CCL Valor 5/2-5/9 review w/ pics!!

[LoveTravel23]

Hey everybody I know the review is late but I took more than 100 pics and with getting back to work today seemed the best day to do this especially like it's my day off. I did not want to do the review like it's a lot of info I wrote down but I feel like I owe to the ppl that are about to get on this wonderful ship so bare with me while I finish uploading the rest of the pics into photobucket to pass them here. Wishing I was back enjoying a WMC!! Let's begin! This was my first 7 day cruise & I was bringing along my parents for their 1st cruise so I picked this cruise based on the itinerary for them. I was looking into booking on the CCL Glory but after it was updated the prices doubled so I booked the Valor and not a bad choice must I say.

 

Day 1-May 2

 

Woke up @ 10am @ started getting ready. CCL called my phone 2days before to state that if we could to be there between 1:30-3:30pm for a smoother registration so I was aiming to be there around 2 but like I live 30 mins. away and we were ready early we were at the port @ 11am.

Going over the brige-that's Bayside the Marketplace

 

The Valor!!

 

There was a line but it was moving @ a smooth pace and a volleyball was being thrown around so that made the time move faster. We def. had fun w/ that. On the ship by 12 and we went str8 to Lido for lunch.

 

My mom enjoying the lunch.

 

Enjoying her 2nd plate :p & she's a diet freak.

 

My father chillin.

 

@ 1:30 we headed to our rooms to leave our luggage. We packed the small carry on & we wanted to get rid of them. We hanged clothes and waited for my dad Chiva Regal's to arrive which I ordered through the Bon Voyage department for $60. Not bad cuz on the last night by dad def. finished it sitting outside on the balcony. BTW our cbn # was 7339. Back w/ another post w/ more pics.

[oregon3373]

30 days until I am on the Valor. Cant wait... These reviews sure make me wish it was only 4 days.

 

 

Thanks for the time on the review

[LoveTravel23]

My dad enjoying the bed while mom & I unpacked.

 

The prts bed w/ the 1st towel animal of that night.

 

My bed-very comfy!

 

The balcony

 

The view =)

 

The Chiva arrived!!

 

After the Chiva arrived we went walking around the ship to learn our way around it. The shore excursion desk wasn't packed so I stopped to purchase the Cozumel Highlights & Shopping tour in Cozumel and received my tickets for the tour in Belize. @ 3:30 we went to the mandatory muster drill. I still don't like it but @ least in this one everybody rememebered to shower not like my last cruise =). Dad doesn't like to wait but he was a good sport other wise. The whole time (& through out the cruise) my mom was comparing the lifeboats to Titanic. Oh Lord! After I took all 5 stairs to go up to Lido deck to watch us leave Miami like the weather was sunny & not like last time where we left under rain. I bought the fun special-$7.50 and dad got a Coors Light-$6.04 w/ grats (mine did not include the grats). I went upstairs to enjoy the view.

[LoveTravel23]

I love Downtown Miami just for this view.

 

Royal parked behind us.

 

Adult Serenity Area in the back of the ship.

 

 

The MaCarthur Causeway bridge that takes you into Miami Beach.

 

Ready to go!!

[LoveTravel23]

More clear view of the Adult Serenity Area

 

 

Clear view of the bridge

 

Star Island

 

Almost out of MIA!

 

[LoveTravel23]

Southpoint Beach

 

The Glory in front of us.

 

Adios!

 

 

This is me! =) Chillin after taking all those pics.

 

Club O2 area

[LoveTravel23]

The One Small Step Disco

 

 

The Ivanhoe Theater

 

Well after we left Miami we went back to the cabin to chill. Left room @ 7:30pm to go to the 20-50% discount on liquors and dad bought 4 Johnny Walker Black for $115.00 Late dinner @ 8:15 @ the Washington Dining Room:

When we first arrived on the ship we went str8 to Lincoln Dining room to make sure our table was just for a party of 3 bcuz I know my prts would be uncomfortable. Good-thing I did because we were schedule to sit in a table of 8. We arrive to our table-404 to see that our waiter was actually somebody we met earlier while getting lunch. Our waiter was Juan from Peru and his assistant Danilo from the Philipines (sp?). Thank God because having a waiter that knew Spanish made it easier for my prts to know what to eat and have a great time. Danilo was great & man can he dance!! That night I had shrimp and fruit. We all had the mahi-mahi-great! and dad had chicken breast as well. For dessert I def. had my WMC & my mom had a cappucino. My prts gave my WMC bad reviews-the dark chocolate and too many cals. but they loved it cuz they kept putting their spoon into my WMC! We walked to the gift shops after dinner and dad bought 2 Polo Black cologne @ $65 each and I got a Lauder lipstick for $20. Mom couldn't sleep cuz she drank that cappucino so we stayed up watching The Time Traveler's Wife-love that movie! & telling stories late into the night. @ the seaside theater they were showing Harry Potter the last movie.

 

Mahi-Mahi

 

WMC!!!

[ciera123]

Great start!!! I love the pictures, too. :) We are on the Valor May 29th and we cant wait!!!!!

[oncruisecontrol]

Very nice review so far. I'm looking forward to the rest. We will be on the Valor in October (our second time on this ship!). Can't wait.

[CRU1Z1N]

Thanks for the review...we have like 100 days before we sail. Hard to find recent reviews on the valor. Looking forward to more! The pics are GREAT!!

[jks336]

question on the beer price. you said your dad had coors lite. i know the 12oz can on our last cruise with tip was 4.31 (in port had to pay taxes) what size did your dad drink for it to be 6bucks ? thanks :)

[LoveTravel23]

1st towel animal of the night.

 

Seaside theater @ night time.

 

Day 2-Day @ Sea

 

Woke up @ 8am thinking it was 8 & went to have breakfast an hr later I found out that it was about to be 10am-thanx cellphone!! My cellphone went crazy so after that I sticked to my watch.

 

It was good!

 

After breakfast we walked around even more and the pools were packed. Dad decided to put on his shorts & go sit outside with everybody else but this is how mom & I found him hrs later:

.

 

Today was Mexican day but it wasn't all that good. Before all this I went to the Cruise Critic meeting @ the disco @ 12:30 and sat outside to see how many came. Like only 2 ppl went in I left-sry everybody! I went to go grab lunch & returned to the cabin to find mom chillin so I started watching All About Steve. Well when mom & I found dad I left to get lunch but when I came back I lost them. I went to get ice cream and I found them getting an extra plate. Then we went back to the cabin-3pm & took a nap. Around 5:30 I woke up to start getting ready for elegant night. This was also the same night as the past guest party but I didn't go & the Captain celebration and no I didn't go either. This time around I was ready early so I had enough time to go get my picture taken before dinner.

So @ 7:15 mom & I left to take some pics while dad stayed behind. After some pics we went back to cabin. I took off high heels and put on dressy sandals and dad enters the cabin. After seeing how dressy everybody was he decided to change-I advised him this but you know how men are =).

My daddy! =)

[LoveTravel23]

question on the beer price. you said your dad had coors lite. i know the 12oz can on our last cruise with tip was 4.31 (in port had to pay taxes) what size did your dad drink for it to be 6bucks ? thanks :)

 

Same size but going back on it we were still dock so that's maybe why but I sailed in Aug. of last year & for me prices went up some.

[LoveTravel23]

Glad everybody is liking the review so far!!

 

So we headed to dinner-lobster night!!! =)

 

We all started the night w/ a fruit plate (the next nights I just had watermelon-Juan figured out that was the only fruit I was eating on the plate).

 

Mom decided to have the Ceasar night after I told her that on the Destiny the anchovies tasted to much but you never know if it was different here. Umm no it wasn't! Again 1st & last time she had Ceasar salad on the ship.

 

Dad had the white one & I had the pink one. Both were good =)!

 

We each had 2 plates of lobster. An older guy sitting next to us had 5 plates. Another guy had 12 plates-4rm what our waiter told us. Wow ppl!

 

Orange Sherbet-my dessert while my prts shared a WMC after all the bad taking they gave my dessert the prev. night.

 

Later we walked around and then went back to cabin. I left the cabin around 10 to go to the Adult's Comedy but it was so packed I said good-bye. So I went to the Lido deck and they were showing Judgement Day. Never seen the movie & I found it to be good so I stayed until it finished. Passed by the disco and stayed 4 a while. Ordered a Miami Vice-$8.34 w/ grats. and called it night. Grand Cayman tomorrow!!

 

On my way to the Adults Comedy which turned into movie night.

[LoveTravel23]

Mom w/ the 2nd towel animal.

 

The lobby.

 

4got to post this earlier-when we were passing Cuba this ship was visible...I wonder what it is!??!

 

Hello Grand Cayman!!! =)

 

I visited Grand Cayman last yr on the Destiny so I decided that for this day we would just do a beach day and chill. Well yea that was changed due to the fact my mom was getting a blister on her foot due to some flip flops she bought @ Old Navy so dad decided to pay for a tour of the island for that we would have to walk. For $20 p/p we were taken to see the Governor's house/the hotels/the beaches/Hell/& Turtle farm. It was nice. We didn't enter the turtle farm because we went across to the Dolphin Cove to see dolphins-mom & I love them! So we were able to see them do their tricks.

The boats ready to take us to the island.

 

On the tender boat.

[LoveTravel23]

The Valor docked.

 

My prts ready for the tour.

 

The governor's house.

 

The oldest house on the island.

 

I went to Hell & came back! =)

 

Natural Limestone

[LoveTravel23]

Sry for the mixed pics above:

 

The Governor's house.

 

The 1 purple flower among all the pink.

 

 

 

The Ritz-Carlton that takes up 2 streets.

 

A Dolphin! =)

[LoveTravel23]

 

This is what we saw going back to the port area.

 

A women best friends =)

 

We meet again!

 

 

[oncruisecontrol]

Very nice photos. Keep 'em coming.

[LoveTravel23]

 

So at that point we went back to get ready to get back on the ship but 1st we went to have our passports stamped. We were back on the ship by 12. Cabin steward was cleaning room so we went to Lido deck. For the 1st time ever I entered the pool on the ship becuz I still had my bathing suit on & w/ the weather being so hot I needed it & it felt good! Parents went to go get lunch. After I went w/ mom to get some fish & chips. They are really good (sry no pic) but like they are hidden u tend to 4get they are there until they are close so that was the only time we had them. We got fried fish and fried calamari. I got ceviche for dad. @ 2pm we returned to the cabin to take a nap. Woke up @ 3:45 to see the ship depart 4rm the balcony. Ship turned to the right so I was able to see Georgetown and somebody came @ the last minute:

.

 

Prts w/ the ship in the background.

 

Good-bye Grand Cayman.

 

CCL Legend and a Royal ship were docked w/ us as well as a Celebrity ship.

 

Already leaving.

 

@ 7:45 my mom had an appointed @ the spa to have a back massage & facial-$100 w/ a $20 tip included. So dad & I went to have dinner w/o her while she was getting pampered. Dad had the French onion soup and seafood pasta. I had my plate of watermelon and steak-it was goood!! =) @ 9pm I went to get mom while dad stayed having tea. My mom was so refreshed! Like I missed dessert in the dining room I got ice cream (btw on the ship I only have the Vanilla low fat yogurt or ice cream whichever I see 1st). Mom & I stayed in the cabin and like she missed dinner I ordered her room service. She didn't like it very much. Dad phoned the room to adv he was going to go play in the casino. He later came to say he lost $40 but won $75 which I went back w/ him to cash out. That more $ for Isla Roatan tomorrow =)!!!

[LoveTravel23]

French Onion Soup

 

Dad's pasta

 

My steak!

 

Room Service Menu

 

 

3rd towel Animal of the night.

[caribsun]

Great review and pics, I just booked the Valor today!!

[LoveTravel23]

Day 4-Isla Roatan

 

Woke up @ 9:15 because dad was screaming, "I see land!!" I went to the balcony & yup land:

 

He decided to get ready & see the ship docking from Lido deck. Around 10 I went to get breakfast for mom & myself but she didn't end up eating her part. @ 10:30 I went to the balcony to see the ship reverse to start getting ready to dock.

 

 

 

I saw a plane!! We later found out that the airport is really close to where we dock.

 

A true shipwreck.

 

For Isla Roatan I booked through Ronystours.com-def. would recommend. We dressed comfy and mom & I went up @ 11:15 for that mom could have breakfast & we found dad.

 

The view 4rm the window on Lido deck.

 

By 11:30 we were off the ship & oh my Lord it was HOT!!! We had to walk out of the port area to meet Rony and oh my God I wanted somebody to throw water on me but once we got out of the gates I felt like I was back home in Dominican Republic. I really loved Isla Roatan & my prts did too! We found Rony & he introduced us to our driver Lindy-it was just us like we just wanted to sightsee-$30 p/p. He took us to the nice beaches/resorts of the island. We were back @ the pier @ 1:30 and dad got a cold beer @ Fat Tuesday & I got a Tropical Itch. It was real good but like I didn't have any food in me the alcohol didn't do my body any good so we went back to the ship to have lunch-beef & salmon-good! We were able to see the workers train w/ the lifeboats & when we returned to our cabin we were able to see how they are raised up into the ship. We went to cabin to nap and @ 5 we went back up to see the ship leave port. After mom & I went back to cabin while dad stayed in the adults only area pool. Started getting ready for dinner @ 7:30. The menu wasn't that exciting tonight so I had my plate of watermelon and the steak like the night before. After dinner I passed by the lido & saw that the jacuzzi's were empty so I hurried back to cbn to change and came back. Enjoyed the jacuzzi for a while then went back to cabin to change and get ready for the adult's comedy @ 12. Like it packed early last time I was sitting in a chair @ 11:15 before I missed it again. The comedian was Jimmy Brooks 4rm Tennesse-hilarious!! @ 1 went up for some late pizza-aight adn ice cream-great!! Belize tomorrow!

[LoveTravel23]

Great review and pics, I just booked the Valor today!!

 

You'll def. have a great time!!

[LoveTravel23]

The private beach

 

 

The great view

 

 

One of the places we stopped to get a drink.

 

A beer for $2-dad said it was good.