Valor Review - 22 June

[mamasue]

Excellent review and photos!!! Are you a professional travelogue writer?? If not, you should be!!!

[Kruzergrl]

I am booked on Valor for January 09 and after reading your review I Can't Wait!!!!!!! Thank-you for the in depth job you did of the review and the pics to go with it!!! You wouldn't by chance have any pics of the mini-golf and movie screen that they added would you?? I am dying to see what the mini-golf looks like!

Thanks again!

[CuteTheta]

You are hysterical! I have really enjoyed this review.

[ellenmb]

Have to compliment the pics too...On your Nikon D40; what settings did u use if you remember or did u stick with auto ? thanks and thank you for bringing me back to my wonderful cruise on the Valor in May..

[caribbeanboy]

Are the menus on the western & eastern intinerary the same?

[caribbeanboy]

do you have the menu?

[familycruising4us]

Wow, this is a fabulous review to read, thank you for sharing! Pics are wonderful as well.

My family sails on the Valor January 09, 6 months, can't wait!

I shall check back for the rest of your review.:)

[YOW]

As promised, the last instalment of our Valor review:

 

BELIZE

 

Our arrival into Belize was much like the first time we'd been here -- a cloudy day and a 10-12-minute high-speed tender ride form the ships (three are anchored offshore beyond the many sand bars) into town. On that first sailing with Grand Princess in 2004, we'd arrived a day late due to technical problems and had nobody meeting us ashore as had been planned. This time Margaret Montero, whose name we'd seen on some Cruise Critic reviews, was at the pier holding a sign with our names. We'd wanted to combine the Xunantunich ruins with a visit to the howler monkey sanctuary, but were told the distances were too much to cover without jeopardising our timely return for the last tender from shore. Thus our itinerary for the day was the howler monkeys plus a visit to the Belize Zoo, both fairly inland and not far from one another as the crow flies -- but, as one encounters in Central America, map distances and actual driving distances (either on slow roads or barred by roads that do not exist or are not passable), time is a relative term.

 

We were the first to arrive in the morning at the Community Baboon Sanctuary, and had a private tour into the rainforest where we met up with a troupe of howler monkeys. The name is fitting, as you can hear their howl -- hardly monkey-like in the way we normally think -- from great distances. Seeing the bananas in our possession, the monkeys approached us by climbing and swinging down from the tree branches, and approached Jen first to take the pieces of fruit right from her hand. We spent fifteen minutes with about a dozen monkeys, and even with a steady rainfall upon us and bugs biting us with far greater intensity than the monkeys were biting into the bananas, it was something we'll never forget.

 

Driving about an hour out on the main highway, which is a two-lane road at best and narrower in places, we reached the Belize Zoo. "The Best Little Zoo in the World" is a remote collection of over 125 animals all native to Belize, and were either orphaned, injured, born at the zoo or donated by other institutions. The gentle tropical showers followed us here, making photography a bit less attractive, but the animals were special nonetheless, highlights of which were: the toucan, Belize's national symbol; spider and howler monkeys; crocodiles; parrots; and several jaguars.

 

On the drive back we stopped at the Belize Marina, where we saw a yacht with a Canadian flag and 'Hakim 7' spread across the back. Canadians will know the owner as Sir Karim Hakim, big character and owner of Canada's largest optical retailer. Conversations with our driver, Wallace, were interesting to say the least -- when someone in a former colony says "it would be better if the British were still here," one takes heed. His view of Belize was pessimistic, saying that the country is going backwards and what little progress that takes place is led by non-Belizeans. Of course the sample size was far too small to be scientific, but the views offered an interesting glimpse.

 

ON DECK

 

Back aboard ship, we were supposedly stuck on a sand bar and slightly delayed in departing, but with the next port only 200 miles away this did not become a factor.

 

The topside (sorry, not topless, not anymore) decks on Carnival Valor are essentially divided into four areas. Forward is a series of sunning areas, generally quieter and not as windy as one might expect thanks to effective partitioning. Midship are the main pools, hot tubs, and stadium-style seating and sunning area. This tiering helps out as the 300-sq-ft LED screen over the pool becomes a 'seaside theater' in the afternoons and evenings, with a 50,000-watt sound system and recent movies as well as specials such as concerts (Ray Charles was playing, on the screen that is, as we sailed out of Roatan). The midship pool area can get crowded especially on sea days, and has the usual array of activities such as the 'hairy chest contest.' Aft of this is a jogging track and sports court, with volleyball and basketball to keep us moderately active. In the very aft is another pool -- the one with the pizzeria, grill, and ice cream -- which is designated as an adults area. A magrodome is slid open every morning to have the two-deck pool area exposed to the warm Caribbean sun, and slid back shut again in the evening for cleaning and party-type activities.

 

One activity that we were happy to see and participate in was the Walk for the Cure, Carnival's contribution to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The event probably could have been publicized better, but Carnival has raised nearly $400,000 thus far and has goals of $2 million. One buys a t-shirt and pink wristband at the Atrium shops, and then on the last day at sea a walk-a-thon is held on the jogging track for one mile -- of course with cookies and drinks served afterwards (God forbid they don't feed you).

 

COZUMEL

 

Our last trip to Cozumel 18 month ago had been a great day with tablemates Paula and Chris, with whom we'd rented a jeep and explored the whole island. This time, especially with the heat, we were content to stay in town for a while. We revisited a restaurant called La Choza, whose chicken "en mole poblano" I'd enjoyed previously. Chips, two different salsas, several rounds of cerveza, a zesty chicken dish and a great garlic fish later we were "satisfechos" and headed down the street to two different pharmacies, neither of whom offering prices low enough to make a purchase worthwhile. One customer on the way out, though, did make mention of all the mosquito bites on Jen's arms and back, and recommended an ointment as a remedy -- got it in the room, thanks.

 

ENTERTAINMENT AND CREW

 

A ship in port is most often quiet and relaxing to experience, and we did just that after our lunch in Cozumel. The excitement starts up again about 20 minutes prior to scheduled departure time, when the purser's desk begins to page passengers who have not yet returned to ship. I was out on the bow balcony, along with several passengers both from our ship and from sister ship Carnival Conquest docked next to us, who greeted the returning drunk guests with cheers and jeers. "It's the Walk of Shame!" I yelled across to one family from Texas over on the Conquest. As we pulled away from the dock, they screamed back "we're gonna miss y'all!"

 

On a ship the size of Valor -- 110,000 tons -- one expects a large theatre and a high-calibre entertainment program. The former was certainly true, with a three-story theatre at the bow that seats 1300 in both cocktail configuration (downstairs) and movie-style (upper decks). The program itself was varied and gave quality results in the area of "fly-on" entertainment, with two Comedians (both did late “blue” shows in the aft lounge); a ventriloquist (who may have had the best joke of the cruise: "I come from Mexico originally, you may have noticed my accent – actually I used to speak English very well, then three years ago I moved to Miami”), and a hypnotist. With a large theatre and a stage featuring hydraulic maneuverability, the production shows carried much anticipation – yet it is with regret (or glee? Evil author!) that we can say we particularly enjoyed either production performance. Not that we're prudes, but neither show carried any billing of being ‘for adults,’ and yet with plenty of children and families in the audience, the dancers in both shows wore outfits that were appropriate for something out of Vegas, and not the new sleek Vegas but the old, seedy Vegas. And the “’80s – Far From Over” show? If we have to reminisce about the 1980s, at least throw in some of the better music, or the music that was so disturbingly bad that it went beyond bad to almost good.

 

Cruise director Chris Jefferson and the all-Brit entertainment and activities staff did a fine job of keeping folks occupied. And you've got to love a ship with its own mascot, Fun Ship Freddy. Our biggest thanks may go to the Camp Carnival staff, though, as although plenty of children were aboard ship, nearly all were well behaved and most were invisible throughout the day. The captain made one daily announcement, and although announcements for other events and activities were more prevalent than on Celebrity, they were on par with those of Norwegian, Princess, or Royal Caribbean and not over the top. Nearly all of the crew and staff both onboard and in Miami were pleasant, smiling, and aiming to please. The morale of the ship seemed happier overall than on many cruises we’ve experienced. This is remarkable considering Carnival operates with a crew-to-passenger ratio that is considerably weaker than that of the competition – translation: the crew on Valor are working even harder. And speaking of translations, we went our of our way to tip extra knowing that the value of the US dollar is becoming less and less and thus the staff are seeing actual reductions in their take-home pay.

 

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

 

With a hard-working and energetic crew, a “Fun” mentality pervading throughout the ship, and extensive dining choices, who could go wrong with this cruise?

 

I’ll answer that question, actually, even if it was rhetorical.

 

It’s not for everyone, though Carnival achieves very effective results in appealing to a variety of demographics, in that those who seek a more ‘elegant’ or ‘refined’ experience would probably feel as though time had passed them by on this ship. We’ve been on the elegant-and-refined ships (Celebrity, to a good degree, though Oceania better fits these terms) and have enjoyed our encounters with them – enough so to the point that our next cruise is booked with Celebrity. And yet the last two ships we’ve sailed, with Norwegian and Carnival, have been casual and fun. Differing experiences, in other words, and not necessarily one better than the other.

 

What stood out about Carnival was similar to what we’d experienced on our previous cruise with Norwegian – exceeding expectations. We hadn’t gone into this cruise with a ‘Why can’t Carnival be more like (fill in the blank cruise line)?’ attitude; in fact the alternatives we’d considered were land-based vacations, specifically all-inclusive resorts. Can’t tell you how glad we were not to have chosen an all-inclusive, especially in the oppressive heat and humidity of summer? I’ll leave that comparison for other discussions, and all-inclusives do have significant appeal to some. For us, however, having the ability to explore ashore and then experience comfort aboard ship is a tremendous draw. Not only did Carnival accomplish that, they went above and beyond in providing a superior experience in the important areas of food, service, and heck let’s introduce the “Fun Ship” wild card factor.

 

While our next cruise is booked with Celebrity for New Year's out of San Juan, we will sail again on Carnival, currently booked for a 12-day next summer on sister ship Carnival Liberty out of Dover and sailing the Baltic Sea.

 

POST-CRUISE: MIAMI

 

Post Cruise Syndrome can be a serious issue. We always make an effort to keep the fun going, and this trip we had a night in South Beach post-cruise, and two full days in South Florida to explore and relax. The weather cooperated, with the thunderstorms holding off until we were wheels-up out of Ft. Lauderdale the evening after the cruise. We spent a morning at the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, which is free the last Sunday of every month. Built in 1916 by industrialist James Deering, Vizcaya has ten acres of manicured gardens; a 34-room Italian estate-style house with antique furnishings from the 15th to 19th centuries; an orchid garden; and a waterfront promenade reminiscent of Venice. After lunch at the venerable Versailles in Little Havana, which reminded us of the simple delights of Cuban cuisine without the impositions of Communism, we paid a call to The Biltmore hotel in Coral Gables. "Are you here for the historical tour?" a guide asked us as we were gazing into the birdcage in the grand lobby. We were now, and were treated to a private viewing of two ballrooms as well as the 15th floor penthouse suite, the view from which stretched from the Everglades to the beaches.

 

Dinner at Grillfish in South Beach featured a whole yellowtail snapper, sweet onion sauce on the side, which I savoured head to tail. Strolls up and down Ocean Drive, Collins, and Lincoln Road gave way to dessert at David's, tres leches and flan that were as good as we'd enjoyed here the last time. Our hotel, $50 on Priceline.com, was the funky Catalina, whose red-shag-carpet and stark white lobby were perhaps something out of an Austin Powers movie, while the room had walls of bright orange and comfortable Tempur-Pedic beds. Some have complained about these hotels on Priceline, saying they're not adequate for the business traveller -- no, they're not intended for business, try the Hyatt in Coral Gables (we did pre-cruise, and though I left a pair of khakis in the room, they had them ready and waiting when we passed by after the cruise).

 

Though we'd not want to live in Miami -- traffic, crime, hurricanes, and hot-and-humid summers are a bit much -- it's always a great place to visit.

 

Thanks for reading... will be back tomorrow with a few comments.

[angelsx4]

Hi! We were on the same sailing. I agree with everything! Far exceeded our expectations. Our only disappointment was Belize, but it was our excursion, we'll try again. We dissed the gala buffet because I thought it would be like every other buffet, but those dishes don't look like any dishes I've seen! Darn! We'll just have to go again ;) I'm so glad you had a great time too, it seemed to be the theme of the cruise anyways, everyone was so friendly and in great moods. I thought it was more the "fun ship" not the party ship like previous Carnival's I've been on.

 

So, did you hear "Shooooow-tiiiiiime" in your head in post-cruise syndrome state? LOL When we got home our kids didn't think we were funny when we announced that after dinner, lol.

 

We were in 9236, that balcony up in front was the coolest place to watch sailing into port and sail-aways. Convenient for us since we were right there. Oh, your review just makes me want to go back!

[YOW]

I am interested in the "Gala Buffet" pics you posted. When and Where? Looks pretty good. But another thread had some Capers from a recent cruise and the ony thing I could find was something in the afternoon on one Sea Day. Those pics looked awfully elaborate for a mid day deal!

 

The gala buffet on our sailing was at midnight on (IIRC) the second to last night, staged up at the Lido. We didn't have much appetite at that point, but people seemed to enjoy -- and, unlike our last cruise on Celebrity, passengers didn't make a mad rush for the gala buffet and devour it in 20 minutes like vultures. ;)

[YOW]

You wouldn't by chance have any pics of the mini-golf and movie screen that they added would you?? I am dying to see what the mini-golf looks like!

 

Didn't get any mini-golf shots, but I think this pic gives a good perspective of the movie screen:

 

http://globaltraveller.smugmug.com/gallery/5416528_daRVB#331226030_nQWqf

 

... there are others in the slideshow around it as well... hope that helps.

[YOW]

Have to compliment the pics too...On your Nikon D40; what settings did u use if you remember or did u stick with auto ? thanks and thank you for bringing me back to my wonderful cruise on the Valor in May..

 

Dave & Ellen -- thanks, we enjoyed your pics as well. More often these days, after having taken a photography course, I shoot in manual mode. Sometimes in a situation with less time available, I'll go to automatic, take a shot, see what the default settings have recommended, and then go to manual for trial and error (a bit more of the latter, lol) around that.

[Magnum_Mama]

Thank you for sharing.

[YOW]

Hi! We were on the same sailing. I agree with everything! Far exceeded our expectations. Our only disappointment was Belize, but it was our excursion, we'll try again. We dissed the gala buffet because I thought it would be like every other buffet, but those dishes don't look like any dishes I've seen! Darn! We'll just have to go again ;) I'm so glad you had a great time too, it seemed to be the theme of the cruise anyways, everyone was so friendly and in great moods. I thought it was more the "fun ship" not the party ship like previous Carnival's I've been on.

 

So, did you hear "Shooooow-tiiiiiime" in your head in post-cruise syndrome state? LOL When we got home our kids didn't think we were funny when we announced that after dinner, lol.

 

We were in 9236, that balcony up in front was the coolest place to watch sailing into port and sail-aways. Convenient for us since we were right there. Oh, your review just makes me want to go back!

 

There was something special about the general friendliness and great moods of all aboard, eh?! :)

 

In the post-cruise blues, we try to re-create some of the experiences... I finally had to stop carrying the Sail-&-Sign card... and how many times has DW said "you're not on the ship!" ;)

[bonnys]

Thanks for such a thorough review. Sounds like you had a great time. I loved your picture of the Valor and Conquest side by side.

[elsieflat]

I am booked on Valor for January 09 and after reading your review I Can't Wait!!!!!!! Thank-you for the in depth job you did of the review and the pics to go with it!!! You wouldn't by chance have any pics of the mini-golf and movie screen that they added would you?? I am dying to see what the mini-golf looks like!

Thanks again!

 

Hi Kruzergrl

 

Here are pics of the mini-golf:

 

 

[vplsh]

Thanks for this wonderful review and your great pictures. We're looking forward to Valor in July for my birthday! And your comments comparing them, or rather not comparing Carnival to other lines is well- taken. We're cruising on Destiny, our first Carnival cruise, at Christmas. I'll remember not to compare her to any other ships!

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Great review and pics. Thanks for posting.

[Casco Bay Kid]

Does Valor have 2.0?

 

Sent from my HTC One mini using Forums mobile app

[Dirkgun]

Does Valor have 2.0?

 

Sent from my HTC One mini using Forums mobile app

 

 

No It does not, and according to John Heald (Carnivals Brand Ambassador) it is not scheduled for them right now. The itinerary it is on right now (out of San Juan in the southern Caribbean) there is not a ton of time spent on the ship.... But the best itinerary though.