Considering the Valor, any advice

[Paelos]

I'm looking at booking a cruise on the Valor next year out of NOLA, mostly because I have friends that are there who I can take with me, and I can spend part of the beginning of that weekend touring the French Quarter.

 

However, I look at the ship and to me it's hideously ugly, with what looks to be extremely dated rooms. It looks like the last drydock was 2016, and they didn't focus on the rooms at all. I've read through some reviews here and they run the spectrum of, "it's fine and doesn't look dated" to "holy crap this is oldy mc'old"

 

Can anybody who has sailed on the Valor allay my concerns? Did you enjoy the trip and the rooms? Was the decor not as noticeable or better yet did you enjoy it? How was the staff and the food when you went, and was it comparable or better than other ships in the fleet?

 

Thanks for your advice.

[evandbob]

Of the 5 Conquest class ships (Conquest, Glory, Freedom and Liberty are the other 4 with identical deck plans) the Valor has probably the gaudiest decor.  And yes, when Carnival does a dry dock, it's mostly to add or upgrade venues rather than the cabins.

 

The Valor used to have the lowest fares of the group, and that's why I sailed it 7 times.  I tried my best to ignore the decor, it was easier for me to do than the earlier more Farkus crazy ships.  But now I prefer the Dream class ships or other cruise lines.

 

If it'll be an issue for the OP, then move on to another newer ship like Dream or Vista class, or MSC, NCL, or Celebrity.  

[Paelos]

The low fares are a draw, when you sailed it on your 7 times, what stood out to you as the best? The worst?

[jnb3382]

My husband and I were on the Valor in 2012 for our honeymoon. Even then the rooms looked dated, And some of the decor is downright creepy (past presidents heads used as light fixtures in public areas). that said, the ugly parts of the ship were easy to ignore and we had a wonderful vacation with great food and fantastic service from the staff.

[Organized Chaos]

The decor of the Conquest class ships, of which Valor is a part of, were designed by Joe Farcus. His decor invokes reactions in Carnival passengers that often seem to fall on one end of the emotional spectrum or the other. Most people either love it or hate it. For the most part, I think it's tacky & gaudy. I thought the Conquest was some of the gaudiest design I'd ever seen. But we sailed on Glory last year and I found it to be much more subdued and easier on my eyes. We'll be on Valor for the first time this December. From the photos I've seen, so far, I don't think I'll hate it as much as I did Conquest's decor, but we'll see. That's just the nature of the beast when it comes to Farcus' designs.

 

They are the third newest class in the fleet, starting back in 2002 with the Conquest (Valor built in '04). I didn't think the Conquest & Glory looked old or worn out. Granted, when we were on the Glory, it had been in dry dock some months before and had gotten some fresh carpet and paint in public spaces, although I couldn't tell where. Carpets see so much traffic on all these ships that they're bound to wear out.

 

We really like the Lido pool area on Conquest class ships. More specifically, the fact that the decks above the pool area are "terraced," so to speak. You're not down in a hole with vertical walls on all sides. That terraced design makes it feel more open and also provides great viewing areas for the dive-in movies and events/activities that are held around the pool. That's my favorite feature of Conquest class. I guess if you start comparing them to the Dream class, or especially the Vista class, you're bound to see what looks older.

 

We picked Valor because we were looking for something cheap(er) to break up the monotony of waiting for our March 2020 cruise on Horizon. We've never sailed out of NOLA before and thought it'd be fun to cruise down the Mississippi for a while. We know we enjoy the Conquest class, I know I survived with the decor of the Conquest LOL, so we're not worried about it. I can't completely rely on the experiences of others in regards to ships that are good or bad because everyone sees things differently. I'd rather experience it and decide for myself.

[Paelos]

That's a good recommendation because it's really going to come down to the Valor or the Glory considering the time lines and itinerary. 

[PhillyFan33579]

As others have stated, the Joe Farcus designed ships tend to bring out strong feelings, both positive and negative. However, I have found once the first day of a cruise on a ship new to me is over, I really don’t notice the ship decor too much. I am usually too busy doing something or busy doing nothing on a lounge chair somewhere. The decor of my cabin is not a big deal since I am usually only in there to sleep, shower, or hang outside on the balcony. 

 

The one exception to the above is when I have cruised on Vista and Horizon. When I have been on these ships, every time I was at the lobby bar, I noticed the lack of glass elevators and vaulted ceiling. 

[amyh13]

We have sailed the Valor twice, both times pre-dry dock. Both cruises were GREAT!  The first time has remained our favorite cruise.  Our kids had a great time and it doesn't even have all of the bells and whistles for the kids.

 

Yes, the interior is interesting if not down right comical.  My kids thought the decor was awesome.  It didn't affect my cruise at all.

Edited July 30, 2019 by amyh13

[NightOne]

4 hours ago, Paelos said:

I'm looking at booking a cruise on the Valor next year out of NOLA, mostly because I have friends that are there who I can take with me, and I can spend part of the beginning of that weekend touring the French Quarter.

 

However, I look at the ship and to me it's hideously ugly, with what looks to be extremely dated rooms. It looks like the last drydock was 2016, and they didn't focus on the rooms at all. I've read through some reviews here and they run the spectrum of, "it's fine and doesn't look dated" to "holy crap this is oldy mc'old"

 

Can anybody who has sailed on the Valor allay my concerns? Did you enjoy the trip and the rooms? Was the decor not as noticeable or better yet did you enjoy it? How was the staff and the food when you went, and was it comparable or better than other ships in the fleet?

 

Thanks for your advice.

 

What other ships have you sailed where you found the decor to be non-ugly so we can get a better idea of what you are looking for?

 

You could always choose Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas from NOLA as it will have the same decor as every single Marriott you've ever stayed at in the past.

 

Also, there is NCL Breakaway/Getaway as an option.

[evandbob]

4 hours ago, Paelos said:

The low fares are a draw, when you sailed it on your 7 times, what stood out to you as the best? The worst?

 

To be quite frank, I was sailing solo so price over ruled a lot of misgivings about the decor and state of the ship.  The bed was soft, the shower worked well (except once, and it was promptly repaired after I reported the clogged drain) the food good, and the service was on a par with any other Carnival ship I've sailed, and I loved the western itinerary.  But if Liberty or the Freedom had the same fare, I would have sailed those instead.

 

There is no such thing as the perfect cruise, but the positives outweighed the negatives, I guess, since I sailed the Valor 7 times.

[Organized Chaos]

8 hours ago, Paelos said:

That's a good recommendation because it's really going to come down to the Valor or the Glory considering the time lines and itinerary. 

 

Even though the Valor's last dry dock was in 2016, it did get the Fun Ship 2.0 updates at that time. It looks like one of the biggest things it doesn't have that the Glory now does is WaterWorks. But Valor does have a twister slide, if that stuff even interests you. One nice thing many people like about the Conquest class ships is that their aft pools are adults only. Try not to dwell too much on the decor. Even if you find it unappealing to the eye, it's easily overlooked once you're having a good time.

[BTromboneFrack]

We just got off the Valor and had a great cruise.   While the decor on all of the Carnival ships we have been on has been "vibrant," it has never affected how much we've enjoyed a cruise.  The Valor out of NOLA was a great cruise and it was fun sailing down the Mississippi for eight hours after departure.   Saw lots of other ships, towns, and scenery.  The service and food was wonderful and the staff was very friendly.  In fact, what I notice most on Carnival ships is how EVERY employee we pass in the halls says hello -- and with a smile.  The ship was clean and kept up very well.  We love the Conquest class, but don't notice huge differences between one class of ship and another.   The Carnival experience has been essentially the same on every ship we've been on. 

 

[Paelos]

On 7/30/2019 at 1:26 PM, NightOne said:

 

What other ships have you sailed where you found the decor to be non-ugly so we can get a better idea of what you are looking for?

 

You could always choose Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas from NOLA as it will have the same decor as every single Marriott you've ever stayed at in the past.

 

Also, there is NCL Breakaway/Getaway as an option.

 

I've been on the Elation, the RC Mariner of the Seas, and the NCL Epic.

 

I found the Elation to have an insane over the top version of Tiffany lamps decor, but I could laugh that off and have a good time without issue. Also it was my first cruise and my honeymoon so it would have had to have hit a rock for me to care about what was going on there.

 

The Epic was fine with it's weird layout and strange interior spaces, but acceptable.

 

The RC Mariner was great with the Promenade but as you've noted it's very bland. 

 

The issue with the Valor to me is the flooring and the weird faces. It's like America threw up all over a ship. And honestly it's not as much me as I'm thinking about taking some friends who have never done a cruise before, and it doesn't strike me as the type of ship I would think I'd want to use as the first impression of Carnival. The Glory is probably better for that, but it's a longer cruise.

[NightOne]

11 minutes ago, Paelos said:

 

The issue with the Valor to me is the flooring and the weird faces. It's like America threw up all over a ship. 

 

The conquest class of ships are all about patriotic themes and I believe that famous heroes & heroines is the theme for Valor.

 

Here is a good article about the Valor decor:

 

http://www.cruiseserver.net/travelpage/ships/cc_valor.asp

 

 

[btregoning]

I just got off the valor today and can't say that the theming was at all impressive to me.  I did enjoy some of the "hero/heroine" artwork in the stairwells, but the Pepto-Bismol pink paint in the dining room and around the ceiling lighting in the cabin was hideous.  

 

My biggest question is, if it is an Americana theme on the ship, where does the "Ivanhoe" theater fit into it with the suits of armor and crests on the tables, curtain, etc?

[NightOne]

On 8/26/2019 at 9:02 PM, btregoning said:

I just got off the valor today and can't say that the theming was at all impressive to me.  I did enjoy some of the "hero/heroine" artwork in the stairwells, but the Pepto-Bismol pink paint in the dining room and around the ceiling lighting in the cabin was hideous.  

 

My biggest question is, if it is an Americana theme on the ship, where does the "Ivanhoe" theater fit into it with the suits of armor and crests on the tables, curtain, etc?

 

It is primarily Heroes/Heroines and while a lot of it (majority?) is American not all of it is. (as you have pointed out)

 

Colors are subjective 🙂

[TravelGirlinDallas]

I've sailed the Valor twice out of Galveston, once in an oceanview and once in a balcony cabin. The cabins seemed spacious, lots of storage, and while dated, they were comfortable. The ship is definitely not my favorite in terms of decor, but we had a great time on both cruises.

 

The worst part of the decor was the bright pink dining room with orange neon lighting and purple glass chandeliers. Almost hurt your eyes! But the food was great, so hey.

Edited August 28, 2019 by TravelGirlinDallas