Carnival Valor
by 2Littletime
Western Caribbean
November 27, 2005
We were on the Carnival Valor the week of November 27th, 2005. “We” consisted of my husband, my two daughters, my daughters best friend and an assortment of 32 other friends and family members.
Embarkation: Lines were long and hot but we had expected this so there were no surprises. Those of us who arrived at 3:00 had much quicker more efficient service than those who arrived earlier though this may change from ship to ship and port to port.
Luggage: Somewhere between the pier and the ship we lost a garment bag. It was never found but the Pursers desk did everything in their power to make it right even though it may not have even been Carnival’s fault.
Cabins: Excellent. Very clean and well organized. The new bedding is awesome and I think my husband will order me the comforter for Christmas because I loved it that much. This is a huge improvement from the old beds and coverings. In a couple of the cabins there were four people and although not ideal it was still adequate and comfortable for the amount of time people spent in the cabins.
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The Ship: Very nice. I had expected gaudy and too much Americana but instead found the ship to be tastefully done with just the right amount of pride. The ship was very clean and despite other reports of messes and dirty dishes and trays I found none of this. The ships amenities were excellent although it would have been nice if the theatre was big enough to hold everyone instead of having people sitting on the stairs and in the aisles during shows.
Food: Very good. We ate on the Lido deck most of the time but did enjoy dinner the first three nights in the Washington. The first night we did not order drinks so the second night it was midway through our main course before the bartender made an appearance. The third night we requested the bartender before ordering appetizers but she only came during dessert and by then I was too irritated to bother ordering anything. Our main waiter Ryan was good and our assistant Win was very pleasant however our table for 10 was always the last to get its food and often times the tables around us were into their main course before we got our appetizers. The food was very good despite some obvious service issues. The kids ate enough Pizza to make their fares worthwhile and the chicken breast at the Grill on the Lido was very, very good. Fish and Chips were also good but the hours of service are very limited so the lines were very long every time we were there.
Cabin Stewardess: Our very best yet. We were on the Lido deck and had a stewardess named Daniela from Macedonia and we grew so attached to her that we all cried when we said goodbye. She was incredible at anticipating our needs before we knew that we needed anything. She made endless towel animals with our six-year-old daughter and was happy and smiling every single day. For us she was the difference between a good cruise and an outstanding cruise.
Room Service: Was fine. Food came quickly (10 minutes) and was fresh and tasty. No issues at all with this.
Cruise Director: Was Rebecca but I cannot remember her family name. She was irritating and not funny but she was pleasant and smiley whenever you saw her. She was not outstanding but I am hoping that she is new and will improve with time.
Shows/Entertainment: Legends was incredible. You could never imagine that there was that much raw talent on the ship with you. Standing ovations were deserved all around. The second late night comedian was very funny and although he used some vulgar words was still not outrageous. For a change we really enjoyed the late night comedy the second night. It was nice to have the laughs without mention of race, sexual orientation or religion. It was still “r” rated but even the bad stuff was not too derogatory.
Get Off our Ship Time: Awful as usual. We are vacation club members and this was our first experience with the “VIP” service for debarkation. All I can say is that if you are looking to buy into the club for the early debarkation VIP service- DON’T. You do get off slightly earlier than many others but you still have to search for your luggage in a huge heap and you may or may not find it as evidenced by the fact that we are short another bag. The VIP tag had been ripped off of two of our cases but even though our names and other information was on the luggage no one bothered to look up where our bags should go and how to get them to us, they just shoved them in another pile.
Camp Carnival: Great for three of the kids we had with us. The program was well organized and efficiently run. We were very pleased. However, for our godson (13) who has Cerebral Palsy the program was not accessible, as we had previously been informed. The elevator to the Camp Carnival Deck was broken the entire time we were onboard. We had to carry our godson up the stairs and then carry up his wheelchair. Once he was there it was all-good though.
Ports of Call: Costa Maya- We went into Mahahual and this was just okay. The market has lots to offer and lots of pressure to go with it. The beach there is not really intended for swimming, as it is shallow with lots of seaweed. Overall I wouldn’t head there again intentionally. Though many of our group did the ruins tour and had an incredible time.
Belize- we went cave tubing with Reggies and this was awesome. Fun for all including our littlest girl who got extra special attention. Honduras- We went on an island tour and off to the beach and some shopping. The beach was lovely and everyone had a really good time. Grand Cayman-Of course we went to see the Stingrays. We used Captain Brians and the sailboat was incredible. No ship tours for us this time. It is cheaper for those who are up for it to organize your own adventures.
Overall Comments: We had a wonderful time on the Valor. Now that I have had a balcony I can never go back to an inside cabin. Out of 32 people 32 have said that they can hardly wait to go back to a Carnival Cruise. Our cabin stewardess was delightful and the ship was beautiful. We had a few minor inconveniences but we aren’t going to allow those memories to replace all the wonderful experiences that we were blessed enough to enjoy.
