If you had to choose...

Hey there, first time Carnival cruiser. I'm trying to decide between an Easter 2017 4 day. With price being similar and transportation to port being similar (flying on SWA points), would you choose the Valor out of Galveston or Elation out of Jacksonville? Ports of call do not matter either. Thanks!

With transportation, price and ports being equal, I would choose the Valor over the Elation. It's larger and has more amenities added. Elation goes into dry dock this summer and will hopefully receive the 2.0 upgrades.

I enjoyed the Valor more, the Elation felt small. Why don't ports matter? Some are so much better than others.

To me the Valor will have more to offer.

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Definitely the Valor. The Elation doesn't have any of the upgrades, and the Valor is much bigger. The ports are the same on each cruise?

Thanks all! I just didn't want to make a hasty decision without asking some experts! :)

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I'm not familiar with the Jacksonville airport, but be careful about which airport you select in Houston... George Bush is quite a distance from the Galveston port. Lobby is still about 45 minutes without traffic, but GB is even further. I'm not sure which one Southwest flies into- I think it's Lobby but I'd check first.

So assuming you're flying into Lobby, plan for your transportation to the port. There are shuttles and even Carnival transfers... I personally love Galveston, especially if you can fly in the day before and spend some time on the island!

In my reading, I'd second (and third) the opinion about the Valor over the Elation.

Adding to SL's great insight... I cruised out of Galveston once. I not only second what she said about the airports being much farther away from the cruise port than most people are used to...

Our only cruise out of Galveston, we had spent three nights in San Antonio (awesome), then rented a car early am to drive through Houston (OMG don't get me started) to Galveston.

I had checked ahead of time that Galveston has an active UBER community, so the plan was to return the rental car we used to drive from SA to Galveston, then get an UBER to the cruise port. DISASTER.

DIS&%@&$_ASTER.

When I asked my UBER app for a ride to Galveston cruise terminal (I'm guessing it's three or four miles from the car rental), the APP returned "searching" for over half an hour before finally finding a driver willing to take us and the time until pickup was 42 minutes. I was freaking out, but not as much as the other Carnival cruisers who couldn't get a cab and didn't know UBER.

Living in DC, I never wait more than seven minutes more an UBER, and it's usually three to four minutes.

When our UBER driver arrived, we were accosted by other Carnival cruisers, begging us to climb aboard. I asked the driver and he said he'd accommodate as many as possible, but it was just one family of three.

I felt really bad for the other stressed out car-rental-returners who were shocked, unable to get a taxi. Hope they made it in time.

JAX is the one you might want to seriously consider. ;)

We just booked the Fantasy out of Mobile 4 day Easter cruise. We choose the Fantasy because of the carnival waterworks for my 9 year old and now they have guys burgers, red frog rum bar and blue iguana tequila bar. Been on Fantasy and Elation and we like Fantasy a lot more. Valor does not have waterworks but if you don't have kids then that's not an issue. If you do I would choose fantasy. If you don't I would choose valor. It's bigger and newer. Both valor and fantasy are better in my opinion than elation.

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Valor (Galveston) is a Conquest class ship and it is much larger than the Elation which is a Fantasy class ship (Jacksonville). We have been on both classes of ships and like them both but are very different experiences based on the size and available amenities. Since the transportation is about the same I would base my decision on two factors. Which has the best fight options and which ship has the amenities that you would utilize. If all is equal I would select Valor.

Thanks for your tips Shadedlady and Intrepid. It is Hobby and I am planning on flying in the night before, possibly renting a car at airport and just parking it near/at Port while gone because we have a whole day to putz around until a late flight. I know it seems dumb to rent a car just to park it, but I thought the price of 2 shuttles from airport and what to do all day without a vehicle may be worth the wasted cash. I need to look into this more. I know Port Canaveral tends to have a couple "Stay here, park here" hotels near the Port so I was considering staying at one of those for that option if they have it.

I'm also interested in that Mobile cruise, Fantasy, as well. I just didn't know if could work out the logistics. I would have to do the rental car thing there too as I'd have to fly into Pensacola at the closest and Birmingham at the farthest options. Sigh...such is life planning a last minute trip where you want it all to fall into place! :)

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Thanks for your tips Shadedlady and Intrepid. It is Hobby and I am planning on flying in the night before, possibly renting a car at airport and just parking it near/at Port while gone because we have a whole day to putz around until a late flight. I know it seems dumb to rent a car just to park it, but I thought the price of 2 shuttles from airport and what to do all day without a vehicle may be worth the wasted cash. I need to look into this more. I know Port Canaveral tends to have a couple "Stay here, park here" hotels near the Port so I was considering staying at one of those for that option if they have it.

I'm also interested in that Mobile cruise, Fantasy, as well. I just didn't know if could work out the logistics. I would have to do the rental car thing there too as I'd have to fly into Pensacola at the closest and Birmingham at the farthest options. Sigh...such is life planning a last minute trip where you want it all to fall into place! :)

 

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Pensacola is only about 40 minutes to mobile all interstate. Mobile and Pensacola both have Uber but it would probably cost $100 each way. Still cheaper than renting a car and then paying to park it. There are some hotels that have stay and park packages.

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Valor is a much newer and bigger ship

I've never cruised out of Galveston, but I know the port is a ways from HOU or IAH. On the other hand, I have cruised out of Jacksonville, where the port is much closer to JAX.

The Valor is newer, larger and has more amenities, but we've sailed on Fantasy class ships that did not have the upgrades and haven't really missed them.

So, bottom line for us? Of the two, and based on the above, we'd do JAX. But that's just us.

Cruising out of Galveston is great assuming you fly SWA into Hobby. We flew night before, stayed near airport, and had RT shuttle previously arranged down to the port. It's no big deal at all. We're using the same technique out of Orlando in April. The distances are comparable.

I'd have to go with the Valor. I haven't been on the Elation (yet), but I've been on the Valor and thoroughly enjoyed it. I like the Conquest class ships a little better in general, and the Valor also has the 2.0 upgrades that I love. Especially Guy's and Blue Iguana. Really hoping Elation picks them up during dry dock.

We just booked the Fantasy out of Mobile 4 day Easter cruise. We choose the Fantasy because of the carnival waterworks for my 9 year old and now they have guys burgers, red frog rum bar and blue iguana tequila bar.

So, AngieM, I decided upon the Fantasy out of Mobile too! Flying in and out of New Orleans with some time on each side of the cruise to check out New Orleans since we have never been there before, so we are excited about sort of having 2 trips in 1.

I do have two kids with me and I knew they of course would want the Waterworks too!

Thank you all for your tips and ideas and now I'm off to the Roll Call!:cool:

So, AngieM, I decided upon the Fantasy out of Mobile too! Flying in and out of New Orleans with some time on each side of the cruise to check out New Orleans since we have never been there before, so we are excited about sort of having 2 trips in 1.

 

I do have two kids with me and I knew they of course would want the Waterworks too!

 

Thank you all for your tips and ideas and now I'm off to the Roll Call!:cool:

That's great! New Orleans is a great city and y'all will have a blast. How old are your kids? The fantasy class ships have the best waterworks in my opinion. They are in the back of the ship and have lots of chairs so you can sit back and relax while watching the kids play. We have gone on the bigger ships, dream and magic but do not like the location of waterworks on those bigger ships. They are in the middle of the ship and have no seating for parents. I still can't figure out why they designed them that way. Anyway, I think you will like the Fantasy. She is smaller and older but bigger and newer is not always better. Maybe we will see y'all on board.

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We're actually going on the Magic in late summer, so it will be fun to be able to see the differences between the two classes. I have 2 boys, 4 and 7. They are going to love it. We did DCL when the 7yo was 3 and the youngest was a baby, so he remembers, but not a ton.

I totally agree about seating near kids areas, sometimes designers just don't think logically.

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We're actually going on the Magic in late summer, so it will be fun to be able to see the differences between the two classes. I have 2 boys, 4 and 7. They are going to love it. We did DCL when the 7yo was 3 and the youngest was a baby, so he remembers, but not a ton.

 

I totally agree about seating near kids areas, sometimes designers just don't think logically.

 

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Magic is a great ship, you will love her. They have the ropes course and the kids will like that. We went on magic in August without kids and I did a review with pictures if you want to check it out. But you will not like not having seating around waterworks area. We did the dream with the kids last spring break and it's set up that same way. My son only went a couple of times because I wasn't going to stand around and watch him. we mainly stayed at the aft pool that trip. But went on the fascination the year before. It's set up like fantasy and he stayed at waterworks on that one. Here is the review of magic.

Magic 10 year anniversary cruise 8-27-16

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2399612

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Wow, Angie, great review and pics! I think that is the same itinerary we are going on too! I've been to all but Amber Cove, but the rest of my group hasn't been to any of the ports so I'm very excited for them to check it all out!

I'm also a Disney freak and former CM, with one former workplace the Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge. It's a magical place to work! :)

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That is so cool! I always wanted to work at Disney but never got the chance. 2 of my favorite things are Disney and cruising. We leave for Disney in 12 days for spring break. Staying at the Polynesian. It's our first time to stay there and we are very excited. We are DVC members

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