All things Valor

[desperatehousewife]

Fun Day At Sea

 

Slept in a little…got up when we felt like it. Showered and decided it was a lazy deck day.

Put our suits on and cover-ups and headed to eat. Went to Deck 11 which was our new resting spot. Right in back of the railing , facing the main lower deck and kinda off to the side of the water slide.

Perfect b/c we were front and center with the band that played on the other side, not too windy, bar waiters still could find us, bathrooms were close as were the water fountains!!

Slathered up in my #50 sunblock….that sun is STRONG off that water.

Got super comfy in my deck chair next Eric who was determined to finish his book today….and hailed the nearest bar waiter walking past.

My favorite drink had become the Miami Vice,,,which is ½ pina colada and ½ strawberry daiquiri …YUM-O! ( that and the mango tango)

Sat back and opened my book …again…

This phenomenon kept happening time this avid reader every time I opened a book on this vacation…

I think it was laced with a sleeping gas or something because , without fail, every time I got 5 pages into this book, I fell asleep!!!

Not out of boredom…as I was totally intrigued right for the get go!!

But the warmth, the rocking, the music……something just happens…..and today was no different.

I flipped over to try and stay awake and cover the other side of my flesh. Eric reapplied the lotion and announced he was off duty…threw a towel over his face and was out.

Thanks bud…

This was …O..maybe 2:30 ish?

It was contagious because the next thing I remember is the ding of the alarm that comes on when there is an announcement. Prior to dinner each night there is an onslaught of ’em by the cruise director.

I groggily sit up and see Eric is still passed out as well.

I sit up and instantly feel the sting of seared flesh…..

I wince and turn over my shoulder and am blinded by my own body’s reflections back at me!

The sun had penetrated right through that #50 as if it was water and I was fried like and egg…

Horrible thing was…I wore my cute little mini skirt suit this day. It is a regular bikini but the bottom is a mini skirt, so when I had laid, instead of keeping it up .. the wind had blown it down and I had a fluorescent horizontal line straight across my very high upper thigh.

Then.. if that was not enough…. One leg was redder than the other … BY FAR!!!

Don’t know why, or how, but it just was….

Finally, my top strap in back had been bothering all day ( itchy) so I kept yanking on it earlier and must have continued to do so in my sleep as well because I had two distinct marks left from the strap!!

 

The cherry on top was tonight was our last formal night… and I was wearing the sea green/blue dress,and it has NO BACK!!!!

CLASSY…….a striped lobster served sizzling, sunny side up. FAB…

Of course , I immediately had to blame someone and Eric was next to me so I shoved him awaked!!!

“Hello?!?”

“WHAT!?????” ( Very alarmed… was the ship sinking maybe?)

“Look at me!!!!”

“Woa..Your fried babe…” and his head goes back down.

I shove him harder, again…

“What!!?”

“What am I going to do!!?”

(Confused look…blank stare) “ About what?”

“”About WHAAAT!??!””” ( Almost shrieking) “ It’s FORMAL NIGHT!!!”

“Awe…babe….you’ll be fine, we brought aloe!” ( He states cheerfully and as if that was the answer that solves world hunger)

“Aloe….” (said Dryly by me)

“Yep”…( smile) “ You’ll be fine… but we better get moving, it’s late! You probably supposed to reapply that stuff ….”

 

Ya think???????

 

So…..formal night was a challenge this night but ended up great anyhow.

I got a million compliments on my dress….women were stopping me everywhere!!I was so happy I had then especially.

You would not believe how comfortable this dress is too! Feel like a silk nightgown….

So here are the pics..

 

 

 

Hmmm...someone looks a little RED!!!!!(even on the front!)

We went to a show this evening again and then we went to the Midnight Gala Buffet. This is where all the chefs ( 100 something of them) display all their creations and works of art.

Ice sculptures, carvings….beautiful…then people dive into it like vultures!

 

Show in theater

 

 

 

[desperatehousewife]

Midnight Gala Buffet....

 

 

 

 

[desperatehousewife]

 

 

 

 

[desperatehousewife]

 

 

 

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[desperatehousewife]

 

 

 

[desperatehousewife]

Day At Sea

 

This was to be our last day at sea and woke to very overcast skies… a thick blanket.

No biggie as I was fried to bits still and was having no part of the sun today anyhow!

We ate and decided to pack our stuff to get it over with.

Well that ended up taking a lot longer than anticipated and we weren’t done until 2pm

( began at 12pm.) Luggage has to out by midnight that night if you do not plan on carrying it off yourself… which we did not.

We walked around a little more and then ate a long lunch by the windows… knowing it would be our last.

Then we decided to go visit the coffee bar for dessert and a coffee one last time.

We got an enormous piece of carrot cake and a latte and sat in the galley there and people watched, talked and reminisced about the trip thus far.

We talked about the kids and coming home and how soon we wanted to do this again.

We giggled and joked about the girl at the coffee bar who was STILL making eyes at Eric….

 

Eventually we headed back to the room to get ready for our last dinner.

It is such a sad feeling!!

 

There was a knock at the door as soon as I got out of the shower and I hear Eric talking to someone…

Curious me wraps a towels around… big towel and goes to peek..it’s Chantai, the room steward.

I hear Eric saying “Ok” , but Chantai looks so upset and he was talking about “ glasses”.

I come into view and he looks so relieved to see me… I say hello and ask what is wrong?

He then goes into this almost tearful explanation about dusting our granite coffee table today ( In broken English because he is upset)and he “ knock glasses off and they separate…I so sorry!! I pay for them!”

 

Eric is saying something about it being okay… just send maintence to fix the table….

 

HUH?

 

I look at the table and see my sunglasses...

Yesterday I had broken them, the arm had come off , and I had folded them together and set them on that table… thinking I might fix them later with my eyeglass kit and forgot.

 

OH!!

He thinks he broke the sunglasses!!

 

“Oh Chantai!! Are you talking about these?” I hold up the broken glasses and it almost hurt him, you could tell, to see them broken again.

“Yeas, ma’am! I sorry…. ( bowing) They fell and separate…”( making a swirling dusting motion w/ his hand.

 

I want to cry…

“Chantai, O Chantai, You, did NOT break these glasses.. I did yesterday!!!” I proceed to tell him the whole story as the relief pours across his honest face.

 

“O..phew…Ok…O…(Big smile,wipe forehead, bow) Thank you Ma’am, thank you!”

He proceeds to tell us the story again, only in more detail this time. He was dusting our room and got to the table… the glasses were knocked off and fell to the floor and separated. He was horrified, put them back on the table and called his supervisor and told him. His supervisor told him “ You must talk to the guest this evening” and that is what he was doing.

We offered to call the supervisor and explain he did not do it. He said he would explain.

 

Now, this tells you how serious they take these jobs…they were sunglasses.

I may have never noticed what had happened, say I had NOT broken them.

He did not have to call his supervisor and fess up, he certainly could have walked away.

The next day we did follow up just to make sure he was fine and I did talk to head of housekeeping just to say how impressed I was with his integrity and overall.

 

I think people are so quick to complain …. We should be as quick to praise

[desperatehousewife]

Eric had picked out this dress for me….

You know how Curt is always talking about women dressing for themselves vrs. dressing for their men?

Well, this was one of those instances that this was soley for Eric.

Now, I will say, I would not have worn it if I did not feel comfortable in it as I could not have “worked it” let’s say… but I would not wear this out with the girls by any means either…

He was putty in my hands in this dress….

It was all black, so I had to add some color near my face which I did with turquoise chandelier earrings and a sparkly turquoise necklace , purse and wrap that I used with the sea green gown. ( Maximize!)

 

 

 

So, here we are headed to the dining room after a million pics (only 1 of which I would purchase for home btw…too revealing for the walls!!) . Surprisingly, I had again gotten a ton of compliments of not only the dress but my accessories as well and Eric was beaming.

We are walking smoothly into the dining room from the main hallway…there is this threshold that ties the two rooms together….

As I cross it I trip over it in front of many people and nearly fall flat on my face…bear tushie in the air…

Luckily I was holding Eric’s arm/ elbow as I did every night and that is what saved me, but believe you me, everyone still noticed…. And one of the girls could have come flying out easily!!!!!

Sad, sad thing is… the hostess busted out laughing because I had tripped over that stupid freakin’ thing every single night that week on my entrance into that place… no lie.

I was so concentrating on everything else, and am such a ditz that I would just sail right through it and my heel caught it every single time!!!

[desperatehousewife]

That last night at dinner was a blast because they make a big production out of it.

The waiters do a big farewell song and dance…and handed out a souvenir placemat picture that was actually really pretty .It is a beach scene with our cruise ship in the background, done in watercolor.

We are going to mat and frame it as it looks like a picture!

We said goodbye to everyone reluctantly, promising to request them if we are ever back on the Valor.

We had pre-paid our gratuities when we booked our cruise, but we made sure to hand our waiter Komar a large extra tip and told him how much we appreciated his excellent service. He was very appreciative.

We did also tip our Hostess and MaitreD. The Hostess because she was part of our wedding ceremony and made sure we had whatever we needed all week long. The MaitreD came up to us in the beginning and congratulated us and had given us a table for 2 w/o asking upon leaning of our vow renewal.

 

We made a final stop at the ‘Java’ for one last latte and headed for a stroll.

We went to the Photo Gallery (located on deck 4) to say goodbye to our wedding photographer ‘Romy’ form the Philippines. I ADORED him as well as he was the one who had taken all of our pics and had turned our day into something we would be able to hold onto forever, as he captured it magically on film (digitally speaking of course).

 

 

Romy, the photographer

 

 

 

Made a quick stop at the room to freshen up and drop off the camera. Looked for Chantai, who was usually around at this time as we found him like usual.

He asked him how everything was and he brightly reassured us that everything was “very good Ma’am….I feel so ma’ better!!” He also told us that his boss had told him of the compliments we had given him, and his eyes just sparkled when he relayed that to us, so I felt good.

We handed him and envelope with an extra huge tip in it and expressed our extreme gratitude and admiration of him. I thought he was going to cry, and he bowed so much it made me dizzy. I loved him….

 

 

At 10:30 we had plans to meet with our CC roll call group one more time, but only the few close ones of us showed up. (Jim and Joni form Buffalo New York, and “Crazy” Kelly from RI!!)

We met at the Bronx Bar and then decided we would all go scope out the Penthouse Suite Eric and I had scored, as who knew when any of us would ever see a category 12 on a Conquest class ship again!

(I would post all their pics but do not have their permission)

After given them a firm warning of “flung” undies (as we still had a few items set out for Miami tomorrow and later that night) we proceeded to the room.

I showed them every little nook and cranny of our room…..

 

Crown Molding in Room...

 

 

View standing at the door looking straight . Balcony door straight ahead...

Messy b/c we were packing...sorry RI!!!

 

 

Stopping at middle of last photo and turning left.

Also, this is how they turn down the bed every single night...those are Carnival Capers for the next day and mints.

 

Standing at the foot of the bed and turning right. Here you see the another full length,floor to ceiling window in addition to the balcony window.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed these people!!!

We miss them sooooo much, and we so lucky to have spent the week with them I can’t tell you.

Jim and Joni are the one we spent all our tours with and they were incredible and gave us so many laughs…. incredible people.

After much drooling , ohhh’s’s and ahhhh’s and visiting, they left because luggage had to be out by 12 midnight and they were not all packed yet.

We said out goodbyes, and they went off down the hall as the sad, “ walk into the sunset” music played from somewhere I could not tell. I miss them!

Eric and retired to the balcony one more time for some gazing …………

[desperatehousewife]

Closeup of beautiful lamp on granite bedside tables. Both reading light and full room light.

 

Whirlpool tub/shower...Granite apron and tile border.

 

Inside tub...

Inside view to shower ...

 

(Ahem....)

Bidet....

[desperatehousewife]

Border..

 

 

Granite double bowl sinks ...corner storage in glass shelves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stepping directing out of bath and this is the dressing area. To the righ is a wall of closets that incluse a shoe closet. A hairdryer was hidden in one of these drawers.

Closets...

[desperatehousewife]

Light surrounding mirror...

Another view of crown molding and wood...

 

Reccessed lighting....

Standing near foot of bed to shoot this picture...

This houses a VCR/DVD combo ( I know CURT..they lied!!),storage and the safe above the TV.

 

 

Shooting from same location except a few steps to the left toward couch and turning to the left towards the main door.

 

 

[desperatehousewife]

Standing back at the couch ... looking towards the main door now. Behind hose pillars to the right there is a huge mirror.

View in our room to the balcony....

 

View at the far end of the balcony... I could only go so far!!

 

 

This is outside our cabin door....considering we were almost exactly midship, that sure is a hell of a lot of rooms when you consider this is only 1 direction.

If you turn your head the other way..... the hall looks the same.

 

I guess you have to put 2,974 passenger and 1,180 crew somewhere!!:eek:

[desperatehousewife]

Debarkation

 

Awoke early around 6:00am to shower one last time in my huge bathroom…

It was a pretty day outside and we were already docked and an overwhelming sense of finality came over both of us.

You know it is coming.. and you know it has to end, I mean we are adults and are aware that we can’t just cruise forever.

But, wow… you just are not prepared for the rush of emotion that sweeps over you when you see that land again that brought you on this wonderful ship the first time. Stepping on it now will have a different meaning and feeling….

But, we have no choice and we have to just take a deep breath… walk out to our balcony again, and inhale, deeply. Look around and realize how lucky we are, we have been on this amazing trip, seen amazing things that some people have never seen and may never see.We have seen them with amazing people who have touched our lives and will forever be in our hearts and part of our memories. Best of all, we are lucky because we have a family waiting for us at home that misses us, that needs us, and has been telling us they love us every day.

Let’s get home, work hard and bring these kids on this amazing adventure!!

 

They will have given you colored luggage tags either with your docs or , in our case, on the last night as we were TBA. If you are not doing the self assist debark, they will call people by colors.

 

We headed for the Lido by 7am for the last buffet and to wait for our color.

Chris, our CD, makes an announcement @around 7:30 that we have not yet received clearance from customs.

It was quite awhile, but eventually we did receive clearance and the announcement was made that those wishing to participate in self-assist may go ahead and proceed to the gangway on deck #3 at this time… NOT deck #0, which is usually where you go to get off for port days.

30 min or so later, they began calling colors, and to be perfectly honest with you I could not tell you in what order or fashion they called them because I was way to busy talking on my phone to my kids, then to other passengers, then eating ice cream, and then talking to Eric about how soon we were going to book another!!!!!!

To be real honest again, I was in no hurry to leave!!!

There was sun, music, food, and a beautiful view as always….

But, eventually I did hear Chris come on and announce Empress Forward ( O.. so that is where I was on the ship, FORWARD.. there ya go, I just realized for those of you who were gonna ask, I would have said” I dunno, the moving side… but now I know!!!!!Just had a photographic image of the tag…)

So, we got up, this time with the carry-ons that we gave away to the porter the 1st time, and proceed in a thin line to an elevator, immediately got one.. down .. across, waved goodbye and off the ship we were just like that.

 

Now, you move quickly in reverse the same way you come in… only there is no VIP for those getting off the ship, lemme’ tell ya! So once again, we were just Eric and Heather w/o high roller status, as we had been stripped of crowns . We lugged our baggage begrudgingly and quietly behind us…everyone is moving like cattle going to the slaughterhouse!!!

I wanted to get up and yell happy thoughts!!

It’s okay everyone!! We can come back!!!

It wouldn’t have mattered… so I just followed…

 

You head to a large bay where you will see thousands of bags… they will be marked by poles with your color tag. You go , get your stuff and your done.

Got to customs and passed right on through.

 

*****This is the only complaint I have the entire cruise right here…..*****

As we were exiting the cargo building or whatever it is.. we were just about outside with our hundred or so bags and we were having a hard time.

You just passed through customs, you have all these vital docs out and you are trying to lug all this crap. Well, we stopped ( very wide space..very wide, not a narrow line to hold people up) to put the docs away. This Carnival “woman” literally yanks my sleeve and bellows in a deep man voice “Keep it moving people, figure it out outside…” and guides me by my sleeve out the door, like a kindergartener in a field trip line!!!!!!!

My husband yells “hey, watch it lady!!….Real nice! Thanks for your money, now get the hell off, huh?”

Several people behind us who saw the whole thing were gaping and said they could not believe she just did that and what a horrible impression that leaves!! They went on and on and kept saying stuff to her….we walked away.

 

Now, I am intelligent enough to , yes be offended at that behavior..yes, but I also would never let that incident taint an entire cruise or cruiseline. I love Carnival and their staff.. this was an idiot and worth mentioning for that alone, having nothing to do with Carnival.

But Eric was right, maybe Carnival should be made aware.. other people may not be as understanding and look for negative things.

 

 

Made it right onto a shuttle for $9 pp to the airport w/o any prob…some guy just walked right up to me and asked. Same thing happened at our hotel too!! I was liking this…. It was like magic, they appear outta nowhere with big ol’ smiles!!

 

Get to the Miami airport and go straight the counter. Very handsome Latin man behind the counter and Eric is rollin’ his eyes, I can feel them…don’t need to look.

We (I) briefly converse with him and he tells Eric to put the luggage on the scale. This time, I am not even worried b/c I was fine before and had lbs to spare. First couple go on.. gets to my red on and he frowns…

“Hmm…this is 61lbs, it’s 11lbs over the limit.” He says pointedly.

“What? “ I said with composed hysteria in my voice..

“Yes, Ma’am…11 lbs. 50lbs is the limit” he says.

I think quickly and decide a breakdown is not the way to go here….( which I was really close to)

I start to laugh it off and smile like crazy at him and make some comment about shopping and having no self control…

Eric almost chokes out the gum he is chewing because of the way I kinda related the two ( had to be there I guess) and stifles a laugh because he knows me and knows what I am trying to do….

The handsome counter guy is intrigued with my short little animated tale and smiles form ear to ear….

“ I’ll tell you what guys”, as he leans closer as if about to spill top secret info..

“ No fee this time, but next it will be $50” said with a wink.

Ahhh yes, thank you sir….

We walk off happily and Eric is laughing and shaking his head…..

 

Plane ride was uneventful except for the fact that we were on a sardine can compared to the other plane. It seemed to last forever!

Finally arrived in good ol’ Chicago ahead of schedule and the driver was waiting for us as planned.

Arrived home …kids came from every direction, excited and overjoyed to see us.They jumped on us and almost knocked us down, their faces as bright as the North Star with love and happiness at the sight of us…and suddenly, that ship seemed very, very far away, and finally.. that was ok.

 

 

 

~ THE END ~

[corinnv]

WOW great photos! we were on Valor Oct 07. It was fantastic! We are looking to book her again. Richard Simmons is so funny! He really sticks out there in his outfit in downtown St. Thomas!

[moniquet]

Thanks for that amazing review:) . I was on the Valor in January and it was like reliving it all again. Great pics

[sallies64]

What a great review. It was a interesting and informative way to pass a boring morning at work.

 

I am taking my first cruise on the Valor in May. We are doing the Exotic Western route. I just can't wait. Only 10 weeks to go:D

 

Sallie

[dec2007w3boys]

Wow - Now this is a review! Thank you so much. We sailed the Valor this past November, now I remember how much I miss the ship. :( Plus we are on the Freedom this Nov and have rooms on the Lido and Panarama deck. I can use your one picture to show my dad how close his room is to the pool.

[desperatehousewife]

Thanks!

Glad everyone liked it!:D

[2boys2girls]

I've got to tell you...that was the best review I've ever read!!

I don't think I've ever laughed so hard...my kids kept asking me what was so funny on the computer!!

We are going on the Valor...same itinerary...in April and so it was great to read about the ship and the ports and the great Carnival employees.

I don't know what you do for a living, but with the way you write, you should be a writer for the late night shows---you were great!!!:)

[MAO]

Nando52 thank you for the sentimental review of the Valor, sound like you loved this ship. Hope you have an awesome time this next time on her.

Desperatehousewife, What can I say that was more than I could have ever asked for. Awesome!!! Thanks you for the pics, fun and information. To be honest I have to read some more but wanted to thank EVERYONE for adding to this thread.

Now anyone else have any fond memories or pics they want to add??:D

LETS KEEP IT GOING!.

Thanks

[PickUpNgo]

Wow, that was a wonderful, wonderful review. Going on the same cruise in October 08 and this was by far the most helpful and thorough review I have come across. Thank you so much. :D

[illiniwahoo]

is there an adults only pool on the Valor? Is it actually enforced?

[MzOhioLady]

Desparatehousewife - That was a Darn Good Review. Very Informative and Funny at the same time. I loved the pictures! The DH and I were on the Valor in 2005 and are thinking of going back in September.

[Irish708]

We did the Eastern on the Valor last year, and I loved it so much I booked Western the week I got back. Loved Joyce Prince in St Maarten too! Can't wait to go back on the Valor !

 

Thanks for rekindling the memories!:D

[Kcarp]

Great pics & review. Thanks for sharing!