First time carnavale cruisers!

This is my second time cruising our first cruise was last year for our honeymoon on the allure of the seas it was nice! This year I'm doing the valor to Belize , costa maya , Cozumel ,and Honduras I believe I know rcl and carnivale are diffrent but I like the destinations and I'm going to surprise him every since our last cruise he keeps talking about the islands and how fun it was we are laid back fun people we love any fun! So not knowing much about carnivale and being that this forum helped SOOO much the first time I was wondering are there any secrets for the valor or things we should know? Good places? Good times for hot tubs or pools hidden balconys etc...

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This is my second time cruising our first cruise was last year for our honeymoon on the allure of the seas it was nice! This year I'm doing the valor to Belize , costa maya , Cozumel ,and Honduras I believe I know rcl and carnivale are diffrent but I like the destinations and I'm going to surprise him every since our last cruise he keeps talking about the islands and how fun it was we are laid back fun people we love any fun! So not knowing much about carnivale and being that this forum helped SOOO much the first time I was wondering are there any secrets for the valor or things we should know? Good places? Good times for hot tubs or pools hidden balconys etc...

 

 

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While I think of valor is a fine ship, it is one of the older carnival ships while the allure is one of the newest Royal Caribbean ships. Just remember that when you come back and are giving your review you're not comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges.

I just checked the prices and for cruises leaving June 4th for one week on Valor the price is $709 per person Allure the price is $1030 per person. So while allure has things like wave runners rock walls ice skating rinks and Broadway shows valor has a more small cozy atmosphere more like a party nice adult only areas, a dedicated comedy club with at least two comedians and larger cabins for the cabin type. Of course on either ship a balcony is going to be a larger cabin than an inner room. It's all a matter of what you want in your vacation. if you are wanting to get to the islands in an enjoyable fashion then valor is a fine choice. If you want the ship to be the vacation destination in and of itself then spend the extra $600 for just an inner room and go on allure.

And just so you board the right ship - the cruise line is Carnival.

I think the RC ships are prettier than Carnival, but we have found overall that the food and service is a little better on Carnival. Other than that there is not much difference. Have a great cruise.

And just so you board the right ship - the cruise line is Carnival.

Lol, I was going to say the same thing. [emoji6]

You'll have a great time.

I refuse to sail anything other than the Oasis class on RCCL and anything other than Conquest & Dream class on CCL.

I just checked the prices and for cruises leaving June 4th for one week on Valor the price is $709 per person Allure the price is $1030 per person. So while allure has things like wave runners rock walls ice skating rinks and Broadway shows valor has a more small cozy atmosphere more like a party nice adult only areas, a dedicated comedy club with at least two comedians and larger cabins for the cabin type.

When we sailed on the Allure, we didn't ice skate, or rock wall climb, or use the flow rider, or zip line. That cruise cost almost double what we paid to sail on the Carnival Dream, yet we considered the price difference well worth it. The Oasis experience goes beyond the gimmicky stuff that Royal advertises so much. The ship design, with its open spaces, tasteful decor and wonderful use of glass, the neighborhoods concept, the huge selection of dining options, the top quality professional entertainment, the great space to passenger ratio which makes them feel considerably less crowded than ships half its size, the larger pools with more deck space, the wide selection of stateroom categories, and for suite passengers, real suite perks and accommodations.

Some clarifications: unless you are in a standard inside or oceanview stateroom, staterooms will be larger on all other categories on the Allure. This ship also has a dedicated comedy club.

IMHO, Allure provides an unparalleled cruise experience. The Valor will provide a convenient, budget cruise experience. Both fulfill a niche and target different types of cruisers, so anybody going from one to the other needs to adjust their expectations accordingly.

I've never been on the Valor, but I have experienced several different ships from both CCL and RCCL. There are more similarities than differences between the cruise lines.

As someone else mentioned, it isn't fair to compare the lines on the basis of age of the ships.

Many differences are subjective, like the food, the service and the atmosphere, and is probably more variable from ship to ship to ship across all the mass - market lines than from generalizing RCCL vs CCL vs NCL.

I do find differences in appearances, with CCL having more flashy, bright, decor, dancing waiters, colorful "fun" themes and RCCL being more subdued, wood paneling, classical music at dinner, sophisticated themes. Both styles could appeal to different people, but I like both. I wouldn't use CCL again at spring break, though. :eek:

Policies are one thing that are (usually) consistent on all ships in a fleet: Smoking policy, gratuities procedures and ability to remove, room service charges, type of dining plans, Cruise Critic group support :) , or not :mad: . You should research any of these policies that you might care about. These boards are an invaluable tool for getting the most from your cruise dollars.

Personally, I especially like a couple of things that I find on CCL:

The 24 hr soft-serve ice cream and yogurt. RCCL closes the soft-serve machine at 6 pm. Ya gotta' know what's important.

CCL has stand-up comedian shows almost every night. I should also mention that I feel the other entertainment has suffered as the comedy shows have been promoted.

Hi I thank everyone for the responses I want to be clear I do not want to compare the two a i mention I know they are 2 diffrent cruise lines so I wanted to know if there any thing I should know about the valor and carnivale if there are any hidden secrets or tips I should know :)

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Please keep the tips coming! :)

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And just so you board the right ship - the cruise line is Carnival.

There was a Carnival ship called Carnivale in 1976. I thought that is what she was talking about.

Lol I realized the typo but didn't know how to edit it

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But for those who truly want to help with tips on CARNIVAL [emoji6] lol keep them coming!

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Don't miss the deli. Great sandwiches. I ate there almost every lunch.

Thanks!

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Where is the deli located?

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The biggest tip is pick a day when you are at port (preferably a port you may have been to before) and stay on the ship. Half of the people will get off and you can enjoy the pools with out it being crowded.

Ok, how about the Fish & Chips place on 10 aft? I haven't seen one myself yet but lots of people here rave about it and it's usually not crowded the first few days, they say.

It looks like deck 6 and 7 forward have a walkway around the front of the ship. A great place for sail away, though very windy underway. Not too bad if going with the wind. Walk all the way forward on either deck, look for a door to outside. It may be unmarked or may say something about "high winds".

I think there is a thread here with about 500 pages of tips, hints, etc. for various ships.

Ok thanks!

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This is my second time cruising our first cruise was last year for our honeymoon on the allure of the seas it was nice! This year I'm doing the valor to Belize , costa maya , Cozumel ,and Honduras I believe I know rcl and carnivale are diffrent but I like the destinations and I'm going to surprise him every since our last cruise he keeps talking about the islands and how fun it was we are laid back fun people we love any fun! So not knowing much about carnivale and being that this forum helped SOOO much the first time I was wondering are there any secrets for the valor or things we should know? Good places? Good times for hot tubs or pools hidden balconys etc...

 

 

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Don't miss the mushroom and goat cheese pizza. It's to die for and pizza is served 24 hours a day. If you get this one however, you have to special order it and you get the whole (small) pizza...so have someone to share it with.

These are some pictures of a standard Carnival Cruise Line balcony cabin. I've been in many and they all look pretty much the same on all the ships. one person said that the balconies are larger on allure and while I have not sailed on that ship, I looked at YouTube videos, and the room looks smaller but the balcony looks slightly larger. The bed is a king size bed and the couch is as large as a twin size bed.

Thank you for the pictures! :)

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I was on the Carnavale in 1990. My first Carnival cruise!!!