VALOR REVIEW- August 15-22, 2015

[You Me & the Sea]

WARNING: THIS IS A LONG REVIEW. If you don’t like long reviews, please skip instead of posting negative comments. I will attempt to touch on most of the subjects I was interested in and researched on CC prior to this cruise. (hotels, parking, smoking, noise, food, ports, cleanliness) *Note- I asked the mods to remove the start of the review I posted in another thread as I do not have the time nor inclination to deal with negativity. And there was just too many mean, rude and snarky comments about what I (and other posters) should or shouldn't do...which resulted in a lot of meanness towards others who posted replies. So here's my review...in full.

Valor: August 15-22, 2015. Nassau, St Thomas, San Juan & Grand Turk

 

PRE-CRUISE:

On this cruise were me, DH, son (29), his GF (24), DDs (24, 21 & 13), MIL (69) and her sister, Auntie B (62). We all arrived a day early from Maryland, N. Carolina and Indiana. It was a coordinated effort, but the day in advance was well worth it as we were able to relax and really get into vacation mode before boarding. It also allowed us the time to run to Wal-mart and pick up some last minute items and sodas.

 

This was the first cruise for my son, his GF and Auntie B. There was more than just a vacation planned for this cruise, it was originally scheduled as a way to say a final goodbye to my mom who passed away on 8/16/11 by scattering her ashes at sea. But I couldn't bring myself to do so, so instead it was a commemorative cruise where we just had a brief remembrance ceremony on the anniversary.

 

DH, our DDs and I left NC at 4 am on Friday, 8/14. We stopped at Waffle House for breakfast around 8 am and arrived in Port Canaveral around 1 pm. Check-in at the Residence Inn Cape Canaveral was a breeze! We had a 2 room suite with 2 bathrooms (essential for a group that included 5 women sharing a suite) and a studio room for DS/GF. Auntie B flew in from IN so we picked her up at Orlando airport around 5:30 pm. DS and his GF, Britt drove down from MD and arrived around 6. We were all there!! Time to get this vacation started!!

Walmart was about 5 miles from our hotel so we drove there and picked up severalf 24 pack cases of sodas for the cruise. We’re Pepsi lovers. There are multiple fast food options within walking distance of the hotel (they share the parking lot with Burger King) as well as one of those beach souvenir stores so we grabbed a bite for dinner, had drinks on the patio and just relaxed.

PARKING OUR CARS- We opted to use Park Port Canaveral to park since we had 3 cars and 9 people. We prepaid so it was $4.95 per day per car ($42.16) which included free shuttle to and from the port 5 minutes away. It was cheaper than using the hotels parking ($6.00 per day plus $6.00 per person for the shuttle). Park Port Canaveral is 4 blocks from the hotel. We drove there Sat morning, parked and hopped on the shuttle. We had no concerns with leaving our car there as it appeared to be a very secure lot and they had a lot of positive reviews. Shuttle dropped us right at the entrance.

EMBARKATION: We arrived at the port around 11 am and the “regular” line was already very, very long. DH and I were in a suite, all others had FTTF, so priority boarding for all. The priority line had about 30 people and we were inside the port in no time. DH and I were escorted to a different room to check-in and receive our S&S cards than the others, but we ALL ended up sitting in the same section as Platinum and Diamond members. However, they did call for Plats and Diamonds to board before all others (except of course, the 3 wedding parties that were boarding . The ship cleared customs late because someone on board pulled the fire alarm as they were docking, so that delayed our boarding time.

ACCOMMODATIONS: 1 suite, 1 balcony, 1 inside and 1 4J (obstructed OV)- all rooms were suitable for our needs and kept exceptionally clean by our room stewards. Special shout out to Noel, our steward. He was great! He was never intrusive, but seemed to know when we were out of the room and was in and out in no time. I love decorating the towel animals so instead of taking them, each night he just added to my collection. I think he got a kick out of it too.

We spent a lot of time on our balconies and never smelled smoke until the very last night. I guess they figured no one would care or that nothing that could be done on the last day. Didn’t bother me either way. However, the cabin 2 doors down blasted their music 2 nights in a row. This was not just some music playing a little loud, this was at full volume! I guess one of their neighbors complained eventually because after the 2nd night, we never heard their music again. Music from the Lido deck parties could be heard IN THE 7th floor CABINS (we had cabins 7329, 7405, 7399 & 6202). Again, minor irritation, but nothing my headphones couldn’t drown out. DS and his GF are partiers so they were on the Lido enjoying the noise! LOL My TV was one of the flat screens which was supposed to be the newer TV’s, but it kept going off and coming back on. I like to watch TV (yes, even on a cruise) so called Maintenance 3 times. First time they came and replaced a cable. Problem still occurred. Not once in a while, but this TV would cut off and back on like 5 or 6 times in one hour. After the 3rd time maintenance had to come I could tell he was irritated. He says, “you’re on a cruise…TV is not important”. Excuse me! Shouldn’t that be MY call. Found out later in the week that the TV in my son’s cabin was doing the same thing, so I don’t know if it’s the TV’s or something in the ship’s circuitry. Just FYI.

I decorated my cabin door for this cruise as I have done on each prior cruise. Several of my door decorations were ripped, stolen and destroyed by several guests…2 of them pictured below. According to security, the cabin door is public space and you are not to leave anything in public spaces. If you do so, you cannot complain about said items being damaged/stolen. I don’t understand or agree with this since when you buy the “ROOM” decoration packages from Carnival, they also decorated the OUTSIDE of your door. This is MY OPINION, not a fact, so I won’t go any further into this matter or debate it.

FOOD/SERVICE:

MDR- food B-, service A+- We had the BEST wait team. Joseph from India, Ratna and Vinay. They addressed us all by name. No easy task when we switched seats almost every night. They remembered our favorites and were engaging, attentive and interactive. The food selection needs improvement. The fried chicken was awful. The salmon was not seasoned at all and was virtually tasteless. However, the red meat eaters in our group all said their meat selections were great each night. Almost made me want to go back to the cow! The crab cake appetizers were really good, as was the grilled chicken breast. The lobster tail was so small Joseph brought my son 2 without him even asking. Though small, he said it was good. I was really looking forward to the warm chocolate melting cake, but it was a big disappointment. The best dessert was the crème Brulee, but that is only offered one day. Several of us skipped dessert the last 3 days because it was such a disappointment. You can pay for meat upgrades in the MDR for $20. None of us ever did. We also did not eat at the steakhouse.

LIDO- Pizza was OK. I didn’t see what all the raving was about. IMO, Marco’s and even Papa John’s pizza is better than the on-board pizza. Fish and Chips was greasy and my hubby couldn’t get it down. My MIL and her sister tried it the next day and felt the same way. Burrito bar was really, really good. I wished they were open longer hours as we missed them most days due to port activities. The deli was also really good, especially the tuna. Room service: I ordered for the first time near the end of the cruise. Ordered the chicken fajita wrap and fell in love with it. Wish I had discovered it sooner, as I’d have ordered it more often than trying to eat at the Lido buffet. Room service delivery took about 45 minutes which wasn’t bad IMO. Now, the buffet….mediocre. I understand they are putting out food for thousands, but it was not appetizing at all. We were approached once on the Lido and asked if we needed beverages/anything.

BAR SERVICE- Ordered a daiquiri at the pool bar and wondered if it was a virgin daiquiri. Tasted nothing but ice and strawberries. Ordered same thing in the comedy club and could barely stand straight after 2 drinks! 24 y/o DD fell in love with the Dark & Stormy drink. She said each one was better than the last…and she’s not a real drinker! DH ordered Hennessy and Coke and said they were adequate.

CASINO- Day one, DH sat down at a slot machine and after 3 spins hit for $210. I on the other hand lost $80 on the BJ table and about $100 in the machines. This was par for the course for the entire week. He won while I lost. But we enjoyed ourselves. The smoke in the casino is really noticeable and strong. DH smokes cigars so it didn’t bother him, but I’m a non-smoker so it really stood out to me. I could only stay in there about 30 to 45 minutes at a time before I had to bail. My clothes smelled of smoke as well.

ELEVATORS: We (cabin 7329) heard the distinct dinging of the elevators VERY clearly day and night. It didn’t bother us, but just want to point that out if you’re trying to decide on room location and that kind of thing bothers you. There were a few times we got into the elevators and people had dropped food (a whole plate of cantaloupe once) and just left it there. I mean, come on people, that’s just downright trifling. There were also more than a few times we got on after someone had pushed all the buttons.

KIDS: We booked this cruise close to the first day of school on the East coast with hopes that there would be less children. There didn’t seem to be a lot of children, but the ones that were on board did run amuck and made for a less than pleasant experience on a couple of days.

CREW FRIENDLINESS: has declined since we last cruised. DH and I both noticed that the smiles and greetings in the hallways were almost non-existent. There were several who did make and effort to greet you as you passed in the hall, but they were few and far between. I read this in many reviews prior to sailing and sadly have to agree. The crew demeanor and morale seems to have taken a beaten. Other than those we interacted with on a daily basis (room steward, dining staff, casino) there was not an air of friendliness overall. Even the Guest Services staff seemed overwhelmed and not particularly friendly. Our steward not only greeted us each time, he asked the names of our kids in the other cabins and greeted them all by name each time he saw them. Our youngest thought that was the coolest thing.

ART AUCTION: 24 y/o and I attended and had fun until we heard how the Auction Director, Dewald, was speaking to his staff. He was very rude and demeaning to them. Once example: Halfway thru he does another raffle and half the audience has left. So he’s calling number after number and no response. He turns one of the ladies standing next to him and meanly says ,”This is what happens when you don’t do your jobs!”. I mean, what was she supposed to do, tie people to their chairs? Whether or not she was doing her job, she should not have been addressed like that and embarrassed in front of passengers. The look on her face after that was just sadness. Felt very bad for her and the guy hustling to bring the paintings up, as he spoke very nastily to him as well. Didn't buy anything as most was way overpriced.

ELEGANT NIGHT: We all dressed up. DH in a full suit and tie. DS in a shirt and tie. Ankle length dress for me and MIL. Cocktail dresses for the girls. We didn’t feel over or under dressed. There were polo shirts, shirts with no ties, khaki’s. The range of outfits was as varied as the passengers. So whether you want to dress to the nines or you want to wear a polo you’ll fit in on elegant night. Did not see any tuxedo’s or ball gown type dresses. By the way, this is the night they serve lobster.

FTTF: Read on CC many opinions on how/why it isn’t worth the money. For us, it was!! I can’t tell you how many times we went to guest services and the regular line was down the hall, but there were at the most 3 people in the priority line. Got quite a few irritated looks as we were helped ahead of others, but hey we paid for the perk! So yes, for a group of nine with varying issues from S&S cards being demagnetized, a lost cell phone, dispute on bill, etc., it was VERY worth it! Especially on the last day…the line was back past the Ivanhoe theatre, and there was ONE PERSON in the priority line. Until we reach Diamond/Platinum level, we’ll continue to purchase it.

DEBARKATION: Was a breeze. Some of us did self-assist, others put our luggage out the night before. We were off the ship by 9 am and Park Port Canaveral was there waiting for us. 5 minute ride back to our cars (Aunt B took the Carnival shuttle to the airport) and we were on the road. Arrived in NC around 6 pm (DS/GF arrived in MD around 10 pm). We’re all still remembering the fun, posting our pics on FB (sorry, can’t figure out how to post them all on here other than thumbnails) and looking forward to our next cruise!!

 

PORTS:

Nassau- did the horse and buggy tour. Guy started at $15 pp, then $12, then $10. I knew from CC not to pay more than $10 pp and that's about what it was worth. It was just OK. Went to straw market and bought a few things.

 

St Thomas- did the Sunny Liston tour that included shopping, sightseeing and beach time. Did not disappoint. Paid $40 each. Sightseeing and shopping first. Then he dropped us at Sapphire Beach. Came back and got us and (this was not included) dropped us at another beach 5 minutes from port because some in our group wanted more beach time. He said this beach would be better late in the day due to traffic. He offered to come back for us after he picked up/dropped off another group. We were skeptical we see him again as we'd already paid and as stated, this was not part of the package. He was right where he said he'd be at 5:00 pm. We tipped him well! Highly recommended. Mountaintop- items are overpriced.

San Juan- took the free trolley and toured Fort Castillo, then walked Old SJ. Had my first mofongo...the chicken was delicious!! Shopped and took trolley back to ship.

 

Grand Turk- did the ATV excursion thru Carnival only because I couldn't contact the tour operators prior to cruising. I don't usually go thru the ship and have never had a problem. But the tour was loads of fun and very informative. Had about 20 minutes beach time and also were shown some local island "resident" (starfish, jellyfish, live conch, live baby conch, etc). I'd do it again. We also spent about an hour on the beach at the pier. Clear water, but VERY VERY rocky and LOTS of seaweed. You will need swim shoes...the rocks HURT!

I am still trying to figure out how to add photos in a format that's not a thumbnail. Any help is appreciated. If I figure it out I'll add them later this evening or tomorrow. I have a lot of photos I'd like to share.

This review is written from my and my family's point of view. YMMV and that's OK. Opinions stated herein are just that...OPINIONS. Questions? Ask and I’ll answer! Thanks for reading.

[ladygal4.4]

Personally, I like long reviews...I just get tired when it takes people 3 months to get from embarkation to debarkation...for a 5 day cruise

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jazm2011]

Nice job on the review, and I'm sorry about what happened on the original thread, sheesh.

[crewsweeper]

Thanks for coming back and doing your review.:)

 

For photos in the past, I've downloaded them to PhotoBucket where there's a copy paste drop down box that has several choices. I usually copy the url and then open the little picture postcard in the tool bar for the CC post and paste the url there. In Photobucket there's a button to resize your pics so they aren't huge but not thumbnails either. I'm sure there are other ways to post. Hopefully someone can provide tips from other picture hosting sites.

 

Look forward to seeing them as we're on the Valor in January.

[manmtnmike]

Thanks for the concise review!

I'll be on the Valor Oct 3. Just wondering who the dance band was.

 

Could you check the \FUN TIMES and let us know? If my research is right ;) it is BEST SELLERS...Thanks much!

 

Mike

[Goplayball]

Did you book Sonny Liston tour online? We did it several years ago and enjoyed it. Thanks for your review.

[42rob22]

Mulligan review notwithstanding, I was on the Valor the week prior. I have to agree about the fish at the fish and chips. Much too greasy and way too much batter. It was like eating a piece of fish wrapped in grease soaked corn bread. I didn't try the fried oysters, but did have the ceviche, which was very tasty. Last weekend I was forced to order the fish and chips at Appleby's and thought it was much better than what I had on the Valor.

 

On the other hand, I thought the pizza was very good, but the poor guys working there were terribly overworked. Right before and right after the lido buffet closed, you were guaranteed a 20+ minute wait per every two slices. The more overwhelmed the pizza guys were, the more likely the pizza you were getting was under cooked. One evening when things were slow, DW and I were able to get some four cheese slices that were excellent. I still miss the goat cheese pizza though.:(

[emmak8]

Thank you for posting your review.

[Trish12345]

Thank you for taking the time to post a review. We step on the Valor for the 3rd time for our Halloween cruise. I am a door decorator so I understand your pain.

[You Me & the Sea]

Thanks for the concise review!

I'll be on the Valor Oct 3. Just wondering who the dance band was.

 

Could you check the \FUN TIMES and let us know? If my research is right ;) it is BEST SELLERS...Thanks much!

 

Mike

 

Mike, in the fun times under 'Get Your Groove On' it lists:

Dancing with Indi Duo

The Electric Lunchables (music variety changed each night)

Latin Fiesta with Latin Sugar

Live Music with Music Society

 

I have the entire weeks Fun Times and don't see Best Sellers anywhere. Maybe that will change by Oct. Enjoy your cruise!

[You Me & the Sea]

Did you book Sonny Liston tour online? We did it several years ago and enjoyed it. Thanks for your review.

 

Yes, booked directly with him. This was our second time using him. He now requires a $10 deposit per person in order to book, which he didn't years ago. Probably due to a lot of no-shows. He sends a receipt right away and a confirmation number. And if your ship skips the port for any reason he will issue a full refund.

[You Me & the Sea]

Nice job on the review, and I'm sorry about what happened on the original thread, sheesh.

 

Thank you!

[You Me & the Sea]

Thanks for coming back and doing your review.:)

 

For photos in the past, I've downloaded them to PhotoBucket where there's a copy paste drop down box that has several choices. I usually copy the url and then open the little picture postcard in the tool bar for the CC post and paste the url there. In Photobucket there's a button to resize your pics so they aren't huge but not thumbnails either. I'm sure there are other ways to post. Hopefully someone can provide tips from other picture hosting sites.

 

Look forward to seeing them as we're on the Valor in January.

 

You're welcome and thanks so much! I will try that. May have to enlist the 13 yr old to help...she'll probably have them uploaded, resized and posted in record time.:)

[simplelife]

Thank for your review. We are cruising on Valor in May and I like getting all the information I can

[mzlinda]

I saw your original post earlier today, then couldn't find it anywhere when I logged back in this evening. [emoji3]Sounds like you ruffled some feathers.

 

I really appreciate people sharing what they felt was good and bad about their cruise. Even if I don't agree with someone's criticism, at least hearing about it helps me set realistic expectations. So thank you!!

 

I do have a question about the Grand Turk ATV excursion. How long was the excursion and how much of that was beach time? I'm confused because you said you had about 20 minutes at the beach AND you spent an hour at the beach near the pier. So is that where they dropped you off at the end of the excursion and then you walked back to the ship? And did you wear bathing suits under your clothes or bring a small backpack and change into bathing suits? I'm going to Grand Turk in November and I'm trying to pick an excursion. Generally, I don't like to pay excursion prices to be at a beach unless it was just a minor part of the excursion. Thanks in advance for any additional details you can provide about this excursion.

[LUVMYGSDOG]

Thank you for coming back and writing the review! Enjoyed reading it.

 

 

Kim

[manmtnmike]

mike, in the fun times under 'get your groove on' it lists:

Dancing with indi duo

the electric lunchables (music variety changed each night)

latin fiesta with latin sugar

live music with music society

 

i have the entire weeks fun times and don't see best sellers anywhere. Maybe that will change by oct. Enjoy your cruise!

 

thanks !!!!:)

[Drazil65]

Thank you for review, cannot wait to see recent pix. We sail on Jan 2nd in OS on Empress deck so it is good to see a variety of comments on several cabin types.

 

We loved the Liberty when we sailed her last New Years and are hoping the Valor is similar although we know that she is going in dry dock after we sail. We are still looking forward to sailing this ship.

[Drazil65]

MZlinda: if you do not want to pay for an excursion and want good beach time just walk down to Jacks Shack from the ship, great beach, can get a couple of chairs and umbrella for $10, beautiful sand, clear blue water, etc...we were there last week on the Fantasy and it was just perfect for a beach day (DH and DS had own snorkel gear). We bought a couple of drinks at Jacks so with the chairs and drinks the price was not nearly what an excursion would cost. Just a thought...

Edited August 26, 2015 by Drazil65

[You Me & the Sea]

I saw your original post earlier today, then couldn't find it anywhere when I logged back in this evening. [emoji3]Sounds like you ruffled some feathers.

 

I really appreciate people sharing what they felt was good and bad about their cruise. Even if I don't agree with someone's criticism, at least hearing about it helps me set realistic expectations. So thank you!!

 

I do have a question about the Grand Turk ATV excursion. How long was the excursion and how much of that was beach time? I'm confused because you said you had about 20 minutes at the beach AND you spent an hour at the beach near the pier. So is that where they dropped you off at the end of the excursion and then you walked back to the ship? And did you wear bathing suits under your clothes or bring a small backpack and change into bathing suits? I'm going to Grand Turk in November and I'm trying to pick an excursion. Generally, I don't like to pay excursion prices to be at a beach unless it was just a minor part of the excursion. Thanks in advance for any additional details you can provide about this excursion.

 

Hey, yes I definitely ruffled some feathers. LOL The excursion was 2 hours in length. We booked the 2pm time since the earlier one was sold out. Since we docked around noon we walked to the beach at the pier and spent an hour there before the excursion. Didn't know we'd be going to the beach on the tour, so we wanted to get that in in case we didn't have time when we returned (which we didn't.) During the tour we were allowed about 20 minutes at a different small beach where the water was so calm, less rocky and very clear. My son and his GF wore their swimsuits under their clothes as did some others on the tour. I didn't but had on shorts so went in up to my knees. :) There is nowhere to change at this beach stop. Its just water and a few trees. No amenities. Hope this helps!

[You Me & the Sea]

Mulligan review notwithstanding, I was on the Valor the week prior. I have to agree about the fish at the fish and chips. Much too greasy and way too much batter. It was like eating a piece of fish wrapped in grease soaked corn bread. I didn't try the fried oysters, but did have the ceviche, which was very tasty. Last weekend I was forced to order the fish and chips at Appleby's and thought it was much better than what I had on the Valor.

 

On the other hand, I thought the pizza was very good, but the poor guys working there were terribly overworked. Right before and right after the lido buffet closed, you were guaranteed a 20+ minute wait per every two slices. The more overwhelmed the pizza guys were, the more likely the pizza you were getting was under cooked. One evening when things were slow, DW and I were able to get some four cheese slices that were excellent. I still miss the goat cheese pizza though.:(

 

Ahh, yes we noticed how overworked the poor pizza guys were. Maybe that's why our pizzas were not cooked properly and unappetizing. I did wait about 15 minutes for 2 slices. :eek: They really need a better system given the number of people on board.

[You Me & the Sea]

Thank you for posting your review.

 

My pleasure. Thanks for reading.:)

[You Me & the Sea]

Thank you for taking the time to post a review. We step on the Valor for the 3rd time for our Halloween cruise. I am a door decorator so I understand your pain.

 

You're quite welcome!:) I love looking at the Halloween door decorations. They are usually very creative!

[mzlinda]

Thanks for answering my grand turk questions. I think I'll sign up for that excursion.

[Goplayball]

When I look online for parking, it states $5.95. Where did you find it $4.95? I checked http://www.parkportcanaveral.com THANKS!