CCL - Valor Interior Question

[TeeBuccs]

Has anyone sailed CCL - Valor and then a comperable ship on another line? I am debating scheduling a family vacation for next spring and the cost difference between CCL & RCI right now is significant. I will admit I am not a Carnival fan (have sailed with them 4 times in my life and had some mixed experiences) but am curious how others would compare them.

 

The pictures I have seen online of Valor appear to be somewhat more "tacky" in terms of decorations. I am not snooty by any stretch of the imagination but don't want to take my in-laws on a party ship with gaudy decor. This may not be the case but I am curious how Valor stacks up to RCI Voyager class ships or other lines in terms of feel.

 

Any thoughts are appreciated!

[jkfreeman33]

Before I start getting flamed........ this is IMOP

We just got off the Valor on Sunday - we sailed 6/19. I thought the ship was not very attractive. I knew the layout since I was on Conquest & Glory. The red/white/blue was everywhere. I was really tired of it by day 3.

This was our 16th cruise, my 5th with Carnival. I remember all the reasons why I like RCI so much better.

The food was average at best. We had a table of 10 and every night someone had the beef selection and called it "chewy" Two nights it was less of 5 evils as to what to choose. The lobster was very good.

The dining room service was just OK. 3 nights we didn't get coffee even though we asked for it twice. The poor waiter is so busy dancing and "entertaining" us that he didn't have time for coffee or desert. Let any one of the bands in the 14 different bars entertain us, just serve the food!

We were traveling with a group of 400+ and they decided that 3 cruises with Carnival was more than enough. They are doing a NCL next year.

We go for the people, not the food, ship, ports of call or service. When we book a cruise for ourselves or a family cruise like we did last September, I pick RCI or Princess.

Someone at our table called Carnival the "Walmart of cruising".

I say....... you get what you pay for.

Given the choice..... go with RCI.

[salty dingo]

I agree totally with the comments on the waiters and the entertaing they do. Enough of that already, quit it, Carnival, you're bothering us!!

 

I think NCL is very comparable to Carnival in terms of food quality and service, IMHO.

[kchesneylover]

My experience on the Carnival Valor was that they turn a private, quiet, subduded, intimate evening in the dining room into chaos when they come out dancing and making a lot of noise.

 

Now, mind you I have been on Costa and on Carnival. Each awesome in their own perspectives, imho.

 

TeeBuccs - Costa pulled me in with their delicious and very yummy Olive Oil that you could practically drink from the bottle. (I still rate all other olive oils as second best to Costa). Costa had fun activities such as painting T-Shirts or Pottery and Tea-Time - all of which was VERY fun and the Tea-Time savories and desserts were delicious.

 

I have been on the Valor (and as you see in my siggy, I am going again - this time Eastern) - I would try Costa when it is in Florida. Some people have very strong opinions about Costa. Fact is that when in Florida, Costa is a very good value, because most of their money is made in Europe and when they are doing the Caribbean sailings, you can find inexpensive rates,

 

I know that everyone says their food is bad, but I am a very open-minded person and I thought the food was delicious. I am a very big fan of olives and they ALWAYS had a huge selection of different kinds of olives. No, it is not Carnival (and yes that is who I am comparing them to), but I had a steak on the Costa Magica that I cut with a butter knife - no lie.

 

I would keep them in mind.

[5668200]

We have sailed both RCCL and CCL. We were on CCL's Destiny two years ago and loved everything about it - the food, entertainment, ship, etc. We sailed RCCL's Splendor of the Sea and hated it! Food was just barely o.k., not one thing I'd recommend to anyone, entertainment was so bad that most nights at least 1/4 - 1/3 of the people left half way through, the ship's carpet was filthy in many spots - more so than any other ship we've been on, and the crew just did their job - nothing more. If given a choice at the same price I'd pick CCL every time.

[Wennfred]

The pictures I have seen online of Valor appear to be somewhat more "tacky" in terms of decorations. !

 

I think you are looking at the wrong ship, the Valors theme is Patriotic not erotic. The Pride is the one that has all of the nude pictures on the walls. Nothing wrong with the Valor's Deco, more about presidents, flags, eagles etc.

 

Fred

[CFM]

I got back from Valor this past Sunday. I cruised in RCL's Navigator of the Seas three years ago. I loved the Navigator, it was one of my best vacations so far, and with all I read about Carnival, I was afraid I wouldn't like the Valor, I was wrong.

Yes, the decoration is more "colorful", but I wouldn't call it tacky at all. Yes, the dancing in the dinning room is somewhat annoying, but the service level was equal to Navigator. Both our dinning room staff and our cabin steward were wonderful, and very prompt in their service.

People often call me picky, and I didn't regret my decision to cruise on Carnival.

Even with my memories of my fantastic first cruise, I wouldn't doubt a second to cruise again on the Valor, especially considering the price difference ;)

[justme_123]

After sailing Valor, I absolutley fell in love with it. It was a great ship, and I found the food to be spectacular every night. Don't forget, Carnival is more of a family cruiseline, and the waiters dancing in the dining rooms are doing it for those families. I love it when they do that, I am the nut that gets out of my chair and starts dancing with them.

I did not find valor gaudy at all. In fact, I found it to be the least gaudy. But than again, IMOP, I am not going on a ship and am going to let "gaudiness" ruin my vacation. The Valor offered great food, entertainment, fun, and a week full of great memories.

[caribbean dreams]

My advice is if you decide to cruise on Valor in the spring, don't do it during spring break.

[silentbob007]

From the pictures and experiences I've had ... Carnival decorates in much fewer wood tones than RCCL and the themes are a bit more jazzed up. Yes there are some bright colors, but the way I read some posts about Carnival, you'd think they were sailing in Liberace's pocket. I like subdued tones as much as the next person, but have never found too many of Carnival's designs appalling to the point that it ruined my vacation and definitely wouldn't pay tons more money just for a ship's decoration.

[TeeBuccs]

I am not sure I made my original point effectively. The interior color scheme of the Valor is not going to "make or break" my decision to sail RCL. However, the overall atmosphere of the ship, the activities, the layout, etc... are the things that I am looking to compare. I have sailed both Carnival (8 years ago - bad experience) and RCI over the recent years. I am looking for honest feedback regardless of loyalties for one line over the other.

 

My in-laws are fun folks but certainly not interested in a "party" ship, or a ship where there are no lounges by the pool due. They are slightly upper scale folks that like good food and entertainment. I obviously know what RCL is like and hoping someone who has sailed both can tell me their thoughts on Carnival.

 

Thanks again!!!