Willdra’s Valiant Venezia Review

[willdra]

A few minutes after we sat down, they started a mobile trivia contest. It was trivia that we could do on our phones. We could scan a QR code or type in the address manually to join. W and I joined cuz what else were we doing? 

 

W actually ended up in third place, since we were collaborating on some answers. I realized too late that he wasn’t always giving me the right answers. I was giving him the right answers that he didn’t know but he was like “choose D cuz I chose A”. Then A would be right. Huh? So after I figured that out I was like “what did you choose?”, if I didn’t know the answer. Pay attention ladies. They will try to trick us. Sneaky.

 

It was a cool game and it reminded me of the mobile trivia games that we play at the parties that we host at home. I always have some sort of games like this because it breaks up the monotony and my family really gets into anything competitive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

After that game, MarQ came up with a music trivia live game that was fun to watch. This was another example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. This one little guy knew the words to so many songs across several genres. Impressive. I never would’ve guessed by looking at him. 

 

As a side note, ever since I reproduced two humans, I have tried to share my love of music with them. Music was such a big part of my life growing up and I did my best to carry it into our kid’s lives also. Every time we got in the car there was a playlist that we popped in. For every road trip there was a “Now that’s what I call music” CD that we listened to. These days it brings joy to my heart when they tell me a certain song reminds them of “that time when” or they jokingly ask me to play a Creed or Nickelback song cuz they know I loved them back in the day (apparently Creed and Nickelback is now uncool mom music). Says who? I beg to differ. 

 

Anywho, we watched the entire music trivia and it was fun to see. I like when the entertainment comes to us, and we don't have to go anywhere for it. Oh we're just lounging around and boom, an event pops up to entertain us? Yes please! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

W went to get in the water after that. He said he needed cool off. The drinks at brunch still had him warm. I thought he did well to wait that long to get in the pool. He really hadn’t been in the water yet, so I knew it was killing him.

 

The DJ was back at it, so I took that opportunity to get my workout in for the day. I know I looked ridiculous standing in the window dancing, but the beat slapped and calories were burned. While I was impersonating a Solid Gold Dancer, others were napping on the couches in public. Like full on slumber mode. This must be the napping area. Everyone who sat on a loveseat fell asleep. It happened all day long. Those things are dangerous. I didn't blame them at all tho. You paid for this cruise, get all of your money's worth. 

 

Maybe this should be listed on the Funtimes as an activity. "Adult Organized Napping on Deck 11. Bring a blanket and earplugs. Times vary" 

 

W got out of the pool, and went and did the Hole in One Challenge at 4. I stayed up dancing in the window, until the DJ announced his departure (booooo). Then I switched to reading with my AirPods in. Reading is fundamental. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

W came back after not winning the challenge and we moved down to the pool area. It was nice down there in the sun. He got back in the ice water while I sat in a lounger. We stayed out until almost 6 when the sun went down and it started to get cool out.

 

On the way back to the cabin we stopped at Pixels to get our VIFP gifts. It was a bucket bag which I will definitely use. I like it when we get the bags. While we were down there, people were walking by doing some horrific singing. We figured they were going to karaoke. The guy helping us at Pixels said “that’s why they have karaoke in the back of the ship”. Then I said “hopefully the room is soundproof too”. That singing was bad and I hoped I never had to witness any of it. It sounded like 2 pieces of Fashion Nova fabric rubbing together. Abrasive, agonizing, and aggravating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

We went back to the cabin to prepare for dinner after that. W got another bag of laundry ready to go out while I sat around staring into the abyss. 

 

Right when W got in the shower, the tap tap tap on the door happened, and this time I opened it to find Ketut with a bottle of water to replace the one that W only used to swallow some pills.

 

There was only an inch of water used in that bottle, and we still had the other bottle of water as well, so I didn’t know why he was rushing to bring a new bottle of water. He also asked if we needed ice, and I told him we had some of that too. He dropped off the water, bid me goodnight, and I closed the door as fast as I could. It’s nice that he checks in on us before clocking out, but also strange that it’s always at a bad time for us(me).

 

So it's time for a new rule Beetlejuice. It's low key and simple in this cabin. When we need to summon you, we will call your name 3 times. If you only hear it once, or not at all, do not, I repeat, do not tap, tap, tap, we're good ova here. 

 

We got ready and left for dinner at 7:52. We waited maybe 25 minutes for the table after checking in via the app.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

When we got down to the dining room it was almost empty. There weren’t that many people in there at all. We thought most people ate earlier because the wait times were 40-50 minutes when we first checked the app.

 

I ordered the Crab and Shrimp Cake, Marinated Chicken Tenders, and the Lasagna Bolognese. For dessert I ordered the Budino Bianco E Nero.

 

The appetizers came out quick and good. The Crab and Shrimp Cake was juicy and flavorful. The chicken was good too, just not as good as the shrimp and crab in my opinion. Right when we got appetizers, we had showtime and that’s where it all fell apart. It took a very long time for the entrees to come after that. I forgot what I ordered and I really wasn’t even hungry anymore after the chicken and seafood. The only reason I stayed was for W to get his food.

 

We saw people who arrived after us get finished and leave before we got our food. I think there was some sort of operator error contributing to this. When our server took my order he was tapping on the little pda, but I could tell he was confused cuz I looked to my left a few minutes later, and he was still standing there saying “ummm crab and shrimp cake…..” Man, can you give that thing to someone who can see? Please and thank you.

 

The ladies sitting with us were also wondering what was taking so long. When my lasagna came out I only ate a few bites of it. It wasn’t bad I’d just lost my appetite by then. Plus I wanted to save a little room for the dessert that I ordered.

 

26 minutes after entrees they brought out the desserts. It doesn’t seem that long now that I’m looking at the timestamps on the pictures but it felt like an eternity while we were sitting at the table. I was about to fall asleep in that lasagna.

 

So W and I ordered this dessert thinking it would be something with a lot of chocolate in it. It said "Italian Chocolate Bread Pudding". Turns out it was really just Bitter N Blanc. Really Venezia? Please rise from the ditch of deception and delusions, and just say it's Bitter N Blanc upfront. Thank you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

We took a few quick bites to be polite, then high tailed it outta there. W needed to make a quick pitstop at the cabin. When we got in the elevator, there was a girl in there holding down her eyelashes. she said she was afraid the wind was gonna blow them off. I’m not sure, but you might be doing eyelashes wrong if you have to hold them down in the wind. Maybe pay a few extra dollars to get the stronger adhesive, or maybe don’t get them done by someone you just met in the gas station restroom(or any restroom). Yikes.

 

When we got to Deck 11, we went to scope out a spot for the 80’s Rock N Glow Party. With so much covered indoor space, we knew that we had to get there early if we wanted to be able to see.

 

We were correct. Spaces were filling up fast and we were almost out of options. Remarkably I chose the same spot that we were in all day. We just turned the chairs around to face the windows and we were golden. There were 4 chairs so we turned all of them even tho we only needed 2. Soon 2 guys came by and asked if they could sit in the 2 vacant chairs, and we said yes. They were very happy.

 

After they sat down, I glanced at one of the guys and had to do a double take. He had a big bodacious black eye. I have never seen a black eye that big and I haven’t seen one in a very long time. Y’all know I had muchas preguntas, like do adults still get those? Why? What did he do (or say) to somebody to wind up on the business end of a knuckle sandwich? Who put the paws on him, and are they coming ova here? As a precaution, W and I scooted down a little to show that we were indeed not with them in case some static popped off. 

 

The party started at 10:30. By about 10:40 the place was packed. There were bodies all around us. It wasn’t really warm enough to be up on deck 12 so it was empty up there. Everyone was concentrated on decks 10 and 11. The party was a lot of fun. MarQ is a great entertainer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

While the party was winding down I got an alert that the Comedy Showcase was starting. W and I darted out of there then went down to grab a seat in the Teattro Rosso. The first comedian was Carl Faulkenberry, and we still liked him. The second comedian was Dave Goodman. Uh uh. I didn’t realize it was him. As soon as he came out W looked at me. He knew. I said let’s give him a minute. At about 10 minutes in, it didn’t get any better so we bounced. It’s not even worth seeing for free. We're good.

 

We went back to the cabin afterwards and read until bedtime.

 

Before I fell asleep I said a prayer thanking God for Schoolhouse Rock. I can still sing the preamble to the Constitution to this day (for absolutely no reason at all) because of Schoolhouse Rock. That show tried its best to teach us about grammar (my fave was Conjunction junction), math (3,6,9..12,15,18..21,24,27….30), and so many other things. When our kids were in school, we bought the VHS tapes (cuz we have millennials) of Schoolhouse Rock to help with their multiplication tables. Problem solved. They made learning fun, and this review most likely would not be happening if not for Schoolhouse Rock. So thank God for a time when parents didn't have to worry as much about what their kids were watching on TV. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[willdra]

On 6/18/2024 at 5:19 PM, AKR2011 said:

I'm playing catch here and just wanted to spread the word that we in NY love our alcohol, and you can even shop on Sunday. BUT, we have weird laws about what is sold. Liquor stores can ONLY sell wine and liquor, and grocery stores can mostly only sell beer. Some can get away with NY wines, but that's about it. You'll often find a liquor store next to a grocery store for that reason. 

That’s good info🤗. We were ecstatic when we found that liquor store open that late on Sunday night, cuz they don’t do that at the ones near us. 😱

[willdra]

On 6/18/2024 at 5:45 PM, KAmburn said:

Love your reviews!  So happy to find a new one!

Glad to have you onboard! 🤗🤗🤗

[willdra]

On 6/18/2024 at 6:59 PM, Saint Greg said:

Seinfeld had a plan. Nobody listens…

 

 

This is a brilliant plan! New York, please get this going! Catch a criminal, get right back to sweeping! 😂🤣😂😂😭😭

[willdra]

On 6/18/2024 at 7:25 PM, #55worktoplay said:

Great review. What a day you had in NY, you sure did cover allot in one day. 
 

Looking forward to the rest. 
 

Thx

Thank you, I’m still tired from it too 🥱😴! 

[willdra]

On 6/18/2024 at 8:55 PM, PayneAS said:

 

I'm more frightened wondering why there is a giant hole in its head!

I know right. It looked like there was a camera in there. All very eerie! 👼🏻👼🏻👼🏻

[willdra]

On 6/19/2024 at 7:59 AM, Mommapadraig said:

Beautiful ship! Could you have W go back and straighten the lamp behind the other lamp in photo 162? See I am paying attention! 

Yes! That lamp bothered me too! 

[willdra]

On 6/19/2024 at 8:24 AM, ColeThornton said:

I'm very much enjoying this review.  Can't remember the last time I actually laughed out loud reading a cruise review.  You have a wonderful way with words.  🙂

Thank you! 😇

[willdra]

On 6/19/2024 at 8:30 AM, Jelly_Toast said:

We have a cruise booked on Venezia next year so I'm very excited for this review and your beautiful photos!

You’re gonna love her, she’s a very beautiful vessel! ♥️🛳️🛳️♥️

[willdra]

On 6/19/2024 at 12:47 PM, gambler said:

Love your review. Great pictures!

Thank you! 😊 

[willdra]

On 6/19/2024 at 10:55 AM, Jeafl said:

We were on the Venezia 5/27-6/6 so I am really enjoying your take on the ship.  We did not have the extra time in New York, and I am really regretting that.  Our comedians were a snooze as well.  What is up with that?

 

Looking forward to the rest of your journey.

That one comedian that we had was like watching paint dry. I need to know who’s approving these people, and does anyone not get chosen??? 😳

[willdra]

On 6/19/2024 at 1:44 PM, fair-winds39 said:

Just saw this today and I need to catch up. Here I go again, your descriptions of some things are so funny, I’m again, laughing out loud. Looking forward to your thoughts on Venezia. We were on her in Oct. 2023. Enjoy your NY adventure and the Venezia.

Thank you, we had a marvelous time! 🤗

[willdra]

On 6/19/2024 at 2:32 PM, peteandpris said:

Yay! love this review.

 

Thank you 😊! 

[willdra]

On 6/19/2024 at 3:29 PM, notscb said:

It's so weird seeing photos of this ship and thinking "huh, it's a Carnival ship, but it definitely doesn't look like a Carnival ship." I love the little touches in the serenity area (the greenery, mostly) and the extra accents and details all around- not to mention the mirror in the bathroom!

 

It was a very different “feeling” ship too. It said Carnival everywhere, but it still didn’t feel like a Carnival ship. It was all in a good way tho. Almost too good. 😉

[willdra]

On 6/19/2024 at 11:00 PM, cruises42 said:

Excited to read your review! We were on this cruise too.

How cool! It was definitely a very popular voyage. 🥰🛳️🥰

[willdra]

On 6/19/2024 at 6:41 PM, HeyJut said:

Been following along again. Willdra you are so real it’s just plain fun reading your posts.

Thanks! 😊 

[willdra]

On 6/20/2024 at 12:42 AM, LaRue1975 said:

Loving your review Wildra! We’ll be on the Venezia 12 day to Port Canaveral in November 2025. You have sold me on spending two nights pre cruise in the city, thank you! We were on the Celebration May 5th to the 18th and I have a vague memory of hubby pointing to a ship and asking why it doesn’t have a whales tail? And me replying that’s Venezia and we’ll be on her next year. I could have been dreaming or drunk so will be looking to see if we were in port together somewhere along the way. Looking forward to the rest of your adventure! 

Thank you so much for joining me! A 12 day to Port Canaveral sounds amazing 🤩. I will have to check that one out. 😉

[willdra]

On 6/20/2024 at 5:30 PM, HolySpearit said:

Following along, love your reviews! NYC cruise is definitely on our list, but given our list is about 18 miles long at this point not sure when it’ll be outside of “someday, as long as the good lord doesn’t decide to take me out unexpectedly soon”. 
 

Glad to live vicariously through you in the meantime! 

LOL 😂 Your list sounds like ours! 18 miles and counting. 😜