Valor Photo Review - West. Caribbean 8/30-9/6/09

[letsgocruz1]

hey emmysmommy i have a question....we are going to be on the same cruise on 10/04...i really want to go to the mayan princess but since its first come first serve i was afraid we would not be able to get into the resort as we dont dock until 12 noon....when did you get there??

 

 

what do you think?? is there still going to be space for us?? i had booked a carnival excursion to t beach but id rather do the mayan princess as im totally picturing myself at the swim up bar lol

 

thanks

 

Hey girl, we are going to the MP, too! I've been twice and it's first come/first served at the entrance. Oh and there is never anyone working at the swim up bar; I've yet to see anyone use it..which is a shame as its a great concept.

 

We are getting so close..what is it, 17 days or so?

[letsgocruz1]

Brenda, did they still have the "cruisers section" at the Mayan Princess? The first time we went we could sit anywhere on the beach and the second time they wanted everyone to stay in that one section. This was okay except there was no shade to lounge in, so we were disappointed in that. It is a beautiful place, though, and my kids love it there.

 

BTW loving your review, I am reliving my June Valor cruise through you! And I get to go back in about two weeks..woo-hoo!

[singbluesilver1]

maybe we can all share a cab ride??

 

i hope we can get shade or i will die.....lol..plus i have a skin condition and shouldnt be in the sun alot

[emmysmommy]

hey emmysmommy i have a question....we are going to be on the same cruise on 10/04...i really want to go to the mayan princess but since its first come first serve i was afraid we would not be able to get into the resort as we dont dock until 12 noon....when did you get there??

 

 

what do you think?? is there still going to be space for us?? i had booked a carnival excursion to t beach but id rather do the mayan princess as im totally picturing myself at the swim up bar lol

 

thanks

 

I think LetsGoCruz is correct about the swim up bar. I think they only staff it when the cruise passengers are not in port - just for the resort guests.

 

We arrived at the MPR at about 1:00 or so. There were a ton of cruise passengers that came later and I didn't see anyone turned away but I can't be sure of what they define as their "capacity." There were plenty of loungers on the beach and such so I think you should be fine.

 

It may be worth contacting Nina Garay at the resort to ask how you can secure a spot for the day. Her contact info is:

 

Nina Garay

Public Relations & Event Manager

Mayan Princess Beach and Dive Resort

www.mayanprincess.com

concierge@mayanprincess.com

[emmysmommy]

Brenda, did they still have the "cruisers section" at the Mayan Princess? The first time we went we could sit anywhere on the beach and the second time they wanted everyone to stay in that one section. This was okay except there was no shade to lounge in, so we were disappointed in that. It is a beautiful place, though, and my kids love it there.

 

BTW loving your review, I am reliving my June Valor cruise through you! And I get to go back in about two weeks..woo-hoo!

 

They didn't have a 'cruisers' section that I noticed. We were able to sit anywhere on the beach. We were in the shade - although you pretty much have to come early to get the shady spots since there are very few.

 

I know what you mean... I will be reading others' Valor reviews so that I can relive the "good ole' days". :D

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[letsgocruz1]

maybe we can all share a cab ride??

 

i hope we can get shade or i will die.....lol..plus i have a skin condition and shouldnt be in the sun alot

 

We have a van w/ a driver lined up already and have 2 more couples going, so we are full to capacity, otherwise we would have loved to share the taxi ride.

 

About the shade, that was one thing I didn't care for at the MP. The first time we went, you could lounge where you wanted. The second time, which was back in June, they had a section blocked off with a sign stating it was for cruise passengers. We asked if we could sit in the chairs under the shade but were told that was for their guests staying with them. We did manage to pull our chairs under a small tree while still staying within our section but it didn't afford much shade and was pretty darn hot.

 

My kids loved it there and the pool is awesome. It is a beautiful place and I would still definitely recommend it, just be aware that if you want to lounge on the beach, it may be in the sun.

 

The only other thing I didn't care for were the vendors trying to sell jewelry, braids, DVDs, sunglasses, etc etc. I don't mind being asked a few times as I know this is how they make their money, but it was non-stop and sometimes they would just stand there and look at you even after you said no. Especially the little kids which made me feel really bad as I couldn't buy from everyone of them. I got to the point that I would just go back to reading my book or talking to dh and they would finally walk off. The first time I went it wasn't nearly as bad, but this last time it was very, very aggravating. We did talk to a couple who were staying there (they actually own a condo there), and one vendor walked up in the middle of our conversation and all the guy (the guest) had to do was snap his fingers and motion for one of the workers and the vendor hightailed it out of there. So I assume this condo owner had let it be known that he didn't want to be disturbed.

 

I really am not trying to put you off of going there. Like I said, we are going back as it is beautiful and we want our friends to see it. But do know that they put cruisers in a different section, and that you could possibly be bombarded by vendors.

[letsgocruz1]

They didn't have a 'cruisers' section that I noticed. We were able to sit anywhere on the beach. We were in the shade - although you pretty much have to come early to get the shady spots since there are very few.

 

I know what you mean... I will be reading others' Valor reviews so that I can relive the "good ole' days". :D

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

That's good to know about the cruisers section as I was really disappointed in that. Hopefully they have changed back to how they originally done things.

 

Your review is awesome and thanks again for sharing!

[singbluesilver1]

I just booked a ride with victor Bodden tours to the mp

 

he said we are the only ship in port that day so maybe there will be less people at the mp...maybe that is why you guys had a seperate section in June..since the op said it wasn't like that recently

[letsgocruz1]

hey emmysmommy i have a question....we are going to be on the same cruise on 10/04...i really want to go to the mayan princess but since its first come first serve i was afraid we would not be able to get into the resort as we dont dock until 12 noon....when did you get there??

 

 

what do you think?? is there still going to be space for us?? i had booked a carnival excursion to t beach but id rather do the mayan princess as im totally picturing myself at the swim up bar lol

 

thanks

 

BTW can't remember what you said you are doing in Cozumel, but Nachi Cocum has a swim up bar and they definitely keep the drinks flowing!! :)

[letsgocruz1]

I just booked a ride with victor Bodden tours to the mp

 

he said we are the only ship in port that day so maybe there will be less people at the mp...maybe that is why you guys had a seperate section in June..since the op said it wasn't like that recently

 

We were the only ship in port that day as well. Maybe they were trying out something new?? Who knows? :confused: I'm glad to hear it wasn't like that when Brenda was there.

 

You'll be very pleased with Victor's service. We used him the first two times we were there and had the same driver. This time we booked the driver independently, and got 6 for the price of 4. :)

[Joby]

emmysmommy,

 

what was the dress code schedule for your cruise? We go in January and I wondered what nights were formal?

[emmysmommy]

Friday September 4, 2009 – Cozumel

 

I slept in til almost 9am this day! No room service breakfast today. We went up to the buffet, grabbed a quick breakfast, gathered our beach stuff and were off the ship by 10:00.

 

 

The ship docked at Puerta Maya which I believe is a new pier following the hurricane that wiped out the previous port area. (We haven’t been to Cozumel since 2005 so this is probably old news but the pier area was new to us.) Taxis are very easy to find – just keep walking through the shopping area. They have the standard taxi fares posted from the pier to the various beach clubs/resorts.

 

 

Nachi Cocom:

We took a cab ($15 each way) the 10 minute drive to Nachi Cocom. I had done extensive research on what to do in Cozumel – there were so many appealing choices. We have snorked at Chankannab in the past so wanted a new place to explore. I almost decided to go to Paradise Beach (and it is still on my list of places to try) but we decided to go with the solitude and quiet of Nachi and not have to worry about if there would be chairs or shade for us when we got there. It ended up being the perfect decision!

 

 

Looking down the beach (towards Mr. Sanchos)

 

We arrived at the resort and were greeted by a hostess who took a “welcome” photo of us with sombreros and then took us to check in and pay our All-Inclusive resort fee – less the deposit that we had paid on-line when we booked. The cost was $49 for adults and $29 for under 18. I had also reserved massages ahead of time and put a deposit down on those as well. ($40 for a 30 min. massage and I paid a $10 deposit for each.)

 

We were escorted to a palapa that had three loungers. We were introduced to our waiter, Manuel, who would be taking care of us for the day.

 

The beach was amazing! You could have filmed the Corona commercial here. There were about 40 people at the resort that day but they were well spread out so it was quiet and felt rather deserted. The sand was soft and silky and the water was warm and inviting.

 

 

Pool:

 

 

More Nachi to follow....

[emmysmommy]

emmysmommy,

 

what was the dress code schedule for your cruise? We go in January and I wondered what nights were formal?

 

Elegant nights were the first sea day (Monday) and the day we were in Cozumel (Friday).

[emmysmommy]

Nachi Cocom continued.....

 

The all-inclusive part of the deal included an appetizer, main entrée and dessert from their restaurant menu. The menu provided plenty of choices that all sounded pretty good. Of course, all the alcohol and non-alcohol drinks you wanted were included as well. We eventually got around to ordering a few appetizers; nachos, guacamole with tortilla chips, and cheese sticks (DD’s choice). Everything was good – not outstanding – maybe a little less than my expectations since I thought I’d heard that their guacamole was amazing.

 

Appetizers:

 

In any event, it took some time to be hungry enough to order our entrees and when we did I had the chicken fajitas (a bit disappointing but I wasn’t feeling too well so I’m going to blame it on that!), some seafood ceviche (delicious according to DH), some BBQ ribs (excellent) and hot dogs for DD. The hot dogs came with ketchup and mustard on the side but they had mayo smeared on them – yuck! DD said they were good. We didn’t make it to dessert since we were stuffed and time simply ran out.

Entrees:

 

Seafood Ceviche

 

BBQ Ribs:

 

Chicken Fajitas

 

Hot Dogs:

 

1st pina colada:

 

More Nachi and more pina coladas.....

[Froufie]

I just booked a ride with victor Bodden tours to the mp

 

he said we are the only ship in port that day so maybe there will be less people at the mp...maybe that is why you guys had a seperate section in June..since the op said it wasn't like that recently

 

You are very lucky that you are the only ship in port! I checked our dates in January and in Roatan there will be 3 other ships! I was hoping to go to the Mayan Princess and now wondering how crowded it will be? or will we be sent off to the 'cruisers' section? (I too need shade!).

 

And Cozumel is even worse with 7 ship in port!!! Which is one of the reasons we are planning to return to Nachi Cocum (loved it there and the pics are bringing back some great memories....like the never ending parade of pina coladas :D).....I would think all the other beach clubs will be mobbed! ....well I guess the whole island will be at capacity with thousands of cruisers wandering about!:cool:

[emmysmommy]

Nachi Cocom continued....

 

2nd pina colada

 

3rd pina colada

 

BTW: They made DD virgin foo-foo drinks as well.

 

Another view of beach:

 

 

Hubby and DD had their massages – they were wonderful. There was a thunderstorm that passed through while they were getting them – it was a nice back drop to the relaxing sound of the waves.

 

 

For fun DH and DD rented a jet ski ($60 for 30 minutes). They had a little store that rented some other things like water mats and snorkel gear. Hubby bought some goggles from the gift store for $8.

 

 

 

 

We did buy the welcome photo – they were $12 each or two for $20.

 

A few more Nachi photos to follow....

[emmysmommy]

Wrapping up Nachi....

 

More beach photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nachi sign:

 

 

 

Restaurant:

 

 

 

Around 3:30 we headed back to the ship. We tipped our waiter extra for taking

good care of us, he got us a taxi and away we went. We did some shopping in the port area before we got back on the ship.

[emmysmommy]

2nd Elegant Night....

 

Conquest to the Left - Valor to the Right

 

 

Sunset over Cozumel:

 

 

 

Tonight was the second Elegant Night. We were dressed and down for dinner

with enough time to get a family photo taken. People were a little less inclined to dress for this elegant night since we saw jeans and T-shirts in the dining room.

 

 

 

I ordered Chateaubriand with sauce bearnaise. This was pretty tasty.

 

 

DH had Chicken: (I had a bite and this was very good.)

 

Cream of Broccoli soup:

[singbluesilver1]

we booked the royal dolphin swim for cozumel......so no bar for us!!!

[Joby]

Elegant nights were the first sea day (Monday) and the day we were in Cozumel (Friday)

 

Thanks for the info. I have enjoyed your report :)

[emmysmommy]

Finishing up Cozumel Day....

 

Not sure what this was - something chocolaty

 

 

Baked Alaska:

 

 

Orange Sherbet:

 

 

 

After dinner we went to the 80’s show in Ivanhoe Theater that started at 10:30. It was pretty good. Before we headed back to our cabin we listed to Play That a bit in the American Lobby. It was more crowded than I’d seen it before – a lot of dancing and fun.

 

I sat on the balcony for awhile and next thing I knew I’d fallen asleep. I guess those chairs are more comfy than I thought.

 

Next.... Last Fun Day at Sea (Wasn't so much fun after all...)

[letsgocruz1]

we booked the royal dolphin swim for cozumel......so no bar for us!!!

 

Oh, that's right. I remember commenting on how fun that was going to be. I hope you guys have a blast!

[singbluesilver1]

Oh, that's right. I remember commenting on how fun that was going to be. I hope you guys have a blast!

 

 

 

 

Thanks I hope it is!

[emmysmommy]

Saturday September 5, 2009 – Fun Day at Sea (not so fun for us!)

 

I was up by 7:30 and having breakfast all by my lonesome on the lido.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DD and DH were still sleeping. I then sat in a deck chair and watched the morning news on the big screen for awhile. When I returned to the cabin around 9:30 my DD started to feel very ill and had stomach pain and other symptoms.

 

 

Sorry, long version of the story to follow....

 

 

We went to the Infirmary where we filled out a form for GI issues – you give your cabin #, your table # and which dining time, you provide what you have eaten or drank on and off the ship (too much to remember, I didn’t fill in those parts) and some other information for them to be able to track if there is a noro outbreak. They gave us some over-the-counter meds and told us that DD was confined to our cabin for the next 24-48 hrs which essentially was the remainder of the cruise. There was no charge since this was a simple GI issue and we didn’t see the doctor.

 

We went back to our cabin and DD took the meds as instructed but the pain kept increasing. We called to get some advice and they said to give her another med that they had sent with us – which we did. Even with two different meds in her there was no relief after an hour and the pain was so bad that she couldn’t stand. We called the Infirmary but they were closed so we were told to dial 911 and it would page the medical staff. They had a nurse meet us down at the Medical Center after our room steward got a wheelchair and someone to accompany us to the Infirmary. (Just a note to vent here…. We had a crying kid in a wheelchair, two stressed out parents and a room steward in an elevator and people were asking us to hold the elevator for them so they could go down! Errr…..)

 

We were met by a nurse who took us to a critical care room and did nursey things while someone else paged the doctor. They wanted to rule out appendicitis or anything more severe than stomach flu. They had to insert an IV and do blood work – not my DD’s favorite moment since she hates needles. The doctor eventually determined that it was probably a bad case of gastroenteritis. They administered medication through her IV so we were in the Infirmary for a few hours while they were rendering treatment. About ½ way into the treatment she started to feel less pain – not great but less acute distress – thank God!

 

The doctor re-assessed her and told us to come back in a few hours. They left the IV port inserted in case they needed to give her more IV meds. We completed more paperwork for non GI diagnoses and given the bill for $212. (Not bad considering….. and yes, this is covered under most travel insurance – which we did not get! Lesson learned the hard way. Although I was prepared for this to be a lot more expensive. ) The paperwork we were given stated that because of the cabin confinement we could enjoy free movies and free sodas/waters in the mini-fridge.

 

Getting better....

After photo:

 

Getting IV out

Doctor, Nurse, and sick kid

 

Back at the room we got her comfortable and I went to find some food that she could tolerate. (The doc said to keep it mild and bland) A quick stop by the aft bar to let my roll call group know why I wasn’t hanging around for a final get together (not many people were there anyway). They were closing down the buffet but I was able to find some soup with shrimp in it. Uhhh… didn’t ask what kind of shrimp soup as it was spicy. So we ordered room service and asked if they could find some chicken noodle soup or some other brothy type soup. They would try but please give them some time. No problem. An hour later room service delivered the spicy seafood soup that I told them wouldn’t work. Errrr! DD ended up eating part of a grilled cheese. Not exactly what the doctor ordered but she was hungry which was a good sign.

 

 

DH was on a mission, even though the buffet was closed he went down and asked someone if they could make some plain pasta. He scored! He came back with some lightly buttered fettuccini noodles which DD loved. She eventually fell asleep and woke up feeling much better – no pain at least!

Everything was fine at DD’s re-check. They removed the IV.

 

Later in the evening I went to the buffet and asked if there was any jello for a sick kid. They said give them 5 minutes and they would get something for me. 5 minutes later this dear, dear man came back with 4 small bowls of jello/fruit salad, some soup and crackers. Thank you so much!!

 

Next... final dinner and good-byes

[emmysmommy]

Final Night...

 

Good-bye to our Room Steward

 

 

We went to the dining room to say good-bye to our tablemates since this was our last evening and we wanted to explain our absence. We stayed long enough to ask the waiter if we could order our food and get it “to-go”. After checking with the maitre ‘d and the maitre ‘d coming over and explaining that we couldn’t take food to anyone it had to be for our own consumption - which we tried to tell him we were not – he let us take our entrée and dessert. The entrée I ordered was blah – the chicken from the alternative menu. I wasn’t really hungry anyway so it was just as well that 3 bites were enough. The dessert was the Grand Marnier soufflé which I love. I was so busy trying to start packing that I didn’t get to enjoy this delicious dessert and left most of it sitting on the desk.

 

 

 

BTW: WCMC is served at the buffet

 

 

And here's the Jello that the kind crew member got for us:

 

The rest of the evening was packing and getting the bags out in the hall by 11pm. We ordered a couple “free” movies. I even called the purser’s desk before I punched in my folio number to confirm that we would not be charged based on the cabin confinement. They assured me I wouldn’t. Yeah, they charged me. Errr again!

 

Next.... debarkation