Jump to content

Carnival Valor review overall left disappointed


moongal
 Share

Recommended Posts

Just got back yesterday from a 5 day cruise on Carnival Valor out of Galveston. It was myself, husband, 16 yr old daughter and her 16 yr old boyfriend. (Son couldn’t go last minute so we brought boyfriend.). We all had a great time especially the 2 teens but, I was slightly disappointed overall with the cruise in general.

 

The embarking was as smooth as I had ever experienced. We had faster to the fun and were on the ship settled into our room by 1140 or close to that.

 

We had a grand suite which was really nice, the balcony was AMAZING!! I think it must have been double the size of the regular balconies. It even had a nice lounger in addition to 2 very nice serenity style chairs.

 

The problem with the room was the sofa sleeper. We had 2 twin beds and a sleeper sofa. We put the 2 teens on the twin beds and we took the sleeper sofa since we didn’t want them sharing a bed! The sleeper sofa had to be the worst I have ever experienced. It was literally like sleeping in a BOWL. When you got in the bed, you immediately would roll to the center. My husband and I barely slept any the first night because we were held by gravity to the center of the bowl. I literally considered tying myself to the side of the bed so I wouldn’t roll down into the center again. I mentioned to my room steward and asked if there was anything we could do to fix the problem and she brought some kind of pad to put on under the mattress but this did not help, and I feel it made it worse as the sides were even steeper. We figured out that we could use some pillows to make wedges to keep us from falling into each other all night and managed to sleep a wee bit better.

 

The sleeper sofa also took up ALL the extra space in the room. We had to move the little table and 2 chairs every nite in front of the door so there would be a path to the bathroom in the night. Otherwise you had to roll thru the bowl (bed) to get to the balcony door. Or from the balcony to the bathroom or front door.

 

We did bring a blow up mattress but there wasn’t room for it.

 

I felt like for the amount of money I paid for the Grand Suite the sleeper sofa should have been better.

 

Another thing that bothered me (and all of us) was that the ship was FREEZING cold on all inside places. Whenever we went to the theater for the shows we learned to bring a blanket to cover up with. I have never been on a cruise where I saw people huddling under blankets and Blue carnival towels in the theater trying to stay warm!! It was so bad one nite we left without watching the show because it was just too cold!! The Lido was FREEZING. If we got a Guys burger or other buffet item we went outside to eat as it was just too cold!!

 

Our stateroom was like ice, it never seemed to make any difference what I turned the thermostat to it just seemed to be COLD!! I woke one night and I could have sworn it was the middle of January instead of July! I couldn’t get warm at all! I’m so happy to be back in my nice warm abode here in hot Houston!! We keep our thermostat on 80 during the day normally and 77 at night but that first night home we kept it on 80 since we were still trying to thaw out!!

 

Food: Underwhelmed. Tried some new things, the seafood shack, the old time BBQ it was all just meh.

 

Did the chocolate extravaganza on the last sea day. Everything looked so delicious but with the first bite it was just yuck. It seemed like it must all be fake food or something. I don’t know how Carnival can do it but they always seem to mess up the desserts. All that chocolate stuff looked amazing but the taste was flat and just flat out inedible. Between hubby and I we sampled everything offered and only found 2 things we thought good. I don’t think we were the only ones because I saw tons of plates left on the tables full of the chocolate desserts with a bite or 2 taken.

 

Guys hamburgers were delicious as usual. Pizza was good. Dining room was meh. A few hits a few real duds. Service was much quicker than before but dining stewards seemed overworked or something. If we ordered a coke (had bottomless bubbles) they would never bring it, asked for extra butter for baked potato and they never brought any (multiple times) no salt shaker on table and requested one and never got it. Just a lot of little things like that.

 

Entertainment was lacking. We like Trivia and first Sea day I think there was only 2 and nothing we wanted to do, Harry Potter trivia (never read those books) or country music trivia (not a country music fan). We actually ended up being BORED our first sea day which was a first for me since I love sea days.

 

Ship seemed dirty. Trays with food left all day it seemed. Walking to stateroom was rather disgusting. Plates with gnawed chicken bones, old breakfast yogurt containers spilled onto carpet, etc. it was just nasty. We ourselves put our dishes from my daughter’s birthday cake and no one picked them up from morning till we went to room for the night. I almost thought maybe I should bring them in and wash them myself. Seems like they should have someone to bus the dirty dishes in the hall more often.

 

Stair hand rails seemed sticky and gummy.

 

The elevators were a hazard. I witnessed an old lady slip on a dropped pickle that was on the floor in the elevator. There was melting ice cream on floor in another elevator and what looked like spilled milk in another. I saw someone had left and entire FULL drink with ice (looked like a full glass of coke) just sitting on the floor in the elevator. I was like “really!!” Cmon people can’t you carry it wee bit further and discard it somewhere better than the floor of an elevator!!!

 

The last night of the cruise the entire deck 3 area near the stairs smelled like sewage. It seemed as the night wore on the sewage smell seemed to permeate even up to our room on 7. It was so bad my daughter started getting asthma. (Smells will set her off). We were all glad it was the last night if we were going to have to smell that! During the sewage smell time, our bathroom was making weird gurgling sounds and there was no water in the toilet. I’m guessing it must have been some kind of ship wide problem.

 

Room steward: First day asked if I wanted morning or night. Told her once a day was fine but I would like fresh towels in the evening. She seemed a bit put out and said in a kind of angry tone “so you want twice a day?” I tried to explain. I just wanted fresh towels in evening that she didn’t need to clean the room but she kept saying so you want twice, kind of like she was hoping I would just say ok just come once and don’t bother bringing any fresh towels. But I didn’t so she said she would come twice and seemed put out and made me feel guilty. But for as much as I was paying for the Grand Suite I figured I shouldn’t just settle.

 

Anyway it was just a lot of little things like listed above that left me feeling a little underwhelmed. Nothing so horrible to complain about, but add them all together and it all just left me a little disappointed. We all still had a great time but still wish I had been left with a better feeling.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would have gladly traded places with you. I LOVE cold. The South Louisiana heat and humidity suck. What temperature did the freezing areas feel like?

 

The bed reminds me of I Love Lucy season 4 episode 14.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This sounds awful. Seems like you should complain to Carnival. I cannot stand it when we get a room steward with attitude. I just feel like if you hate your job you should not take it out on other people-- ever. You should not feel guilty about asking for fresh towels!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would have gladly traded places with you. I LOVE cold. The South Louisiana heat and humidity suck. What temperature did the freezing areas feel like?

 

The bed reminds me of I Love Lucy season 4 episode 14.

 

 

 

 

 

 

OMG!! Those Lucy videos are hilarious!!! Describes EXACTLY what the sofa bed was like!!! I am serious!!! When we first saw the bed after it was pulled out, we thought it looked a teeny bit saggy but the looks were deceiving! Literally when we got in the bed it turned into a bowl!

 

As for the cold, I am from hot and humid Houston myself and normally I LOVE me some cool air conditioning especially since we keep our thermostat pretty high (80 during day and 77 at night) because I’m cheap and don’t want a high utility bill. I usually look forward to a hotel where I can run the ac and be COOL but this was like it was so cold we were miserable. I know it wasn’t just us because of the sea of.blankets and carnival towels people were wrapping themselves in. The worst areas were the theater, the comedy lounge, the Lido buffet area. I don’t know about the bars or casino as I don’t go in there due to smoke.

 

I also forgot another thing that bothered me was the balcony smoking. Someone in a balcony nearby must have been a chain smoker. It seemed the cigarette smell out on my balcony was terrible to the point where I had to go inside. I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Probably both sides and above and below by the strong smell.

[emoji27][emoji27][emoji27][emoji27]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sadly, you cruise enough and you are going to run into a cruise that is underwhelming every now and then. For us - one was many peoples' favorite ship - Magic. We were on the week before Christmas and there were so many people, many of whom were rude, that you couldn't move on the Lido. The Cove balcony was very noisy with the hull noise of the waves (unexpected because I had never heard it mentioned on here), the BBQ was a let down, food service in the MDR really lacking, and just a ton of little things that didn't add up. We still had a good time - just not our best cruise. We learned that a Cove is not our choice and we likely prefer ships around 3000 rather than 4000+.

 

The other was the Ecstasy out of Charleston. Not having a balcony or couch in the room when the weather was cold and kept everyone indoors meant we had no place to relax and escape the crowds that were all forced indoors onto 2-3 decks. Not having the extra food venues such as the steakhouse, Cucina, JiJis, Havana, or Bonsai meant full sea days with little food variety other than the standards. Again - still had a good time - just not our best cruise. We learned a balcony is a must for us and if sailing from a cold weather port, the room must have a couch.

 

So each time, we learn something about what we like and what we don't like and what to expect from sailing from particular ports (New Yorkers are a unique breed and you know what you get going in). And ultimately, not all crews are the same - as leadership and staff changes, each ship can be run differently at different times. Sorry it wasn't the best - but your next one may be!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So the only thing that met the grade was Guy’s and the Pizza was “ok”. WOW

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

Lol yes. Those were always great!! This is why I was left a wee bit disappointed. I have loved all my previous cruises with nary a complaint (except smokers on balcony....seems to happen every time). I have never even considered for a minute trying a different cruise line because I loved the carnival product. I’m hoping this was just a one time less than perfect experience. And of course we had a great time despite the complaints. We are planning our next cruise already but I guess I just wanted to vent a bit about the issues that left me feeling a bit disappointed this time. I guess perhaps it gets harder to impress the more times you cruise since you have more to compare it with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lol yes. Those were always great!! This is why I was left a wee bit disappointed. I have loved all my previous cruises with nary a complaint (except smokers on balcony....seems to happen every time). I have never even considered for a minute trying a different cruise line because I loved the carnival product. I’m hoping this was just a one time less than perfect experience. And of course we had a great time despite the complaints. We are planning our next cruise already but I guess I just wanted to vent a bit about the issues that left me feeling a bit disappointed this time. I guess perhaps it gets harder to impress the more times you cruise since you have more to compare it with.

 

 

 

Hope the next one is better for you. We just sis our 36th on Carnival on the Horizon and loved it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote :

moongal

Room steward: First day asked if I wanted morning or night. Told her once a day was fine but I would like fresh towels in the evening. She seemed a bit put out and said in a kind of angry tone “so you want twice a day?” I tried to explain. I just wanted fresh towels in evening that she didn’t need to clean the room but she kept saying so you want twice, kind of like she was hoping I would just say ok just come once and don’t bother bringing any fresh towels. But I didn’t so she said she would come twice and seemed put out and made me feel guilty. But for as much as I was paying for the Grand Suite I figured I shouldn’t just settle...……

-------------------------------------------

 

Yes sounds familiar ,that does seem to be a growing trend from stewards in the attitude department.:(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We just got off the Valor on Saturday and agree the food was just meh. Not a show stopper, but definitely nothing to get excited about.

 

I also agree the MDR staff seemed terribly understaffed. Our team was fantastic, but like you mentioned, butter, refilling tea and bread took way too long.

 

Fortunately, we didn't experience anything too dirty. Cozumel night we didn't eat in the MDR and I did notice in the buffet area tables were not getting cleaned as fast as normal - possibly too much of the staff were let go to get off the ship?

 

For us, it was really just the food that was a let down. I'd still sail the Valor, but I think our next cruise we'll try leaving out of Louisiana (all 5 so far have been out of Galveston and it's time for a change).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Did the chocolate extravaganza on the last sea day. Everything looked so delicious but with the first bite it was just yuck. It seemed like it must all be fake food or something. I don’t know how Carnival can do it but they always seem to mess up the desserts. All that chocolate stuff looked amazing but the taste was flat and just flat out inedible. Between hubby and I we sampled everything offered and only found 2 things we thought good.

 

This is exactly how I feel about the desserts on Carnival as well as on Princess. There are a few desserts worthy of the calories they contain, but most of them are lackluster or so nondescript that in a blind taste test, I wouldn't know what I was eating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to hear you had such a disappointing cruise on the Valor. We really enjoyed our cruise on her last November.

The steward should never have asked you if you wanted twice a day service. Since you are in a Grand Suite you are supposed to get twice a day service, with the special service being an enhanced turndown.

 

We found the food on the Valor to be better than we had on the Breeze in January. But, a change in head chef can make a huge difference in the food. We were assigned to the big round table in the MDR that used to be designated the Captain's Table. We had a fabulous team of waiters and since we had late dining and many tables were not occupied, we had fantastic service.

 

We are actually considering sailing the Valor one more time before it leaves Galveston because Conquest Class ships are our favorite Class on Carnival. We will not be sorry to see the Breeze leave at all. We sailed her 3 times, the first being out of Miami. The first cruise was great, the last two not so much. We are going to give the Vista a chance in January. However, we have absolutely fallen in love with the RCCL Liberty of the Seas and that is our preferred ship to sail on out of Galveston now. We sailed on her in May and booked another while onboard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...