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Another Valor Review 6/19-6/26, not a glowing recommendation.


jnjburgess

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First off, let me mention that this was our first cruise! I read these boards for months and saw everything from - Valor was GREAT to Valor Stinks. I read a few reviews that were filled with great information - THANKS PATTY! So in this review I will try and document our experiences. This is a long review and I am doing it while my memory of events is still fresh in my mind. If you are expecting a glowing, we had a great time and we would do it again – don’t even start reading. It has the good, the bad and downright ugly. I don't expect your future experience or past experience to match what we had. In fact, I hope your experience is way better!

I read too many reviews with “go with the flow, deal with it, it’s what you make of it…..” I agree that you make the ultimate decision on if it is a good time. If you are booked on a future CCL or Valor trip – don’t let this spoil it! You will have a good time if you want to. I just expected a little more help from CCL.

 

We were a party of five (me 44, wife 40, mother 62, kids 12 and 15). We flew in to Ft Lauderdale and rented a limousine to take us to the port. The $$ worked out to be only $20.00 more than the Carnival transportation but much more convenient and nicer.

 

 

Our embarkation was an absolute nightmare, but I did expect this to some extend due to the reviews on these boards. I just never imagined it to be this bad! We got there around 1:30PM. The lines were way out into the parking lot and proceeded into the warehouse. During our outside time, it poured down rain. We then waited in line, went to the next room, waited in line, went to the next room, waited in line. It was the most inefficient way of moving people that I have ever experienced. To make it worse, one of the carnival folks rearranged one of the lines so that two lines converged and people were thinking the others were cutting in line! I kept telling the family - I expected this, go with it! It is to be expected with 3000+ people trying to get on board. But here was the clincher - we waited 3.5 hours and right before we were to get on the ship, they made everyone stop for a PHOTO opportunity! I didn't see any smiles and each one took approximately a minute. So multiply a minute by 1200 people (average family of 3....) and you have quite a long time spent waiting on pictures. Not a good way to start a vacation.

 

 

The ship was very clean and well kept. The crew was very friendly and accommodating. Our headwaiter Humberto was fantastic and made each meal enjoyable and we looked forward to being with him and the other people at our table. He brought our daughters anything they wanted - nuggets, mac an cheese, etc if they didn't like anything on the menu. He was awesome! We met some very very nice people!

 

 

We had two inner rooms on the upper deck. They were nice and had all of the amenities one would expect and more. Our service overall was good. We had one incident where the toilet seat in one of our rooms was broken before we got there and we had to wait a few days for it to get fixed.

 

 

The ship can be very confusing – just a tip – just go to deck 5 to traverse the ship. After numerous false starts, closed doors, etc. it just wasn’t worth the hassle trying to figure out all of the ins and outs.

 

 

The best place to go for a "snooze" was on level 3 outside on the lounge chairs with cushions. The worst place to go for a snooze was our cabin at 2:00 AM. We were located on the Upper deck right above the various nightclubs. The music was very loud. We were also in a location where the few drunks would wander down our hallway. No one at any time was rude or obnoxious during the day or evening. They seemed to come out only after 1:30AM. Next time, I will pay more attention to the location of our room.

As to pool side - unless you get up early and mark your spot -forget getting lounges by the pool. Carnival did have signs up asking not to save chairs, but it wasn't enforced and mostly ignored. We always ended up on the top most deck, farthest away from the lido area to get a chair. Principal - don't save chairs and hope everyone abides by the rules - Reality - save chairs.

 

 

As to food reviews.....

 

 

The Pizza was fantastic - I highly recommend the goat cheese and mushroom. The Fish and Chips and the Deli were also good. The rest of the food at Rosie’s was standard buffet fare. Hit and miss on whether it was hot or not it directly depended upon when you arrived. There is one day you do not want to miss with Rosie's - Chocolate day. The only desserts we didn't have to pay extra for that met our expections.

The dining room fare - I think my expectations were set too high by people putting that the CCL food was fantastic, excellent, etc. So I will try and put it into my perspective. Three levels of taste and quality for comparison purposes - Ponderosa, Outback, Mortons. (I expected somewhere between Outback and Morton's) The food averaged what you would get in quality and taste to a Ponderosa buffet. Some entrees came close to Outback quality and taste (the Fillet and lobster tail, for one). None of them met Outback or even came close to Mortons. The things we liked - fillet, lobster tail, prime rib. The taste of India was surprisingly good if you like lamb. We did send back a few appetizers and entrees for something different. That is one of the cool things about being on a cruise - you can try different things! Our headwaiter was fantastic and I started to rely on his suggestions instead of what I would normally pick. As to quantity - if you ordered starter, salad, entree and dessert, I was usually full by the end of the meal. The portions were small, for instance, four shrimp for the shrimp cocktail. So order two if there is something you really like.

 

 

The desserts were a big disappointment. For instance, I like crème brulee and tiramisu. These were not even close. Stay away from any "crème" dessert, they seemed to be the same custard and the flavoring just changed. The gumbo was gumbo in name only. The best desserts came from the coffee shop and the buffet on chocolate day.

 

 

If you wanted a really good piece of cake, you had to purchase it at the coffee shop for $2.00 a slice. If you wanted a really good cup of coffee (ie Starbucks, Borders, etc.), you had to go to the coffee shop. So the definition of the food being excellent, great, etc. from a lot of reviews sure did not match what my family experienced.

 

 

The sushi was okay overall. They had a decent variety from day to day and it helped appease the appetite before dinner. If you haven’t tried warm sake – the $1.50 to sample it is worth it.

 

 

Common theme with this cruise - if you wanted anything of higher quality, you had to pay extra. Coffee, Dessert, Scarlett's, Spa. I felt like having paid full admission to an amusement park, but having to pay extra for the really cool rides.

 

 

Activities - The first bingo we played (we were looking for something to do during the day) was 10.00 for a single and 20 for a triple (you can't tear up the cards). It was one game and the prize was $700. The rest of the games were $5.00 for a single and $10.00 for a triple. The jackpots were lower and were split with multiple winners at times. The scavenger hunt was fun and enjoyable. I think it was the only one we didn't have to pay to participate. The majority of activities that interested us were either pay to play or by the pool. The activities were geared towards more dollars out of your pocket or an advertisement for the Spa and Golf Pro. All activities seemed to end around 5:00PM. From 8:30 PM to bedtime - mainly dinner and the show - it was good. Bottom line –the ship is huge and they did not put in enough pools/hot tubs to support the number of people. Fortunately, I love to relax and read!

 

 

The shows were excellent! We looked forward to the shows every evening; the 80's show was very impressive. The comedians were great and very funny. The Valor Idol show was good and enjoyable. People were very warm and welcoming to those brave enough to get in front of the crowd.

 

 

My oldest daughter loved the 02 Club. So from 9:30 - 1:00AM we didn't see her. They did have a few things like fear factor that they enjoyed. My 12 yr old didn't fit with the "carnival clubbers" and didn't fit with the teenagers. So she was a little lost for things to do. The pools were so busy and small; they weren’t very appealing to my kids. They couldn't wait to get home once we were done with the islands.

 

 

I felt the kids were safe and didn’t have a problem letting the kids stay out later than us. I was very happy with the security overall. The only issue we had was that some parents gave their children access to alcohol that they brought into the O2 room. That's not a Carnival problem, but a parental problem.

 

 

Ports/Excursions - Nassau in my opinion is a pit. We had been there before and it's not very impressive. We just did the taxi thing and went to Atlantis, then downtown for lunch.

 

 

St. Thomas - LINES again. We were late getting there due to an emergency, so you can understand some time delay. But again, CCL does not know how to handle (or they won't pay for extra people) a large group. It doesn't matter what time we docked, it still took way too long to have someone glance at your passport and give you a sticker. And they still had the nerve to take your picture getting off of the ship!!!! Some reviews said – just wait, relax, it’s not a big deal. Granted you can’t get angry because that is the way it is, but saying it wasn’t a big deal does not make it better for future guests. So my recommendation – deal with it, you can’t change it. But that doesn’t mean it is right or they shouldn’t fix it. If you do have the time and are not interested in going ashore – then by all means go get breakfast and hang out.

 

 

We did the tram to the top of St. Thomas – well worth the money. The view was fantastic and the bar and shops at the top were interesting. We then went to Megan’s Bay by taxi. It's a pretty beach, but make sure to make arrangements to get back. By 5:30, the taxis are gone.

 

 

St. Martin - awesome. We booked the mild and wild tour because it was the longest in duration and we had never been to St. Martin before. We went to Mullet Bay- no facilities, but a beautiful beach. You need to bring your own snorkeling gear. The restrooms are not operational either. The local food vendor is very good and reasonable. We then went to the straw (i.e flea market) in Marigot - this is an absolute waste of time. If you have been to one straw market you have been to them all. Then off to Orient beach. The food was outrageous, but the beach had a different sort of appeal. Lots of water sports, expensive, but there.

 

 

On the ride back (the "wild" part), my wife injured her head, my youngest almost flew out of the back of the truck and my wife's watch was damaged. The roll bar came loose and we ended up putting it back together on the ride. We had one working seat belt and they then proceeded to go 80-90 mph back to the harbor. We specifically asked for seat belts and the tour guide – “You don’t need those here man!” We were able to buckle in my youngest and she spent the rest of the trip holding on to our legs thinking she could keep us from falling out. My wife tried to buckle in, but the belt was stuck under the seat. We couldn’t find a seat belt for my mother. Don't take this excursion - get your own taxi instead. The excursion desk was clueless when I asked them their opinion on if it was appropriate for ages 12-62 and then admitted they hadn't been on this one yet. Carnival was concerned when we informed them of our experience and they refunded 25% of the tour, but the future safety of guests is more important than the money. They are supposed to check it out for safety and get back to me.

 

 

Our cruise director was okay, but we never saw him much. All ship communication is done through the television set. A lot of people were blindsided by the St. Thomas customs check.

 

 

Leaving the ship – mass chaos, but the people around us were nice, pleasant and everything went well without any major incidents. It took approximately 1.5 hours to get off of the ship. I think it went faster because it is the ONLY time there wasn’t a photographer trying to get a picture!

 

 

I have come to the conclusion that we are either not cruise folks or we need to try another cruise line before making that determination. We had a good time and enjoyed the vacation. Some people would say that is all that matters. Well, I can have a good time sitting out back by my pool reading a book if I wanted to. What matters is did you get good value for your money – for our experience – not even close.

 

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You know sometimes just going out the door everyday i run in to problems like this that you explained i guess some of us grin and bear it ,seems like your a strong willed person and dont let the little set backs in life cloud whats up ahead good luck!;) and thanks for the review:)

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jnj- Thanks for your review. It was helpful that you described the problems rather than just say this or that stunk. Many of the problems you described are common through out the cruise industry. We were on NCL's Dawn the same time you were on the Valor and would've swapped places with you in a heart beat.

You has 4 in an inside stateroom? We had 3 in a balcony cabin, Our son slept on a pull out couch which extended under a table. He couldn't sleep on his back with legs extended or his feet would get wedged. When his bed was pulled out, access to the balcony was completely blocked unless we crawled over him. The Dawn has an all you can eat sushi bar (pay for it of course). Turns out all the sushi they have is not included. Basics like eel, certain tuna etc are extra. No lemonade or punch available on the Dawn. You get free water and iced tea. The Blue Lagoon (fast food snack bar) is open 24 hours but since the bars close early my son wasn't able to purchase a Coke even though they had a Coke dispenser right there. It was only for people who purchased the $40 soda card.

Embarkation is messed up by the new national security measures. Many of the people you ran into weren't even Carnival employees but Homeland Security I'd be willing to bet. Photographers are a nusance on every cruise line and always there when you board. We had a "pirate" try to cut our throats for the photographer right in the middle of our evening meal. Should've stabbed him in the leg with my fork.

While all your concerns are valid, if you just sit back and think of the scale the Valor staff is dealing with. Would Morton's be able to prepare 1500 meals at a time and still be able to maintain their high standard? (I don't know the answer, what's Morton's?)

As far as Nassau being a pit, you've insulted pits everywhere. ;) Told my wife not to worry about the huge dead rat on the sidewalk, but better keep an eye out for what killed it!

Thanks again for your review :)

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"...they made everyone stop for a PHOTO opportunity! I didn't see any smiles and each one took approximately a minute...."

 

Must have had some slow photographers. My experience is maybe 10 seconds per pic.

 

You may be right. Cruising may just not be for you, because most of the "problems" you pointed out are typical of all cruise lines.

 

The slow embarkation process can be solved very simply. Get to the ship earlier. Everybody and their brother is trying to get on board at 1:30pm ! This would be true of all cruiselines.

 

All cabins on all cruiselines above discos and other entertainment venues can be loud. This is why cabin location is so critical to some folks. (Not me, I sleep like a baby). If you ever cruise again, get a ship schematic and pay attention to this when booking.

 

I agree, passenger flow on Conquest-class ships are a nightmare. Dead ends everywhere, confusing layout. The only reason I prefer Spirit-class ships.

 

Chair-hogging is a universal problem on all cruiselines.

 

Bingo is always a rip-off on all cruiselines. Count the paxs participating (a quick estimate will work) multiply by $20, and subtract what the prizes are. Not even close to a "legal" return required by the Nevada Gaming Commission. Bingo on cruise ships is for people who can't count ! :)

 

Feeding 3000 people three times a day its hard to hit the 5 STAR mark. I will agree the tiramisu was a disappointment to me also. But I just couldn't beat the price. :D

 

Hope you enjoy your next cruise more and thanks for the review.

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As far as Nassau being a pit, you've insulted pits everywhere. ;) Told my wife not to worry about the huge dead rat on the sidewalk, but better keep an eye out for what killed it!

Thanks again for your review :)

LOL :D!!! Only 5 more days till I get to experience "The Pit" ;).

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LOL :D!!! Only 5 more days till I get to experience "The Pit" ;).

 

 

OC.......PLEASE write a review once you return!! I will be sailing on the Valor on the following eastern run (7/17) and would love to hear what you have to say about your vacation!

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Sorry, off topic, but for glrounds: I saw in an old post of yours that you once had cabin 1265 on the Legend. Can you tell me how it was?

 

I'm going to be in cabin 1265 on the Miracle (assuming my guarantee assignment doesn't change), and Miracle is a sister ship to the Legend with the same layout. The room is opposite a disco, next to the galley, and below a lounge, so I was wondering if it was a noisy location.

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We booked 6377 and 6357. Being new to cruises, I would never have thought to correlate cabin location to disco location. We couldn't hear our neighbors, but we could hear the music!

 

CarribeanKim and OC Mom - I hope you have a great time on your cruise! We were only 5 out of 3000+ cruisers, so don't let my review endanger that good time!

 

lasifguvui5uh - all I can say is OUCH! We will definitely stay away from NCL! Does anyone know of a truly all inclusive cruise line?

 

The cabins themselves were spacious and well kept. We had 3 in one room and 2 in the other (the wife and I had our own cabin!) They have bunk beds that come down from the ceiling in some rooms that would accomodate up to 4 people. Our twins were pushed together to make a king.

 

Thank you for all of the replies and the clarification that most of the problems occur with all of the cruise lines. I do think the embarkation problems seem to be unique to the ship size and Carnival. The people who had been on previous cruises were shocked at the amount of time it was taking. We had plenty of time to get to meet and talk to other people during the process! My brother boarded a different cruise line late last week for a trip to Alaska and didn't experience this level of waiting. Even at peak boarding times.

 

As to 5 star - I agree completely! There is no way you can do that for 1500 people. What I never saw posted was "the food was excellent if you take into account they have to feed 1500 people." However, if you are willing to pay extra...... you can go to Scarlett's for that ultimate in dining experience. That's why I wanted it related to chain restaurants that people might be familiar with.

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OC.......PLEASE write a review once you return!! I will be sailing on the Valor on the following eastern run (7/17) and would love to hear what you have to say about your vacation!

I'm on Valor 7/10......maybe i'll see you at port.......probably not, we get off early ;)

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I felt quite like you after my first experience w/ cruising on RCL in 6/03, but I gave the Conquest a try a few weeks ago. Comparing my experience w/yours it sounds like a whole different cruiseline. Our cruise was excellent. Food too. Sure not on par w/ Mortons, but not much is:) . I thought that the cruiseline did and excellent of preparing meals for 3500 people - in fact much better and always served at the right temperature than many of the weddings I have been to at very fine establishments. Don't let this cruise turn you against trying it again. I didn't and my whole perspective changed. Try the Conquest next time. It has a great crew and cruise director.

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Sorry, off topic, but for glrounds: I saw in an old post of yours that you once had cabin 1265 on the Legend. Can you tell me how it was?

 

I'm going to be in cabin 1265 on the Miracle (assuming my guarantee assignment doesn't change), and Miracle is a sister ship to the Legend with the same layout. The room is opposite a disco, next to the galley, and below a lounge, so I was wondering if it was a noisy location.

 

I didn't notice any unusual noise, Jim.

 

As I recall, 1265 was on the Riviera deck. I would get out of the aft starboard elevators, turn to the right, around the corner, 180 degrees and walk straight at the "beginning" of the long hallway that would run the length of the ship. However, since 1265 is the very aft cabin on the starboard side of the Riviera deck, while walking to this hallway (still not technically in the fore to aft hallway) you are looking directly at the door of your cabin. You don't ever actually ever walk "down" this long hallway, since you're at the very beginning (or ending) of it.

 

How's that for confusing ? You'll understand immediately when you board the MIRACLE. :)

 

I hadn't the slightest idea it was near the galley, the disco, or under the lounges, but that would make sense the more I think about the location of this cabin. I'm a night owl and sleep like a baby (I must have done something very good in my life at one time :D ). I never noticed any unusual noise at any time.

 

This is, of course, an oceanview cabin and I had booked an inside guarantee, so I was elated when I got this cabin. I think you'll enjoy this cabin's location very much. Easy to get anywhere since you step out of your cabin, walk to the elevator area and make a turn into one.

 

Have an enjoyable cruise and "report" how much you like this location, Jim. :)

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jnjburgess

 

for a truly all inclusive cruise line you need to book with the luxury cruise lines. Now I haven't been on one but I have heard that they include the drinks and excursions etc. right in the price. Granted you pay A LOT more for a cruise on Crystal or Silver seas! But I hear they are all inclusive.

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OC.......PLEASE write a review once you return!! I will be sailing on the Valor on the following eastern run (7/17) and would love to hear what you have to say about your vacation!
Ill be writing a review and taking no prisoners;)---Got docs last week room 7268 cat11 :eek:
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Sorry your vacation did not turn out well.

 

However, as a former Valor passenger I am all to fimiliar with your issues of loud music preventing you from sleeping. My DH and I were on the Valor in May and stayed in cabin 6363. What a nightmare.

 

The source of the problem was Flashy the one man band that plays right out side the casino. He kept us up every night until 3:00AM. We finally complained enough that Carnival moved us to a much quiter cabin, thankfully.

 

Checking the placement of various entertainment before booking cabin is good advise; however, Carnival does not list "Flashy" on the ship layout at all. They show his area as the promenade area, which I assumed was just a large walkway. Not a one man band area with a stage and lights. Why is performs there until 3:00AM I will never understand. Most people in the casino after midnight really do not care to listen to him they are there to gamble. If passengers want to listen to music they have 3 or 4 other options that do not distrub other passenger wanting to sleep. I just causes problems.

 

There is no way to know Flashy will be blarring out the tunes until all hours until you get on board.

 

So future Valor passengers DO NOT book cabins in the 6300's Upper Deck.

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OC.......PLEASE write a review once you return!! I will be sailing on the Valor on the following eastern run (7/17) and would love to hear what you have to say about your vacation!

No problem :). I bought a little journal to take notes so I can write a detailed review when I get back. I'm also going to take a ton of pictures. Re: the "pit"..I have cruised and drove to Mexico many times, now there's a pit (many parts of it), but it's good to see how great we have it here. We have fun anyways.

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Thanks for the info on the one man band! Thank goodness there were empty cabins so you could move.

A one man band blaring music until the wee hours--geesh..how stupid!

We've booked 6450 over what looks like a stairwell. But I see there is a aft lounge back there...anyone know if that area is noisy or should I go up a deck?

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No problem :). I bought a little journal to take notes so I can write a detailed review when I get back. I'm also going to take a ton of pictures. Re: the "pit"..I have cruised and drove to Mexico many times, now there's a pit (many parts of it), but it's good to see how great we have it here. We have fun anyways.

 

OC ~ Sounds like we travel very much alike. I also take along a Journal, as well as digital & video cameras...unfortunately, I'm usually the only one taking the pictures (except for teen daughter)!! Ha Ha

 

Couldn't agree more about "the pit(s)" either; as I have sailed both eastern & western itineraries. I am so glad to know that I'm not the only person that sees and appreciates how great we have it in the USA...and when traveling (with the kids) I always try to point this out.

 

Traveling (especially in a cruise ship) is a great way to teach your children the importance of patience (standing in lines), tolerance (long muster drill in the hot sun), creativity (scavenger hunt & other contests), grace & poise (hamming in front of all the cameras), family "togetherness" (you're living in less than 300 sq ft for a whole week!), and humility (hairy chest contest)

 

FUN??!! YOU BET CHA!!!!

 

PS: We have cabin 1027 (8E) up on Verandah Deck.

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Sorry you ha dso many problems. We had a similar experience on the Extacy in 2002. We waited in a variety of lines to get on board...3 hours and then the picture...Ironically the picture turned out well. go figure.

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Carnival still has not learned from it's sister company, Princess. Princess' embarkation is one of the easiest in the industry! After getting to the terminal, your docs are checked to make sure you have priority embarkation or regular...........you go to the appropriate line for your deck and cabin number and whether you have priority embarkation or not..............then on to the ship! The longest it has ever taken me on Princess was 1 hour.....when I arrived a little early to a port and had to wait til Platinum and Elite passengers were allowed to board....I ended up being the 3rd person on the ship that day even with the "long" 45 minute wait after checking in because the ship was not yet cleared. Carnival really does need to look at streamlining their embarkation..........no need for all those lines when one will do!

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Thanks for the unbiased review!! great job! I am sorry everything was not all that you had hoped for....especially the food situation! We foudn everything delish on the Conquest..but as these review boards show, everyone can have a different opinion. I hope you cruise with carnival again and can pick out your specific cabin so you wont be awoken by noise!

 

thanks again for the great review!

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I posted a "not so glowing" review about this same cruise a few days ago. However, our rooms, 6403, 6407 and 6411 on the upper deck were fantastic. They were directly above the coffee shop. No problems here. Coffee drinkers must be very sedate!!!!!!

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Very nice review! There will always be things that weren't expected, or were tough to handle, but your review did not contain the typical "always", "never", etc. of some negative reviews and was very factual in nature. I was on the Valor on one of her first sailings and there were things we didn't really care for. But, I choose to cruise for my vacations and I try not to complain about them afterwards, because, after all, a bad day at sea is still better than a good day at work. :D

 

Say it with me folks, WE CHOOSE TO CRUISE! :p

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