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

[Delta Dear]

Whew ! Time for a break. I thought I could do a posting marathon here, but my eyes are crossing. I do like that I have the entire review all typed to cut and paste, but the font has to be adjusted in the Preview Post for each one. I'll be back in a little while to post the rest !

Wish I had a Chocolate Mocha Getaway right about now. At least my tastes for those didn't change. LOL, the funny thing is that I really don't drink other than on cruises. Other than an occasional glass of wine, that's about it.

See you later !

[Delta Dear]

Ship Entertainment We missed the opening show because we were tired. I fell asleep while Morgan was unpacking and getting his C Pap machine set up. The Caribbean duo on the Aft Lido deck were good throughout the week.

 

There was a duo, Two Tone who sang and played Dance Musicin the lobby several nights whom we really enjoyed. There were a number of couples who danced, ballroom style, which was nice to see. From young to old, dancing is back !

 

One couple who had to be over 80, danced almost every dance until well after midnight. It was so poignant to watch them as they danced to a song, "May I Have This Dance For the Rest Of My Life." They sang it to each other while they danced. I am a romantic at heart and that scene will remain with me as a sweet memory of the cruise. I would have loved to take a picture of them, but they seemed to be so enthralled with each other, I didn't want to break the mood.

 

e,

 

We went to the Punchliner Show twice and saw Cee Jay Jones, who was quite funny. We did not go to any adult only shows.

The Tribute to Nightclubs in the Ivanhoe Theater was so -so. The female lead singer was way more powerful than the male. The thong costumes seem to have been added since our last cruise, why ?

 

There was a Break Dance group in the lobby one night which really drew a crowd. That was fun to watch. When did Breakdancing come back? There were cruisers hanging from the rafters to see it, or should I say from all decks overlooking the lobby. The lobby was PACKED. We happened upon it thinking Two Tone was appearing, which they did once the Breakdancing was over.

 

I went to the Legends Show for the first, and might I add , the last time, I think. It was not very good. We thought there was a nice variety of entertainment going on all over the ship most of the day and night.

 

Kudos to the young man who is the Assistant Cruise Director. He is very outgoing and friendly. He seemed be all over the place as he said, “ Making sure everyone is having a good time.’ Goose was the CD, but we never really saw him in action since we didn’t go to many shows. His announcements were not at all excessive which we appreciated.

[Delta Dear]

Other Ship Activities On the first day at sea, we went to the cooking demonstration that was held in the steakhouse. That was a lot of fun and very informative. Go early for a good seat.

We were handed the recipes for the four dishes that would be prepared. One chef narrated, one chefs prepared the food and one chef did fruit and vegetable carving while the chef was cooking. We were given the Mushroom Cappuccino to taste and the Tiramisu to taste. Both were delicious.

 

The other dishes prepared were a Baby Leaf Spinach and Fresh Mushroom Salad, and Broiled Supreme of Free Range Chicken with a Blackberry/Port Wine Reduction Sauce. The demonstration was about 45 minutes.

 

 

 

 

[Delta Dear]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Delta Dear]

PORTS of CALL

Key West was our first port. We got off of the ship rather late, walked over to the City View Trolley, since I had purchased our tickets online for a trolley tour. We could have gotten off and on all day long, but we really just wanted an overview of the city and some of its history. We really enjoyed the sightseeing. We were back on the ship in time for lunch.

I must not have uploaded many Key West photos. Maybe later, although, I didn't have a lot of them.

Cayman We visited Grand Cayman two years ago and decided to just relax on the ship that day. It was a relaxing day. Morgan read, I found the Serenity Deck which is beautiful, but it was too hot up there for me.

[Delta Dear]

Sorry, I forgot to preview and change the font on that one.

[Delta Dear]

Here are a few pictures of the Serenity Deck. Take the front elevators to the Spa Deck, get off then take the 8 person elevator to Deck 11 or 12, I can't remember which.

 

There were very few people up there when I went around 11:00, they were all in Cayman, I guess. The views were beautiful, the deck was very quiet and peaceful.

 

I loved the Sports Bar, too which is on Deck 5 near the Shops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Delta Dear]

Ocho Rios, Jamaica We are low key, low activity cruisers who enjoy the sights and history of the places we visit. I had booked a private tour with Courtney Taylor as recommended on the CC boards.

 

As it turned out, we had Erroll as our guide. He was excellent. When he heard we were from the state of Delaware, he immediately told his aunt lives here and that his mother has been to Delaware to visit. It is a small world we live in.

 

Fortunately, we docked at the smaller pier and had a very, very short walk to the area where the tour buses and private vans pick you up. We were prepared to have to use wheelchair transporters because the other pier is extremely long.

 

We were asked if we minded if we picked up one couple for part of the tour, which we agreed to and lo and behold, it was Trevor and Susan from our roll call. We’d spent hours the night before just talking and enjoying the music in the Lido Deck with them, so we were delighted to be able to share the Jamaica tour with them.

 

They did the Dunns River Falls before we picked them up. Together we went to Furn Gulley, the rainforest, Ocean on the Ridge, for a photo op looking down at the sea and the ships, the Ruins at the Falls, and finally a good Jamaican lunch at a restaurant that locals enjoy, Mrs. T’s. It was very good and very relaxing.

 

 

Check out the door to the ladies room. Did they know I was coming or what!

 

 

 

We decided not to go to the Market, but instead headed back to the ship. Erroll was an excellent guide who gave us lots of information about his country.

[Delta Dear]

Here are a few other shots from Ocho Rios.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jimbug]

You're doing great - I love this review!

[Delta Dear]

We were very happy with our activities both on and off the ship. We had a perfect balance of relaxation and activity. Morgan enjoyed sitting near the casino reading his Kindle while I enjoyed exploring the ship and talking to other cruisers.

 

One of the aspects of cruising we enjoy the most is meeting others and talking with them. It enriches your life whenever you learn about other people and their lives.

 

 

General Impressions of the Valor The ship is lovely. It’s theme about the valor of American leaders and icons is carried out very tastefully throughout the ship. From the huge American flag hanging in the lobby, to the stars and stripe patterns found on the floors and tables, to the sculptured faces on the ceiling of the casino and to the mural of Rosie the Riveter in the Lido eating area (how did I miss taking a picture of that?)

 

 

 

 

 

Look carefully at the faces. Recognize anyone ?

 

Oh, no, I forgot to take pictures of the floors in the elevators and the table tops in the lounge near the casino that had star/stripe motifs. Guess I have to go back, huh ! You wouldn't believe how many attempts I made at taking a picture of the bottom of the elevator so the stars would show.

 

 

 

The crew was friendly and very hard working. I didn’t notice any signs of age, nor things not being kept clean. Our standard size balcony cabin worked well for us.

 

 

I did notice we did not have the terry bathrobes in the closet, but since we don’t wear them, it was no big deal. We did not have a towel animal our first night, but did each night thereafter.

 

 

One night we went back to the cabin before Edie had a chance to turn down the bed, etc. When he came, Morgan told him we would take care of the bed, but that he knew his wife wanted an animal. To my surprise, Edie took the rabbit, turned two parts a different way, used the leftover towel and BAM, we had a frog. The transformation was very fast and here I thought they started each animal from scratch each night.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts We were very happy with our Valor cruise. It was just what we needed after a very long five months of Morgan’s health issues.

 

 

Next up for us is the Breeze on March 2, 2013. Until then, thank you for all of the posts you have made that made our cruise easier. The Maniacs are a great group, why not join us for that sailing.

 

 

Some CC members counted the steps to the Fish and Chips area for me, some came back and told me about the transporters with wheelchairs if needed in Ocho Rios. Others gave tips and advice that has helped us with each cruise.

 

 

I can’t answer questions about physical adventures such as snorkeling, zipping or climbing water falls, but I’ll be glad to answer any other questions you might have. Happy Sails to YOU !

 

There is one LAST Calamity Jane tale to tell and a few shots of arriving in Miami to be posted. Stay tuned for the finale. So, CHILL OUT while I write that last installment.

 

 

[re-re]

Enjoying your review, keep it coming.:D

[Delta Dear]

The name, Calamity Jane is quite fitting at times. On the final sea day, I was strolling around the ship and happened to start chatting who is from Ohio.( I grew up in Cleveland,Ohio.) We stood and talked for a long time when I finally suggested we go sit with Morgan in the lounge area near the casino.

 

As we sat and talked, I realized I was not hearing her very well. I am hearing challenged and have worn two hearing aids for at least 10 years.

 

I reached up and removed the left hearing aid to see what the problem was. YIKES, the aid came out, but the double domed wax guard did not.

 

 

You've got the picture; the guard was stuck in my ear !!! While this is not the first time this has happened, it is not painful, but it is a nuisance because now there is something that interferes with what hearing you have. Oh, well, here's a new adventure.

 

I texted my audiologist when I returned to Hollywood. She told me to just call the office when I returned home. We were flying back to BWI on Tues evening.

As it turns out, I had a regular Doctor's appointment on Wed afternoon. I told him about it, but shazaam, I guess the guard worked its way out because he did not see it. Leave it to me !

 

 

One last funny story coming up next.

[Delta Dear]

As I mentioned earlier, I am not much of a drinker. I am very sensitive to the acidity of pineapple so most foo-foo drinks are out because the often have pineapple juice.

 

I started reading threads on hear about the souvenier cups. I decided I wanted a Whale Tail cup because I've never had a Carnival DOD cup. So, I made it a point to find out what day the cups would be available. AH, the last sea day. Ok, I had to be sure to get one before the quota for the day ran out. (Don't really know if they have a quota, but I was taking no chances.

 

About 12:30 that afternoon, I hit the pool bar on the Lido aft deck by the pool. It was that bartender I'd talked to the day I asked when the cups would be available. He remembered our conversation.

 

I was SO HAPPY to see that the DOD was something called an Ultimate Suntan. LOL, I've got that covered !!! It contained dark rum, creme de banana, black rasberry brandy, orange juice sweet and sour mix and grenadine... YAY, no pineapple juice !! If it had had pineapple juice, Morgan would have had a foo-foo drink, like it or not.

 

Well, I took one sip and WHOA ! I KNEW it was not something you had on a stomach that had not eaten since breakfast. We grabbed a burger and hot dog and fries, then sat and watched the ice carving.

 

I took another sip after lunch....hmmm, still too strong.

 

The Whale Tail went to our cabin with me where it sat as I took tiny sips every now and then. It was DELICIOUS ! We went to dinner and came back. Morgan decided he did not want to go to the Legends Show, nor did he want to go to the drawing for the free cruise, so about 9:00, I set out for the Ivanhoe Theater, with my Whale Tail.

 

I nursed that baby all evening, finally finishing it by the time the Legends Show was over. I stood up to go back to the cabin and realized, that drink was still strong after all those hours. LOL

 

I did get back to the cabin without staggering, but when I told Morgan about my cautious walk back, he had a good laugh and said, 'Yes, your eyes told me that the drink was a bit strong for you."

 

My cup was worth it. LOL

[Delta Dear]

So Long, Farewell...you know the rest.

I woke up around 5:30 as we silently approached Miami. I love how silently those giant ships move through the water !

 

 

 

 

We had room service breakfast again, only this time I ordered only 1 jelly. LOL

 

We were in group 19. When groups 1-18 had been called, we went down to Deck 5 to wait. We left the ship by 9:15. Again, I must say Miami is the BEST ! The whole process was very quick and very smooth. Our son picked us up and away we went.

 

Son and daughter-in-law, Cynthia planned to take us to the movies to see Red Tails, the story of the Tuskegee Airmen which we really enjoyed.

 

Cynthia was born in Jamaica. Ever since meeting her, Morgan has asked about goat curry, which he learned to love while serving in the Peace Corps in India from 1962-1964. Curried goat is a popular dish in Jamaica, as a matter of fact, that's what he had for lunch at Mrs. T's. in Ocho Rios.

 

Cynthia told us that her mom had made goat curry just for us so we went to her house to pick it up for our Sunday dinner. It was delicious.

 

We enjoyed a little down time in Hollywood for a few more days before coming back home. Now that we are back we are easing into reality. Two loads of laudry have been done and a couple more to go. I'm back to cooking, opening my own napkin, no chocolates on my pillow, no animals. I'll have to wait until March 2, 2013, I guess.

 

I did take lots of notes this trip because I didn't want to forget anything. I am a scrapbooker so I'll be printing many of the pictures that I took.

 

Now I can cross, Write review, off of my TO DO LiST.

 

Questions ? Ask away ! Bon Voyage !

[campdaan]

What a great review.

 

You are a handsome couple !

 

I'm going to check out your other reviews.

 

Thanks ! :D

[noidea389]

Thanks for the review! We leave on February 26th for our honeymoon cruise!! I can hardly contain my excitement and have read all of the Valor reviews I can find. It looks like you guys had an excellent time! Thank you!!!

[gapearl]

Yay, I've been waiting for you to return and post your review!

 

 

 

 

You look so cute here!

 

 

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.

 

 

I told you so! :D Everyone should heed that advice! Too bad you could only have it 1 night, but that's better than none at all. And thanks for the shout out! :D

 

 

Kudos to the young man who is the Assistant Cruise Director. He is very outgoing and friendly. He seemed be all over the place as he said, “ Making sure everyone is having a good time.’ Goose was the CD, but we never really saw him in action since we didn’t go to many shows. His announcements were not at all excessive which we appreciated.

 

The assistant cruise director was Everson. I agree with you. He was everywhere and was very sincere about making sure guests were having fun. I sort of had a little crush on him those 7 days of my cruise. :o

 

I really enjoyed your review! Looks like you and your husband had a great time. I'm glad to hear he's feeling better.

[NeuroQueen]

What a great review! You two are the cutest couple ever! I'm glad you had a great time and can't wait for your next review!

[gelo7]

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 ?

No, but my wife and most of our friends are. I've never been much of a joiner......

[BooBooMonkey]

Thanks Ms. Delta Dear for yet another great review! You are very good at reviewing, and I love your pictures.

 

One question...

Mushroom cappuccino?

Is it soup, or is it coffee? Never heard of such a thing!

 

Glad you had a wonderful cruise and time with your family.

[KroozFoolz]

Thanks for taking the time to write and post your review. I am glad it worked out for you to take this cruise and that you enjoyed it so much. I am still disappointed you had to miss Glory and Bermuda. I was so looking forward to meeting you!

[gelo7]

Awesome review.

[luv2cruz44]

Jane,

 

You outdid yourself this time. What a wonderful, descriptive yet humorous review. You took us back to memory lane and we loved the shots of the Valor, especially the atrium pictures. Can hardly wait for the Maniacs to re-unite.

[IslandToIsland]

Loved your review Jane! We will be on the Valor in Sept, so I love seeing pics of the ship. So glad you had a nice time.:)

 

I am right with you on the Mocha Chocolate Getaway, my mouth is watering....8 days until mine!:D