Valor Review - 22 June

[YOW]

Here is Part I of our June 22 Western Caribbean sailing aboard Carnival Valor:

 

14 years ago I cruised for the first time. It wasn’t a voluntary effort – I was the best man at a wedding that had morphed into an elopement and honeymoon at sea. We sailed aboard Carnival’s Celebration, a robust enough ship if not first class, and while the experience was memorable from the camaraderie of our group as well as some lively times at sea and in port, I still wasn’t quite sold on the idea of cruising.

 

A decade on, I’d been married and traveled Europe and North America extensively with my wife, and, in looking for a warm-weather getaway from the Canadian winter, we decided to try a cruise. The rest, as they say, is history. That cruise, aboard Celebrity’s Constellation, was truly special, and since then we’ve developed a pattern of alternating land and sea vacations.

 

We’d tried other lines, toggling between Celebrity and a list of industry stalwarts such as Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian; but somehow had regarded the original player in the market, Carnival – with whom I’d sailed that first time – as more of a ‘party boat’ and not a serious contender for our ideal cruise of good food and service.

 

A pitch by an energetic and entertaining Carnival rep at a cruise trade show, though, did put a positive image of Carnival in our minds, a successful endeavour by the line to change its reputation. For a couple of years we’d at least included Carnival in the mix when considering various itineraries.

 

Finally this year, in looking at what to do for Jen’s 35th birthday in June, a Carnival itinerary emerged to the forefront, its only competition being an all-inclusive resort vacation in either Mexico or Costa Rica. In the end, we did the math and decided that, for a comparable per-diem, we would go with the Carnival cruise.

 

Knowing what little I allegedly do about writing and supposedly even less about reading (though I do own a library card, so does that not place this writer in exclusive company?), it is painfully clear that rough adventures make for better entertainment than smooth travels. Thus it would have been much easier (and sickly pleasurable for you the reader) if we'd experienced ptomaine poisoning in an otherwise abhorrent dining scene, been exposed to ghastly god-awful decor, and been tormented by downright belligerent service (see our review of Grand Princess).

 

Would that I could come in and do a hatchet job, looking down from my lofty perch casting smarmy observations of the ship's decor and the nasty clientele who emerged from under god-knows-what rock; be deliciously evil in critiquing what the cruise line tries to pass off as cuisine; or telling tales of being hijacked on the Belize Highway or chased by ferocious monitor lizards in Roatan.

 

With great regret and sadness for my once-entertained audience, however, I will not be able to do any of those in this article.

 

After a smooth journey (sigh) to Miami we enjoyed a superb dinner at Grimpa, the Mary Brickell Village venue of a Brazilian rodizio house, whose wide array of meat, seafood, gourmet antipasti bar and mighty caipirinha cocktails – not to mention service rivaling that aboard ship – got the holiday off to a proper start.

 

Inevitable throughout the region this time of year is the heat -- actually it's not so much the heat that gets you, of course, but the humidity. In the absence of cruises departing from the desert, though, we'll take Miami and find ways to acclimatise. Actually we enjoy Miami very much, always have. Its multicultural flavours and colours make Miami one of the most enticing destinations in North America, with scenery, dining, shopping and nightlife famous the world over for good reason.

 

Carnival Valor home-ports out of Miami year round, and was launched in 2004 specifically for cruising in the Caribbean. She alternates with Eastern and Western itineraries, and we'd opted for the latter, meaning a seven-day sailing out of Miami that would call on Grand Cayman; Roatan; Belize; and Cozumel.

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

 

Our first impressions of Carnival in general, and of Valor in particular, were quite favourable. Embarkation procedures were simple and smooth, and while we waited in the large reception area for boarding to commence, Carnival staff were running a trivia game and acknowledging weddings and anniversaries being celebrated this trip. Here we met a couple, Josh and Harumi, who were in the process of relocating to Okinawa, Josh having just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. We'd get to spend more time with Josh and Harumi throughout the cruise -- hope you two have arrived and are settling in well!

 

And while sitting in the boarding area, I spotted a blonde-haired Carnival employee in a blue polo shirt – remember the aforementioned energetic sales rep? This looked just like her. But what were the odds? And yet Jen saw her from a distance as well, and noted that she looked awfully familiar. Later once aboard ship I saw the same woman in the Lido area, approached her at the coffee stand and asked if we’d met at a cruise show in Ottawa a few years back. Indeed, we had – small world! I thanked her for planting the seed in our minds about giving Carnival a try, and she thanked us for remembering. We don’t often get to see the fruits of our labour in such clear terms, especially years down the road in seemingly random occurrences, and the rep’s enthusiasm at that show was matched by her genuinely pleased reaction of our presence on this cruise. Seemed as good as anything to be a sign of positive experiences to come.

 

International maritime standards -- law of the sea, if you will -- require all cruise passengers to proceed immediately on boarding to the Lido deck for a meal. This is done so that the safety of the crew will not be jeopardised by starving passengers creating a stampede at the close of the muster drill. And judging from some of the pax at that muster, the secondary benefit of said meal is so that people can begin their drinking early and not on an empty stomach.

 

Lido dining options on Carnival, however, provide more than the meat-and-potatoes for which the line once had a certain reputation. We counted nine different venues from which to procure lunch, beginning with the standard burgers and fries by the pool as well as the buffet (four lines, actually, which we're counting as only one venue) which rotated themes on a daily basis and whose offerings were fairly standard for the industry. Our first meal aboard ship was a bit of this and a bit of that, shared by a table for four to sample what we were in for during the next week. While I'll save much of the details on dining for later, suffice it to say for now that we were not disappointed.

 

Lest I should go along, however, with the cliché that Carnival’s ‘Fun Ships’ are a nonstop party. The reputation that the line earned some time ago has taken quite a while to live down, and some die-hard aficionados of other cruise lines swear they will never set foot on Carnival for this very reason. Times change, however, and cruising has evolved with the times. The booze-cruisers tend to flock to the 3-, 4-, and 5-day cruises, while on sailings of a week or longer it is far more common to see families, couples, and those who are looking for more than simply a rum-fest.

 

The new Carnival, without sounding like a marketing campaign, competes for the cruise passenger’s dollar (or pound, euro, yen, or kroner) on the same stage and scale with rivals Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and yes, even Celebrity. Carnival’s dining has won several awards as of late, and we found the selection, presentation, food, service, and ambience to be above-par in most areas. Again, more on the food in a bit.

 

DÉCOR

 

What hasn’t changed about Carnival’s ships is a penchant for wild décor, bright colours and whimsical features which bear the signature of the line’s longtime interior architect, Joe Farcus. You can’t help but notice you’re on a Farcus ship, be it on Carnival or sister line Costa, as the experience is more akin to being at a them park – for some, “It’s a Small World After All,” while for others it’s “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.”

 

With Carnival Valor, Farcus chose the theme of ‘Heroes and Heroism.’ In viewing photos of the ship pre-cruise, what often stands out at first are the use of American icons such as eagles and the Stars and Stripes. ‘Too American’ have been the comments of more than one who’s either sailed aboard her or simply seen the previews. We had our thoughts going in, not that it would be overly patriotic necessarily, but that these décor themes can and do sometimes yield some fairly kitschy results.

 

In walking through at first glance, however, the Atrium and its surroundings did not scream out ‘tacky’ or ‘over the top’ – yes, the schemes were bright and lively, and while not every item or idea worked for us, (and when does something please everyone?), the composite reaction was one of “yes, we’re on a cruise ship.” No, this was not a Celebrity ship, no mistaking about that; nor was it Royal Caribbean or even NCL. That is what branding is all about, creating an identity that uniquely identifies the product in the mind of the consumer. Mission accomplished for Carnival.

 

The nine-deck-high Atrium serves many functions, primarily as the hub of the ship’s social life. The shops, photo gallery, theatre, purser’s desk, shore excursions, the casino, and one dining room ring the lobby on three decks, while a bar and a stage on the main level are the centerpiece. A boulevard leads from the lobby towards other entertainment venues of the ship, such as the nightclub, piano bar, jazz bar, cigar bar, sushi, coffee, and aft lounge. Certain venues, such as the aft dining room, are accessed from different decks, and with the midship dining room taking up decks three and four, one has to do some walking and detouring in a ‘can’t get there from here’ manner. This is a sticky point for some passengers, who complain about a lack of flow. Others – and I’ll put myself in this latter grouping – have come to the conclusion that, as on other ships of this size such as Grand Princess, breaking up the flow actually helps create more intimate spaces.

 

At times, such as immediately before each dinner seating, the lower level and some of the galleries can get a bit crowded. A factor in this crowding, and a detracting point of the ship as we found, was the lack of access from the Atrium to exterior decks. Only two doors, in fact, allow access to the promenade on deck three, one each on port and starboard; with no passageway via the aft or bow of the ship, these decks are used only as an afterthought, forcing more traffic through the Atrium and interior corridors. Traditional cruisers who seem against the whole ‘Profit Centre’ movement in the industry would lament this deck issue far more than would we. Still, it would have been nice to have a wraparound promenade deck, either in full or at with access to other interior areas from another end.

 

... to be continued...

[Vidimom]

WOW, what a fantastic start to a review! Are you a professional writer in real life disguising yourself as a Cruise Critic? I am really looking forward to the continuation of your adventure!

 

Looking forward to more soon!

[SheilaInAL]

Loving your review on the Valor so far! Wish I was on her again! Look forward to seeing the rest of the review (and I love the way you express yourself!)

[brnsnbrws]

Looking forward to the rest of your review. We are sailing on Valor 11/09.

[MzOhioLady]

I am truly loving this review. You have such a broad spectrum of colorful words. You really capture the readers attention! Great Start, I'll be looking forward to more of this review!!

[TakeMeAway1001]

Great review so far, can't wait to read more :)

[YOW]

Glad you're enjoying ... here's Part II:

 

CABINS

 

Leaving the elevator/stairwell lobbies, which are decorated in bright yellows and oranges with brass eagle gargoyles and red-white-and-blue marble inlay floors, the corridors to the passenger cabins are relatively subdued in comparison. The cabins themselves continue the burnt orange scheme, and have more space than those offered by the competition (10-30% more in comparison to Celebrity, NCL, and Royal Caribbean). Closet and drawer space is ample, and the washroom is functional if a bit bland (Celebrity's is nicer with more amenities, and NCL's is perhaps the best with its separate shower and toilet areas). In-cabin television had more channels than offered by Celebrity or NCL, and offered in its 'services' the dining room menus as a preview (because one has to think about eating when not eating). Our stateroom attendant, Ellsworth from Belize, was a cheerful fellow who did an outstanding job of taking care of us -- he even set up the room decorations for Jen's birthday, which took her by surprise as we were returning from shore at Grand Cayman.

 

DINING ROOMS

 

Our original dining assignment was in the aft dining room, preferable because of its two-story wraparound windows, but at a larger table. Being a birthday cruise and because of the frame of mind we were in this time, we waited through a bit of a queue for the maitre d’ and with a "buona sera" and a "grazie" we arranged a table for two on balcony rail of the upper level, right above the captain's table and looking out onto the whole dining room. My partial colour-blindness may have come in handy, as I'm told the room's scheme came out a bit pinker than some had hoped. With the evening sun streaking in, however, the early sitting was a pleasurable ambience. And despite the need to turn around for a second seating, the crew never seemed to rush us through or out of a service. Leila from Estonia and Putu from Bali were our wait team, and while we had enjoyed the 'dine when you want, where you want' style on NCL, it was a pleasure to have a team for the duration of the cruise that got to know us and we got to know in return. Thus, while 'anytime dining' is becoming more common in the industry, it is this aspect of traditional cruising that we perhaps most enjoy.

 

With all that said, you the reader are asking, what about the food?

 

Succinctly put, the dining room put on a consistently strong service every night.

 

From the first appetizer after embarkation straight through to dessert on the last evening, the food was consistently served at the proper temperature, consistently timed with neither wait not rush, and consistently had the flavour and depth that one would desire in shipboard cuisine.

 

Noticing a 'consistent' theme?

 

Standout soups included the asparagus veloute, lobster bisque, French onion soup, Thai 'tom ka gai,' and corn chowder. Outstanding apps ran the range of stuffed mushrooms, prosciutto and melon, smoked chicken quesadilla, 'study in sushi,' smoked duck and caramelized oranges, escargots, lobster-and-crab cakes, and a 'delice of the ocean' comprising shrimp, ahi tartare, and hickory smoked salmon. The always-available shrimp cocktail and Caesar salad were sound, while other salad offerings were somewhat standard.

 

Another anytime dish, the filet of fresh Norwegian salmon, was a good fallback, which at our table can translate into a third entree in case one of us gets something disappointing. Alas, we did not encounter disappointing entrees. The sweet and sour panko shrimp was perhaps the most common or un-cruise-like of the items we encountered, but it was still a strong beginning to the cruise. Subsequent nights gave way to a supreme of Hudson Valley duck, prime rib cooked and spiced just right, rack of lamb dijonnaise, seafood Newburg, chateaubriand with sauce Béarnaise, and grilled jumbo tiger shrimps with beurre blanc (sided with a stellar leek fondue enhanced mustard potatoes).

 

On the first day in talking with Putu, our assistant waiter from Bali, we mentioned enjoying Balinese and Indonesia cuisine, and asked if they ever served this onboard (Princess, for example, occasionally has Indonesian and Filipino dishes in the buffet). He shook his head, and we said something to the effect of "that's too bad; if they served it, we'd eat it." The next night, Putu said they'd be able to put something Indonesian together, just give a day's notice. And so on the third night, along with our starters and dessert from the regular menu, we enjoyed a chicken curry and a rice dish with ginger, coconut, carrots, other veggies, and shredded chicken. Ask and ye shall receive -- that's the service level that we often find on cruises, and Carnival was no exception.

 

Desserts were perhaps the least consistent of the dining room fare, though far from subpar. The cakes with 'diet' in front? Let's be honest, "diet" and "cruise" hardly go together. And throwing the word "cake" into that three-word mix does not make it better. Other sweets, however, more than compensated. The vanilla crème brulee was remarkable, again served at the right temperature and crusted enough on the top without being overly hard. We also gave higher marks to the caramelized apples on puff pastry; warm fig, date and cinnamon cake; tiramisu; amaretto cake; and Grand Marnier soufflé (served in the ramekin, not scooped out as Princess seems to insist on). The main dining room also offers an impressive assortment of cheese, including Port Salut, Brie, Gouda, and Danish Bleu. A smooth (if Jen can drink it, it's smooth; if Jen orders it, it's extra smooth) dessert wine, California's Quady Electra was also available in both the dining room and specialty restaurant. Sadly, we've been unable to locate it here in Ontario. Our favourite, however, was without a doubt the signature Warm Chocolate Melting Cake, a heavenly chocolate soufflé-like creamy event in a cup, available every evening and served with vanilla-bean ice cream. We miss it already. Espresso and cappuccino are also offered as part of the dining room service, whereas on many other lines this is an added-cost. Civilised, indeed.

 

A longtime Carnival signature has been singing and dancing waiters, all part of the "Fun Ship" concept. Each night after dessert was served, the dining room staff would take their positions and sing tunes such as "That's Amore," often while wearing wacky hats or sunglasses. The last evening evolved into a conga line with passengers joining in. All this went along with the fairly jovial atmosphere in the dining room -- some passengers were dressed casually, some dressed formally, but all seemed to be having a good time. Civilised AND fun? How dare they?!

 

Breakfast in the Lido appeared to be fairly ordinary buffet, but we eschewed this for breakfast in the aft dining room instead. Again, no disappointments here -- fresh fruit; toasted bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers; eggs poached just right with sides of a smoky turkey bacon or a flavourful chicken-apple sausage; and a decent cup of coffee. One of our morning waiters was named Ari, and we had a good laugh together about that. On any sea day I'd highly recommend this as the way to go for breakfast; even on a port day, if you can make the time, it's a great way to start the day.

 

Lunch in the dining room we're told was good. Unfortunately, on a seven-day cruise with four days in port, this was only offered twice, and frankly we were too busy either enjoying ourselves out on deck or exploring other options.

 

... to be continued (in the meanwhile you'll find Valor photos in the 'cruise pics' link below) ...

[ebandive]

FABULOUS! Thankyou for your great review and marvelous pictures. I've truly enjoyed them and looking forward to the next installment. We are planning a possible trip on the Valor, so again, Thanks! :D

[As You Wish]

I am truly enjoying your review. You are a skilled writer and an excellent photographer. Thanks for sharing.

[flowerchild]

great review! I'll be on the Valor in 30 days, can't wait!

[Bmurr00]

Thank you for your review. It is well written and my wife and I enjoyed it!

We are going on Valor in a week and we cant wait.

[cjkumbaya]

Yow,

 

I'm really enjoying your reviw - great writing style. I like all the details - I'm really looking forward to more! Your photos are very nice as well. Thanks so much for sharing - glad that you gave Carnival another chance!:)

[MzOhioLady]

I'm loving the Pictures!! Looking forward to more of the review.

[mwsrccl]

Okay, I feel stupd, but cannot seem to find the pics? Where are they. Great review so far though!

[cruzmax]

Thanks so much! We were aboard Valor in March this year, and are going again next month .

If I may ask, what type of camera do you use? Your photos are amazing and I am looking for a new camera, currently have a Kodak Digital.

Thanks Again!

Pam

[pe4all]

A writer and a photographer! I am enjoying your review - also the beautiful pictures. Can't wait for the review of the ports you visited...

[YOW]

Thanks all for the compliments. Those of you with upcoming cruises on Valor are in for quite a time! :)

 

mwsrccl, the pics are in links at the bottom of the signature below -- 'our cruise pics' will take you to ships, the first of which is Valor. Some port photos (including those from previous trips, and an earlier camera) are in the 'our travel pics' link.

 

cruzmax, we've been using a Nikon D40 for about a year now. This is our first digital SLR, and we are quite pleased with the results. In other sections on our site you'll see pics taken with a Canon digital point-and-shoot. I can recommend Nikon or Canon without hesitation.

[drdaddy]

Everytime you start a section, we think it is going to a bash session but you consistently lead us down a different path. If this ship can hold on to this consistency, I am sure all of us booked on Valor will be very happy!

 

And, by the way, it is so nice to see someone with what sounds like a critical mind NOT complain about everything and understand that it is a cruise, not an $800n per night suite in some foreign capitol city!

[mwsrccl]

Thanks all for the compliments. Those of you with upcoming cruises on Valor are in for quite a time! :)

 

mwsrccl, the pics are in links at the bottom of the signature below -- 'our cruise pics' will take you to ships, the first of which is Valor. Some port photos (including those from previous trips, and an earlier camera) are in the 'our travel pics' link.

 

cruzmax, we've been using a Nikon D40 for about a year now. This is our first digital SLR, and we are quite pleased with the results. In other sections on our site you'll see pics taken with a Canon digital point-and-shoot. I can recommend Nikon or Canon without hesitation.

 

Thanks YOW! I found them! Great pics and keep the review coming it is great!!

[Artemus]

Thank you for your Trip Report and thanks for taking the time to post.

[YOW]

... another instalment as we go into the weekend ... one more to come in a couple of days ... have a great weekend, everybody! :)

 

GRAND CAYMAN

 

With our first full day spent at sea – and we’ve come to enjoy the sea days more and more – our first port of call was at Grand Cayman. They say that high winds can sometimes prevent cruises from calling on Grand Cayman, where the harbour is too shallow and ships must anchor off shore and have passengers tender to and from the town. This was our third time here, however, and all three have gone off without a hitch. Having experienced the island’s beaches and diving previously, we decided to make it a leisurely day and play it by ear. The sky was clear and the winds were calm – a bit too calm, if anything, as the late June heat and humidity were enough to limit our desire to go very far. After some walking around the back lanes and shores of George Town, and a bit of shopping for (and 'sampling' of) our favourite rum cakes, we spent the rest of the day aboard an uncrowded ship. This is the advantage of cruising on a previously traveled itinerary – go where you want, when you want, or just relax if you feel like it. And with the state of mind we’d been in coming into this holiday, relaxation was highly in order.

 

ROATAN

 

A mostly cloudy sky greeted us as we sailed around the Bay Islands, breakfasting in the main dining room, and into port at Isla Roatan. The clouds proved to be a great relief from the heat, and our day turned out to be quite pleasant. We'd arranged an island tour through Victor Bodden, highly recommended on sites such as Cruisecritic.com, and were met by Victor at the pier and introduced to our driver for the day, Anthony. Honduras is one of the poorer countries in the region, though Roatan is considered to be better off as it has been the recipient of an influx of visitors and part-to-full time residents from North America. We saw quite a bit of development taking place, from expansion of the port and marina to houses and condos being built at a rapid pace. The island is attractive with rolling hills and lush greenery, and in some ways has a feel of the Jamaica of yesteryear.

 

Our first stop was the iguana farm, where I realised too late that the battery for our Nikon was resting comfortably in the cabin, probably ordering room service while we were out and about. The iguanas, meanwhile, were in a feeding frenzy of their own, and over a hundred surrounded us as we gave them a peace offering of fresh leaves on the branch, sans the beurre blanc of course. Walking down the hill we reached the tranquil waterside, where we fed the barracudas and dipped our feet in the water -- no, just the feeding actually. The fish farm business in Roatan seems to be getting off the ground, so to speak, and accompanies their exports of fruit.

 

We spent the afternoon at two different beaches, one in a protected cove and the other in what would have been an idyllic Caribbean beach setting were it not for the cruise passengers and massive construction, but not before stopping by Victor's house. Here we spent time with a number of monkeys, both spider and howler, and held some of them including a one-month old baby spider monkey -- his tiny hands could barely wrap around one finger. Two three-month-old baby monkeys took to Jen, one sleeping on the other's back as Jen held both.

 

Sailing out of Roatan we passed through a brief storm, taking pictures out on deck as the sun returned and we searched for the rainbow. With our dinner reservation pending, it was time to get dressed up.

 

SUPPER CLUB

 

For Jen's birthday, we splurged and reserved (ahead of time, online, civilised again) a quaint table at Scarlett's Supper Club, Valor's specialty restaurant. While not as elegant as the specialty venues on Celebrity, or as clubby as the rooms on Norwegian or Oceania, Scarlett's holds its own in the department of cuisine.

 

The trio of escargots -- one each baked in brioche, stuffed in fondue potatoes, and Classic Bourguignonne -- provided a fair contrast to the traditional style served in the main dining room. The sushi platter was artistically presented and worthy of any higher-end Japanese eatery. While crab cakes and shrimp cocktail in the main dining room were also good, their counterparts at the Supper Club stood a head above. The French onion soup "Les Halles" (does this have something to do with Anthony Bourdain?) was an achieving entry. The Caesar salad was prepared tableside, but not made completely from scratch as we've always had at Celebrity's specialty restaurants. Yet the lobster bisque was on par with what we've been served on Celebrity.

 

Our birthday girl opted into the surf and turf -- four rectangular smaller plates on one larger square dish -- with an average filet mignon but the lobster coming out sweet and succulent, with sides of pumpkin ravioli and cardamom braised carrots. Bringing in an appetite I consulted the advice of many staff and made the leap for the Supper Club's 24-ounce porterhouse, cooked to perfection and accompanied with one classic side, creamed spinach, and one modern twist, the Yukon Gold wasabi mashed potatoes.

 

One would be amazed that we'd have had any room left for dessert, but Jen ordered the "trio" of chocolate tarte, butter chocolate pate, and tiramisu. I, meanwhile, went with the less intensive choice of a cheese course and a selection of fresh tropical fruit. I'd like to think that the fruit came aboard in Honduras that day, but knowing the cruise industry most everything gets loaded in Miami. And the Quady Electra dessert wine appeared again -- damn, why can't we get this stuff at home?

 

LIDO EATERIES

 

As said earlier, the Lido buffet itself is comparable to what's seen on Royal Caribbean or other lines (and nowhere as aesthetically pleasing or varied in offerings as the buffet on Norwegian).

 

The departures from usual fare begin, then, with the Mongolian grill, a concept we had talked amongst ourselves more than once as a fine idea to take to a ship. The queue does move a bit more slowly here, mainly due to the lack of high-heat burners that Mongolian grills on land would have (simple limitations of being on a ship). Still, big points to Carnival for implementing the concept, and we'd have gone back on a longer sailing -- too many other places to try, too few days at sea.

 

Heading towards the aft, Carnival's signature Deli is located on the port side, a diner-style stainless-steel cutout that generally serves a takeaway line of 5-6 minutes waiting time. The Reuben is well worth the wait, and when your wife wants you to procure a grilled cheese sandwich (off the menu) with the crust removed, this is the place -- "no" is apparently a word on this ship reserved for questions such as "is there a limit on the number of lobster tails we can have?' -- and you can even return to your cabin with the goods AND a bonus mug of hot chocolate.

 

Starboard, at about the same position as the deli, is the Asian counter, which looks much like its American counterpart but serves up ready-made portions of pad thai, Chinese chicken (or beef) noodle salads, spring rolls and friend wontons in a to-go cup with kimchi, and other regional favourites.

 

The aft portion of the indoor Lido seating area opens up into a two-story atrium, with a giant tile-mosaic of Rosie the Riveter, the central theme for 'Rosie's' restaurant. The execution of the 40s diner theme is effective in some places, not as much in others. Still, seating is adequate, and the tables as well as the common-use areas were kept clean at all times by the efficient and cheerful staff.

 

Two buffet lines grace the atrium on one side, while desserts and other stations (often rotating, such as make-your-own tacos) are in the middle.

 

The biggest secret, at least at the beginning of a cruise, is the upstairs portion of the Lido (technically Panorama Deck), where a Fish-and-Chips counter serves up its namesake along with fried oysters (mmm, Po Boys), calamari, seared ahi tuna, ceviche, as well as rotating seafood apps and entrees. The line forms and grows as the cruise goes on, but again the fare is worth the wait. Also the upstairs seating area tends to be quieter and more airy, a nice place to relax before hitting the jogging track (more in a bit on what's on deck) to work off some of that lunch.

 

But wait, there's more! Yes, folks, for a limited time only (okay, limited for as long as the ship is in the water), not only do you get access to the seven eateries mentioned above, but if you act soon (or act 24 hours a day, in the case of the pizzeria), you'll get an additional TWO places serving up food on the Lido.

 

By the aft pool, portside is the Pizzeria, throwing and baking deep dish around the clock; and starboard is the Grille, featuring meats cooked to order such as the popular minute-steak sandwich. In the same corner is another popular station, the soft-serve ice cream and frozen yogurt – make your own cones or sundaes morning, noon and night.

 

... to be continued (in the meanwhile you'll find Valor photos in the 'cruise pics' link and some destination pics in 'our travel pics' in the signature below) ...

[abpplh]

Awesome pictures! We cannot wait - we are booked on the Dec 14th sailing!

[debster818]

We go on the Eastern Oct. 19th

[rebeljohn]

Enjoyable review............pics are great too..............Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us................

[drdaddy]

Still excellent and very good pics. I hope my S5 IS does as good.

 

I am interested in the "Gala Buffet" pics you posted. When and Where? Looks pretty good. But another thread had some Capers from a recent cruise and the ony thing I could find was something in the afternoon on one Sea Day. Those pics looked awfully elaborate for a mid day deal!