Positive Valor review (and a mini-rant about ranters)

[smaxwell]

Just back of a weeklong Eastern Caribbean on the Valor.

The short version is this: We had a great time.

If that’s all you want to know, mazel tov. I wouldn’t blame you. You can leave me here and start clicking on your ship’s roll call or maybe surf for cat videos. (Have you seen there’s a new Grumpy Dog to rival Grumpy Cat?)

But if you do want more details, I’m going to provide them … in spades.

The summary is that service was generally great. The ports were nice. And our excursions were both top-notch – especially “power snorkeling” in Grand Turk, which was one of our favorites ever.

The ship is a bit old – which is mostly noticed by its lack of dining amenities. (For a mid-sized ship, it seems way too limited to only offer two real sit-down options – the dining room and the buffet.)

But overall, we had a great time – which brings me to the one rant I want to get out of the way first … about other ranters:

Please tune them out.

We have used the Cruise Critic over the course of 17 cruises and 19 years – dating back to our honeymoon on the Monarch.

We love this site.

But in recent years, the amount of negativity seems to have skyrocketed.

And it’s not just negative. It’s hyperbolic negativity. People don’t simply dislike a cruise or cabin. They claim everything is “THE WORST EVER” or “MOST DISGUSTING EVER.” (All-caps superlatives are generally a good clue that reviews should be taken with a grain of salt.)

Over the course of researching this trip on the Valor, we saw people claim the beds were the “hardest thing imaginable,” that the “FOOD WAS TERRIBLE” and that they had “WORST EXPERIENCE EVER.”

It’s hard to tune all that out. But you should.

Because I submit that vacations are largely what you make of them.

My family (me, wife and two kids) have traveled on Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity – at least three times on each one.

And we had a great time on every one. Why? Because we go on vacation to enjoy ourselves. There are absolutely annoyances and room for improvements. (I’ll mention a few in a moment.) But how bad can a day at sea ever be?

I guess my point is that some people are determined to be miserable – on land or sea. And they will be. But I’d encourage you not to let a few ALL-CAPS ranters with a dependency problem on exclamation points (!!!) dissuade you from any one cruise.

Now, with that out of the way, here’s a review.

 

THE SHIP. She’s older -- and so patriotic, she makes the seagulls scream like eagles. This ship has more flags than the United Nations …except they are all American. It’s flags and presidents everywhere … except in places like the theater … where the theme is a medieval castle … which made absolutely no sense to me. But whatevs. The cabins are that signature Carnival burnt-orange that make the Brady Bunch seem hip. But we got used to it. And they are relatively spacious. Most importantly, the whole ship is headed for an upgrade soon. Renovated spaces like the Taste Bar are much more modern and look great.

 

THE PORTS. We thought they were great. St. Thomas and Grand Turk were the highlights. San Juan is a nice town to walk around. And Nassau … well, is Nassau. We’ve been there enough that we don’t need to go again. (And by the way, that market at the port has been closed for renovation so long that I’m not sure you can consider it a renovation anymore. It’s just a closure.)

 

THE EXCURSIONS. We did two through the ship – a day at the beach in St. Thomas at Sapphire Bay where you could snorkel from the beach. We thought this was good for the price ($45) and we saw plenty of fish in the water – even a giant stingray and school of baby squid. The other was power snorkeling in Grand Turk. All four of us liked this one. Why? Because we felt like James bond using hand-held SeaDoos to propel us through the water, even down to the ocean floor for those who could hold their breath. And the water was simply beautiful.

 

THE FOOD. The quality in the main dining room was mostly good. As we often find, the appetizers are the best. The entrees were hit and miss – but most good and pleasing. Only one (a meatloaf) really seemed bad. As for dessert, I thought the cheese plates were top-notch and that (is this heresy?) the chocolate melting cake has gone downhill. Overall, the main dining room is how we usually find it on most lines – mostly good, but rarely 5-star. Also, The buffet was pretty decent … again, like most lines. Our favorite parts were the specialty stations – including the burrito bar, the Manchurian wok and Fish and Chips with fried shrimp, oysters, etc. I also thought the burgers were particularly tasty. Our biggest dining gripe was the lack of choices. (We love that Norwegian, for instance, has a sit-down burger/wings joint on most ships.) Some ships have a dozen eateries. Valor has 3 – dining, buffet and steakhouse. (And no, I don’t count the deli station in the buffet as a separate eatery.) Also, the buffet was closed too often. Lunch is never offered before noon – which is a terrible plan when the ship docks at noon and people have to immediately catch ship-organized excursions. And in the morning, nothing is put out before 7 am. Lots of folks are up roaming by 6. I’m one of them. But nothing – not even a continental table with fruit and muffins – is exposed before 7. Room service was as speedy and accurate as we’ve ever had at sea … though the menu is a bit limited with nothing hot in the morning, for instance.

 

THE ENTERTAINMENT. We thought the production shows were both good – high quality singers and dancers. And, as I understand it, Valor is one of the few ships that uses live orchestras throughout. We love the Punchliner comedy club as an offering. But I have to say that we didn’t think any of the 3 comedians we saw were very funny. All were OK. Still, the venue is a nice offering – and we have seen some very funny ones there in the past. I also thought the Legends of Carnival show, featuring passengers, was cute and enjoyable, taking it for what it was – nonprofessionals trying something new. (My wife and daughter did not agree with me.)

 

THE CASINO. This is where we spent a lot of time – and, in fact, had a discounted fare offered based on play from a previous sailing. A pretty good selection of games. Winning seemed to go in spurts … and really died down near the end. But the staff was nice. And you couldn’t turn your head without being offered a drink by a server. (Yes, they were always there offering to sell us drinks. But even after I earned my “drinks on us” card, they were offering me free drinks just as fervently.) My wife ended up $50 ahead. I ended up down … much more than $50 … which is why they liked having me. Overall, nice setup, though. And, as an early riser (usually by 5:30), I appreciate that Carnival is one of the few that opens things up as early as 7 am.

 

THE KIDS CLUBS. We had one in the 12-14-year-old group and one in the 15-18. The room for the younger one was staffed great – but way too small. The one for the teens was so nice that my daughter said adults kept coming in to try to dance. Lots of kids were on board. And yes, they run around. (Not mine, of course. Other people’s. My children are perfect angels.) But the thumping feet never RUINED MY CRUISE. In fact, if anything, I like the energy.

 

THE GLITCHES. Over 17 cruises, we have never been incorrectly charged for anything. (That we caught anyway). This time, it happened twice. One time I was charged for a drink an hour before we even embarked … which made it pretty easy to prove that I wasn’t tossing back funships. And my wife was charged twice for the same bingo session … making losing even more insulting. Both times they ultimately fixed it. But I’d encourage you to pay attention.

 

THE ODDS AND ENDS. The saunas and steam rooms are really nice. Not only are the free here (many ships are charging nowadays), they are lovely with large windows that look out to the sea. Our cabin steward was completely professional and provided everything we needed. And we thought our balcony room (wife and I) was nice for us – and that the inside cabin (for kids) was a bit small.

 

GETTING ON AND OFF. Neither one of these was great. We often arrive around 11:30. This time we got a call saying we shouldn’t show up before 2 p.m. (while also saying we shouldn’t be later than 3). Well, we drove by at 1 p.m. – and the line to embark was wrapped around the entire port. So we went and got lunch at the marina (yes, we actually paid for it!) and came back at 2:15. Things moved better then - but still not lickety split. Debarkation I have to say was pretty much just dreadful. There's no positive way to spin this. Practically a half-hour standing still … before getting in long, slow lines to wait for luggage that wasn’t there. This was the one area that I think Carnival really needs improvement from soup to nuts – when they make the first and last impression.

 

YES, I'M FINALLY DONE. If you’re still with me at this point, you’re either married to me – or a true cruise fanatic.

I’d be happy to answer any other questions. But overall, we had a nice time. The ship isn’t the most modern. And it certainly doesn’t have all the latest amenities. We could think of others we liked more. But we still had (to use the style of the ranters) A GREAT TIME!!!! (Especially for the price.)

[lizardhowson]

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences.

[lcantwait]

Thanks for the awesome review! I am sailing valor next month and can not wait!!

[Gallivanting Souls]

Great review. Some people seem to think ships have an expiration date and should be scrapped. I think as long as the company keeps them kept up, they can be enjoyed for many years to come!

Also, I would love to see a picture of you/your family in the Power Snorkeling excursion.

[cruizinisthebest]

Loved your review.

 

I heard great things about the Valor from my brother who did the repo cruise in March, so I know it's a great ship.

 

Whatttttt.......you had kids on your cruise and they didn't ruin the whole thing!!:eek: I'm simply shocked.......NOT.

 

Kudos to you. Glad you had a great time. Love your perspective. Yes I read every word!;)

[LMaxwell]

Long lost sibling, is that you?

[PalmTreeBound]

Thanks for a very good/fair review. I'm doing a B2B on the Valor the last week of September/first week of October. I have to admit I like the newer 2.0 ships. I've been on 25 cruises - 19 of them on Carnival. I've never been on a bad cruise. I'm going to have a great time. Thanks again.

[mhurley0504]

Happy to see this review! We are going on the Valor on the 29th. All I have seen lately are the THIS WAS THE WORST CRUISE EVER!!! type of reviews! I know this is an older ship without the upgrades. Son-in-law is terribly upset there is no Guys:rolleyes: I think he ate there 3 times a day on the Glory! We have sailed on the Liberty and am thinking it's about the same as that. I think 99% of your experience is the attitude you take with you. Would I rather be on the Breeze, I would. However, it didn't work out time wise for this year. I will be on the Valor and just be thrilled that I'm not a home and there is someone there cooking and cleaning after me for a change:D

[CruiseFan3035]

We set sail on her next weekend and are super excited. We love cruising and make the most of them no matter what. Hey, we're on vacation!!! [emoji41]

[Drazil65]

Love your review, we are on the Valor, same cruise right after Christmas (DR instead of Nassau).

 

I agree with everything you pointed out but what do you expect? We live in a world of instant gratification and constant upgrades (phones, tablets, bigger homes every few years). There is a lot of entitlement running rampant in our society so it surprises no one that people act out about the smallest of issues. Many are handed things starting at a very early age and have never been taught the art of making do or manners, so this is where we are at and it shows.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Drazil65

[Davey Wavey]

I was there with you. Our disembark was the easiest and fastest ever. We had FTTF zone 2, but didn't leave the Lido buffet until zone 10 was called at 9:45. There were 2 people in line at the ship exit, then the long line down the escalator to baggage claim was under 10 mins. Our luggage was sitting off to the side of the carousel already. We were in our rental car at 10:20.

 

The servers in the casino were OVER efficient. Once I had my ON US card, I had one server keep bringing me drinks every 15 minutes even when I didn't order them. I had to tell a few of them a few times to stop, especially because they kept bringing me drinks in the big 12 oz glasses instead of the normal small cocktail flutes. Where were you at in the casino? I was on roulette the whole cruise.

[Lurkyloo]

Thanks for your review and I agree. I honestly think some people are not happy unless they have something to gripe about. I feel sorry for them.... and the people around them. :(

[amyh13]

My family of 4 sailed the Valor in April and had a GREAT time! And our prior two cruises had been on the Disney Fantasy and the Carnival Dream, much newer and modern ships. I was nervous after reading reviews and complaints but I was pleasantly surprised! Thinking about booking her again even before her dry dock next year.

[antique sailor]

Just back of a weeklong Eastern Caribbean on the Valor.

The short version is this: We had a great time.

If that’s all you want to know, mazel tov. I wouldn’t blame you. You can leave me here and start clicking on your ship’s roll call or maybe surf for cat videos. (Have you seen there’s a new Grumpy Dog to rival Grumpy Cat?)

But if you do want more details, I’m going to provide them … in spades.

The summary is that service was generally great. The ports were nice. And our excursions were both top-notch – especially “power snorkeling” in Grand Turk, which was one of our favorites ever.

The ship is a bit old – which is mostly noticed by its lack of dining amenities. (For a mid-sized ship, it seems way too limited to only offer two real sit-down options – the dining room and the buffet.)

But overall, we had a great time – which brings me to the one rant I want to get out of the way first … about other ranters:

Please tune them out.

We have used the Cruise Critic over the course of 17 cruises and 19 years – dating back to our honeymoon on the Monarch.

We love this site.

But in recent years, the amount of negativity seems to have skyrocketed.

And it’s not just negative. It’s hyperbolic negativity. People don’t simply dislike a cruise or cabin. They claim everything is “THE WORST EVER” or “MOST DISGUSTING EVER.” (All-caps superlatives are generally a good clue that reviews should be taken with a grain of salt.)

Over the course of researching this trip on the Valor, we saw people claim the beds were the “hardest thing imaginable,” that the “FOOD WAS TERRIBLE” and that they had “WORST EXPERIENCE EVER.”

It’s hard to tune all that out. But you should.

Because I submit that vacations are largely what you make of them.

My family (me, wife and two kids) have traveled on Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity – at least three times on each one.

And we had a great time on every one. Why? Because we go on vacation to enjoy ourselves. There are absolutely annoyances and room for improvements. (I’ll mention a few in a moment.) But how bad can a day at sea ever be?

I guess my point is that some people are determined to be miserable – on land or sea. And they will be. But I’d encourage you not to let a few ALL-CAPS ranters with a dependency problem on exclamation points (!!!) dissuade you from any one cruise.

Now, with that out of the way, here’s a review.

 

THE SHIP. She’s older -- and so patriotic, she makes the seagulls scream like eagles. This ship has more flags than the United Nations …except they are all American. It’s flags and presidents everywhere … except in places like the theater … where the theme is a medieval castle … which made absolutely no sense to me. But whatevs. The cabins are that signature Carnival burnt-orange that make the Brady Bunch seem hip. But we got used to it. And they are relatively spacious. Most importantly, the whole ship is headed for an upgrade soon. Renovated spaces like the Taste Bar are much more modern and look great.

 

THE PORTS. We thought they were great. St. Thomas and Grand Turk were the highlights. San Juan is a nice town to walk around. And Nassau … well, is Nassau. We’ve been there enough that we don’t need to go again. (And by the way, that market at the port has been closed for renovation so long that I’m not sure you can consider it a renovation anymore. It’s just a closure.)

 

THE EXCURSIONS. We did two through the ship – a day at the beach in St. Thomas at Sapphire Bay where you could snorkel from the beach. We thought this was good for the price ($45) and we saw plenty of fish in the water – even a giant stingray and school of baby squid. The other was power snorkeling in Grand Turk. All four of us liked this one. Why? Because we felt like James bond using hand-held SeaDoos to propel us through the water, even down to the ocean floor for those who could hold their breath. And the water was simply beautiful.

 

THE FOOD. The quality in the main dining room was mostly good. As we often find, the appetizers are the best. The entrees were hit and miss – but most good and pleasing. Only one (a meatloaf) really seemed bad. As for dessert, I thought the cheese plates were top-notch and that (is this heresy?) the chocolate melting cake has gone downhill. Overall, the main dining room is how we usually find it on most lines – mostly good, but rarely 5-star. Also, The buffet was pretty decent … again, like most lines. Our favorite parts were the specialty stations – including the burrito bar, the Manchurian wok and Fish and Chips with fried shrimp, oysters, etc. I also thought the burgers were particularly tasty. Our biggest dining gripe was the lack of choices. (We love that Norwegian, for instance, has a sit-down burger/wings joint on most ships.) Some ships have a dozen eateries. Valor has 3 – dining, buffet and steakhouse. (And no, I don’t count the deli station in the buffet as a separate eatery.) Also, the buffet was closed too often. Lunch is never offered before noon – which is a terrible plan when the ship docks at noon and people have to immediately catch ship-organized excursions. And in the morning, nothing is put out before 7 am. Lots of folks are up roaming by 6. I’m one of them. But nothing – not even a continental table with fruit and muffins – is exposed before 7. Room service was as speedy and accurate as we’ve ever had at sea … though the menu is a bit limited with nothing hot in the morning, for instance.

 

THE ENTERTAINMENT. We thought the production shows were both good – high quality singers and dancers. And, as I understand it, Valor is one of the few ships that uses live orchestras throughout. We love the Punchliner comedy club as an offering. But I have to say that we didn’t think any of the 3 comedians we saw were very funny. All were OK. Still, the venue is a nice offering – and we have seen some very funny ones there in the past. I also thought the Legends of Carnival show, featuring passengers, was cute and enjoyable, taking it for what it was – nonprofessionals trying something new. (My wife and daughter did not agree with me.)

 

THE CASINO. This is where we spent a lot of time – and, in fact, had a discounted fare offered based on play from a previous sailing. A pretty good selection of games. Winning seemed to go in spurts … and really died down near the end. But the staff was nice. And you couldn’t turn your head without being offered a drink by a server. (Yes, they were always there offering to sell us drinks. But even after I earned my “drinks on us” card, they were offering me free drinks just as fervently.) My wife ended up $50 ahead. I ended up down … much more than $50 … which is why they liked having me. Overall, nice setup, though. And, as an early riser (usually by 5:30), I appreciate that Carnival is one of the few that opens things up as early as 7 am.

 

THE KIDS CLUBS. We had one in the 12-14-year-old group and one in the 15-18. The room for the younger one was staffed great – but way too small. The one for the teens was so nice that my daughter said adults kept coming in to try to dance. Lots of kids were on board. And yes, they run around. (Not mine, of course. Other people’s. My children are perfect angels.) But the thumping feet never RUINED MY CRUISE. In fact, if anything, I like the energy.

 

THE GLITCHES. Over 17 cruises, we have never been incorrectly charged for anything. (That we caught anyway). This time, it happened twice. One time I was charged for a drink an hour before we even embarked … which made it pretty easy to prove that I wasn’t tossing back funships. And my wife was charged twice for the same bingo session … making losing even more insulting. Both times they ultimately fixed it. But I’d encourage you to pay attention.

 

THE ODDS AND ENDS. The saunas and steam rooms are really nice. Not only are the free here (many ships are charging nowadays), they are lovely with large windows that look out to the sea. Our cabin steward was completely professional and provided everything we needed. And we thought our balcony room (wife and I) was nice for us – and that the inside cabin (for kids) was a bit small.

 

GETTING ON AND OFF. Neither one of these was great. We often arrive around 11:30. This time we got a call saying we shouldn’t show up before 2 p.m. (while also saying we shouldn’t be later than 3). Well, we drove by at 1 p.m. – and the line to embark was wrapped around the entire port. So we went and got lunch at the marina (yes, we actually paid for it!) and came back at 2:15. Things moved better then - but still not lickety split. Debarkation I have to say was pretty much just dreadful. There's no positive way to spin this. Practically a half-hour standing still … before getting in long, slow lines to wait for luggage that wasn’t there. This was the one area that I think Carnival really needs improvement from soup to nuts – when they make the first and last impression.

 

YES, I'M FINALLY DONE. If you’re still with me at this point, you’re either married to me – or a true cruise fanatic.

I’d be happy to answer any other questions. But overall, we had a nice time. The ship isn’t the most modern. And it certainly doesn’t have all the latest amenities. We could think of others we liked more. But we still had (to use the style of the ranters) A GREAT TIME!!!! (Especially for the price.)

 

AHOY SHIPMATE, CC IS A DAILY READ FOR ME. Learned speed reading many years ago . now retired and seldom use it any more...only on the negative CC posts and daily paper.

 

I guess it is human nature to complain, especially for those who are narrow minded or not experienced in "the BIG picture". Rantig on here is rather harmless unless a NEWBEE takes it as all true etc.

 

I have cruised mostly on HAL for 18 yrs and 1200 days and could go on and on about" OLD PEOPLE" but now I are one so it is best to go with the flow and ignore the negative. Eventually the ahrshness will wear off (hopefully).

 

SEA YA

[love my grandkids]

thanks for a fair and balanced review

[mhurley0504]

My family of 4 sailed the Valor in April and had a GREAT time! And our prior two cruises had been on the Disney Fantasy and the Carnival Dream, much newer and modern ships. I was nervous after reading reviews and complaints but I was pleasantly surprised! Thinking about booking her again even before her dry dock next year.

 

 

We are leaving on the 29th. Great to know that you would book her again before the dry dock!

[kublaieod]

WORST REVIEW EVER!!

 

 

 

 

Okay I couldn't resist.. I totally agree, having been in many foreign countries while serving my country I can tell you that every cruise I have been on has been a dream!! Many people don't know what DIRTY is or Disgusting is.

 

I could go into detail but that would not be popular. As said many times, our life is what we make it!!

 

Thanks for the review..

[sarmat1]

Great review. We'll be doing Eastern Carib on Valor this weekend. :cool:

[smaxwell]

Davey,

I completely agree on the casino servers!

Never thought I'd say this, but they were TOO attentive. One time, I found myself almost snapping when I declined a drink for the third time in 3 minutes.

But I suppose i'd rather have it that way than the other.

By the way, you sound like you my be our tablemates from SeaDay brunch. If you work with kids, you are. Otherwise, there was another roulette player from Ohio. :)

 

Sarmat, have a blast.

 

And Kubla ... very funny.

[Djptcp]

DH and I sailed on the Valor a few years ago on a casino cruise and loved it. We are sailing on her again in February with a very nice casino discount. Thank you for the review and your comments about all the negativity. You are right, you make your own vacations and there are some people who just are negative all the time.

[icunrse]

Thank you! We sail on the ole girl in March and I am so glad to see that she is not a dump. I look forward to seeing her in all her patriotic glory before she goes into drydock.

 

People just need to relax. It's like spending a week at the beach. You will get sand in places that you don't want it. You will see wear and tear on the buildings (it's wind whipped and hurricane beaten here in NC), but it's expected!!! I'm by no means a seasoned cruiser, but I had a blast on our first one on Princess.

 

I know we will have fun. I am cruising with my BFF from work and her sister (first time cruisers), my hubs, my son, and my mother. We make the fun, not expect it to land in our laps.

[Amyracecar]

I have a soft spot for the Valor. It's a cheerful little ship and we had a great time there.

 

I lot of reviews I read seem to be based on unfair comparisons. I just read an awful review of the Legend, but it was being compared to some of the most expensive lines at sea by the writer. Obviously it's not going to stand up to such scrutiny, but if you paid the same on one of those lines you'd have to sleep on the floor in the laundry room. What we get with Carnival is just brilliant I think.

 

 

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[IGGY63]

Great review...thanks for sharing...

 

Too much 'Red, White, and Blue' for my liking.....nothing against being Patriotic....but...just a tad overboard.....

[Pyrate13]

We've sailed on Valor three times and loved it every time.:D

[smaxwell]

Just for laughs ....

I actually saw one my favorite-ever ridiculous negative reviews just a few days ago - about the valor.

It was titled "Jump Ship," and the guy (at least, in my mind, he's a guy) complained about everything he could possibly think of in a short space.

But my favorite part was his fury over the fact that, since the ship was in port for both embarkation and debarkation (i'm not sure how else you would get on and off), he had determined he had only gotten "5 days" on his 7-day cruise.

That is some fantastic math.