The Adventures of Delta Dear AKA CalamityJane on the Valor 1/15- 1/21

[Delta Dear]

I still have to upload photos to Photobucket, but I will at least get this review started tonight. This first post is a trial to see how the text size etc is since I did this in Word.

 

The Travelers My husband, Morgan is 73, I am 69 and this is was our fourth cruise. We were to cruise in October on the Glory, but five days before the cruise, Morgan ended up in the hospital for emergency surgery for an ulcer. He was hospitalized for two weeks because of another issue. Thank goodness for trip insurance! I booked this cruise on the Valor while he was still in the hospital. The Glory sailed from Norfolk, VA, an easy drive since we live in the state of Delaware. The Valor sailed from Miami which gave us a chance to visit our son and his wife who live in Hollywood, FL. All’s well that ends well. We flew down to FLL on Jan. 11 for our cruise on Jan. 15, 2012.

Calamity Jane, That’s Me Our cruise last January was with the Maniacs on the Miracle. The group decided to take on nicknames, so mine became Calamity Jane. Wouldn’t you know it, after a nice flight from BWI (Baltimore/Washington) to FLL (Fort Lauderdale,) we arrived to find that one suitcase had been damaged by SWA. Since the suitcase was an el-cheapo that I had used during my years as a teacher for taking things back and forth to school, I didn’t think much of it. While telling our son about it as we left the airport, he asked if I had reported it and said they would have replaced it. Naw, I was not going back to do that. Instead, I would figure out something.

Suitcase Solution Our son had a big, suitcase that we borrowed for the cruise, combining the contents of Morgan’s big duffle bag, and the t-shirt overflow he had in the broken bag. This is the same husband that felt everything he needed would fit in his duffle bag. The borrowed bag was so big, a human could have stowed away in it. It reminded me of the suitcases magicians place on a table, and people keep climbing out of. It did not fit under the bed, by the way. The contents of my suitcase would have fit in there also, but I prefer to keep my things in my bag . Once we returned, we bought some luggage so that we could leave the giant bag with its rightful owner.

[campdaan]

Can you please use a larger font size ?

 

Looking forward to your review.

[kdinkus1]

Can you please use a larger font size ?

 

Looking forward to your review.

 

Yes please... a larger font size would be nice. I had to enlarge my % to see better. Getting old is not as fun as I had hoped it would be! :p

[carhopsrock]

Ms. Delta Dear...so gld you are doing a review!

[Delta Dear]

OOOPS, so sorry that even posted. I thought I had deleted it. I have adjusted the font in Word and have uploaded the photos so here's the first installment ! What fun I had doing this. Here goes:

 

Everything I know about cruising, I’ve learned on Cruise Critic, or from Cruise Critic members, but I learned the hard way to type this review in Word and paste it into CC. I lost a long post when I was doing my last review so experience will not be repeated if I can help it. Take heed when you write a review.

 

The Travelers My husband, Morgan is 73, I am 69 and this is was our fourth cruise. We were to cruise in October on the Glory, but five days before the cruise, Morgan ended up in the hospital for emergency surgery for an ulcer. He was hospitalized for two weeks because of another issue. Thank goodness for trip insurance! I booked this cruise on the Valor while he was still in the hospital. The Glory sailed from Norfolk, VA, an easy drive since we live in the state of Delaware. The Valor sailed from Miami which gave us a chance to visit our son and his wife who live in Hollywood, FL. All’s well that ends well. We flew down to FLL on Jan. 11 for our cruise on Jan. 15, 2012.

 

Calamity Jane, That’s Me Our cruise last January was with the Maniacs on the Miracle. The group decided to take on nicknames, so mine became Calamity Jane. Morgan became Captain Morgan. Wouldn’t you know it, after a nice flight from BWI (Baltimore/Washington) to FLL (Fort Lauderdale,) we arrived to find that one suitcase had been damaged by SWA. Since the suitcase was an el-cheapo that I had used during my years as a teacher for taking things back and forth to school, I didn’t think much of it. While telling our son about it as we left the airport, he asked if I had reported it and said they would have replaced it. Naw, I was not going back to do that. Instead, I would figure out something.

 

Suitcase Solution Our son had a big, suitcase that we borrowed for the cruise, combining the contents of Morgan’s big duffle bag, and the t-shirt overflow he had in the broken bag. This is the same husband that felt everything he needed would fit in his duffle bag. The borrowed bag was so big, a human could have stowed away in it. It reminded me of the suitcases magicians place on a table, and people keep climbing out of. It did not fit under the bed, by the way. The contents of my suitcase would have fit in there also, but I prefer to keep my things in my bag . Once we returned, we bought some luggage so that we could leave the giant bag with its rightful owner.

 

 

[Delta Dear]

Morgan’s Got a New Set of Wheels Morgan has some mobility issues with walking long distances. I talked him into investing in a Rollator (a walker with wheels and a seat,) for the cruise.

It was the BEST investment we’ve ever made (other than our marriage license 44 years ago.) He was able to get around the ship with ease, was able to get plenty of exercise, yet had a convenient place to sit when his back or legs bothered him.

 

Our son and daughter-in-law took us to Hollywood Beach the day before the cruise so Morgan could , ‘test drive,’ his new wheels. The day of the cruise, his pride almost got the best of him when I said, “ I may not take that. I look old using this.” I told him he looked the same age sitting or standing. He did go ahead and take it, thank goodness. Here I am with our great son, John.

Daughter in law did not want her picture taken that day and Morgan was not fully comfortable with the wheels so I let him slide.

[Delta Dear]

Sorry, I have to run out to get the oil changed on my van. I'll be back in a little while with the entire review and photos. Just when I was getting the hang of this, I have to leave...DRATS !

[TriciaEMTB]

GREAT START!

 

Can't wait to read the rest of your review! :)

[Lessum]

Can't wait! Going on the Valor in April!!!

[Casper2422]

Cant wait to hear more! Will be on the valor end of feb:D

[clearwatergirl]

You must continue your review. I'm enjoying your sense of humor and writing style. good for both of you to get out and cruise. Keep on going! :D

[cruisinsly]

Great review. I cant wait for the rest.

[jbhcw]

Enjoying your review:):):)

[jimbug]

This is great so far!

[gelo7]

Nice start, when I saw Delta and AKA in the title, I thought that this was a sorority cruise:p

[luv2cruz44]

So glad I found this, Calamity! Very good so far and looking forward to hearing more.

[Delta Dear]

Gelo 7, LOL, I do happen to be a member of Delta Sigma Theta (and have been for 50 wonderful years.) Anytime I use the AKA (also known as) acronym, my Sorors get on my case. LOL, how about you ? Are you a Greek ?

[Delta Dear]

OK, I'm baaaack ! Thanks for the comments so far, here we go

Three Days in Hollywood, Port of Miami, Here We Come We have fallen in love with the Port of Miami. The embarkation was by far the fastest and easiest we have ever experienced. Physically, the walk to the ship is the shortest we’ve encountered. It was a BREEZE, ah, that’s our next cruise with the Miracle Maniacs, from Miami on March 2, 2013.

 

We arrive around 12:45 to pretty short lines. By then, many early birds were already on board. The self-check in kiosks were easy to use just swipe your card very quickly, then move on to pick up the Sign and Sail, pose for the ‘photo for the first page of the scrapbook,’ photo , then the DING ! Whoo Hoo, we’re finally here.

 

Don't you just LOVE that first glimpse of the Whale Tail ? I get SO excited, my family thinks I am nuts, but who cares? It's true ! I am NUTS about cruising on Carnival.

 

 

 

 

[Delta Dear]

Valor (Conquest Class) vs. Miracle and Legend, (Spirit Class)

 

When we stepped into the Valor, the lobby seemed small, and crowded as compare to the others. The lobby has beautiful colors and a vibrancy that catches you up in the spirit, but that first day, I hardly noticed that.

 

We headed to find restrooms, which happened to be by the entrance of the Ivanhoe Theatre. I loved the red curtain and the theme.

 

We loved the layout of the Spirit Class ships because you could go from end to end on any deck. As long as you stick to Deck 5 for traveling the Conquest Class, you are fine. We had no problem navigating our way around.

 

The day we reboarded from Ocho Rios, we started down a corridor and realized we were going the wrong way, but that was the only time we got turned around. The Valor is shorter and wider than the Miracle so the walks from end to end were not bad at all.

 

 

 

[Delta Dear]

And Away We Go to Fish and Chips, Loved by Many, NOT by US After reading numerous reviews, and comments about how great it is to hit the Fish and Chips on Embarkation Day to avoid the Lido crowds, and the reviews about how good the fish and chips are, we set out on the LONG trek to the deck 10 aft. The walk along the deck, and seeing the NFL game on the Seaside Theatre screen, listening to Calypso music made trip a little easier to make.

 

If Morgan had not had his rollator, the better way to get to the Fish and Chips would have been to go through the Deck 9 Lido Deck and then just walked up the 17 steps. But, we didn't know that at the time. The steps would have been a bit of a challenge.

Sure enough, we arrived at the Fish and Chips, thermal cups in hand for some good ol’ Carnival lemonade. We found fewer than six other diners. I order the food, got the drinks took everything to the table and eh, the food was barely lukewarm….not good for fried, battered food.

 

I decided to go down to the Lido for some salad and dessert. I need to inject that I have bad knees, so the walk down 17 steps was slow. I got salads and was about to choose some desserts. The server who was helping with beverages must have noticed my challenges, so he came down and carried my plates back up the steps for me. A good example of how caring Carnival employees can be.

 

While we were eating, there was a page on the PA system for Morgan. Since in the past he has used wheel chair assistance during the boarding process, we noted on the Special Needs request when we booked the trip. Special Needs Department must have noted that he had not been escorted by wheelchair this time since he used the Rollator. They were paging him to ask if he needed any help. We were impressed that they monitored their requests so closely.

 

OOPS, I forgot these,'first glance,' photos.

Once we'd had a bite to eat, even if it wasn't the best, Morgan was sitting on the deck, enjoying the music and the Fun Ship atmosphere.

[Delta Dear]

OOOPS, What IS Our Cabin Number ???? Or, Calamity Jane is at it again.. Somehow, when we went to our cabin, my mind was blank about our cabin number. Of course, I couldn’t find which pocket, purse, bag, I had stuck our boarding pass in once we passed security. Hmm, 6358, 6356, 6354 ?

Morgan was getting a bit impatient when I went to 6358, tried the S+S card and it wouldn’t open the door. I finally found the number just as Edie, our cabin steward arrived with one of our pieces of luggage which had the number on the tag. Our cabin, 6356 was in a great location right around the corner from the mid ship elevators.

[SMSACE6]

Im enjoying your review and photos! Thanks for taking the time to post them. Looking forward to more of the same!:)

[Delta Dear]

Muster Drill and Sail Away with Roll Call

Our two bags arrived very quickly. What a nice surprise to find these goodies awaiting us from Lynn, our travel agent. Thanks, Lynn.

 

We were escorted to an inside lounge area for the drill along with others with physical disabilities. After the drill we headed to the Lido deck aft bar to meet our roll call friends.

 

We were wearing the ‘agreed upon,’ Mardi Gras beads. Our roll call was very light and not very active but we did manage to have a few of us show up. It was nice to put faces with screen names. We did have a chance during the cruise to see each other here and there on the ship and shore.

 

It was time for my traditional Sail Away Drink; Mocha Chocolate Get Away. I love boarding with leftover Drink Coupons so that I can put them to use right away for those drinks.

 

 

 

Later, I was kind of sorry we were not on the open Deck 10, but I was still able to get a few good photos of the sail away. Besides, at some ages, you appreciate being able to SIT and enjoy. LOL

 

[Delta Dear]

Focus on Dining, Food and Chocolate Melting Cake Sorry, no food porn, but I do have a few comments. We were in the Washington Dining Room at 6:00. It is nicely decorated and seemed VERY roomy. NO UGLY PURPLE GRAPES like the Miracle has. We were at an accessible table so there was plenty of space to get in and out of our seats. The rollator was stored right at the service podium along with one belonging to another person at our table. We were at a table for ten, but the last two never showed up all week.

 

I am allergic to shell fish, and Morgan seldom eats it so I don’t have anything to add about the shrimp, shrimp cocktail etc. There was one couple at our table who ordered MULTIPLE and I do mean MULTIPLE items each night. More about that later.

 

I love Carnival’s hot soups, have never tried the cold ones. The beef barley is among my favorites. We stated each meal with soup and sometimes a salad.

 

The only food I ordered and did not care for was the lamb shank. I had a few bites and decided to request something different; no problem, I ordered the flat iron steak which was quite good. Morgan did not care much for the Seafood Newburg the night he ordered that, but he didn’t exchange it.

 

On the first elegant night, he ordered the St. Louis Ribs. He didn’t want lobster, and didn’t want prime rib either. Some food notes; The beef brisket/short rib main course was very good. I tried a starter portion of the lasagna and really liked it. I will order it as a main course the next time.

 

I did do the ‘didyaever,’ alligator fritters which were ok, and the frog legs; you can keep those ! The mac and cheese w/bacon on the comfort menu was good, but I should have ordered a starter portion. Morgan and I each had some of that as a side with our prime rib on the second elegant night…there goes the cholesterol levels !

 

Ah, desserts. Warm Chocolate Melting Cake with TWO ice creams; a shout out to GA Pearlwho says that is the ONLY way to order it ! Yes, it was delicious. Couldn’t wait to have it on that first night after having loved it on previous cruises. But, here’s some sad news. About a year ago, I cut way back on sugar in my diet. Guess what ? I enjoyed the WCMC , but one on that first night was all I wanted. My taste buds have changed.

 

The same thing happened on the second night when they had Bitter and Blanch. I was SO excited to see it because I missed it on the last cruise because I was in the steak house the night they had it. It was good, but I didn’t even finish it because it tasted too sweet. I didn’t even look at the goodies on the chocolate buffet that last sea day. HOW could this be ? After some 68 + years of loving chocolate, I can’t believe I’ve changed. What a shame !

 

Love the warm apple pie with ice cream, and one night I had a banana split from the children’s menu. That was a nice treat. My tablemates asked, “Where’d you see that ?” “ I learned about it from Cruise Critic,“ I replied ! Thanks CC. Too bad so many people don’t even know about this site !

 

One other shock. I actually ordered a vegetarian meal one night. Nothing appealed to me except for the Greek Pie, can’t remember what it is called, and the couscous stuffed pepper. It was quite good, but I never thought I would live to see the day when I, meat lover of all times, would opt for a vegetarian meal. Yea GADS! Me, tired of meat ?

 

As for the Lido Deck, we liked the made to order omelets, the Caribbean Day, the Grill and the salad bar. The Mongolian Wok had long lines so we skipped that, the Burrito Bar didn’t look as good as what I get at Chipotle, so I didn’t try that. We did try a corned beef and pastrami sandwich from the Deli, but didn’t care for it. I was hoping it might be better than the one I had on the Legend, but the NY Deli flavor is just not there.

 

We did have room service for breakfast on one of our port days and on disembarkment day. The salmon, cream cheese and bagel were outstanding. When I ordered grape jelly, I thought they would be in those little restaurant packs, so I ordered FOUR of them. Imagine my surprise when four cups of jelly arrived !

I had planned on trying the chocolate cake that everyone raves about, but since my taste for chocolate had obviously changed, I skipped that. I was always too full to order anything extra. The one thing I miss when cruising is salty snacks like popcorn, potato chips and pretzels. They are available in the shops, but the next time we cruise, I will pack a few salty snacks in my bag.

[Delta Dear]

BEWARE OF PLATTERS As you see, neither of us are small. At home, we have started using smaller plates based on the theory, smaller plates, smaller portions. Well, believe me, the opposite is true too. Now that they have eliminated trays in favor of large platters, I discovered by Day 2, that I was eating WAY too much.

 

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Multiple Orders by Tablemates Now, I know that Carnival allows you to order what you want to, but….. on the first night, when one couple had several plates delivered, we did not pay much attention to it. The night after lobster/shrimp night, the wife bragged that she had ordered 4 lobster tail plates at our dinner setting, then she went to the ‘other dining room, ‘ and ordered 2 more for a total of 6 lobster tails and 18 shrimp.

 

The night of oysters Rockefeller starters she had 4 orders of those along with her entrée. I think there were 4 on each plate for a total of 16. She said, “ Just wait until it is escargot night.” Sure enough, that night she ordered 6 escargot plates/4 on each plate, THEN following the entrée of Chateaubriand, she ordered 2 more plates of escargot for dessert ! That of course held up the delivery of the desserts for the rest of us at the table.

 

The final night, she ordered multiple fried shrimp and you guessed it, Rainer, our server said to her, “Let me guess. You want 2 shrimp plates for dessert.” BINGO, he was right. I will not make any comments about her orders, you are free to make your own.

 

Dining Room Service and Entertainment Both were outstanding as always. Our servers were excellent and very personable.That last photo is of them with me on the final night of the cruise.

 

I love the singing and dancing that follows the meals. Rainier, our server and his assistant, whose name I can’t remember, really got into the dancing and singing. They both said they enjoy that little break because it is fun and relaxing for them.

 

I went alone to Afternoon Tea on the first sea day. The piano player listed never showed up, the servers kept skipping our table so it was a little disappointing. Nevertheless, I enjoyed talking to the others at my table, so I didn’t mind.