Review: VALOR 10/27 - 11/3

[kshawks]

San Juan

Saturday landed about 30 min early

Met group at airport and headed to radisson hotel

Checked in...rested until about 545 then met the larger group at the marriott ...went to cafe angel...across the street from la concha ...delicious food...beef steak mofongo...amazing.

After dinner went to a sports bar down the street and had a few adult beverages...

Then off to bed around 12-1 am

Woke up the next morning got ready to board the ship ...left the hotel around 11 am...and made it to the port by 1130 or so...

We had faster to the fun....WORTH EVERY PENNY ...the coast guard was doing carbon monoxide testing in the engine room and customs was short a person so our embarkation was delayed ...they started letting us through security at about 1245 ...but we stood in line outside forever...at least 1 hour or more before we were able to get on the ship...once we boarded the ship we were directed to the Ivanhoe lounge as they were doing safety tests of systems in the ship...that took about another 45-60 minutes

If I remember correctly we got to our room unpacked everything, our luggage was already waiting for us...and we headed to the lido for lunch...About 3pm

Last year in long beach when we boarded the splendor it was more efficient in the boarding process ..when you boarded they took the picture inside the terminal instead of inside the ship as it is on the valor ...it took way too long to get the groups through the line...glad we paid for the faster to the fun

After lunch we roamed the ship and met up with a group of friends for more adult beverages...dinner was open seating so we met a few friends and went to dinner about 8pm...left and went to the muster drill at 930.

After the muster drill we just did more exploring and adult beverage drinking...

For those people wondering how easy it is to bring on a bottle of liquor ...it is. My bag was tagged but since it took so long for us to get on the gangway...somehow I lost it...didn't even realize it until we were in the room...shucks.

 

St Thomas

We met up with our friends at 8am on the lido for breakfast and grading to the taxi to goto secret harbor...it was 15pp round trip after some negotiations ...it was a beautiful beach...maybe 20 people there the whole day. ...crystal clear waters..great for floating and snorkeling..it was my first time trying to snorkel...I didn't do that well with it but it was fun what I did do

A couple people on the group rented a paddle board for a half hour ...I think it was $20 or $25 I don't remember what they said...the kids seemed to enjoy that..it was supposed to be for half hour but the lady who rented them didn't seem to mind it was longer ...we rented beach chairs for $10 for the day..which was a waste of money as we were in the water 90% of the time.

Sunscreen tip...bring 1 can for every couple of days you are at the beach...we covered ourselves 2 times and used the whole can...by the end of the day..and my face still got red

We stayed at the beach from about 915 - 2pm and our taxi driver was there waiting for us. We had talked about checking out the ice bar after the beach...but had a change of plans and just headed back to the pier are for shopping.

Time to board - holy cow it was a huge line ..took at least 20-30 min to get through...wish there was a priority lane for that

Went to the room for a shower and change of clothes before dinner.

First night at our table and we had the most fabulous dinner mates...it was fantastic...no food porn pics :(

After dinner we made our way to the theatre for the welcome aboard show...was disappointed in it...but maybe we missed the good part..after the show was guess what...more adult beverages :)

I did not do the cheers program since we had our own supply and I had $150 in obc...several people in our group did and they used it for sure :)

We had just started to leave the pier when we had to go back and pick up a pier runner...then we started to leave again and the pier runner was so drunk, so I heard, he was actually removed from the ship...bags escorted by security and then we left again..

 

Sea day

Woke up about 930 and headed to breakfast... Then off to the casino for slot pull with our group...we didn't win anything but it was a great time

Saw the end of the mixologist contest and watch the hairy chest contest...Hugo found a spicy grandma whose job was to smack the guys butt....but grandma was frisky and grabbed/pinched as well...Hugo loved it,..it was hilarious...shout out to the guy from Kansas who won!

After that it was a snack on lido then to the piano bar for the group cocktail party...it was very well organized and drinks were flowing ...I had 11 drinks in that hour...definitely got the money's worth

I had a wardrobe malfunction with the only pair of slacks I brought...next time I pack I will make sure the zipper is on the track :( I ended up improvising and wearing a polo untucked to hide the improvised fix :P

After dinner I had to go back to the room and change, though I must say I didn't see anyone in jeans, even the kids/teens were very well dressed

We went to the early show in the theatre and it was a great show...started a little slow but quickly picked up...the YMCA was by far the best...holy cow those guys are h a w t ;)

After the show it was time for the comedy show and adult beverages...John Austin Wesley was the comedian. Very funny.

We followed that up with the disco bar one small step...it was ok ...boring until the end but I was too tired to stay longer

 

Barbados

Woke up at 730 to get ready for our snorkeling with the sea turtles and shipwreck tour

We were picked up at around 9 am and taken to the catamaran...the tour we selected was $60 pp for 3 hours...

The first stop was the sea turtles...if you remember I didn't do that great the other day...but I tried it and did better but trying to breathe out of my mouth was just difficult and I kept trying to go through my nose and mouth...oh well. More practice and I'm sure i would get better. The second stop was the ship wreck, which a friend and I just floated for awhile and my other friend took the camera for pictures

I have a Nikon 3100 ..not an underwater so I purchased I Dipack waterproof case for it...this camera is just too small for those cases and it was hard to take pictures and as you see it didn't focus very well...plus I couldn't see what I was taking a picture of ...next time I'm buying a stupid underwater camera like I wanted to in the first place :) lol

After the snorkeling we sailed to another harbor where we were dropped off taken up to the taxi and then taken back to the port...overall it was a fantastic excursion... Sheldon was the captain and he was assisted by Shawn and Erick ...funny guys..,beer and rum punch galore

Back on the ship for a quick bit to eat and relax before sail away and dinner.

After dinner we headed to the theatre and saw the show. It was the magician who was flown in for 1 night only.....amazing

After the show we went to the deck party and just hung out.

 

St Lucia

We woke up and headed to the Lido for breakfast and met the group for Tree Top Adventure zip line. It was $59 for the excursion and worth every penny. I'm not a fan of heights, and almost backed out when we were putting on the gear...but I'm glad I didn't. There are 20 platforms and I think 13 lines...it took just about 2 hours to get through it all with our group. I didn't get to take my camera on the lines with me since it didn't have a strap. The guys took a couple of our cameras and did pictures/videos of/for us...these guys were great...I might be a tiny bit on the fluffy side and never felt uncomfortable or unsafe at any point in time.

The ride to and from the zip line was C R A Z Y...there are hairpin turns and it seems like you were going 100mph ...it was scarier than the actual zip line lol

Once we got back we went to the ship for a bit to eat, then back off to get a bit of shopping in.

We needed to rest and do a load of laundry once we got back on. $3 to wash and it takes 27 minutes.

We headed to dinner, the casino, the disco club and then off to bed.

St Kitts

We went to the dinning room for breakfast for the first time this morning...wow it was good. Slow service and our waitress was not that great, but we we're not on a time crunch so it was ok.

After breakfast we all met outside and headed to the shopping area. When we got there we got stopped by the taxi dispatcher and ended up doing a 2.5 to 3 hour tour for $20 pp...it was ok...towards the end we were done and just ready to get back on the ship.

Right when we got back to the pier area it started to pour...we did a little bit of shopping and got her golf cart guy to take us back to the ship.

We headed back to the lido deck for a late lunch, then back to the room for a rest. I ended up falling asleep until about 645..so I missed dinner, which was ok since it was elegant night and I didn't want to deal with the broken pants again.

I met up with our dinner guests after dinner for the show, casino, comedy show and people watching.

 

St Maarten

We woke up and headed to the lido deck for breakfast and then went off the ship for a taxi to orient beach. It was only 15 min before it was a downpour that lasted about and hour. After the rain stopped I swam and just hung out in the chair. If you go there ask for mad max...he gives you a chair/umbrella/and a drink for only $8...warning the food is pretty expensive...about $14 for burger and fries...we didn't eat

It was about 1 or 2 and we decided to take a taxi to maho beach...we didn't realize it was going to be about 45-50 min depending on traffic...so we decided to go to downtown, however the idiot taxi driver didn't know where this pastry shop we wanted to go was so we ended up just going to the ship.

 

San Juan

A complete cluster getting off the ship. People just congregated around the ship blocking hallways/doors...it was so frustrating. The lido line was horrible around 830...by the time I got off the ship the customs lines where the entire length of the building and they had to stop debarkation so they could control the lines inside...my luggage was in zone 9 instead of 1 and it took about 20 minutes fighting through the zones to locate it...my best friends luggage was over in like zone 22 or something...it took him like 15 minutes to find his...it was just unorganized and delay after delay.

I would still get faster to the fun next time, however, I plan I calling carnival and discussing our issues

 

I fly out tomorrow...definitely need an extra day after the cruise to relax.

 

I will get pictures Tuesday when I get back home.

[kcwingwalker]

San Juan

Saturday landed about 30 min early

Met group at airport and headed to radisson hotel

Checked in...rested until about 545 then met the larger group at the marriott ...went to cafe angel...across the street from la concha ...delicious food...beef steak mofongo...amazing.

After dinner went to a sports bar down the street and had a few adult beverages...

Then off to bed around 12-1 am

Woke up the next morning got ready to board the ship ...left the hotel around 11 am...and made it to the port by 1130 or so...

We had faster to the fun....WORTH EVERY PENNY ...the coast guard was doing carbon monoxide testing in the engine room and customs was short a person so our embarkation was delayed ...they started letting us through security at about 1245 ...but we stood in line outside forever...at least 1 hour or more before we were able to get on the ship...once we boarded the ship we were directed to the Ivanhoe lounge as they were doing safety tests of systems in the ship...that took about another 45-60 minutes

If I remember correctly we got to our room unpacked everything, our luggage was already waiting for us...and we headed to the lido for lunch...About 3pm

Last year in long beach when we boarded the splendor it was more efficient in the boarding process ..when you boarded they took the picture inside the terminal instead of inside the ship as it is on the valor ...it took way too long to get the groups through the line...glad we paid for the faster to the fun

After lunch we roamed the ship and met up with a group of friends for more adult beverages...dinner was open seating so we met a few friends and went to dinner about 8pm...left and went to the muster drill at 930.

After the muster drill we just did more exploring and adult beverage drinking...

For those people wondering how easy it is to bring on a bottle of liquor ...it is. My bag was tagged but since it took so long for us to get on the gangway...somehow I lost it...didn't even realize it until we were in the room...shucks.

 

St Thomas

We met up with our friends at 8am on the lido for breakfast and grading to the taxi to goto secret harbor...it was 15pp round trip after some negotiations ...it was a beautiful beach...maybe 20 people there the whole day. ...crystal clear waters..great for floating and snorkeling..it was my first time trying to snorkel...I didn't do that well with it but it was fun what I did do

A couple people on the group rented a paddle board for a half hour ...I think it was $20 or $25 I don't remember what they said...the kids seemed to enjoy that..it was supposed to be for half hour but the lady who rented them didn't seem to mind it was longer ...we rented beach chairs for $10 for the day..which was a waste of money as we were in the water 90% of the time.

Sunscreen tip...bring 1 can for every couple of days you are at the beach...we covered ourselves 2 times and used the whole can...by the end of the day..and my face still got red

We stayed at the beach from about 915 - 2pm and our taxi driver was there waiting for us. We had talked about checking out the ice bar after the beach...but had a change of plans and just headed back to the pier are for shopping.

Time to board - holy cow it was a huge line ..took at least 20-30 min to get through...wish there was a priority lane for that

Went to the room for a shower and change of clothes before dinner.

First night at our table and we had the most fabulous dinner mates...it was fantastic...no food porn pics :(

After dinner we made our way to the theatre for the welcome aboard show...was disappointed in it...but maybe we missed the good part..after the show was guess what...more adult beverages :)

I did not do the cheers program since we had our own supply and I had $150 in obc...several people in our group did and they used it for sure :)

We had just started to leave the pier when we had to go back and pick up a pier runner...then we started to leave again and the pier runner was so drunk, so I heard, he was actually removed from the ship...bags escorted by security and then we left again..

 

Sea day

Woke up about 930 and headed to breakfast... Then off to the casino for slot pull with our group...we didn't win anything but it was a great time

Saw the end of the mixologist contest and watch the hairy chest contest...Hugo found a spicy grandma whose job was to smack the guys butt....but grandma was frisky and grabbed/pinched as well...Hugo loved it,..it was hilarious...shout out to the guy from Kansas who won!

After that it was a snack on lido then to the piano bar for the group cocktail party...it was very well organized and drinks were flowing ...I had 11 drinks in that hour...definitely got the money's worth

I had a wardrobe malfunction with the only pair of slacks I brought...next time I pack I will make sure the zipper is on the track :( I ended up improvising and wearing a polo untucked to hide the improvised fix :P

After dinner I had to go back to the room and change, though I must say I didn't see anyone in jeans, even the kids/teens were very well dressed

We went to the early show in the theatre and it was a great show...started a little slow but quickly picked up...the YMCA was by far the best...holy cow those guys are h a w t ;)

After the show it was time for the comedy show and adult beverages...John Austin Wesley was the comedian. Very funny.

We followed that up with the disco bar one small step...it was ok ...boring until the end but I was too tired to stay longer

 

Barbados

Woke up at 730 to get ready for our snorkeling with the sea turtles and shipwreck tour

We were picked up at around 9 am and taken to the catamaran...the tour we selected was $60 pp for 3 hours...

The first stop was the sea turtles...if you remember I didn't do that great the other day...but I tried it and did better but trying to breathe out of my mouth was just difficult and I kept trying to go through my nose and mouth...oh well. More practice and I'm sure i would get better. The second stop was the ship wreck, which a friend and I just floated for awhile and my other friend took the camera for pictures

I have a Nikon 3100 ..not an underwater so I purchased I Dipack waterproof case for it...this camera is just too small for those cases and it was hard to take pictures and as you see it didn't focus very well...plus I couldn't see what I was taking a picture of ...next time I'm buying a stupid underwater camera like I wanted to in the first place :) lol

After the snorkeling we sailed to another harbor where we were dropped off taken up to the taxi and then taken back to the port...overall it was a fantastic excursion... Sheldon was the captain and he was assisted by Shawn and Erick ...funny guys..,beer and rum punch galore

Back on the ship for a quick bit to eat and relax before sail away and dinner.

After dinner we headed to the theatre and saw the show. It was the magician who was flown in for 1 night only.....amazing

After the show we went to the deck party and just hung out.

 

St Lucia

We woke up and headed to the Lido for breakfast and met the group for Tree Top Adventure zip line. It was $59 for the excursion and worth every penny. I'm not a fan of heights, and almost backed out when we were putting on the gear...but I'm glad I didn't. There are 20 platforms and I think 13 lines...it took just about 2 hours to get through it all with our group. I didn't get to take my camera on the lines with me since it didn't have a strap. The guys took a couple of our cameras and did pictures/videos of/for us...these guys were great...I might be a tiny bit on the fluffy side and never felt uncomfortable or unsafe at any point in time.

The ride to and from the zip line was C R A Z Y...there are hairpin turns and it seems like you were going 100mph ...it was scarier than the actual zip line lol

Once we got back we went to the ship for a bit to eat, then back off to get a bit of shopping in.

We needed to rest and do a load of laundry once we got back on. $3 to wash and it takes 27 minutes.

We headed to dinner, the casino, the disco club and then off to bed.

St Kitts

We went to the dinning room for breakfast for the first time this morning...wow it was good. Slow service and our waitress was not that great, but we we're not on a time crunch so it was ok.

After breakfast we all met outside and headed to the shopping area. When we got there we got stopped by the taxi dispatcher and ended up doing a 2.5 to 3 hour tour for $20 pp...it was ok...towards the end we were done and just ready to get back on the ship.

Right when we got back to the pier area it started to pour...we did a little bit of shopping and got her golf cart guy to take us back to the ship.

We headed back to the lido deck for a late lunch, then back to the room for a rest. I ended up falling asleep until about 645..so I missed dinner, which was ok since it was elegant night and I didn't want to deal with the broken pants again.

I met up with our dinner guests after dinner for the show, casino, comedy show and people watching.

 

St Maarten

We woke up and headed to the lido deck for breakfast and then went off the ship for a taxi to orient beach. It was only 15 min before it was a downpour that lasted about and hour. After the rain stopped I swam and just hung out in the chair. If you go there ask for mad max...he gives you a chair/umbrella/and a drink for only $8...warning the food is pretty expensive...about $14 for burger and fries...we didn't eat

It was about 1 or 2 and we decided to take a taxi to maho beach...we didn't realize it was going to be about 45-50 min depending on traffic...so we decided to go to downtown, however the idiot taxi driver didn't know where this pastry shop we wanted to go was so we ended up just going to the ship.

 

San Juan

A complete cluster getting off the ship. People just congregated around the ship blocking hallways/doors...it was so frustrating. The lido line was horrible around 830...by the time I got off the ship the customs lines where the entire length of the building and they had to stop debarkation so they could control the lines inside...my luggage was in zone 9 instead of 1 and it took about 20 minutes fighting through the zones to locate it...my best friends luggage was over in like zone 22 or something...it took him like 15 minutes to find his...it was just unorganized and delay after delay.

I would still get faster to the fun next time, however, I plan I calling carnival and discussing our issues

 

I fly out tomorrow...definitely need an extra day after the cruise to relax.

 

I will get pictures Tuesday when I get back home.

 

Sorry you some issues with lines and waiting, nice that you have a day to rest up!

[kshawks]

It was a great time and met some really great friends that I hope we can cruise again with!

[hockeyluver]

Thanks for the review :) Never heard of the Secret Harbour, guess thats why its a secret :p going to have to look into it.

 

We also did the Treetop Zipline the last time we were in St.Lucia and loved it, checked that off the bucketlist!

 

Looking forward to seeing your pictures!!

[kshawks]

..oh and you can not get future cruise vouchers on the valor...

[kshawks]

Thanks for the review :) Never heard of the Secret Harbour, guess thats why its a secret :p going to have to look into it.

 

We also did the Treetop Zipline the last time we were in St.Lucia and loved it, checked that off the bucketlist!

 

Looking forward to seeing your pictures!!

 

Secret harbour was gorgeous...so quiet...perfect time!

[ia1hks44]

Secret harbour was gorgeous...so quiet...perfect time!

 

We used Aqua Action divers out of Secret Harbor when we were in St. Thomas on the Liberty in October. It was a beautiful location - agreed! The dive shop was awesome. It was just my family and we were able to scuba dive (for my husband whose a diver) and then me and the kids snorkeled. We went to two places. They had water, fresh pineapple and pretzels on the boat. We enjoyed the resort after our dive/snorkel as my son started his scuba certification since he had such a great experience snorkeling. Highly recomended! Here is the website http://www.aadivers.com/

[kshawks]

We used Aqua Action divers out of Secret Harbor when we were in St. Thomas on the Liberty in October. It was a beautiful location - agreed! The dive shop was awesome. It was just my family and we were able to scuba dive (for my husband whose a diver) and then me and the kids snorkeled. We went to two places. They had water, fresh pineapple and pretzels on the boat. We enjoyed the resort after our dive/snorkel as my son started his scuba certification since he had such a great experience snorkeling. Highly recomended! Here is the website http://www.aadivers.com/

 

Thank you for that link...I'm not home yet so I haven't been able to reference things...great place!