Help a NCL girl find her Carnival ship :)

About me:

I normally sail with NCL and have been working on "completing the fleet". However, I'm getting real tired of the same old ports and as you can see in my signature line, I go to a lot of the same ports. I have done Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize and Roatan plenty of times and Jamaica, Grand Cayman, St Thomas, St Maarten, Nassau several times (and a few more). It's getting old and it seems like I keep heading back to the same ports while trying to find something new to do each time and can't find a ship I haven't sailed yet with them going some place "new".

I have sailed with Carnival once, the Dream...and LOVED her! I loved everything about Carnival...the ship, the stuff to do on it, the atmosphere, the decor, the dancing...everything except for Camp Carnival. I'm hoping it was just a bad experience that one time and it will not repeat itself.

I'm pretty easy going and even when something negative happens, I usually turn it into a positive and move on. I'm not "too" picky (as you can see, I have sailed many of the older NCL ships) but do like the "extras" you get with the newer ships.

I have always wanted to sail on the Breeze or Magic. They have all the "bells and whistles" and just look even more amazing than the Dream and I KNOW I would love them. However, the Breeze is just a little too expensive for only a 6 day cruise. The Magic however...it's a GREAT price for the time I can go, but once again...same old ports (Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel). The Magic is the cheapest price even over the following ships listed below.

If I truly want to explore some place different...I have found 3 other cruises that meet my "criteria", but I would like some guidance about the ships themselves (and even ports if you want to throw that in). :)

Glory: (7 day cruise from Miami) St Maarten (been there), San Juan (never been) and Grand Turk (never been and always wanted to go!) I know (think) that it has: Guys Burgers (would love), Blue Iguana (would love), burrito bar (would love), Hasbro, "a" regular water slide, and the "green eggs and ham" breakfast for the munchkin. Hmm, sounds not bad.

Conquest: (8 day cruise from Port Everglades <--never been to) Same as above PLUS St Kitts (never been). It has: Guys, Blue Iguana, "a" regular water slide, and Hasbro. (It's only about $80 more total).

Valor: (8 day cruise from Port Canveral-been there before). Aruba (never been always wanted to go), Bonaire (never been), Grand Turk (always wanted to go). It has: burrito bar and "a" water slide. This would cost about $50 more than Conquest and $130 more than Glory).

Anyone who has read any of my reviews (even if it's just to get ideas for the ports they visit) know that I do in-depth reviews with tons of pictures. So I love ships that are colorful and have great things to take pictures of (like the Dream did). I have been trying to google pictures of these ships and found all of them to be pretty awesome.

Am I missing anything spectacular about those 3 ships? Is the Valor updated at all (like with the 2.0 upgrades) and maybe I just missed it? I really like the itinerary of the Valor...ALL places I have NOT been to. However, the ship itself seems like there's not much compared to the others.

Any stories you can tell me about your experience on them and why you loved a certain ship or hated it?

I'm open to information about the ports and thoughts as well. We LOVE beaches, we LOVE snorkeling, we love activities that involve animals. I know there are a lot of people that love going to San Juan, but I'm honestly not too thrilled about it because it just doesn't seem like "my kinda place" and more of a historical thing. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Help me pick a ship. I need to book soon. :D

I've only been on one cruise so I don't have much input or experience. BUT, the ship I was on was the Conquest and although I really liked her, she does NOT have the adults-only Serenity area if that is important to you. She has many of the other perks, but not that one. I do know that the Glory, her sister, does have it and I have heard great things about her. I am not sure if the Valor has one or not.

I know it's not much, but thought I would share :)

I've only been on one cruise so I don't have much input or experience. BUT, the ship I was on was the Conquest and although I really liked her, she does NOT have the adults-only Serenity area if that is important to you. She has many of the other perks, but not that one. I do know that the Glory, her sister, does have it and I have heard great things about her. I am not sure if the Valor has one or not.

 

I know it's not much, but thought I would share :)

Thanks for sharing. Nope, the adults Serenity area is not really important to us since we have a 6 year old. I know the Dream did and we didn't even go in there once even though I meant to go in to take pictures at least.

What did you like about the Conquest?

Is your daughter travelling with you this time?:D

We have been on the Glory and loved it, had the 2.0 updates. I don't think you would be interested in the itineraries tho. We have cruised the Pride on 2 other occasions when it went to Canaveral and the Bahamas. Next January we are getting on the Pride again. It's a 10 day cruise out of San Juan and goes to 6 ports. St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Antigua and Dominica. The Pride now has the 2.0 upgrades and is smaller than some of the others mentioned but has a great layout. I like this size compared to the Glory as it seemed to be more relaxed. Good luck with your choice, any cruise is a good cruise. p.s. for the little one I think the Pride now has Dr. Suess !

Conquest class ships are nice. We've sailed the Conquest and Valor and enjoyed them but if you want the bells and whistles Breeze is the best ship we've sailed out of 20+ cruises on numerous lines. Your daughter would love it. Absolutely loved that ship - from the food to the decor to the activities.

Thanks for the in-depth reviews you do - very enjoyable and informative.

Is your daughter travelling with you this time?:D

Absolutely. She wouldn't have it any other way and she has her Funship Freddy doll ready to go! :D

We have been on the Glory and loved it, had the 2.0 updates. I don't think you would be interested in the itineraries tho. We have cruised the Pride on 2 other occasions when it went to Canaveral and the Bahamas. Next January we are getting on the Pride again. It's a 10 day cruise out of San Juan and goes to 6 ports. St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Antigua and Dominica. The Pride now has the 2.0 upgrades and is smaller than some of the others mentioned but has a great layout. I like this size compared to the Glory as it seemed to be more relaxed. Good luck with your choice, any cruise is a good cruise. p.s. for the little one I think the Pride now has Dr. Suess !

Why do you say I wouldn't be interested in the itineraries? I picked those 3 ships because of the itineraries. :confused: San Juan is the only "iffy" one on it, but yet I have never been before, so I could be wrong about it.

The Pride cruise sounds wonderful, but not on my list. It's not one that we can do. I have to have a specific date (Spring Break for my daughter) and the 4 ships listed are the only ones that would suit our needs (and not be a repeat...well, other than the Magic). :D

I would REALLY love to do one with Dr Suess, but none of the one's available that we have to pick from has it. :(

Conquest class ships are nice. We've sailed the Conquest and Valor and enjoyed them but if you want the bells and whistles Breeze is the best ship we've sailed out of 20+ cruises on numerous lines. Your daughter would love it. Absolutely loved that ship - from the food to the decor to the activities.

 

Thanks for the in-depth reviews you do - very enjoyable and informative.

Oh trust, me I can guarantee that we ALL would love the Breeze!! However, I just can't justify the price for it (which is more than the others) for only a 6 day cruise. No-can-do!!!

I HAVE to stick with the ships I have listed above. Those are my choices. :)

Tell me which you preferred over the other between the Valor and the Conquest and why?

Thanks for the "review" comment. I really appreciate it. :)

No, I meant your "GROWN" daughter and grandson:o:o

Mitsugirly hello and welcome. I agree, the Dream is my favorite Carnival ship although I haven't been on the Breeze.

Question, are the 2.0 upgrades (guys burgers, blue iguana cantina, tequila bar, red frog bar, etc) how important are these for you to have on your ship?

As for me they are basically additional bars, I can get any of those drinks anywhere on any ship and I don't eat burgers at least not out of my home so guys isn't important to me.

What do you like to do while in port, land sightseeing, watersports, snorkel etc?

Since your mentioning about ports this is my advice:

Glory, you been to St. Maarten, San Juan is decent, Grand Turk is just beach and snorkeling, not much to do there, not even to find a decent place to eat lunch or dinner but its a beautiful beach.

Conquest- Same ports plus St. Kitts, but it is 8 nights which is another plus over the Glory. If the 2.0 upgrades are important then you may want to consider this more.

Valor- Aruba is wonderful and so is Bonaire...Grand Turk again its beach, but this cruise is also 8 days.

Aruba is a must see, has a bit of anything and everything to do on that island, real safe, nice friendly people, etc.

Grand Turk has snorkeling and kayaking.

The Valor does have the punch liners comedy/breakfast.

I personally don't need those 2.0 upgrades, its like I said just more bars and taking up more outdoor deck space around the pool area.

My suggestion is do the Valor:

Aruba- horseback riding, good snorkeling, abundant v variety of watersports to rent, beautiful beaches, etc.

San Juan I can take it or leave it, my favorite thing is to have a lunch somewhere and if the ship is docked till late at night have dinner in a restaurant.

Bonaire has some very good snorkeling, atersports, horseback riding, etc.

My advice is the Valor!

 

 

Help me pick a ship. I need to book soon. :D

mitsugirly,

For the ship I wouold choose Conquest; it has Guys Burgers!

For the ports, I would choose Valor since you haven't been to those ports, but it has no Guys Burgers...

Plus both are eight days vs 7....

I would recommend the Conquest! We have sailed on her twice, once before the 2.0 upgrades and once after the upgrades. I really thought the upgrades really improved the dining options available on the ship. Guy's Burger and the Blue Iguana were WONDERFUL additions. We went on the Dream last summer, and we missed these dining options a lot.

Knowing that you previously sailed the Dream, the one MAJOR difference between the two ships is the entertainment in my opinion. The Dream still has the excellent production shows with the break dancers as well. This wouldn't stop me from sailing on the Conquest again, but you shouldn't expect the same caliber entertainment in the main lounge on the Conquest. The Conquest still has the other entertainment at night-- the comedy clubs, the piano bar, karaoke, etc. The outside decks of the Dream are similar, but I actually like the stadium style seating of the Conquest. If you like to be near the Lido pool, I think this style seating allows for more seating there.

We had a great cruise on the Conquest, so let me know if you have any other questions about that ship that I could help you with! :D

No, I meant your "GROWN" daughter and grandson:o:o

Oooohhhh. LOL She "wants" to, but then again, she wants to go on the Breeze or Magic, which I'm ashamed to say (and if you are asking, you probably know why I'm ashamed to admit it then) that it's one of the main reasons I started researching for an "older" ship without all the bells and whistles and going to some place we have never been before. :o So, I guess we'll see if it's going to be a relaxing cruise or a hectic one. :p

Mitsugirly hello and welcome. I agree, the Dream is my favorite Carnival ship although I haven't been on the Breeze.

 

Question, are the 2.0 upgrades (guys burgers, blue iguana cantina, tequila bar, red frog bar, etc) how important are these for you to have on your ship?

As for me they are basically additional bars, I can get any of those drinks anywhere on any ship and I don't eat burgers at least not out of my home so guys isn't important to me.

 

What do you like to do while in port, land sightseeing, watersports, snorkel etc?

 

Since your mentioning about ports this is my advice:

 

Glory, you been to St. Maarten, San Juan is decent, Grand Turk is just beach and snorkeling, not much to do there, not even to find a decent place to eat lunch or dinner but its a beautiful beach.

 

Conquest- Same ports plus St. Kitts, but it is 8 nights which is another plus over the Glory. If the 2.0 upgrades are important then you may want to consider this more.

 

Valor- Aruba is wonderful and so is Bonaire...Grand Turk again its beach, but this cruise is also 8 days.

 

Aruba is a must see, has a bit of anything and everything to do on that island, real safe, nice friendly people, etc.

 

Grand Turk has snorkeling and kayaking.

 

The Valor does have the punch liners comedy/breakfast.

 

I personally don't need those 2.0 upgrades, its like I said just more bars and taking up more outdoor deck space around the pool area.

 

My suggestion is do the Valor:

Aruba- horseback riding, good snorkeling, abundant v variety of watersports to rent, beautiful beaches, etc.

 

San Juan I can take it or leave it, my favorite thing is to have a lunch somewhere and if the ship is docked till late at night have dinner in a restaurant.

 

Bonaire has some very good snorkeling, atersports, horseback riding, etc.

 

My advice is the Valor!

The "bars" are absolutely NOT important to us at all. Yes, we have some drinks while on board, but no we are not big "drinkers". A couple of fruity drinks here and there and we're done. So bars=no.

However, the items that I mentioned are things that we would like. Guys, I would LOVE to try and although I'm not a big meat eater (won't eat steak, pork chops and so on), I do love me some hamburgers and think this place would be awesome. So, it's a plus if they have it.

Blue Iguana...I'm talking about the ones with the food buffet type of thing (not the bar one). Also, I love taco's and think this would be awesome and have friends that have raved about it.

The burrito bar (on the valor), well just like above, I would love that.

In port, we are not the type to go site seeing at all. We also don't care about history or buildings. To take a picture of a neat building along the way=fine. To stay and hear about the history=nope, boring.

We are basically BEACH people. I like a beautiful beach, nice sand, beautiful palm trees OR an awesome place for snorkeling from the beach. Either I can do! We have our own snorkeling equipment we take with us every time. Watersports isn't really something we can do with the little one. She snorkels with us and does all the animals things like swimming with the dolphins, stingrays and sharks, but we wouldn't be doing anything like jet ski or banana boats or anything. If the place includes the kayaks, we sometimes do that, but never pay extra for it.

Aruba-beautiful beaches...which I'm loving and one of the main reasons why I would pick this ship. The ship itself, I'm just not sure about, but the itinerary is just sounding so awesome to me.

Grand Turk and the beach...that's one of the reasons I want to go there and have been researching where I want to go and have found someplace that interest me.

San Juan is just throwing me off. We have a friend from there and he suggested a "must see" as the castle...but then again, it just don't seem like "us" and I can't imagine what to do there. Everyone else I have talked to said "walk around", which doesn't sound too exciting. LOL

Bonaire-I know absolutely nothing about, so don't know if it's a place I would like or not, but if it has good snorkeling, it sounds good to me.

I REALLY appreciate your input on the ships and the ports. I have a lot to think about and you really helped. :)

mitsugirly,

 

For the ship I wouold choose Conquest; it has Guys Burgers!

 

For the ports, I would choose Valor since you haven't been to those ports, but it has no Guys Burgers...

 

Plus both are eight days vs 7....

Grrr...why can't I just have the Conquest go on the same itinerary as the Valor? Life would be so simple then. :D

I would recommend the Conquest! We have sailed on her twice, once before the 2.0 upgrades and once after the upgrades. I really thought the upgrades really improved the dining options available on the ship. Guy's Burger and the Blue Iguana were WONDERFUL additions. We went on the Dream last summer, and we missed these dining options a lot.

 

Knowing that you previously sailed the Dream, the one MAJOR difference between the two ships is the entertainment in my opinion. The Dream still has the excellent production shows with the break dancers as well. This wouldn't stop me from sailing on the Conquest again, but you shouldn't expect the same caliber entertainment in the main lounge on the Conquest. The Conquest still has the other entertainment at night-- the comedy clubs, the piano bar, karaoke, etc. The outside decks of the Dream are similar, but I actually like the stadium style seating of the Conquest. If you like to be near the Lido pool, I think this style seating allows for more seating there.

 

We had a great cruise on the Conquest, so let me know if you have any other questions about that ship that I could help you with! :D

We loved the break dancers. :) As far as entertainment...we love to see a comedy show, magician show, anything "out of the ordinary". We don't care for the broadway shows or the singing and dancing shows or even the piano bar or karaoke. Once you see a song/dance show at the beginning of the cruise, the rest just seem to be about the same with the same dancers and just different props, so we skip them after that first show. Honestly, we CAN find other things to do at night other than a show if needed...we head to the casino! :D No problems there. Speaking of which...what are the casino's like on these ships?

Oh my gosh, the decision is getting harder. LOL I may just have to put them in a hat and just draw a name. :p

You not a big meat eater, how many of those hamburgers do you feel you really going to eat?

The Valor offers the burrito bar, mongolian girl and fish and chips, the Conquesthas guys burgers and blue cantina. Since you don't eat meat much, perhaps having the mongolian grill be best as the Valor offers?

Another thing to consider, the ports that the Conquest and Glory go to basically are common and easier to find a cruise going there but Aruba and Bonaire are a lot more limited and don't happen very often.

I don't know much about Bonaire other than its beautiful and does have snorkeling its friday and I go out at night so I will research a bit for you tomorrow on Bonaire or if I get back on the earlier side. :) As far as Aruba goes its got everything.

I still stand by the Valor.

im actually in the process of reading your getaway review right now. Its taken me hours and Im not done yet!!!! ;)

I havent been on the Magic but I have sailed a conquest class ship. We liked it just fine. I did prefer our Legend cruise (love that spirit class ship size) to our Freedom cruise though.

We are giving the Sunshine a try this time. I let my kids pick this time.

PS: cant wait for your next review. Dont let Kendra make you miss your flight next time!

PPS: I pick the Valor for the stops! LOVE aruba!

Since the Serenity area isn't important to you (I get it, not to me either) I would choose the Conquest. 8 days, has 2.0. and 3 new ports for you!

I know how you feel. So hard to make a decision weighing in everything. I'm the same way! Ughh! First world problems:p

Let us know what you decide. You'll have a blast regardless I'm sure.

Grrr...why can't I just have the Conquest go on the same itinerary as the Valor? Life would be so simple then. :D

 

Oh my gosh, the decision is getting harder. LOL I may just have to put them in a hat and just draw a name. :p

Kim,

You have been to Western Carib so many times and you should try something new. I know it's not on your list. But how about the Carnival ship that goes to Half Moon Cay? I absolutely love that place. I took similar itinerary with HAL and it's great. Our's called St Maarten instead of St Thomas. Carnival itinerary is better than HAL because it goes to HMC first instead of last day.

Miami, FL

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

At Sea

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands

At Sea

Miami, FL

I don't know when your're going, your are sailing with either Splendor or Glory for this itinerary.

You not a big meat eater, how many of those hamburgers do you feel you really going to eat?

 

The Valor offers the burrito bar, mongolian girl and fish and chips, the Conquesthas guys burgers and blue cantina. Since you don't eat meat much, perhaps having the mongolian grill be best as the Valor offers?

 

Another thing to consider, the ports that the Conquest and Glory go to basically are common and easier to find a cruise going there but Aruba and Bonaire are a lot more limited and don't happen very often.

 

I don't know much about Bonaire other than its beautiful and does have snorkeling its friday and I go out at night so I will research a bit for you tomorrow on Bonaire or if I get back on the earlier side. :) As far as Aruba goes its got everything.

 

I still stand by the Valor.

Honestly, if the hamburgers at Guys is as good as I hear people say (and I guess I'm kinda compairing it to our back home place like Five Guys Burgers), then I'll probably have at least 2 or 3. :D

The Valor offers the burrito bar, mongolian girl and fish and chips, the Conquesthas guys burgers and blue cantina.

So the burrito bar is FREE correct? Do you make your own burritos the way you want it or you tell them what you want and they do it? When is it open?

What is the Mongolian "grill" I assume? When is this open and is it a venue that charges? It's own little place? Or part of the buffet?

I have read things about the fish & chips...is that the thing that's usually upstairs from the buffet?

The "conquesthas" guys burgers? Is this just another burger joint that they renamed instead of having guys on there? Is it a "make your own"? Or part of the buffet? Or???? Tell me more. :D

So they DO have the Blue Iguana Catina with the food?

I didn't realize that it was hard to find a ship going to the ports the Valor goes to. Does Carnival usually not have a ship going there and only offer it every so often?

I am going to have to do a little more research on this ship AND Bonaire. :D

im actually in the process of reading your getaway review right now. Its taken me hours and Im not done yet!!!! ;)

 

I havent been on the Magic but I have sailed a conquest class ship. We liked it just fine. I did prefer our Legend cruise (love that spirit class ship size) to our Freedom cruise though.

 

We are giving the Sunshine a try this time. I let my kids pick this time.

 

PS: cant wait for your next review. Dont let Kendra make you miss your flight next time!

 

PPS: I pick the Valor for the stops! LOVE aruba!

Oh gosh, I feel sorry for you (the long process of reading the Getaway review :p).

Since I'm not real familiar with Carnival, I'm really not sure which ships belong in which class. Are the ships that I picked in the same class or no? Is there some place that list the classes and the ships in them so I can compare?

Lucky you sailing the Sunshine!!! I'm jealous! I really want to sail on the Sunshine. We have been in port with it several times and it looks like an amazing ship to be on. I know when they redid the ship and first started sailing as the Sunshine, there seem to be a lot of bad reviews coming in complaining of it being crowded now and so on...but I tell you what, that wouldn't stop me!!! :D The prices for the Sunshine for the week I need are CRAZY!!! So, that got eliminated real quick for us.

I will never let Kendra make me miss a flight again. I will leave without her. At least this last cruise a few months ago...she was actually early for EVERYTHING! Weird I know right? :p

Since the Serenity area isn't important to you (I get it, not to me either) I would choose the Conquest. 8 days, has 2.0. and 3 new ports for you!

 

I know how you feel. So hard to make a decision weighing in everything. I'm the same way! Ughh! First world problems:p

 

Let us know what you decide. You'll have a blast regardless I'm sure.

That statement totally cracked me up because my husband says that all the time. :p

I'm also looking up prices for airflight to go along with this and it is going to be CRAZY to fly to FLL for these dates. YIKES!

Grrr...why can't I just have the Conquest go on the same itinerary as the Valor? Life would be so simple then. :D

 

.

mitsugirly,

I agree! We faced the same choices for our upcoming April 4 cruise; we were booked on Liberty, but she switched ports with Valor so we jumped ship to SunShine.

Breeze would have been our first choice, but like you we don't want to do a six day.

I just want to be clear here -- the burrito bar and grills on ships that don't have 2.0 upgrades are totally different than the Blue Iguana and Guy's Burger on the updated ships. The meat and toppings are much fresher and made of a much higher quality on the ships with 2.0 upgrades, than the other ships. I was shocked when we went on the Dream, because I really thought these options just weren't "branded" and that they would be just as good. I was mistaken! Haha. :(

On the Conquest, we ate at Guys and the Blue Iguana almost every day. I loved it! So, I was really surprised when we tried the grill and the burrito bar on the Dream. I, personally, found them to be pretty gross. However, the Dream has lots of other options -- including a pasta bar, seaside BBQ, and an Indian station. That made up for missing out on Guy's and Blue Iguana, but you don't have all those options on an older ship. The mongolian wok always has a really long line, so you're really limiting yourself for lunch options on older ships without the 2.0 upgrades. I think you would really miss Guy's and the Blue Iguana.

However, with an eight day itinerary on the Valor, you'll have a lot of days where you're in port and you may not be eating lunch on the ship anyway! I just wish someone would have told me how much I'd miss Guy's and the Blue Iguana. Because they really are a great upgrade on the ships that have them.

 

The Valor offers the burrito bar, mongolian girl and fish and chips, the Conquesthas guys burgers and blue cantina.

 

What is the Mongolian "grill" I assume? When is this open and is it a venue that charges? It's own little place? Or part of the buffet?

 

I have read things about the fish & chips...is that the thing that's usually upstairs from the buffet?

 

The "conquesthas" guys burgers? Is this just another burger joint that they renamed instead of having guys on there? Is it a "make your own"? Or part of the buffet? Or???? Tell me more. :D

 

So they DO have the Blue Iguana Catina with the food?

 

:D

I think she meant the Conquest has Guy's Burger and the Blue Iguana Cantina. :o

I'm from South Louisiana, so I may be a bit biased -- but I didn't really enjoy the Fish and Chips. It's a "seafood" option, that has fried seafood.

The Mongolian Wok is a stir fry option... it's wonderful, but the lines can get out of control. They make each bowl a people walk up and pick their ingredients.

I hope that clears up some confusion.

Kim,

You have been to Western Carib so many times and you should try something new. I know it's not on your list. But how about the Carnival ship that goes to Half Moon Cay? I absolutely love that place. I took similar itinerary with HAL and it's great. Our's called St Maarten instead of St Thomas. Carnival itinerary is better than HAL because it goes to HMC first instead of last day.

 

 

Miami, FL

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

At Sea

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands

At Sea

Miami, FL

 

I don't know when your're going, your are sailing with either Splendor or Glory for this itinerary.

I know the Western Caribbean is just getting so old to me.

I have been to Cozumel SO MANY TIMES and if I had to go back, there's 1 maybe 2 places I have left on my bucket list to go to there and then I'm done. (Paradise and Playa Palancar)

Roatan-one of my favorite places ever and love LFK (also Maya Key and have done West Bay)...there's really not any other place I'm interested in going to there...so any visit would just result in to heading back to LFK. Been there done that.

Belize-did the cave tubing twice, Bannister Island (now Starfish Island) and the shark ray alley and Caye Caulker now. There's really not much left I want to do there and if I was to return, I would probably head back to do shark ray island again with a local vendor instead of the ship.

Costa Maya...been to Almaplena, the Malecon x2, and Maya Chan. Return visit would result in going back to Blue Kay on the Malecon.

Jamaica-both Ocho Rios & Montego Bay. Nothing more there I would want and would hit up Doctors Cave if I returned.

Grand Cayman-stingray sandbar x2 there...but would like to return to head to Smiths Cove and 7 mile just to say I've been there.

St Maarten-done Orient, Maho x2, Mullet...have no idea what else is there to interest us. Don't plan on going back to where we have been before.

St Thomas-done Sapphire Beach and Coki. Only other place I'm interested in would be St John.

SO....YOU ARE RIGHT. I'm so over these places (but could visit Grand Cayman again with no problem or even St Thomas). :D

SORRY ABOUT THAT...I WAS JUST THINKING OUT LOUD AND TRYING TO FIGURE IF I WAS MENTALLY PREPARED TO GO BACK TO THE SAME PLACES...I'M NOT REALLY. :p

I WOULD LOVE TO GO TO HALF MOON CAY!! But none of the ships for my dates have it listed...so it will have to be another time. I think that's the one place that I see people mentioning all the time that is their favorite all time place to go.

We are going in April

mitsugirly,

 

I agree! We faced the same choices for our upcoming April 4 cruise; we were booked on Liberty, but she switched ports with Valor so we jumped ship to SunShine.

 

Breeze would have been our first choice, but like you we don't want to do a six day.

Lucky you. I would love to sail the Sunshine however, it's the same old ports I have been going to. :(

I just want to be clear here -- the burrito bar and grills on ships that don't have 2.0 upgrades are totally different than the Blue Iguana and Guy's Burger on the updated ships. The meat and toppings are much fresher and made of a much higher quality on the ships with 2.0 upgrades, than the other ships. I was shocked when we went on the Dream, because I really thought these options just weren't "branded" and that they would be just as good. I was mistaken! Haha. :(

 

On the Conquest, we ate at Guys and the Blue Iguana almost every day. I loved it! So, I was really surprised when we tried the grill and the burrito bar on the Dream. I, personally, found them to be pretty gross. However, the Dream has lots of other options -- including a pasta bar, seaside BBQ, and an Indian station. That made up for missing out on Guy's and Blue Iguana, but you don't have all those options on an older ship. The mongolian wok always has a really long line, so you're really limiting yourself for lunch options on older ships without the 2.0 upgrades. I think you would really miss Guy's and the Blue Iguana.

 

However, with an eight day itinerary on the Valor, you'll have a lot of days where you're in port and you may not be eating lunch on the ship anyway! I just wish someone would have told me how much I'd miss Guy's and the Blue Iguana. Because they really are a great upgrade on the ships that have them.

Just wondering how you know that the meat is fresher or higher quality on one ship versus another? I would think it would all be the same and Carnival purchases their product from the same vendor for all of their food? :confused:

Are these burrito bars and grills part of the buffet? Or their own little establishment?

I can't really say I would "miss" Guys or the Blue Iguana since I have never been on the ship with them and tried them before. I just know that people rave about them and I wanted to try them. But I can't miss what I have never done before...yet. :D

As for the Valor and having 8 days, it's actually only 3 days in port (just like the Glory or even the Magic). The Conquest is the only 4 port day cruise.