Carnival Valor Exotic West & East Review (Back to Back Nov 12 & 19 2006) - LONG!

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Warning, if you like short reviews this isn't the review for you...

 

We cruised on Carnival Valor Nov 12, and again Nov 19, on a back to back - first Exotic Western, then Eastern. Check out my photos on Flickr. Full disclosure: I own a whopping 100 shares of CCL, and cruised twice before - both times on Carnival. So I may be a bit biased, but also (as a minority owner) slightly critical of areas for improvement.

 

The last day of this cruise was particularly tough, after 14 days it seemed like we had just got on the ship and the fun had ended too soon. But we had a great time and every day was different, new, and relaxing. And also exhausting... so much to do, so much to eat!

 

The Ship

Our first time on a Conquest-class vessel... we prefer many of the features of the Spirit class, but liked the tiered Lido deck seating and the fish & chips. The ship seemed a bit more crowded, more people in the buffet lines, than ships which carry fewer passengers. We missed the open aft deck from Carnival Legend. Deck 3 & 4 are crazy, with no simple way to get from bow to stern without going up or down a deck (you can't even use the outer deck), making it necessary to pre-plan your route. Deck 5's promenade was nice, and the Atrium was much larger and more inviting than others.

 

I liked the decor, I always enjoy the different surprises, and I noticed many more on the Valor than I had on other ships... the flag theme in the American Atrium carried to the bar, the chairs, the elevator exterior and floor. It wasn't until a few visits to the Eagles' lounge that I noticed the eagle intarsia in the tables. Some other things are more obvious, like the baseball stools in the sports bar.

 

We had a balcony stateroom on Panorama - Deck 10 (forward) the first week, an aft inside on Verandah - Deck 8 the second week. We used the balcony, but didn't really miss it the second week except as a way to tell where we were and what the weather was without turning on the closed circuit TV channel. Our forward cabin was more conveniently located - the pool deck being just down the hall.

 

Weather

November can be cool or rainy in the Caribbean. We lucked out. Aside from a bit of rain at the end of the day in some ports (a weather phenomenon we're used to in Florida), the only wet/cold weather was the first sea day between Nassau and St Thomas, and it cleared up in the afternoon. Some of the crew said the early November Western cruise was quite wet. We had more sunshine than we really expected.

 

The Food

This being our third and fourth cruises, we had already tasted a lot of the fare... but we had the opportunity to try a few dishes we wouldn't normally eat. We usually grab a few things in Rosie's at breakfast and lunch, and ate in the dining room every night except one when Carmen got a headache after a very busy day. So we took the opportunity to try room service BLT's.

 

Lunch was usually fish and chips. We also tried the bouillabaisse (excellent, prepared fresh right in front of you), the ceviche and ahi (nice appetizers), the oysters (OK), and the fried calamari and veggies (seemed like a ball of stuff, not the way we would prefer it). Fish and chips are very tasty. All this is available on Deck 10, up the aft stairs from Rosie's, and apparently a place many passengers never discover. We grabbed the odd extra or dessert from the buffet lines in Rosie's. On the last day, desserts are mainly chocolate, quite a variety. They had chocolate everything, even slabs of chocolate fudge.

 

Dinner in the Lincoln Dining Room was more fun than our previous cruises, likely because we chose the late seating (8:30) and were at tables of eight, all couples. All our dinner companions also dined every night (except one couple), and were interesting and conversational. Quite a change from our past cruises. We got used to eating later, and spent the time before dinner enjoying sushi, martinis, or beers on deck.

 

Although we were on a back to back, we saw some different menus the second week. The first formal night was always prime rib and lobster tails, but the other nights varied. And never trust the menu on the TV, it was incorrect a few times. Some of the highlights... "surf and turf" was a tender filet mignon with fat shrimp on skewers. "boneless spare ribs" was just that - very tender chunks of rib meat. I really enjoyed the escargot appetizer, and almost every soup is great. Portions vary in size and seemed designed for people who want one of this and one of that. Some of the appetizers are quite tiny, but tasty.

 

Carnival now offers a wider variety of standard alternate choices. Salmon, sirloin steak, and grilled chicken are available nearly every night. One of our dinner companions enjoyed the chocolate melting cake dessert 7 nights in a row.

 

Table service by a waiter and assistant was simply OK the first week (the waiter was good, remembering names and salad dressing and meat preferences, but occasionally forgot to bring coffee that was ordered, and we felt the service was a bit hurried) and great the second week (the waiter Joselite must be in training to be Maitre'd, cracking us up with jokes, and the service by he and assistant Lyudmyla was a bit more leisurely and attentive).

 

The Maitre'd Terence was good, and the entertainment (much more visible in the center where we sat the first week) very genuine and fun. Some of the wait staff seemed to relish their turns on the small side tables, dancing up a storm. We were most pleased by our table assignments and dinner companions.

 

We ate in Scarlett's (the supper club) one night. The charge is $30 per person, and it is well worth it for a great dining experience. Plan to get stuffed, and allow for around two hours. However, the non-beef selections are few (Dover Sole, Supreme of Chicken, Lobster Tail) so not everyone will enjoy this restaurant multiple times during the week. Unlike the dining room, only one entree may be chosen, but they are much larger. I had the veal chop, and it was huge and delicious, nicely seasoned. The Caesar salad is prepared fresh in front of you, and the meal involves extra "compliments" from the chef, special presentations that are very artful, and extras like flavored butters.

 

Other food... in addition to the dining rooms, Rosie's, and Scarlett's, there's 24 hour free (plus a tip) room service. We tried this for breakfast several times, and I also enjoyed a BLT sandwich once. Pizza is available 24 hours. The best is the De Chevre goat cheese and garlic pizza, with the Capricioso (capers and anchovies) a close second. Soft-serve ice cream is dispensed at many stations, and free water, lemonade, iced tea, and coffee is available too. The sushi bar offered three different pieces (mostly cooked fish or veggies, but very creative and tasty) from about 5pm til 8pm. We don't eat a lot outside mealtime but there's lots to choose from if you miss a meal or get hungry.

Bars and Lounges

You'd think you could get the same drinks in all the bars, right? Not so. On deck, the special of the day (usually a rum concoction) and beers are the main drinks. Bloody Marys and Mimosas are on special just before noon. A "bucket" saves you about $1 off the price of four, and gets you a pail of ice to keep the beers cold. But this doesn't work too well for the imports, which come in bottles and must be poured into plastic glasses up on deck. Or if you're not sharing. I pretty much stuck to Red Stripe during the day.

On deck, a half-dozen waiters patrol the aisles and will take your drink order during sunning times.

 

For beer on tap, the lobby bar and the sports bar both offer Heineken and Budweiser. And that's it. If you like Martinis, or single malts or cognacs, or wine, Jeanne's Wine Bar in the hallway on deck 5 aft is the best place, and they offered evening martini specials (but have no beer). Like the Lido deck bars, Jeanne's and the Atrium bar are open to the rest of the deck, great if you're a people watcher, bad if you're a celebrity trying to hide. We never really ventured into the bars or lounges with doors, preferring something a bit more open.

 

They set up a special Martini bar by the Casino one night, but oddly enough didn't stock it with gin. What?! However, the martinis at the reception were the classic gin with an olive.

 

The People

The two cruises were very different in terms of fellow passengers or guests. The first week, the general age range was mostly early 20's through 40's with a few families with kids and older couples. Lots of apparently single guys and gals. The bar probably was busier than usual.

 

The second week, which was Thanksgiving Week, was lots and lots of families... at least, I assume the kids all came with parents but there were plenty of kids running around on their own. And we were simply amazed (and appalled) as we waited for a special order pizza to note how many of these parents and kids treated the always smiling servers poorly, with pizza orders starting "I need", "I want", "give me" and rarely including a please or thank you. I heard similar anecdotes from other folks, so it's not that I'm picky, the rude behavior (by some) is very obvious.

 

If you look at my photos of the Lido deck, you'll note some clear differences. One week, you can easily see the folks on the stage and they are asked by the social hosts to do funny stuff like peeling an orange with no hands, or collecting bikini tops. The next week, a gauntlet of small kids blocks the view of the stage and the activities are a bit tamer. And the chair saving was out of control. However, we met more fun people on deck or at the bars the second week.

 

On Deck

The Lido and Panorama decks are the main deck areas for sitting out in the sun or watching the scenery on and off the ship. We did not like the aft pool area, although it has a movable cover for rainy days it is not very open and on a hot day (even in November) you need some breeze or you'll roast. We liked the tiered levels of seating in the central pool area, it provided for good views. We never tried the hot tubs, they need a few more "adults only" hot tubs and pools... I just can't relax around stir-crazy bobbing kids, sorry. The waterslide was loads of fun, but the lines could get long. Some folks tried their best to have a "push all the water out of the waterslide" competition.

 

We never bothered to go up to the F-deck, but I got a couple of funny photos from down on Lido deck of all the topless people standing at the railing up there one day. And whenever the entertainment seemed to fizzle, a few passengers were ready to pitch in in one way or another... a bet, or a fight over "reserved" chairs... we saw it all.

Entertainment

We cruised on Sensation earlier in the year and saw the Far From Over 80's revue show, so when we got stuffed and/or tired we didn't feel obligated to see it. The first comedian Michael Macy was quite the crack-up and we liked his barely PG show enough to see the R-rated midnight show the next night. Funny guy, unless you're the one in the audience chosen to take the brunt of a crude joke. Just don't sit too close to the comedian! We also watched the cruise director's magic act, and the other production show. The dancers are very good (I suppose if you're from New York you may not agree... fine, but they are very good.) The theater has tiered seating and some of the best seats are up on the balcony (where there's no bar service), but there are lots of big columns that get in the way if you don't choose your seat carefully.

 

On deck, the reggae band was good but repetitive, the deck music could use some updating but was nice cruising music, my iPod stayed put away. The social hosts held games such as trivia, Survivor, Fear Factor, and hairy chest competitions, and an ice carving demonstration the last sea day.

 

Carmen attended the art auction, they promote it by offering free prints but if you decide to leave before the end you get nothing. They also offered an art collecting seminar. We both went to Winston's Cigar Bar where we enjoyed an unsmoky english tea, with piano and violin playing classical music. Sandwiches and cakes were served, but no crumpets or clotted cream.. pity.

 

The port talks and shopping talks are all replayed on the closed circuit, as we discovered on our first cruise, so we skipped these. Same goes for the debarkation talk. We thought the cruise director Brett Alans was not too bad, he does use the same jokes each week and I even heard one (the Canada Dry joke) that I had heard on other ships. But they are mostly funny the first time.

 

We prefer to be up on deck rather than in the bowels of the ship, so we spent very little time in any of the many bars on deck 5 (Promenade). We did notice that many were reserved in the early evening for special activities, especially for kids and teen parties during the second week.

 

Special Parties

The first formal night, a "captain's reception" was held in the Eagles' Lounge (and a few of the neighboring lounges) on deck 5 aft. It's a pretty standard thing on every Carnival cruise: free hors d'oeuvres and drinks (they bring around trays of meatballs, won ton chicken, and classic cocktails such as Daiquiri, Manhattan, Whiskey Sour, Gin Martini), the captain introduces the senior officers, the band plays, people dance and chat, and it's another opportunity to meet and mingle.

 

If you've cruised Carnival before, you'll be invited (personal invitation and pin left in your stateroom with your Capers the night before) to the Past Guest party. Also in the Eagles lounge, but they will take your invitation, and the food and drinks are different. I missed this the first week, but made it the second week. They announced some Carnival news, showed a video of the history of Carnival, and a slide show of every past and present Carnival ship. I was impressed, and there were folks there who had cruised Carnival a LOT!

 

The Ports

We returned to Nassau and Sint Maartin but the other ports were new for us. I'll outline the excursions we took and why we selected them, plus other highlights of the ports. With only a few hours we likely missed some interesting things to do.

 

Georgetown, Grand Cayman

We intended to shop and visit the beach. After seeing some pics of vast hordes of people at Stingray City, we decided to just go to Seven Mile Beach after a bit of shopping. There was no waiting for a tender, and it's a very short ride. We didn't find anything very unique in the shops. The liquor prices were not too bad, and a good selection of single malts were available at most shops. We decided to wait to buy.

 

We walked a mile north along the main road, then cut in to the beach via a public access near a bus stop. It was another half mile along rocky shores before we got to the sandy beaches. We picked a spot next to the Marriott and discovered a fish structure in the water, and got some good fish pictures. Snorkel gear would have been handy, at least a mask and snorkel. We caught a bus across from the Marriott back into town ($2 each, plus $1 for any irregular stop), it was basically a van. Should have taken a bus to the beach! Since we caught a tender back before noon, there was no waiting.

 

Isla Roatan, Honduras

We had booked a Carnival excursion, the Canopy Tour and Tabyana Beach Break. We were taken in vans to the zip line start in Gumbalinda Park. They put you in a harness and helmet and give you gloves, and a bit of instruction. The Carnival videographer was on site, and they have their own photographer. We bought a picture each ($10) when we got to the beach. We watched the video on closed circuit later and decided to pass, our appearances were quite short and most of the activity was repetitive.

 

You get 13 traverses, but who's counting? Some are faster than others, and they show you how to brake with the glove. This is not an excursion for the unfit or clueless... each zip you have to boost yourself up so they can clip the harness, and you have to help them unclip at the end and brake when they signal you. And you should be watching to be sure they correctly fasten the safety clip and the main clip, it's your head! It was a lot of fun. I also bought a souvenir t-shirt.

 

At the end, the same van took us a short way to Tabyana Beach, where you can catch a bus back every 1/2 hour. Chairs are available free. We rented a mask and snorkel for $8 and bought local beers for $2 or $3 each. The Port Royal is good! The beach is very flat, and there's a reef along the shore. There were zero waves or ripples. We saw lots of different fish. Some folks said there is a wall on the outside of the reef.

Belize

This is a tender port and the ships anchor at least a 20 minute ride out. We had no wait heading in to Belize but a very long wait coming back.

 

Carmen wanted to see some Mayan ruins, and it seemed all the tours involved long bus rides. Altun Ha seemed the shortest, plus we had an option to take a river boat one way. We booked this through the ship in advance. Our motor coach took us on a scenic tour through Belize City and then north. Once we got out of the city the road turned bumpy. It's paved but the edges are torn up and two vehicles encountering each other lead to more road damage... glad we weren't driving.

 

At the site, our guide talked about the various structures and temples, and we had the opportunity to climb to the top of the Sun God temple, the highest temple. There were several other groups, making it difficult to get clear photos. After the tour we had a few minutes to shop or get a beer. Then another long ride to a riverside restaurant where we could use the pool (although it wasn't very inviting) or have lunch ($8 for chicken with beans and rice).

 

The open riverboat took the whole busload back to the tender dock in Belize City via the River Wallace. We thought this would be a good trip but if you live in Florida and see iguanas and birds every day, it will not be very exciting. We did see some monkeys (black specks in the trees) and one small croc sunning itself on a branch. And it was a smoother ride than the bus!

 

In the tender port in Belize City, we checked out the shops but they didn't seem very unique either... in fact, I suspect most of the wares were made in asia. The tender line was very long because we arrived back just 1 hour before the last tender, and it proceeded to rain just as we arrived. It took us an hour just to get on the tender. We watched empty tenders arrive and leave the dock... while at least 1000 people waited.

 

Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico

This little shopping plaza and docks was apparently custom-built for the cruise ships. It's all very new. A nice way to relax, or shop, if you're getting tired of the Lido deck. The huge pool is surrounded by bars, including swim-up bars, and a sandy area along the shore is equipped with lounge chairs. A second smaller pool is for volleyball. The water wasn't more than about 82 degrees. You can't swim in the ocean, the shoreline is rocky.

 

We didn't do an excursion or even take a taxi to Majahual, we were content to sit, have some beers and nachos, and watch the people. We did pick up a few souvenirs... some of the shops have crafts. Some shopkeepers were quite pushy and had prices ready for some bargaining, but we passed on those and stuck to the shops where they left you alone and had reasonable prices. One shop had a lot of ceramic crafts priced reasonably.

 

The two liquor stores in port offered samples, and we bought a liter of a decent Reposado but the familiar brands like Patron and Herradura were absent. Some guy on a microphone was offering free shots in the poolside bar but we really couldn't figure out (from our location) exactly where he was hiding or what antics were taking place.

 

Nassau, Bahamas

We've been here before (walked from town to Atlantis, hit the beach, and took the water taxi back), so this time we just walked along the main street, bought some Bahamas rum, and returned to the ship. Valor's time in port is limited, probably so that we can have more time in St Thomas, and we didn't mind at all. In fact, I wouldn't mind if Carnival offered an itinerary with just St Thomas and Sint Maarten, each from 7am to 6pm. (See my comments below for some reasons).

 

Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas

Some friends gave us a few tips on what to see here, and after originally planning to get a taxi, we chose a ship's tour that offered the two main items on the list, with no hassles. The taxis on St Thomas are pickups with benches behind, and the tour bus was one of these.

 

Traffic out of port was very heavy and slow heading up into the mountains, we stopped at a lookout above the city, then another lookout avoerlooking Magen's Bay. Then we spent two hours on Magen's Bay Beach. Nothing worth looking at with a snorkel (there are other beaches better suited) but a nice beach with minimal surf and relatively shallow. Two waitresses patrol the beach in bikinis, offering a selection of beers and other fare.

 

Our tour ended back in town at Blackbeard's Castle. They drop you off and you can explore, use the 3 pools, have a bite to eat, and then walk down the "99 Steps" or catch a tram back into town. We passed some other tourists on the way down, they were doing this the wrong way... walking up! You can climb to the top of the castle, which offers panoramic harbor views. Many statues of pirates around for photo ops. And along the 99 steps, a museum and rum factory (well, we got rum punch but I didn't see anyone making any rum).

 

The steps end right in front of the post office, and just down the road were plenty of shops aligned along narrow parallel alleys. Shopping here was quite varied, but by this time we were just 90 minutes from closing time (5pm local or 4pm ship's time). We got a few bottles, stores had a wide selection and some of the best prices so far. We also got a bite to eat and a drink at one of the many sidewalk cafes.

 

Our taxi ride back to Havensight (a regulated $4 each) was slow... it was evening rush hour, and our taxi was heading home. We dropped our bottles at the ship and ventured into a now dark Havensight shopping area. The other two ships were departing but we had another few hours in port. Some shops stayed open, others (including most bars and restaurants) were shut. The same liquor selection and prices are available here. (We know very cheap local rum can be found at Kmart but it wasn't worth the effort...) The nighttime departure was very picturesque.

 

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

This is our favorite port and we had pretty simple plans for our second visit. The water taxi ($5 for an all-day pass... but they stop at 5pm local, or 4pm ship's time) takes you right into Philipsburg. The beach boardwalk was under construction last year - that's all complete and it looks great. There's plenty to do at the beach (although it IS the harbor, so I wouldn't advise swimming) including bars, restaurants, and sports. Shops are along the main road a half block away.

 

We price shopped and then picked our favorite reasonable liquor store. We also visited the Guavaberry shop for their bottled pepper sauces (still have the Guavaberry Liquer from last year). A small bottle of jalapeno sauce was the same price as a liter of Absolut, $6. Back to the ship, we dropped the shopping in our cabin, and grabbed a taxi to Orient Beach. When you get off the ship, follow the signs for taxis, the prices are posted and it pays to wait a few minutes for someone heading the same way. It's a 20 minute drive to Orient Beach, on the French part of the island, St Martin, through some areas that are not as pretty as Philipsburg.

 

The beach is technically a "clothing optional" (not exactly nude... you have a choice!) beach but until you get to the sign at the south end for Club Orient, you will find most beachgoers wearing something, even if it's just a thong. The majority of the folks at the Club Orient beach were nude. Many (but not all) of the Carnival passengers seemed to keep their tops and board shorts on, but we saw a few folks from the dining room getting into the local customs or blending in with the thong-wearing french tourists.

 

The water (surf) is very rough, great if you like body surfing but not so good for snorkeling. The taxi driver suggested Dawn Beach for that. However, it's a great beach for walking, people watching, and relaxing. Many beach side bars and restaurants offer a "drink, chair, and umbrella" special, one (le String) for $7 with nice well-padded chairs. Jetski, catamaran, and other rentals are available.

 

Catching a taxi back to the ship is not very difficult... if pressed, you can have a restaurant call one but they will need a deposit to make sure you take the taxi they call.

 

The port area has some shopping, a well stocked liquor store (prices generally higher than in town, but cheaper than on the ship), and a few souvenir shops. We picked up some t-shirts here after we were done at the beach. Plus a huge wheel of Gouda cheese from Holland, just $22 for about 8 pounds. It fit in the mini-bar, and customs allowed us to bring it in.

 

Shopping

We normally don't buy many souvenirs. This time around, we did pick up some t-shirst in Philipsburg, a wheel of Gouda cheese ($22 for about 7 pounds), pepper sauces, and mexican blankets and ceramic wall hangings. We replaced our wedding bands in the Valor's gift shop, they have a nice selection, and different sales every day. We're not into jewelry, which seems to be the #1 thing in most ports.

 

Buying liquor

Do your homework if you'd rather shop for liquor instead of jewelry (much cheaper IMHO). Equipped with Carnival's on board price list and a list I made from my local ABC Liquor and some surfing, I was happy that the cheapest port for alcohol would be our last, but determined that I would purchase some of the items I didn't think were available in Sint Maarten in the other ports. Not having to fly with our bottles allowed us to buy as much as we could carry. We probably would have bought a bit more if it wasn't so heavy.

 

If you like single malts, the best selections are in Grand Cayman and St Thomas, and among the best prices too. The best price for Johnnie Walker Blue ($99 for a liter) or the sampler set ($55) was in Philipsburg. Shopkeepers there want cash and will give you a deal if you're nice (and seem ready to keep price shopping). Also in Philipsburg, liter bottles of Absolut vodka go as low as $5.95. But be aware that many shops sell both 750ml and 1L bottles, making it a bit harder to easily compare prices. By the way, the Carnival price for JW Blue (750ml) was $131, but they will match prices from flyers or camera photos for the same item. I wanted to try Blue, but will likely stick to single malts. I picked up a liter of Ardbeg 10 ($30) and some of the Glenmorangie cask-flavored ($30, 750ml) in St Thomas. In Philipsburg we purchased aged rums such as Appleton Estate 12yo ($11, 750ml) and Barbancourt 15yo ($15, 750ml). A liter of Bombay Sapphire was $9 in Philipsburg.

 

Many ask the same question, can I take my liquor purchases aboard the ship. YES! But after you pass through security, a friendly lady will take it from you and promise to deliver it to your cabin on the last night. Sorry. However, they are best at spotting large boxes with a half dozen bottles. And when we brought a bottle of JW Blue aboard in Sint Maartin, they declined to take it, something about it being too expensive. So you can take expensive scotch back to your cabin...

 

The Back To Back experience

Carnival wants to keep most of its passengers happy, and they make it relatively easy to do a back to back on the same ship. Most ships alternate their 7-day itineraries from east to west, and as soon as they unload one batch of passengers they are off with the next batch. No rest for the crew or the ships, they are designed to generate revenue 24x7.

 

When we checked in for the first week, they only needed the first tickets. The day before we returned to Miami, we got a letter in our cabin instructing us on procedures. Since we were moving cabins, we were told to pack and label or suitcases for the next cruise and leave the bags in the cabin. They turned up in the next cabin late in the afternoon... so keep what you need for the day with you.

 

We stayed in the cabin while the usual disembarkation chaos ensued, then went to the appointed lounge at the prescribed time. A purser met each group separately and gave us our new sign & sail cards, and took our tickets and the S&S credit card form. They close your first account and start a new tab, with new folio number. Then, as soon as customs was ready for us, we were all escorted together off the ship (using our old cards), all the way through the terminal to the CBP agents, so they could examine our documents, and then escorted back onboard past all the queueing passengers. They do give you an option to take an excursion, or leave the port, and you can use the VIP lounge to speed up getting back onboard.

 

We pretty much had the run of the ship for a few hours, and many of the bar staff and other crew who recognized us welcomed us back.

 

Port of Miami

Some ports just don't make sense. I have no idea if other terminals in Miami are better, but the terminal assigned to Carnival Valor when we cruised seemed to be out of date and not geared to an efficient embarkation or debarkation. Embarkation was not too bad, the long lines moved quickly and everyone was going on vacation. Debarkation was bad... we chose self-debark and it seemed the customs line was backed up right to deck 9.

 

Unable to use the aft elevators because deck 3 is broken up by dining rooms, everyone congregated in the forward elevator area. Every elevator arrived full and seemed to stop at every floor. Even the up elevators were full at deck 9 with people from deck 4 resorting to taking an up elevator to deck 10, then riding back down. The glass elevators were shut off, and there was no "special needs" elevator... we witnessed a few folks in wheelchairs unable to cram in or get any help. From there, more waiting all the way to the dingy warehouse, and the only way down was escalators and elevators... ramps work much better with heavy rolling luggage. I don't know how these terminals will be able to handle larger ships. I guess this is a de facto part of the cruise experience, so be prepared... we started on Deck 9 at about 8:00 and were in the car at about 10am.

 

Disappointments

When I'm on vacation, not much can ruin it... aside from rain. I may notice people misbehaving, but if they don't affect me it's just part of the experience. But two things made this just a bit less than a perfect vacation cruise.

 

I will post more elsewhere on these two issues, but to quickly summarize... the purser's desk seems ill prepared to actually resolve concerns. "Noting" them in the computer, and sending a "sorry" letter to your cabin, are not what people expect... they expect an attempt at a resolution, and hopefully success. Computers can only record, they do not solve. So Carnival has some room for improvement in the problem solving department.

We had a cabin issue ... it was right next to the hot tub pump and vibrated. We didn't think a cabin should vibrate like that from 7am til 1pm. By day 3 we got better sleeping hours (11pm til 9am) but with all cabins full that was it. They did give us a minor stateroom credit on the last day. Whoopee... not a substitute for a peaceful cruise, otherwise I'd book an oil tanker on the cheap.

 

And while it was happening during the first week, chair saving was way out of control the second week. One day we were surrounded by reserved chairs occupied only by towels. Seemed only the inconsiderate families of four or eight whose kids really didn't want to sit were the worst hogs. Nobody did anything, even after complaints and requests for some kind of reminders or enforcement.

 

I'll expand on these issues in other, separate threads so the discussions don't get mixed together, since I know these are oft-debated topics.

 

Carnival Kudos

I do have to separately mention how (aside from the annoyances and disappointments above) we just love the staff aboard Carnival's ships. The Valor was no exception. Everyone was smiling. The bar staff remembered your name, folio number, and what you liked after just a day or so. I watched many Lido deck staff serve grumpy people without complaint. The dining room staff are all cheerful and really get into things when "it's showtime".

 

I'm wondering if Carnival drugs its employees? Nah, they probably just reject anyone caught not smiling during their interviews. The show dancers put all their energy into what was usually the second show of the day when we saw them. And so we found it very difficult not to have a good time. We just wish they could screen grumpy and inconsiderate passengers, too.

 

Summary

Probably, aside from the disappointments, one of our best vacations. The port highlights for us were Isla Roatan, St Thomas, and Sint Maartin/St Martin. Aboard ship, we enjoyed the Lido deck, the funny Michael Macy, the sushi and martinis on deck 5, our dinner table companions, and the fun folks we chatted with at the bars. We haven't booked the next one yet, but that's mainly because we didn't move quickly enough for the Elation repositioning, and still need to decide where and when to go. We'll also probably try to get back to St Martin again for a bit longer than a day.

 

Feel free to ask questions if I missed something and a comprehensive search did not provide the answer :p

[CoCoNut Willie]

Very nice review, Roger. My wife and I as well as my brother and SIL are doing a B2B on Valor in Jan. Your review just upped my readiness level.

[THERAPYCRUISE]

Thanks so much for your great review. We are on the valor Dec. 24 and we will be on the panorama deck in cabins 1026 and 1022, please tell me we are not in the vibrating rooms. What room were you in and do you think I should change mine? Thanks for all your help.

[logbook]

What a great review. Thanks for all of the info. We'll be on the Valor in the Spring - I am also interested to know what cabin you were in on Panorama that had all the vibrating....!!

[SheilaInAL]

Thanks so much for the great review and wonderful pics! Makes me even more eager for my Valor cruise in April!

[chrly]

Thanks for brining back some wonderful memories of our Western Valor Cruise. She is an awesome ship and we had a blast....however we went to Cozumel instead of Costa Maya. I loved your pictures...it looks like you all had a great time.

[rt63]

The vibrating cabin was not our Panorama balcony cabin (1006) but was the interior Verandah stateroom we had the second week - cabin 8451.

 

I'll post the whole scoop on that in a separate thread later, but for now, don't worry.

[rt63]

Thanks for brining back some wonderful memories of our Western Valor Cruise. She is an awesome ship and we had a blast....however we went to Cozumel instead of Costa Maya. I loved your pictures...it looks like you all had a great time.

 

Fantastic time. When we were in Costa Maya a young woman from the Miracle said they went to Cozumel the day our ship was in Honduras. I don't think I'd want to miss Tabyana Beach, but we've never been to Cozumel either. All the ports were great, we'd probably do different things next time but we're happy with our choices. You only have so much time!

[florida cruiser girl]

where can we find these fabulously touted fish and chips??

[B and B Rookie Cannucks]

Upstairs in Rosies :D

[onceagain]

Thanks so much for the great review. We will be on a Western Valor cruise in Feb. and can't wait. We'll be on the Lido deck - hopefully we won't notice any vibrations there. :eek:

[TVMet]

Roger,

 

Thanks for a great review. We've always wanted to do the "back to back", thanks for the information.

 

TVMet

[rt63]

where can we find these fabulously touted fish and chips??

Look for the sexy bicep and go up the stairs... but shhh... don't tell anyone!

[rt63]

Roger,

 

Thanks for a great review. We've always wanted to do the "back to back", thanks for the information.

 

TVMet

 

You're welcome. Wow, cruised the Carnivale! Well you have to try a back to back!

[5668200]

sorry, wrong post

[5668200]

bump

[Hawaii697]

Thank you for your long and informative review. I love the way to you "broke it down". Seems like Rosie's will be the first stop for lunch. :D Makes me look more forward to my cruise next year. Our group will be sailing her in July 07 and I plan to share your review with them.

[Island Annie]

Awesome review Roger! And one of the best photo albums I've seen in a long time. (nice to see so many interior & exterior pics of a ship I've not yet been on but am considering for my next cruise).

 

Thanks for taking the time to post both the review & pics.

 

Island Annie

[rt63]

Awesome review Roger! And one of the best photo albums I've seen in a long time. (nice to see so many interior & exterior pics of a ship I've not yet been on but am considering for my next cruise).

 

Thanks for the kind words. I enjoyed taking the photos and probably would have taken more but sometimes you just have to put the camera down. Maybe it was the martinis and the beer but I kept discovering more and more interesting things about this ship as time ticked away.

 

(The pics were edited out of over 1500 shots we took... I'm glad I wasn't paying for Kodachrome!)

 

Also, having spent a lot of time reading other Cruise Critic threads and reviews helped immensely... including finding our way to the fish & chips line within 3 minutes of boarding the ship!

[BellaOnline]

Definitely fish & chips is best early on, because nobody else has found it yet. There are still people today on the ship who we told about it, who hadn't figured that it was there yet. It's rather hidden and not open all day long.

[rt63]

Definitely fish & chips is best early on, because nobody else has found it yet. There are still people today on the ship who we told about it, who hadn't figured that it was there yet. It's rather hidden and not open all day long.

 

I think most of the pasengers who find it either found out about it here before their cruise, or were told by someone else. We had at least a few "Where'd you get that?" while we were munching our fish & chips on Lido deck.

 

There's a small sign at the base of the stairs, but when you've got a half full tray and you're trying to see what else there is, I bet most folks think it's a "closed for cleaning" sign and never even read it or wonder what the stairs are for.

 

Even at the end of the cruise the line was fairly short - 5-10 people at the most - and the big delays occurred while the Bouillabaisse was re-stocked.