip with as much detail as possible.

We are a group of 32 people, family and friends ages – 7 through 50+. We went on the trip to celebrate our kids graduating high school. We had about 10 High School seniors with us. The rest was brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, parents, etc.

Day 1 – Embarkation. We live in Florida so we all drove directly to the port. My brother-in-law dropped us off. Everything is very well marked and once the porters had our bags we headed inside. It was about 12:00 p.m. The lines were not long and seemed to move at a good pace. Our check in was a little confusing because we were traveling with so many people but it still moved quickly. Once you check in with Carnival you go upstairs and directly on to the boat. We then stood in a line on the outside on deck 3 – to get our room keys. From there we go into the lobby and stand in a line going to the Lincoln Dining room to get the sign and sail card. I was a little disappointed in this because in ruined the whole “seeing the lobby for the first time”. This line went quick also. We were with a large group and some of us ended up in a different dining room – so from the sign and sail line – we had to go to another room to wait and see if they would change our dining room. This was not “quick”. In fact we were sitting in this small room for over an hour. None of us had eaten or gotten to see much of the boat and by this time it was getting close to 3:00 p.m. When they finally called our name we were told that they could not help us for tonight but possible by tomorrow night. Sure enough – by Monday night we had notes in our rooms and everyone would be able to dine together.

We then went up to the deck and Rosie’s for some lunch. It was good – no lines at all. From there we watched the boat pull out and pass all of Miami Beach. It was beautiful. They had some music playing on the deck they did the limbo and some line dances. We all joined in from wherever we were standing and it was great to be off!

The muster drill was only about ten minutes and we were able to check out our cabin and some more of the ship. We had an inside cabin on deck 2 - with my husband and me and our two kids. It was smaller than the last inside cabin we had on carnival (but it was still bigger than Royal Caribbean). The kids had pull down bunks and there was plenty of closet space.

We got ready for dinner – we were in the Lincoln – 6:15 p.m. There are pro’s and con’s about both the early and late seating for dinner. With the early dinner you are in a bit of a rush – but with the later dinner I feel like I miss our on some of the evening entertainment. I liked the 6:15 – it was the later of the early dinners. Does that make sense???

Our dinner was great. The warm-chocolate melting cake is as good as everyone says. Our servers were good but not like I remember from previous cruises. The head-waiter – was quiet and it seemed as if he was new. He was still friendly and did a great job with a big group like ours. There were a few times that my son did not get his pizza – but he was always in a hurry to get to camp carnival anyway.

The entertainment the first evening was the Welcome Aboard Show. It was mostly the Cruise Director some of the dancers and a comedian at the end. It was funny and worth watching. After the show – we checked out the karaoke – the piano bar (a favorite for a lot of people) – the disco. Everyone just did their own thing and wandered around.

We did have to sign our kids up for the Camp Carnival. They are WAYYY to strict. We had two 12 year olds with us and one 11 year old. Obviously they wanted to be together. Carnival would not give an inch. We even talked to a manager and were told that there were over 100 kids in that age group and they just could not handle one more. Unfortunately this really affected the kids experience with camp carnival because they skipped a lot of the planned activities and opted to stay together. Plus, it was a little frustrating to find out that there were never more than 10 kids in the planned activities. They could have easily added one more.

Also – we were with a big group of eighteen year olds. However, my daughter is 16 and she did not want to do the Club O2 by herself. She wanted to go to the disco and dance with her brother and friends. This was not going to happen – they check photo id’s at the door of the disco – you HAVE to be eighteen to get in. You cannot even go in with your parent. This was disappointing because my daughter and I had planned on dancing together all night long. She was a good sport though and we enjoyed the piano-man.

We did not have a very good turnout for Karaoke on this boat. In fact, at times, it was painful. The Lindy-Hop/Piano Bar is fun but smoky! The other club – was Latin music and never seemed to have many people in there.

Day 2 – This was a day at sea. I woke up early and watched the sunrise. It was beautiful and peaceful and everyone should do this at least once. Because I was up so early, I was able to get great seats by the pool and we spent the day lounging in the sun, eating, and drinking. The kids did the waterslide and loved it. We did explore the boat and went to the “Name that tune” game and the free “Magical Makeover”. The ship is really cool. Lots of attention to detail and plenty of things to do. The lobby was smaller than others I have seen but it was 9 floors with a glass atrium at the top – it was really cool. I am sure it is just me but the faces kinda freaked me out.

Anyway – Day 2 dinner was Formal Night. Great meal – Lobster was my choice. After dinner we did the 80’s review show. IT WAS GREAT. The costumes and song choices were really fun. Also – the break-dancers brought the house down. They should have their own show. The lead female singer was not great. In fact, sometimes it was hard to listen – but the dancers and the male singer were so good it overshadowed her. After the show – the break-dancers do another small show in the lobby – it was also great. We did not get out there quick enough so my daughter and I rode the elevator up and down so we could keep watching.

Day 3 – Grand Cayman. We did not have anything planned so we woke up late and let all the excursion people get off the boat early. We headed down around ten – got right on a tender and headed over to the island. We walked around and did some shopping (Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville – Hard Rock, etc.). Some of our group were power shoppers and some just headed over to Senior Frog’s). My husband and kids and I took a $4 cab per person to seven mile beach. It was beautiful white soft sand and clear blue water but it was really crowded. The kids swam for a while and we only stayed for a couple of hours and met the rest of our group back at Senior Frog’s. What a wild party that was. The DJ was amazing – everyone was dancing and drinking – the kids were on the bar dancing. They had a BLAST. If you like to party – this was the place to be.

That night we booked the Scarlett’s Supper Club. There were 5 of us. The food was really, really, really good. The Lobster Bisque was my favorite. It was the best thing I had on the boat all week. It was pretty fancy and maybe even a little too stuffy for my tastes. It took a long time – almost three hours. We were tired and it was just so much food – I actually got sick. I would still recommend it to everyone – well worth the $30 – but maybe in smaller groups.

The show this night was a ventriloquist and a comedian. I did not make it – but others in my group enjoyed the show and this was everyone’s favorite comedian.

Day 4 – Roatan Honduras

This was by far the most beautiful of the islands. Lush tropical foliage and hilly terrain. We had no trouble getting off the boat as this island has a pier. We booked through victorboddentours.com – we were met at the end of the pier by Ms. McCoy who was our guide and she was the Real McCoy. We were picked up in an air-conditioned brand new mini-bus and taken on a little but of a tour on the way to the Zip Line. Our guide was very informative and the island is incredibly beautiful. When we got to the zip line we were told the price was $45 per person – I was told online the price would be $25 per person. Some of the kids with us only brought the $25 and Luckily, I had my email. Our guide spoke with the zip line operators and they agreed to let us go for the $25 per person. Apparently the mix-up was that there are two different zip lines and the $25 was sold out and this one is more extensive therefore more expensive. So, it seems we got a great deal. Don’t let anyone tell you this is an easy excursion because it is not. They have many men to help but you do need to have some strength to jump up and hold yourself in place while they hook you onto the lines at each of the stopping points. My sister and I are heavy and this was hard for us and I have to admit a little embarrassing. We did point out to the guys that a simple stool would have made things a lot easier. Oh well, we made it and it was worth the hard work. The views were amazing. With the guides help some of the kids went upside down and some got to do the “superman”. They loved it.

After this – we went to half-moon cay for lunch. We were supposed to snorkel but there was no time. We had such a large group zip-lining that it took almost all of our time. Lunch was great and the view was beautiful. We got back to the pier in time for some quick shopping.

That night - Dinner and Show – The show was the hypnotist. My son was picked. It was the funniest thing ever.

Day 5 – Belize

This was a tender island. This was the most confusing thing Carnival did. We stood in three different lines – and told three different things and finally just got on a boat with no sticker at all. This tender is a good twenty minute boat ride – and the boats have some speed so it was fun.

We booked through cave-tubing.com. They met us at the end of the pier and we got the VIP treatment. We passed a heard of people standing in lines. Went straight to our air-conditioned bus and headed out. Our guide Kevin was great. He makes the thirty minute drive fly by. I will say that Belize City was not much to look at but once we got into the mountains it was beautiful. We got our gear and headed up the trail for the cave-tubing. Again – I have heard that this was a short walk – it was not. It was about 35-40 minutes – up and down – rough terrain with mud and rocks. Several people fell but no-one was injured. It was hot and muggy and we could not wait to get into the water. The water was very cool and refreshing and just spectacular views. We all locked together and went through the caves. This was really something special. Everyone loved it. There were spots that went a little fast but mostly we floated along peacefully with our guides doing most of the work. We did have some shallow spots and had to “BUTTS UP” but the guides warned us and made it fun.

We were in the water about a 1 ½ hour and stopped at a local restaurant called Amiga’s for lunch. This was one of my favorite stops. The food was called in ahead – you got chicken with rice and beans for $5. The restaurant was a large tiki-style hut with a great breeze and I loved it because it was not “touristy” and was off the beaten path.

We got back to the pier for some quick shopping.

Back at the boat - had to rush to get ready for dinner. The show was a comedian and mo-town jazz singer but I skipped it. My sister went and she really liked it. That night was the deck party. What a disappointment. We waited forever listening to the reggae band that plays everyday on the deck. Then about 45 minutes late – the assistant cruise directors came out played like 4 songs some silly game and that was it. The deck party is usually one of my favorites so I was disappointed. On the other hand – the Mexican buffet was great – their chips and salsa were awesome.

Day 6 – Costa Maya Mexico.

This island had a pier so we just got off and headed straight down the pier. They have a great set-up here. I would say in another couple of years this is going to be a really great spot. There is still a lot of construction going on but it looks like they are doing it right. They have a pool with a swim-up bar and lot of shopping right at then end of the pier. We had booked Tequila Beach for the day. We had to take a bus to Muhuhual for $3 per person. Once there, Tequila beach is a short walk. The water was incredible clear and blue and we spent $25 per person for all you can eat and drink all day. We also rented a Sea-Doo and my husband loved it. I still have bruises – we had to go way out to ride and the water was really rough and of course my husband wanted to hit each wave full speed. It was terrifying – I think he may have been trying to kill me. You know – throw me off the boat and no one would ever find me. I was tough though and I held on for dear life. Warning to everyone – we put a lot of sun block on and still got really burned.

My son and a friend spent $15 for a boat ride out to a reef for about an hour of snorkeling. They loved it.

The rest of the group hung out at tequila beach. They played great music and danced and drank and had a great time. The Muhuhual village and shopping is a short walk and we all did some shopping there. The prices were good.

I am disappointed I was not able to get the massage on the beach. I really could have used it after the sea-doo ride but we ran out of time.

Dinner that night was formal and we were kinda rushed. We were all red and tired and probably would have enjoyed formal dinner more if it had been on the last night. The show this night was a tribute to nightclubs. It was really good. The two main singers were totally different people than the first night’s show and a lot better. We snuck my daughter into the disco that night and we danced all night long.

Last day at sea –

We had a much needed day of rest. I really don’t remember signing up for the “extreme cruise” but somehow I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. We spent no time on deck because we were all burned. We checked out the massage chairs more than once and had a nice relaxing day. Dinner was great although a little sad to know it was our last night.

My son (age 12) had made several friends in the Club O2 – this is the arcade/older kids area. They did some scavenger hunts and had parties with fru-fru drinks. He had a great time and always seemed to have something to do in the evenings. He got email addresses and has already swapped cruise pictures with some of his new friends.

Disembarkation went really smooth – no lines at all just a steady long walk. We did not do the self-assist. We just waited in Rosie’s for our tag color to be called and were off the ship by 10:00 a.m. Customs was a breeze as they were trying to get us all through quickly.

Cons – I was really looking forward to 24 hour sushi – and it was not 24 hours. It was from 5-8 which was the time we were getting ready for dinner and having dinner. Some in our group had it for appetizers but I never got there. Maybe next time.

Never met our cabin steward but he did a good job. We did not have towel animals every night – but almost!

Dinner waiter – I missed the great personalities you usually get with the wait staff. Ours were quiet and more reserved but they still did a good job.

Favorites: Traveling with so many friends and family. Everyone got along really well and the cruise was a perfect fit for so many different ages and interests. There really was something for everyone.

I loved all four islands but I really was tired and I felt like we were on the go all the time. With so many kids, I think this worked out perfect. I did not hear “Mom – I’m bored” once!!!!

The ship was immaculate – great décor – I like the extra color and pizzazz it adds to the feeling on being on vacation.

Sorry this turned out to be soooooo long. I don’t know how – but if I left something out, let me know I would be happy to answer any questions.

[Echo Queen]

Thanks for your long review, I enjoyed the whole thing:D We will be going to Roatan for the first time on our next cruise, thanks for the info.

[crusinmama06]

Welcome back. :) And thanks for the great review. So are you ready to start planning your next cruise?

[abitaturbodog]

Great review! It's good to see that you focused on the kids activities. I can never find enough information about them.

[jdonia0771]

Wow, very detailed review! we are going to the eastern one in 20 days (4/22) we are bringing a 18 1/2 month old. He loves music and kids and lights and water LOL:o

[rebeccalouise]

I know it is disappointing to parents when their kids can't be together. It is understandable with that many children on board why they have to adhere to strict age limits. If they do it for one person- they must do it for all. It would be problematic.

 

I sailed on Celebrity off season, in May of 2005. Because there were only 30 kids on board, they did allow two brothers (ages 4 and 7 to be together) to be together. It was nice for them.