Just off the Valor! Review from 6 night 2/26 - 3/3

[kellyrnh]

Just got off of the Valor 6 night Western Caribbean (2/26 - 3/3). To sum it up, we had a BLAST! I had cruised once before on Royal Caribbean 5 years ago on a very small ship for 4 nights (Empress of the Seas). This far surpassed that cruise. We are all in our mid-30's, and my boyfriend and the couple that vacationed with us had never cruised before, they all loved it.

 

Day 1 - Miami:

 

Left Boston and had smooth, easy flights to Miami. We got the shuttle to the Red Roof Inn with no issues. On check-in they stated they had 14 people for the shuttle to port the next day already and would have another shuttle at 11:00 (they usually only run at 1:00) and would let us know which we were on the next morning. I had heard absolutely HORRIBLE things about the hotel, and must say was pleasantly surprised. They just renovated, and all the rooms were updated and clean. Now, they are by no means luxury, they were basic, clean rooms. The pool looked nice, and it was all gated in. Felt safe unlike what I was warned. We walked over to the BP station and got our allowed wine and non-alcoholic drinks and went to bed.

 

Day 2 - Embarkation:

 

Had the continental breakfast at the hotel (nothing great, bagels, fruit, toast, coffee, etc, but hey it's free :)) and were told that we were on the 11:00 shuttle. Shuttle was on time, and a pleasant ride to the port. Got there and breezed right through check-in, no waits! They didn't bat an eye at our wine or drinks, and will admit we all decided that we'd grab some alcohol at the next port because it seemed too easy. Got on the ship by 12:30 and enjoyed lunch on the Lido, we were all enjoyed the buffet. Got my drink of the day and we explored the ship a bit before we could go see our rooms and drop off our carry-ons. The ship is beautiful! The decor was nice without being obnoxious. Everything was super clean, and seemed easy enough to navigate. We got into our room at 1:30, we had an inside room on deck 8 (Verandah) forward. The room was a good size, plenty of storage, pretty nice sized bathroom. I was worried that we'd feel too much motion being so forward, but we had no issues with it. Loved that location actually. After we dropped off our bags, we sought out one of the "secret decks" to watch us leave port - we went to deck 10. Loved the view and only a handful of people on there with us. Thanks for the tip on that CC members!

 

We had the 8:15 seating in the dining room and were put in the Lincoln upper, booth for 4 that overlooked the lower. Loved it! Atilla and G waited on us and their service was great. We really enjoyed the food in the dining room. This night was the only night I didn't like my main entree (the broiled salmon - very overcooked, a shame, it was a nice piece of salmon). Enjoyed the spring rolls as my appetizer, and was impressed with the creme brulee for dessert.

 

We explored the ship a bit more and had a couple drinks and went to bed to get up for Key West the next day.

 

 

I'll post more later, and hopefully I'll load my photos on and put some of those up too!

 

 

[avenger71]

Just got off of the Valor 6 night Western Caribbean (2/26 - 3/3). To sum it up, we had a BLAST! I had cruised once before on Royal Caribbean 5 years ago on a very small ship for 4 nights (Empress of the Seas). This far surpassed that cruise. We are all in our mid-30's, and my boyfriend and the couple that vacationed with us had never cruised before, they all loved it.

 

Day 1 - Miami:

 

Left Boston and had smooth, easy flights to Miami. We got the shuttle to the Red Roof Inn with no issues. On check-in they stated they had 14 people for the shuttle to port the next day already and would have another shuttle at 11:00 (they usually only run at 1:00) and would let us know which we were on the next morning. I had heard absolutely HORRIBLE things about the hotel, and must say was pleasantly surprised. They just renovated, and all the rooms were updated and clean. Now, they are by no means luxury, they were basic, clean rooms. The pool looked nice, and it was all gated in. Felt safe unlike what I was warned. We walked over to the BP station and got our allowed wine and non-alcoholic drinks and went to bed.

 

Day 2 - Embarkation:

 

Had the continental breakfast at the hotel (nothing great, bagels, fruit, toast, coffee, etc, but hey it's free :)) and were told that we were on the 11:00 shuttle. Shuttle was on time, and a pleasant ride to the port. Got there and breezed right through check-in, no waits! They didn't bat an eye at our wine or drinks, and will admit we all decided that we'd grab some alcohol at the next port because it seemed too easy. Got on the ship by 12:30 and enjoyed lunch on the Lido, we were all enjoyed the buffet. Got my drink of the day and we explored the ship a bit before we could go see our rooms and drop off our carry-ons. The ship is beautiful! The decor was nice without being obnoxious. Everything was super clean, and seemed easy enough to navigate. We got into our room at 1:30, we had an inside room on deck 8 (Verandah) forward. The room was a good size, plenty of storage, pretty nice sized bathroom. I was worried that we'd feel too much motion being so forward, but we had no issues with it. Loved that location actually. After we dropped off our bags, we sought out one of the "secret decks" to watch us leave port - we went to deck 10. Loved the view and only a handful of people on there with us. Thanks for the tip on that CC members!

 

We had the 8:15 seating in the dining room and were put in the Lincoln upper, booth for 4 that overlooked the lower. Loved it! Atilla and G waited on us and their service was great. We really enjoyed the food in the dining room. This night was the only night I didn't like my main entree (the broiled salmon - very overcooked, a shame, it was a nice piece of salmon). Enjoyed the spring rolls as my appetizer, and was impressed with the creme brulee for dessert.

 

We explored the ship a bit more and had a couple drinks and went to bed to get up for Key West the next day.

 

 

I'll post more later, and hopefully I'll load my photos on and put some of those up too!

 

 

kellyrnh, we are sailing on her this Sunday, looking forward to your reviews! Thank you!!

[minerva78]

We're considering this itinerary for this summer, so I really look forward to reading more of your review!

[fliprcruzr]

kellyrnh, we are sailing on her this Sunday, looking forward to your reviews! Thank you!!

 

If you enjoy a nice friendly bar tender, PLEASE see Vasilena, at the Martini bar on deck 5 aft. Short gal from Belgrade I think. I think they call it Jeannes Wine bar. She is wonderful to chat with, makes a great martini. If you all want to share, they have an extra large martini, they make 4 drinks, and put in 1 glass, but only charge for 3. You do get straws, so no one has to pick it up!

 

That was our nightly stop at 7 pm, on our way to 8:15 dinner

 

She was the highlight of the trip for our group of 6, we had an 8 day that ended 2/26.

[kellyrnh]

Photos from Day 2 (Embarkation):

 

It was raining in the morning in Miami, but stopped before we got on the ship. The clouds started clearing by the time we left the port. We thought it was a great day for weather in the end.

 

 

Going out of port, shot from the "secret deck" on deck 10. You can see the Carnival Glory on the right.

 

Our room (actually taken our last day at sea when I realized I hadn't taken a shot of the room yet). Room 8215, inside.

 

 

First towel animal. :)

[Angee Dale]

How many Formal dinners on a 6 day cruise please????

 

Can I take a case of water???

 

Thanks!

[New2Cruising24]

Glad you had a great time...looking forward to the rest of your review! We love the Valor, can't wait to go back next month!! :)

[mondello]

How many Formal dinners on a 6 day cruise please????

 

Can I take a case of water???

 

Thanks!

Allowed to bring 12 bottles pp up to 20oz each of water, soda, or juice. Also allowed 1 750ml bottle of wine/champagne per adult. All drinks must be in carry-on only.

[violetsmile]

Yay for another Valor review! I'm on her in 31 days, and am looking forward to everything you have to say, as well as your pictures! This is my favorite way to prep for the cruise--reading great reviews. Thank you!

[cruzmax]

Question about disembarking Valor -

 

Do you remember what time you were scheduled to arrive in port, and what approximate time they started allowing passengers off the ship? We are looking at flights, and the one around 11:00 am is substantially less $$' and would get us home earlier. We will do self assist (walk off with our luggage). Thanks for any advice!

[IGottaP]

im on her in 60 days i cant wait to read the rest of your review

[navybaby1113]

Thanks for the review. We're looking at booking the Valor for our next cruise.

[IGottaP]

i know i may be jumping ahead here but my question is when u get off in Ocho Rios is there a place close by to catch taxis? as my group want to catch a taxi to go to Dunns River falls from where ever the boat docks

[MRSRN]

I love your review and pictures! On this ship in 23 days!

[kellyrnh]

Day 3 - Key West

 

We got up and did breakfast in Rosie's (the buffet) before heading off the ship. I tried the made to order omelette station, ended up being my favorite breakfast item. There was a lot to choose from and we always found something we were craving. (Although I stayed far far away from the scrambled eggs in the buffet - they tasted like powdered eggs or something, horrible). Something I didn't know until the last day either was you can order eggs any style (i.e. sunnyside up, etc) at the omelette station as well.

 

Getting off the ship for Key West was a breeze, no waits. The weather was perfect and we decided to find a place to rent bicycles for the day. We walked a ways - loved the scenery! I didn't realize Key West had such history and character. We ended up at A&M rentals and got beach cruisers for $10/day (another place was charging $18 so it was a great deal). They came with baskets on the front and locks. We rode to the bike path and to Smathers Beach and hung out there for a while. Then we continued along the beach and had some pretty strong winds working against us, otherwise it was an easy flat ride. We continued around the island and passed a liquor store and decided to try our luck and we picked up a bottle of Shipwreck rum. We figure if it didn't make it on with us, we'd get it at the end and it would be a fun souvenir. Our friends picked up some vodka and decided to try putting it in the water bottles later.

 

 

(don't know this person lol - just getting a shot of the beach)

 

 

After that we headed to Duval St and stopped in Sloppy Joe's. Busy but not too bad (we probably missed the crowds that hit it earlier) and got some mojitos (HIGHLY recommend). Our friend immediately knocked it all over the bartender who was a good sport about it. Figured out why they call it Sloppy Joe's lol. My boyfriend wanted to check out another bar called Captain Tony's which he had read about and was a block away. It turns out it is the original Sloppy Joe's, but much more rustic. There are bras and money all over the walls and ceiling, a very different, but still fun, atmosphere. There is a tree that the bar is built around (a huge tree that goes right through the roof) and turns out it is the original "hanging tree" of the island. Kinda creepy : ) It was a good place to get a beer.

 

On the way back after turning in the bikes I got a frozen key lime pie on a stick from Kermit's. YUM. My favorite dessert of the whole trip! Don't pass it up!

 

We were originally planning on putting our rum bottle in my beach bag and just seeing what would happen, if it worked, great, if not, no big deal. Then we realized that particular bottle had a wooden top and a cork, no metal cap. So, my boyfriend put the bottle in his shorts pocket and covered it with his shirt. Our friends had their vodka in their sports bottles. We got through onto the ship with no problem. (wink, wink)

 

Once back on, we took a dip in the adult only pool (we later dubbed this pool the "spring break area" as it was always filled with 20-somethings that drank a lot. They were actually not that bad, it was just crowded) to cool off and then relaxed on the deck. We always found chairs (yes, lots of chair hogs) just the really good areas fill up fast. Late afternoon you can usually snag a chair on the Serenity deck (my favorite).

 

We loved the late dinner seating. It gave us time to get ready, and we had fun meeting our friends for a pre-dinner drink. We chose a different spot each night and it was fun exploring to new rooms for that. Also, we asked Ines, our room steward, the night before for a corkscrew and she had left one in the room for us (we didn't feel like paying the $10 corking fee in the dining room). We had a bottle of wine with dinner for a few nights from the allowed wine we had, wish we could have brought more.

 

This night I had a seafood dish that was really good (shrimp, scallops, mussels in a lobster sauce) and the bitter & blanc for dessert which I loved. Our friend ordered the chocolate melting cake which he ended up ordering again another night he liked it so much. My boyfriend always tried the "Didja" appetizer (as in "Didja ever?" He likes to try new things), which was alligator fritters. I tried them and they were good.

 

We realized that we weren't used to all the food we were getting and almost every night felt like we were in food comas lol. We went to a magician show in the Ivanhoe Theater and it was just eh. Not that bad but I will admit I was falling asleep so we left and went to bed. (I think I was tired from all the sun, drinks and riding about 6 miles that day so I have an excuse for going to bed early! lol)

 

Tonight's towel animal:

[kellyrnh]

How many Formal dinners on a 6 day cruise please????

 

Can I take a case of water???

 

Thanks!

 

We had 2 formal nights. Our first day at sea (day after Key West), and the day of the Jamaica stop. You can definitely bring water, up to 12 20oz bottles I think per person. We brought on reusable cups (the double wall kind that have a straw built in) and filled them on the ship - the water was good :)

[kellyrnh]

Question about disembarking Valor -

 

Do you remember what time you were scheduled to arrive in port, and what approximate time they started allowing passengers off the ship? We are looking at flights, and the one around 11:00 am is substantially less $$' and would get us home earlier. We will do self assist (walk off with our luggage). Thanks for any advice!

 

We docked at 7:00 am I believe, and we did self-assist. They called our deck around 8:20, we were out of the port by 8:35 probably. With our experience, I don't think you'd have a problem, other than transportation to the airport. We didn't fly out until next day, but we had no problems catching a cab within 10 minutes of getting off the ship. Hope that helps!

[kellyrnh]

i know i may be jumping ahead here but my question is when u get off in Ocho Rios is there a place close by to catch taxis? as my group want to catch a taxi to go to Dunns River falls from where ever the boat docks

 

We had a private tour (I'll chat about that in a bit) but they gate off the port so only tour guides that have passengers can go in. Other taxis and tour guides hang outside the gate to offer rides to people.

 

I will jump ahead on my review and say this: my tour guide ended up having to grab another driver for us (I'll explain later) and ironically the other driver (since he didn't have a tour scheduled) was hanging around offering a ride to our friends (they were not going on our tour) who passed on his services and decided to walk to town first. They weren't sure to trust him or not, but he was AWESOME. So just because they are waiting outside yelling at you, doesn't mean that they won't necessarily do a good job. Definitely barter. :)

[jkzs]

We are sailing in May love reading the reviews!!

[pacarolinagirl]

Looking forward to the rest of your Valor review. We'll be sailing her in May. Can't wait! :)

[clackey]

We did this cruise 1/28-2/4. Had blast. Service was good, the staff friendly and the food was alright. The menus have changed and the quality isn't what it was, but the food was decent and I'm pretty picky when it comes to food.

 

As for ports, I wasn't a fan of Key West. If you like to shop or drink or shop and drink, then you will probably like it. Our snorkel tour was cancelled because of wind or I might like the port better.

 

Caymens is my DW's fav. Everything is expensive. I bought two beers at Rum Point and they were $13. Nativeway's Rays, Reef and Rum Point Tour was very good.

 

Ocho Rios was more than I expected. The vendors are pushy, but the country is gorgeous. Dunn's River Falls is dangerous as hell, but I had to climb it. If we go back I will have to do the river rafting.

 

This was our second cruise on the Valor and I would book her again. Nice ship.

[travelchic3]

Thanks for the review we are on the Valor in April, same itinerary but we go to Montego Bay Jamaica.

[cruzmax]

We docked at 7:00 am I believe, and we did self-assist. They called our deck around 8:20, we were out of the port by 8:35 probably. With our experience, I don't think you'd have a problem, other than transportation to the airport. We didn't fly out until next day, but we had no problems catching a cab within 10 minutes of getting off the ship. Hope that helps!

 

Thanks so much for your reply!! Enjoying your review - we will be onboard Valor next month - 4th time - Eastern Caribbean.

[violetsmile]

Getting off the ship for Key West was a breeze, no waits. The weather was perfect and we decided to find a place to rent bicycles for the day. We walked a ways - loved the scenery! I didn't realize Key West had such history and character. We ended up at A&M rentals and got beach cruisers for $10/day (another place was charging $18 so it was a great deal). They came with baskets on the front and locks. We rode to the bike path and to Smathers Beach and hung out there for a while. Then we continued along the beach and had some pretty strong winds working against us, otherwise it was an easy flat ride.

 

 

I just asked about renting bikes on the Key West board, but was discouraged due to accidents and the busy roads. What was your experience with this? Are there bike-only paths? I'm not a huge fan of riding in heavy traffic, but I've heard it's really not that congested in terms of car traffic.

[kellyrnh]

I just asked about renting bikes on the Key West board, but was discouraged due to accidents and the busy roads. What was your experience with this? Are there bike-only paths? I'm not a huge fan of riding in heavy traffic, but I've heard it's really not that congested in terms of car traffic.

 

There are bike paths. You can get maps from the rental place or any visitor center. We rode around pretty much the whole island, and one part was a little busy, but if you are mainly near the beach or side roads you should be fine. Otherwise, just pay attention to cars would be my suggestion. I would do it again in a second, it was the best way to explore Key West in my opinion. :)