Carnival Valor Review 11-06-11 Sailing

[Crystalbast]

This was my 7th cruise with Carnival, second on the Valor and I was a solo cruiser.

 

I stayed in Cabin 7345, a 1-A cabin close to the Self Service Laundry Room on Deck 7. I loved the location, around the corner from the middle set of stairs and elevators, 2 decks up from the Promenade and 2 decks below the Lido Deck. I had no issues with being so close to the laundry room, stairs or elevators. Sometime there were noisy people in the hallway but you can experience that on any deck.

 

My favorite location was the Serenity Deck which was fabulous. The have 4 pretty good sized hammocks, 2 hot tubs, some huge round cabana type lounge chairs, a section with seating that did have a little protection from the wind and every seat had padding on it.

 

Most entertainment - had to be the bracelet sale Friday night. I think that the bracelets are called Bella Perlina or something like that. The glitizier ones were priced at $40 and the ones with Itialian Glass were $25. The store was jammed pack with women, some of whom grabbed large stacks of the bracelets. Many husbands were handed a stack of boxes to hold onto. It was like watching a swarm of locusts. I had never heard of the product and finally asked a lady what the big deal was about them and was told that they are the new "It" thing. All I know was they looked really gaudy to me. It was just pure entertainment to watch the women.

 

The weather was great. Carnival did swap Roatan and Cozumel supposedly due to port conjestion in Cozumel. Some of us didn't really buy that excuse because it is not that unusual for Cozumel to have 5-6 ships in port at one time. I have been there when there were 5 ships in and it didn't feel congested.

 

I did the following excursions:

1. Grand Cayman -:rolleyes: Barrier Reed Snorkel - the water was really rough and not many people actually made it over to the reef. One guy started to panic and grabbed onto me and realized that he needed to get back to the boat. It is an ok excursion but we only had about 30 minutes in the water. People who are not comfortable in the water might have problems when the water is rough.

 

2. Cozumel - :D - I booked the Manatee Encounter at the Chankenaub National Park and loved, loved, loved it. Two other ladies from the ship also booked it and it was just the 3 of us with 3 manatees. This was my favorite excursion on this cruise. You have to book it on your on because I don't think that any cruise line offers it.

 

3. Belize - Sargeant's Cay Snorkel - :D This was an excellent snorkel excursion. You can't go wrong with a snorkel excursion in Belize. It is about a 25 minute ride out to an island where you get the fins and then another 20 minutes or so to the snorkel location. You return directly back to the ship and that didn't take too long. Our snorkel guide was great and pointed out different sea life forms on the seabed and even brought some up to the surface.

 

4. Roatan - :mad: - I went on the Barefoot Catamaran Snorkel and it was probably one of the worst snorkel excursions that I have done. The snorkel guide was useless as a guide. All he did was act as the photographer for some of the passengers, taking pictures with their cameras for them. The reef was not that attractive and there wasn't that much to see. I acually finally ditched the guide and moved off to a different spot which was not as bad.

[Crystalbast]

Now here is what I reall disliked about the cruise:

 

1. Health code issues :mad:

 

I found long strands of human hair in one of the dishes in Rosie's Buffet. The Valor also allowed small children who were not old enough to be potty trained to go in the big pool in the center of the Lido Deck. It is a fact of life that non-potty trained children have a tendency to spontaneously poop and pee. I have nothing against children but I do think that allowing non potty trained children into the pool does create a health code issue. I had a friend whose son was a lifeguard in a public pool and if a child did his/her business in the pool everyone had to get out so that the pool could be treated.

 

2. Kicking people out of Punchliners between shows - :(

 

The Punchliner Manager kicked everyone out of the lounge after each show and told them to go outside and get into line to come back for th second show. This is supposedly because people were complaining to Carnvival that they could not get into the shows. I have been on other Carnival ships that this didn't seem to be a problem. The doors were left open and people came and went. Plus the purpose of having each comedian perform for 2 nights was so if you can't get in one night you go the next night. I went to the 7:30pm family friendly show which was packed. I went back to the 8:30pm show and the audience was a decent size but there were a lot of empty chairs. It seems like the first guy to perfrom always got a better crowd then the second guy. In the past I would go one of the Family shows and the Adult shows for each Comedian and this cruise I only went to 3 shows the entire week and I am a Punchliner Comedy Club fan. It just became too much of a hastle.

 

3. Luggage Express - :(

 

I have used Luggage Express in the past and it has been a great feature. This time it did not work out so well. I have no idea where my luggage is. I know if made if off of th ship because you can't disembark until your luggage has cleared Customs but Continental Air Line has no record of it being checked in at the Miami Airport. I will be on the phone tomorrow with both Carnival and Continental. I probably will not use this service again. When it works it works well but when it doesn't it is a mess. You have no luggage ticket to match up with your luggage.

[Crystalbast]

Cudos to the US Coast Guard. On the last night we got word that they needed to medically evacuate a passenger. The conditions were rough -high winds, rough water. It could not have been easy for the CG helicopter but they did a phenomenal job. I had never seen a CG helicopter so I went to watch from the Aft Lido Deck. The evacuation took place on Deck 10 to the port side. They had closed the roof of the Lido Deck. The Captain asked, out of respect for the woman and her family for people to not take pictures or videos. That just about guaranteed that people got out their cameras and cell phones. I doubt that they got any clear shots that could be used to identify the passenger though.

[Oakman58]

YUK! Children who aren't potty trained have no business being in an adult pool. Parents who take children that small into the pool are unthinking slobs.

 

I hope your luggage is found without too much hassle for you.

 

Thanks for your review, we sail on the Valor in December.

[Delta Dear]

Will you be highlighting what you did like ? We'll be on the Valor for the first time in Jan. and I'd like to hear more about the positives.

[alexant]

We too just returned from Car. Cruise on the Valor. This is our 3rd cruise on the Valor and our 23rd cruise total. We enjoyed the ship as before! Our cabin was very clean and comfortable...cabin steward very attentive. We really enjoyed the Serenity section of the ship...nice to be away from all the activity if a person chooses to. We did have a problem with our evening meals...anytime dining. The service was very slow. We made a complaint on the 3rd evening and from that point on we were treated like royalty by an excellent waiter and helper. Make sure that if you ever have a legitimate complaint you direct it to the customer desk. We have found that on Carnival they really try to deal with the problem...we have been on other cruise lines that really dont try very hard...at times just ignoring the problem!! I know some cruisers rather not cruise on Carnival but my husband and I always enjoy Carnival and will definitely sail again!!

Most outstanding shore excursion was Cave Tubing in Belize...was alot of fun!! Tacos afterwards were delicious! Overall a Great Cruise!! Ready to go again!

[Crystalbast]

Will you be highlighting what you did like ? We'll be on the Valor for the first time in Jan. and I'd like to hear more about the positives.

 

 

Positives:

 

1. Embarkation was easy as pie.

2. Serenity Area was amazing. It was the best serenity area I have seen on the five Carnival ships that I was on.

3. The Cabin Steward did a good job.

4. I had no problem with the Any Time Dining. The night I tried the Mahi Mahi and found out that I really did not like it at all, they immediately offered to bring me something else. I indicated that it was not necessary.

5. The first night my sign and sail card was stolen while I was in the hot tub (Lido Deck Aft area) and the Guest Services was prompt to verify that no one had used it and give me a new one. (So watch your sign and sail card when you are in the pool or hot tub).

6. In case you did not know it, Carnival offers a few disembarkation tours/airport transfers. I wanted to do the South Beach one but could not because of the Airport Express (In hind sight, I should have done the tour/airport transfer excursion :rolleyes::D).

7. I thought that the ship handled the medical emergency evacuation really well. The conditions had to have been pretty rough to pull it off and Carnival and the Coast Guard did an amazing job.

8. The Marriage Game was a hoot. The longest married couple had been married 69 years. The husband celebrated his 90th birthday during the cruise. The were a riot. I hope that I am as active as the are when I am their age. This was the first time that the Marriage Show was the main entertainment in the Lounge that night.

9. There seemed to be a wider selection of movies shown on the Lido Deck and on the TV.

[gelo7]

Thanks for sharing.

[WestCoastCruiser123]

I'm on the Glory in less than 2 WEEKS :D and I am also doing Sargeant's Cay Snorkel in Belize. Thank you for the positive review. I am looking more forward to it now. Did you go to the port after the snorkel trip? I am thinking that I will grab a quick lunch back on board and tender to the port for a little shopping.

[Crystalbast]

I'm on the Glory in less than 2 WEEKS :D and I am also doing Sargeant's Cay Snorkel in Belize. Thank you for the positive review. I am looking more forward to it now. Did you go to the port after the snorkel trip? I am thinking that I will grab a quick lunch back on board and tender to the port for a little shopping.

 

 

I signed up for the morning excursion but they did not have enough people sign up for that one so they put everyone into the afternoon excursion. As a result I did not get a chance to tender to the port. It is at least a 20 minute tender one way and sometimes the tenders will wait until the are full to set off. If you end up in the afternoon excursion it is a risk as to if you will be able to get back in time for the excursion. There were some people on the excursion that went into the port in the morning. It all depends upon your comfort level. If there are enough people to sign up for the morning excursion then you would definitely have time to tender to the port in the afternoon.

[scgamecock]

This was my 7th cruise with Carnival, second on the Valor and I was a solo cruiser.

 

I stayed in Cabin 7345, a 1-A cabin close to the Self Service Laundry Room on Deck 7. I loved the location, around the corner from the middle set of stairs and elevators, 2 decks up from the Promenade and 2 decks below the Lido Deck. I had no issues with being so close to the laundry room, stairs or elevators. Sometime there were noisy people in the hallway but you can experience that on any deck.

 

 

That's great to hear. I'm also a solo cruiser and have 7345 booked on the Freedom. I was wondering if I was going to have a noise problem.

 

2. Cozumel - :D - I booked the Manatee Encounter at the Chankenaub National Park and loved, loved, loved it. Two other ladies from the ship also booked it and it was just the 3 of us with 3 manatees. This was my favorite excursion on this cruise. You have to book it on your on because I don't think that any cruise line offers it.

 

That sounds like fun! I've never heard of that one before. I am so going to do this one next trip to Coz. Was it expensive?

[CasualGeek]

 

Most entertainment - had to be the bracelet sale Friday night. I think that the bracelets are called Bella Perlina or something like that. The glitizier ones were priced at $40 and the ones with Itialian Glass were $25. The store was jammed pack with women, some of whom grabbed large stacks of the bracelets. Many husbands were handed a stack of boxes to hold onto. It was like watching a swarm of locusts. I had never heard of the product and finally asked a lady what the big deal was about them and was told that they are the new "It" thing. All I know was they looked really gaudy to me. It was just pure entertainment to watch the women.

 

 

On the Triumph back in June, they had a watch sale. I went along with my wife. $20 for boxed gift sets with watches and some accessory. NEVER AGAIN! It was a mad house, and most where polite enough, but still too many rude people when you get crowds like that. On top of that, the watches where pretty cheap, but we didn't expect much for $20, so no loss. :)

[marysb]

Did you find the Serenity area to be crowded, or could you always get a hammock, chair, etc?

[Delta Dear]

Positives:

 

1. Embarkation was easy as pie.

2. Serenity Area was amazing. It was the best serenity area I have seen on the five Carnival ships that I was on.

3. The Cabin Steward did a good job.

4. I had no problem with the Any Time Dining. The night I tried the Mahi Mahi and found out that I really did not like it at all, they immediately offered to bring me something else. I indicated that it was not necessary.

5. The first night my sign and sail card was stolen while I was in the hot tub (Lido Deck Aft area) and the Guest Services was prompt to verify that no one had used it and give me a new one. (So watch your sign and sail card when you are in the pool or hot tub).

6. In case you did not know it, Carnival offers a few disembarkation tours/airport transfers. I wanted to do the South Beach one but could not because of the Airport Express (In hind sight, I should have done the tour/airport transfer excursion :rolleyes::D).

7. I thought that the ship handled the medical emergency evacuation really well. The conditions had to have been pretty rough to pull it off and Carnival and the Coast Guard did an amazing job.

8. The Marriage Game was a hoot. The longest married couple had been married 69 years. The husband celebrated his 90th birthday during the cruise. The were a riot. I hope that I am as active as the are when I am their age. This was the first time that the Marriage Show was the main entertainment in the Lounge that night.

9. There seemed to be a wider selection of movies shown on the Lido Deck and on the TV.

 

 

Thanks, I am enjoying your review. We've never been on a Conquest class ship so all of your comments are very helpful. Thanks for sharing.

[Crystalbast]

That's great to hear. I'm also a solo cruiser and have 7345 booked on the Freedom. I was wondering if I was going to have a noise problem.

 

 

 

That sounds like fun! I've never heard of that one before. I am so going to do this one next trip to Coz. Was it expensive?

 

The excursion cost me $59 plus $20 for taxi to and from the port ($10 each way).

[Crystalbast]

Did you find the Serenity area to be crowded, or could you always get a hammock, chair, etc?

 

To get a hammock you probably need to get there early or you might be able to get one in the evening. Overall, the area was not crowded except for the seating area just outside the Deck 12 area on the starboard side. But the lounge chairs were seldom all used up. The serenity area is a great place to go for the sailaway. I had one of the big cabana bed things right at the front of the ship and was quite comfortable.

[Crystalbast]

Well I have talked to the company that does the Luggage Express three times today, Carnival and Continental Airlines and I still don't have a clue where my luggage is. Apparently whoever was responsible for adding the final airline tag with full flight / transfer information did not do it. Continental doesn't even show that the received it on their end.

 

I have used this program before and it worked as advertised. However when their is a problem it is an absolute disaster. One of the problems is that you don't get any type of matching tag information from Carnival with your paperwork. The company supposedly sent an email to their guy at the port to find out what happened on their end but I have yet to hear if he responded and the cruise traffic is probably lite on Monday compared to the weekend. I just cannot get anybody to step up and take responsibility.

 

I would never ever use this program again. :eek:

[cruiserguy11]

Kids peeing in the pool??

 

I'd much rather be in the pool with kids peeing than with the many drinkers/drunks in it. Ditto hot tub. Ya ever wonder why they "Super chlorinate" the hot tubs? And it ain't for the kid's pee.

 

(Pooping in the pool is another matter however.)

[Waterloomarc]

Hmm interesting we were on the Valor in September and booked her again for this April. They didn't do the whole kicking you out of the comedy club between shows then. However they did do it on the Fascination in October. I though it was odd but I guess they're making the change on several ships now.

[jtwitch]

To get a hammock you probably need to get there early or you might be able to get one in the evening. Overall, the area was not crowded except for the seating area just outside the Deck 12 area on the starboard side. But the lounge chairs were seldom all used up. The serenity area is a great place to go for the sailaway. I had one of the big cabana bed things right at the front of the ship and was quite comfortable.

 

How many serenity areas are there on Valor? Are there differences between the different areas?

[Silverman]

Kids peeing in the pool??

 

I'd much rather be in the pool with kids peeing than with the many drinkers/drunks in it. Ditto hot tub. Ya ever wonder why they "Super chlorinate" the hot tubs? And it ain't for the kid's pee.

 

(Pooping in the pool is another matter however.)

 

Either is disgusting!!!! I would rather be with the drunks! No kids in diapers or younger than 4 or 5 should be allowed in the main pool!!!! No kids in hot tubs either. Do some research on the subject and youll find its not good for their skin, But I wont use a public one anyway. Way to many germs fester in hot tubs.

[wendygrace]

Thank you so much for the review. We are first time snorkelers and are considering the Sergeant Cay's excursion. Would you recommend it for first timers? How about children?

[Jilltoons]

I am so sorry about your luggage - I would be very upset! I like your matter of fact way of talking about likes and dislikes :)

[MSRussell]

I will be in 7434 on the Valor in January...looking forward to the extra balcony space.

 

I know what you mean about Locusts. They had a sale the day before the cruise ended on the Pride, of blown glass items. I walked in and couldn't believe my eyes. Worse than the day after Thanksgiving.

I did manage to get a turtle and I also wanted a rooster. I asked one of the workers wandering around if they had any left,he said no. So I asked if I could have the one in the Window. He went and got it for me, but he said he couldn't sell it as it was 'bad'. All that was wrong with it, was a small slice missing from his tail. I told him I would buy it, it needs a good home, so he let me have it. They were 2 for $12.00 not bad.

Melanie

 

[Crystalbast]

How many serenity areas are there on Valor? Are there differences between the different areas?

 

The Serenity area is on Foreward Deck 12 (accessed on Starboard side) and one deck up. The upper deck is where the hammocks and hot tubs are. The hot tubs are right in the front of the ship - great views. It is clearly marked for people 21 and older. The aft Lido Deck Area has a sign by the hot tubs indicating Adults only and that area was pretty much adults only. Now if it rains and they close the roof I'm not sure how much it will stay adult only in the pool.