Loyal to Royal thinking about Carnival Valor

[tray]

Our anniversary is in May and we want to go on a short trip somewhere; we are both missing cruising so thought we would book a cruise out of Galveston (we live in Sugar Land). We have cruised RCCL (diamond) and about five cruises on NCL. We have never tried Carnival, but our one and only option out of Galveston(for a 4 or 5 day cruise) is the Carnival Valor. We have cruised all sizes and types of RCCL ships (from the Rhapsody to the Oasis), so I was hoping some of my royal friends who may have tried the Carnival Valor out of Galveston can tell me what you thought. I have tried to search comparisons on these boards but the results haven’t been very helpful. Thanks!

[Rogueperson]

I've not sailed those particular ships out of that port, but I've sailed Carnival and Royal Caribbean here in Baltimore (and other ports too) and the differences are fairly subtle. They are more alike than different. Carnival is called the "Fun" cruise because they try to squeeze out more energy from the passenger base than Royal Caribbean. As a result, their CDs are more active and adaptable to the passenger base than Royal Caribbean. I have found that Carnival cruises are more active. They make you want to DO more things, and have designed their onboard activities to an almost frenetic pace sometimes. You never know if you're going to miss something, and if you're a little obsessive compulsive like me, it can be a little distracting. Royal Caribbean, on the other hand is more laid back. They space things out a little more. Some have claimed it is more "boring", but I like to think of it as more relaxing. You can do what you want, or not. I don't feel like I'm missing as much on Royal Caribbean than on Carnival.

 

Service, both give you great service, but I feel that Carnival gives you more consistently good service. That's not to say Royal Caribbean doesn't. Royal Caribbean seems to have a higher variation between stellar service, and okay service. I have consistently tipped every one of my staff (waitstaff and room stewards) above and beyond on Carnival, but on Royal Caribbean, there have been instances where I did not tip one individual as I have the others. This is a rarity, but it has happened more than once unfortunately. Example, I had one where our head waiter was absolutely amazing, but our assistant waiter left a LOT to be desired. It almost felt like he threw our guy under the bus to assist other tables. As a result, we ended up giving what we would have tipped to the assistant waiter, and added to the already additional tip we had planned to our head waiter.

[paper1122]

We sailed the Valor and really enjoyed it. I may have done a review, though I'm not sure. It was a nice ship. We stayed in a suite because it was cheap. I can't tell you too much about activities because I spent a lot of time at the alchemy bar, never went to a single show.

[OceansOfTravels]

I have not sailed on the Carnival Valor, but I have sailed on all 4 of her sister ships and am fluid with my cruise line choice. I think you will really enjoy yourself. The Valor is a beautiful ship from the photos I've seen, and you may end up liking its design, particularly its cabin sizes, which you compare it to the Royal Vision Class ships. Carnival is a bit more "flashy", not in a sexual way, but the colors onboard pop a little more, the cruise directors are much more engaging, and things just seem to be a little bit more lively than Royal. However, there are definitely places to go to get away from the party and wild scene, which is great. Serenity is a beautiful area, plus the aft of Deck 10 offers some peace and quiet for sunning.

 

I think a cruise on the Valor would definitely be worth it, as long as you go in with a positive mind, and with the feeling that you're going to have an amazing time, two things could happen. You'll either come away loving Carnival and cruising with them more often, or you'll come away not liking it as much as you liked Royal, but still getting some amazing vacation memories out of it. Enjoy!

[soremekun]

For Carnival, going forward, I won't sail anything older than the Vista class.

 

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[klfrodo]

I've got 9 Carnival and 4 Royal under my belt. To include the Valor although not out of Galveston.

 

I agree completely with what Rogueperson has to say. Carnival and Royal are more alike than different. Food on both is hit and miss but I can say I've never missed a meal nor have I gone hungry on either.

Valor is not going to have the activities that an Oasis class ship has nor are you going to be bored to death.

Yes, Carnival is more FUN but not even close to the reputation of yesteryear.

 

We now base our selection on what port do we want to sail out of, which ship is sailing where, who's going with us.

[BNBR]

The main difference is they don't have the mega ships. If you enjoy sailing on the "normal" sized Royal ships, then you'll probably find yourself enjoying Carnival quite a bit. To be honest, you may find that you prefer Carnival on these size ships. They have a very good product. I haven't sailed Valor but I've sailed Glory - which is the same class - and it was really very good. Valor has all the "2.0" upgrades as well. I'd book it in a heartbeat. You won't be disappointed at all.

[2CatsInFlorida]

Nicer rooms on Carnival, better shows on RC . Food is average on both. Service very similar.

 

 

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[lbjen]

Thanks for this thread, very helpful.

[anamanxs]

I have been on the Carnival Valor, we enjoyed the ship.

[OKCcruiser8]

If you are talking May of this year, won't Vision of the Seas still be there then? It does 4 & 5 night cruises. At some point, I also believe Enchantment will be replacing Vision in Galveston.

[Cruisegirl6]

I been on 75 cruises sailed the Valor. I will give you my perspective so hopefully I don't start a war on this thread. Just to let you know, our favorite cruise lines are RC then Princess.....I have been on all the Carnival ships except for the Vista class (mainly because last May sailing on the Harmony we decided going on Carnival we miss out on all the bells and whistles that the RC ships offer us) because we decided to stay loyal to RC. With this being said, here are the differences that I experience when cruising on Carnival compared to RC:

 

Cons:

1- Buffet lunches much more limited and a step down

2- The only food you can get past 10:30pm is room service or just pizza

3- You don't have different places to eat breakfast (no Park Cafe, no wipe out cafe, no solarium bistro, etc)

4- Pools are alot smaller

5- Entertainment is below what you get on RC

6- Shower curtains instead of shower doors

7- Ship not stable on rough seas

8- Drink package maximum 15 alcoholic drinks daily

9- I feel dinner in the MDR is below RC

10- Balconies much smaller

11- Many cocktail drinks are served in smaller glasses and they try to get you to upgrade the size of the glass for an extra fee

 

Pros:

1- Steakhouse is our most favorite specialty restaurant

2- I find the bartenders/staff to be a touch friendlier

3- Alchemy bar is amazing

4- Carnival offers brunch during sea days, open until 1pm

 

 

Both offer decent bedding/pillows, plenty storage in cabins, both offer daily drink special, staff on both wonderful

 

My saying is any cruise is better than no cruise, would I sail on the Valor again, sure if the price is right because I would not spend more money on a Carnival cruise.

[silentbob007]

Valor is fine though the design of the ship is still a pain ... a dining room in the middle of the ship means there are fewer lower deckswhere you can go from front to back of the ship.

[Aggiebuttercup]

Royal does offer 4- and 5-day sailings from Galveston during at least part of the year. My mom and sister took a 5-day cruise on Vision in January. The following week, I did the 5-day on the Carnival Valor with some friends.

 

Valor is a smaller ship than Liberty of the Seas. It never felt crowded to us at all (note that school was in session). It is a Carnival ship, which means that the Casino is in the middle of the ship. I detest the smell of smoke, so when we wanted to go across the ship, we had to walk up a few flights to get to a deck that allowed us to do that without going through the Casino. This is my biggest pet peeve of all the Carnival ships I've been on.

 

The cruise director is pretty good, although he has a weird habit of ending every announcement with a "Boop!" We went to the Love and Marriage show and the Hasbro show and enjoyed them both. We didn't see any of the Broadway-style shows.

 

Generally, I really enjoy the comedians on Carnival, but on my cruise they weren't that great. One focused on Monica Lewinsky jokes, and one gave the exact same show for the family-friendly and R-rated shows. I think this was an anomaly.

 

The piano bar player was not that great.

 

Otherwise, we did a lot of trivia, had popcorn and watched good movies on deck, danced in the club, attended the deck party, and strolled around with a fruity drink.

 

The food was comparable to Royal's, but the desserts were atrocious. Even the waiters admitted that.

 

You should enjoy the cruise.

 

ETA: Eat breakfast burritos at the Blue Iguana. They are AWESOME. Better than Bucc-ees.

[Moz]

I been on 75 cruises sailed the Valor. I will give you my perspective so hopefully I don't start a war on this thread. Just to let you know, our favorite cruise lines are RC then Princess.....I have been on all the Carnival ships except for the Vista class (mainly because last May sailing on the Harmony we decided going on Carnival we miss out on all the bells and whistles that the RC ships offer us) because we decided to stay loyal to RC. With this being said, here are the differences that I experience when cruising on Carnival compared to RC:

 

Cons:

1- Buffet lunches much more limited and a step down

2- The only food you can get past 10:30pm is room service or just pizza

3- You don't have different places to eat breakfast (no Park Cafe, no wipe out cafe, no solarium bistro, etc)

4- Pools are alot smaller

5- Entertainment is below what you get on RC

6- Shower curtains instead of shower doors

7- Ship not stable on rough seas

8- Drink package maximum 15 alcoholic drinks daily

9- I feel dinner in the MDR is below RC

10- Balconies much smaller

11- Many cocktail drinks are served in smaller glasses and they try to get you to upgrade the size of the glass for an extra fee

 

Pros:

1- Steakhouse is our most favorite specialty restaurant

2- I find the bartenders/staff to be a touch friendlier

3- Alchemy bar is amazing

4- Carnival offers brunch during sea days, open until 1pm

 

 

Both offer decent bedding/pillows, plenty storage in cabins, both offer daily drink special, staff on both wonderful

 

My saying is any cruise is better than no cruise, would I sail on the Valor again, sure if the price is right because I would not spend more money on a Carnival cruise.

 

I do agree totally with this response but would add that that last few Carnival cruises we have taken there was a different clientele. Very loud with a lot of tank tops and backward caps in dining rooms also a crowd that loves the late comedy shows. Different strokes for different folks. We prefer the clientele on NCL and RCL. Carnival food and service were very good but no late night food except long lines for pizza.

[Cruisegirl6]

Moz- Yes, forgot about the tanks and the caps...

[accio_7]

I have never sailed Carnival, but noticed that Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina are included on this ship. Heard a lot of good things about both from friends who are devoted Carnival cruisers. [emoji106]

 

Edit: Reviews on Cruise Critic are quite positive: https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=338

 

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[Thorben-Hendrik]

Our anniversary is in May and we want to go on a short trip somewhere; we are both missing cruising so thought we would book a cruise out of Galveston (we live in Sugar Land). We have cruised RCCL (diamond) and about five cruises on NCL. We have never tried Carnival, but our one and only option out of Galveston(for a 4 or 5 day cruise) is the Carnival Valor. We have cruised all sizes and types of RCCL ships (from the Rhapsody to the Oasis), so I was hoping some of my royal friends who may have tried the Carnival Valor out of Galveston can tell me what you thought. I have tried to search comparisons on these boards but the results haven’t been very helpful. Thanks!

Carnival Valor is not a bad choice.....we liked it!(y)

Not a bad ship for a short cruise!

[BNBR]

I have never sailed Carnival, but noticed that Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina are included on this ship. Heard a lot of good things about both from friends who are devoted Carnival cruisers. [emoji106]

 

Edit: Reviews on Cruise Critic are quite positive: https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=338

 

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Carnival does an OUTSTANDING job with the "grab and go" type concepts. Nobody competes with them for this kind of food venues.

[lovelife]

I have sailed Valor - only because it was free through the casino for DH. There were certainly plenty of party people!

I found the ship dark and tacky and there wasn't much to do. I have family who really like Carnival, but as for us, we have never taken them up on another freebie. Just my opinion folks.

[Aquahound]

Our anniversary is in May and we want to go on a short trip somewhere; we are both missing cruising so thought we would book a cruise out of Galveston (we live in Sugar Land). We have cruised RCCL (diamond) and about five cruises on NCL. We have never tried Carnival, but our one and only option out of Galveston(for a 4 or 5 day cruise) is the Carnival Valor. We have cruised all sizes and types of RCCL ships (from the Rhapsody to the Oasis), so I was hoping some of my royal friends who may have tried the Carnival Valor out of Galveston can tell me what you thought. I have tried to search comparisons on these boards but the results haven’t been very helpful. Thanks!

 

Similar to you, I have many cruises under my belt on RCI, and a few on NCL. However, last year, I saw a great deal on a 5 day cruise out of Galveston on one of Valor's sister ships and I jumped on it. All in all, it was fine.

 

My biggest complaint was the ship itself. These older Carnival ships are a lot darker and hideously designed than the beautiful RCI ships. You do get used to it though. The layout is also very odd. Without taking a significant detour, you're forced to walk through the very smoky casino in order to get fore and aft. You can't even use the outdoor promenade because there were no doors aft letting you back in.

 

I'll get the rest of the bad out of the way. The staterooms are also hideous. Our room was pink. It was the ugliest cabin I've ever had. Also, if you get a balcony, the doors swing rather than slide, so you have to contend with door slammers all night long. Live entertainment is also not a strength on Carnival. The main shows lacked talent and there was no live music by the pools. They blast rock and rap music by the pools. The best live entertainment was in the casino but again, you have to contend with the smoke.

 

But on to the good:

 

Someone mentioned Steakhouse being great. I totally agree. Carnival's Steakhouse blows Chops Grill away, in my opinion. To sweeten the deal, you get a free bottle of wine on night 1.

 

They do comedy shows just about every night. The room wasn't designed for comedy, so the seating is a little awkward, but if you get there early, you can grab one of the better seats.

 

The man dining room was right on par with RCI. We had excellent service and we thought the food was pretty good. Also, we never had a problem finding a seat in the buffet, even at peak times. There's an upstairs section that nobody seemed to know about.

 

Guys, Blue Iguana and Red Frog were excellent poolside bars/eateries. BNBR said Carnival is excellent at grab-and-go. I totally agree. It was nice to have good burgers and tacos right there by the pool without having to go into the buffet.

[ReneeFLL]

I haven't sailed on Carnival at all so I can't compare them. My advice would be to go with an open mind and not expect them to be like Royal. You might/hope you enjoy the differences that each line has to offer. The person who said that Carnival has more activities makes it sound like fun. You can do more if you want or not since they are offered. On Royal you can only do so much if they don't offer much. I would say try it and let us know what you think of them. They must be doing something right since I read they were the largest cruise line up until a couple of years ago. Royal passed them after building the mega ships and now carry more passangers.

[travelnteach64]

We are loyal to Royal and we tried Carnival Liberty out of Galveston. After that trip we said never again. I'm not sure if it was Carnivals issue or an insanely selfish group of cruisers. We felt like it was nothing shy of an entitled trip to Walmart. Pushing and shoving to get off the one gangway at the port. Lines through the halls and up the stairwells to get off. One gangway open to get on at the port. We had people trying to steal our towels, even with our bags and drinks of the table. Major line cutting for food and so much more. We just felt like there was no people management for this particular cruise. We just didn't feel like we fit the clientele from this particular port. We stick to Florida ports now.

[BNBR]

We are loyal to Royal and we tried Carnival Liberty out of Galveston. After that trip we said never again. I'm not sure if it was Carnivals issue or an insanely selfish group of cruisers. We felt like it was nothing shy of an entitled trip to Walmart. Pushing and shoving to get off the one gangway at the port. Lines through the halls and up the stairwells to get off. One gangway open to get on at the port. We had people trying to steal our towels, even with our bags and drinks of the table. Major line cutting for food and so much more. We just felt like there was no people management for this particular cruise. We just didn't feel like we fit the clientele from this particular port. We stick to Florida ports now.

 

I found the passenger demographic largely depends on time of year, cruise length, and departure port. Royal and Carnival seem to pull a similar demographic. I'd give Carnival another chance.

[cmich068]

I have not been on Valor, but have branched out to Carnival before. It's a different experience, but definitely worth a try. Some areas are better than Royal, some areas are worse - in the end of the day it's a wash.

 

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