FTTF on Valor...Yay or Nay?

Sailing the Valor in June & more FTTF just opened up, so now I'm trying to decide whether or not I should get it. I know there are no tender ports, but I normally get it to be able to go straight to the room. For those who recently sailed out of San Juan, what time was your cabin ready?

Thanks!!

We just sailed last week. I didn't buy it because there are no tender ports.

Since the ship doesn't sail until 10 p.m. I didn't feel much need to rush over and stand in line to board.

Instead, we had a leisurely morning at our hotel and went out for breakfast. We checked out a little after noon and got to the pier at 12:30. There was almost no line -- just a short one for the security scan. From there we just walked right up to the check in desk and then boarded immediately. We were in our rooms by 1 p.m.

Since the ship doesn't sail for a long time, we took the opportunity to go back out into San Juan for a few more hours.

I don't regret not buying FTTF.

We leave tomorrow morning for 2 pre-cruise days in San Juan before boarding the Valor and we did purchase FTTF only to have cabin ready and getting our luggage faster.

Yes, for this only :)

I was on the Valor last month, which cruised out of San Juan. I'll quote the benefits to FTTF from Carnival's Web site. My comments on each item are below. To save those only minimally interested from scrolling, I wasn't offered it (booked too late), wouldn't have taken it if it was offered, and would have wasted my money had I bought it. Your experience may be different.

Priority Check-in with Express Boarding

The quicker you board the ship, the quicker you're holding a frosty drink.

I didn't arrive at SJU until 5 PM on Sunday. They had, I'm sure, been boarding for several hours by the time I arrived.

Guaranteed Stateroom

Your stateroom will be ready as soon as you board, so you can relax or freshen up for the fun you're about to have.

I made it to the stateroom about 6:30. The room was ready.

Express Luggage

Your luggage will be expedited to your stateroom so you can unpack and get settled in for a great vacation!

I didn't have any checked luggage, only a carry-on.

Guest Services

You'll have a dedicated phone number and line at Guest Services so you can quickly have your questions answered.

I went down to the Guest Services desk a couple of times during the week when they weren't busy. I got my questions answered satisfactorily that way. I suppose it might come in handy other ways on future journeys.

Dining Reservations

Priority Main Dining Room and Specialty Restaurant reservations (excluding Your Time Dining).

I had Your Time Dining and didn't dine at the steakhouse - the Valor's only specialty restaurant.

Tender Priority

You will have the option to choose a priority tender from the ship to shore (multiple departure times may be possible), so you can explore ashore as quickly as you would like.

This, IMO, would be the biggest benefit of FTTF on other voyages. But there's no tendered ports on this cruise. At least under ordinary circumstances.

Debarkation

We're always sad to see you go. But when your cruise is over, you may choose an early or late disembarkation time upon arrival to your homeport.

My outgoing flight was relatively late (3 PM), so I could have possibly used the extra time on the ship. But since they were boarding up shop... I decided to get off. Since I only had my carry-on, it was a no-brainer to choose the self-disembark option. They get off before EVERYONE - including those holding FTTF passes (of course, they could self-disembark too if eligible). This worked out well for me; there was barely any line and I went from cabin to airport in less than an hour.

Well, that's my story. I hope this is of help to you.

Sailing the Valor in June & more FTTF just opened up, so now I'm trying to decide whether or not I should get it. I know there are no tender ports, but I normally get it to be able to go straight to the room. For those who recently sailed out of San Juan, what time was your cabin ready?

Thanks!!

I'd say nay. Not worth it. We were on the Valor a month ago. We checked in at 11:00 and were not allowed to board b/c of "routine" something, so we had to bring our carry-on's all thru San Juan. We finally ended up boarding at about 3:30. This was the main reason I purchased FTTF.

At the end of the cruise, as far as getting off the ship faster, we had an 11:30 flight, so we took advantage of the FTTF to make sure we didn't miss the flight. Even with two marathons going on in San Juan, it was only a 15-20 minute drive to the airport, and we made it to the airport at 9:00-9:30.

Therefore, for this particular port, I'd skip FTTF.

We traveled June of 2013 on the Valor. We chose to use FTTF. We were the third, fourth, and fifth passengers aboard, even before the Platinums as it was the first cruise ever to use FTTF on Valor and I don't think the staff realized we were in the same lounge as Platinum. The perk I appreciated on this cruise was using the FTTF/Platinum line at the Guest Relations desk. We had to go there a couple of times and never had a wait even though the line at the regular counter was long. We would do it again.

Sailed the Valor last August. IMHO it would be a waste of money to buy FTTF. I vote Nay. :D

I usually purchase FTTF, but will not be doing so on the Valor. The only reason I purchase it is to have my cabin ready as soon as I board the ship.

This sailing doesn't leave until 10:00pm, so I am going to sleep in, stay at my hotel until check out time, have a leisurely breakfast or brunch and then board the ship around 1-2pm. Cabin will be ready by then, so there's no reason for me to get FTTF.

Definitely no, we boarded by 1215 ate lunch on the lido, got off and explored, got back on and luggage was waiting in our room.

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I personally think the biggest benefit of FTTF is the priority with tender ports. Plus especially with having the later boarding and sailing time in San Juan and the rooms likely being ready, I don't think I would. If you had more than one tender port I would absolutely suggest it, but with no tenders I don't think it's worth the money. And yes I have used FTTF.

In general I think FTTF is worth it, but in the case of a San Juan departure I feel it would be a waste.

Just got back from the Valor, we arrive at the Port at 12:15, waited in the check in line for less than 5 minutes, checked in and immediately boarded (no Zone card, etc..). We went straight to the Lido for a quick bite, dropped off our carry on's in the room by 1PM, and got back off by 1:15. Half of our luggage had already arrived before we left, and the remaining was there at 4:30 when we returned.

No tender ports, so no priority tender needed.

Lines at Guest Service were usually long, but if you timed it right and your item was not immediate, you could find a time when there was no line.

We had debarkation Zone 22, ate a leisurely breakfast, hung out on the deck for a while, were off the ship at 10:00 and at our airport gate and Margaritaville by Noon for a 3PM flight.....If you have an early flight you could always do self-assist luggage to get off first. (Airport departure hint: It seems that there was a long wait for USDA inspection at one particular entry to the terminal.....we just walked 100 feet down the terminal to another entrance, and there was zero wait..

Sailing June 8 on the Valor...originally I had purchased FTTF but I then cancelled it because of the late sailing and lack of tender ports. I could see the benefits for other cruises, just not this one.

I had FTTF on my Valor cruise. Definitely not worth it and I wouldn't use it on that itinerary again.

We thought it was worth it. We were in our room and unpacked by 11:30