Just off Valor. Great cruise! Anybody have a question?

[ScottJames]

I was pleasantly surprised by seeing how wrong I felt a lot of the complaints were. Anyone need a question answered?

[KPfromCT]

Welcome back!

Glad to hear you had a great time!

We are looking at Valor for July, an 8 night Eastern itinerary.

What was the overall condition of the ship? Old TV's? Clean?

I know she is going in for dry dock in March, so I am happy about that.:D:D

Can you also confirm if there is a Mongolian Wok and Steakhouse?

 

Tell me what else you loved about her!!!!

 

Thank you!!!!

[CRU1Z1N]

Who was your CD? Did you visit the piano bar or go to the comedy shows? If so, how were they? Dive in movies? Thanks! We'll be boarding her in 4 weeks!!

[houseflipper48]

We will be on her in 2 weeks. What did you do in the ports, and with 4 ships in Roatan, was it crazy? I'll prob think of more questions later, LOL

[ScottJames]

Welcome back!

 

Glad to hear you had a great time!

 

We are looking at Valor for July, an 8 night Eastern itinerary.

 

What was the overall condition of the ship? Old TV's? Clean?

 

I know she is going in for dry dock in March, so I am happy about that.:D:D

 

Can you also confirm if there is a Mongolian Wok and Steakhouse?

 

 

 

Tell me what else you loved about her!!!!

 

 

 

Thank you!!!!

 

 

The condition of the ship IMO was fine. You see a few rust spots but nothing that would affect anyone. The ship was spotless and always being cleaned. Had a upper deck balcony and yes, had an old tube TV. There is a Mongolian Wok which was pretty darn good and Steakhouse that was worth the $35

Loved the layout and easy to find your way around. Just overall had really no complaints about anything. Good, solid ship and staff and itinerary

[ScottJames]

Who was your CD? Did you visit the piano bar or go to the comedy shows? If so, how were they? Dive in movies? Thanks! We'll be boarding her in 4 weeks!!

 

 

CD was Mat. Yes, he can get a weeeeee bit annoying with his quotes( you will see what I mean) but I thought he did a great job.

Did not visit the Piano bar but did walk by it several times an evening and it always had no more then 8-10 people inside.

Went to 2 comedy shows. First comedian if I remember correctly was Bob Biggerstaff. Everyone yawned thru it. Second one's last name was Burr. Didn't really have a set, just kinda improvised on the crowd and was funny. Both were the "adult" comedy shows.

Had a great table in MDR so we all went to the dive in movie. Was very relaxing and fun!

[ScottJames]

We will be on her in 2 weeks. What did you do in the ports, and with 4 ships in Roatan, was it crazy? I'll prob think of more questions later, LOL

 

 

We actually had the Eastern itinerary so didn't go to Roatan. But every port we were in had at least 6-9 ships in, which ruined my St. Thomas beach trip

[amyh13]

We went on the Valor last year and had a great time and couldn't understand the complaints. And I am a picky traveler.

 

We just booked her again for April, unfortunately 2 weeks before the dry dock. If you are sailing in May, you will get a freshened up ship. We are going with first time cruisers so I am hoping for a fun time.

 

We were on the spa deck last cruise and we have flat TVs. Scored two Spa Deck balconies again!

[Coopdog08]

I was pleasantly surprised by seeing how wrong I felt a lot of the complaints were. Anyone need a question answered?

 

You want to know what the best thing was about this cruise.... I didn't see one motorized scooter!! While I sympathize and respect the people who need them they don't respect people w/out them! They think they get first dibs and rule the ship, they run you over, make you move suddenly to avoid them and don't use there equipment properly! I often see them toting around grandkids and having races on the lido deck. I am sure I will get flamed but there are many who will agree that won't speak up about there mis use. It was so pleasant not seeing any!!

[ScottJames]

You want to know what the best thing was about this cruise.... I didn't see one motorized scooter!! While I sympathize and respect the people who need them they don't respect people w/out them! They think they get first dibs and rule the ship, they run you over, make you move suddenly to avoid them and don't use there equipment properly! I often see them toting around grandkids and having races on the lido deck. I am sure I will get flamed but there are many who will agree that won't speak up about there mis use. It was so pleasant not seeing any!!

 

 

I didn't see any either. I usually don't make any petty complaints on vacation. The food was good, the staff was good and we made sure we enjoyed ourselves as everybody should do

[Boat Rocker]

I echo what the OP said and thought I'd add a few of my own observations.

We were on Main Deck (level 2) oceanview and our cabin had an updated TV.

 

Our room steward was very good but there were problems with the toilets not flushing properly for our entire cruise (sometimes a delayed flush by as much as 45-60 minutes). There was a terrible sewer smell in the hallway most of the cruise and it eventually got so bad that you had to hold your breath as you quickly walked from the elevator to the cabin. Calls to guest services resulted in temporary fixes but there was not any sort of apology on the part of the staff I would talk to on the phone.

 

I had a massage with Conie and she was excellent but the product/additional service sell afterwards diminished the relaxation effects. Also, the cruise director and the captain yapped over the loudspeaker during at least half of my service .... so irritating.

 

The steakhouse was excellent and worth every single penny.

 

We really enjoyed one of the last comedians, Pat Godwin. There were four comedians total on the ship and he was the standout. The others, not so much. TJ Carpenter was excellent as the singer/guitarist. Indie Duo was interesting. The keyboardist was talented, but the singer was hit or miss (IMO) and her strong accent made for interesting listening. We didn't attend any of the theater shows. I personally didn't care for the CD, Mat. He was over the top and his cheesy intercom greetings were so long-winded. Personally, I'd prefer to refer to my Fun Times schedule, I don't want to listen to him recite it over the loudspeaker every five minutes.

 

The pizza was excellent but the waits were very long - the pizzeria was understaffed and often they made only one pizza at a time regardless of the number of people standing in line. The food in the MDR had decreased in quality since our last Carnival cruise. The appetizers were generally good, the entrees were uninspired and the sides were repetitive, and the desserts were dry and tasteless. The Taste Bar only had offerings maybe during four evenings and was closed down every other evening. The bakery items in the Java Cafe never turned over and those cakes must have been pretty stale by the end of the cruise.

 

I'm sorry I don't remember the Dine-In movies but it seemed they were heavily family-oriented.

 

A few other minor irritants:

1) What's with having to sign for every soda even with the soda card? Is this new? And we got charged for tax and had to sign a slip anytime we were in a U.S. port. I don't remember ever having to sign a bunch of 10 cent or zero cent slips in the past. Normally, my cup would be filled and I'd be on my way. It definitely deterred us from getting sodas, which may be their intent. I wouldn't get the soda card again.

2) The photographers - so.many.photographers. It was so cramped in the Dream Lounge with a photographer/set/equipment every five feet! Really ruined the ambiance of sitting in that area before dinner. And get out of my face while I'm eating in the MDR. And why do they have to capture you on the gangplank so they create a huge bottleneck while you're trying to disembark at the ports. For goodness sake, set up near the gangplank but don't encroach on my valuable time just to nickel and dime me on photography.

3) I saw so many waitstaff just standing around in the Lido Buffet even though there would be numerous tables that needed to be cleared. In fact, the flies became unbearable in some areas because of the situation.

4) There were several of the server/bartender staff that would volunteer complaints about not getting off the ship, etc. I guess it's my own fault because I tend to greet people with a "Hello, how are you?" to which I've invited the discourse - I really need to stop to doing that because it invariably resulted in negativity on their part. Of course, I don't start telling them about all of my work problems if they ask me how I am (which didn't happen often) so I think it is a matter of boundaries and training.

5) We were happy to have a table for two in the MDR but we were stuck in the middle of two sets of booths on the upper level of the Washington dining room and had waitstaff traffic coming and going on both sides of us constantly (we were near the front of the room so there was a well-traveled path from the kitchen to the rest of the dining room on both sides of us). It was distracting and nerve-wracking as trays of drinks and hot plates stacked high kept passing us every 30 seconds. However, our own wait staff lacked warmth and rarely greeted us. There was never any information about the dishes or recommendations. They came with water and bread in the beginning and then never came back except to deliver the dishes and clear our plates (often before we were finished). Overall, the service was cold, impersonal and slow. Normally, dinners are the highlight of our day.

 

Overall, it was a cruise and we're always happy to spend time together away from work so we enjoyed ourselves. But it was not our favorite, mainly because of many small things, none of them by themselves a deal breaker.

[cruising maniac]

Welcome to cruise critic. Thank you for you review. Sounds like you had a good time and don't let things get to you.

[dwheeler9]

Curious as to what you thought of amber cove? We will be boarding valor in 20 days!!

[nwo4life]

I echo what the OP said and thought I'd add a few of my own observations.

 

We were on Main Deck (level 2) oceanview and our cabin had an updated TV.

 

 

 

Our room steward was very good but there were problems with the toilets not flushing properly for our entire cruise (sometimes a delayed flush by as much as 45-60 minutes). There was a terrible sewer smell in the hallway most of the cruise and it eventually got so bad that you had to hold your breath as you quickly walked from the elevator to the cabin. Calls to guest services resulted in temporary fixes but there was not any sort of apology on the part of the staff I would talk to on the phone.

 

 

 

I had a massage with Conie and she was excellent but the product/additional service sell afterwards diminished the relaxation effects. Also, the cruise director and the captain yapped over the loudspeaker during at least half of my service .... so irritating.

 

 

 

The steakhouse was excellent and worth every single penny.

 

 

 

We really enjoyed one of the last comedians, Pat Godwin. There were four comedians total on the ship and he was the standout. The others, not so much. TJ Carpenter was excellent as the singer/guitarist. Indie Duo was interesting. The keyboardist was talented, but the singer was hit or miss (IMO) and her strong accent made for interesting listening. We didn't attend any of the theater shows. I personally didn't care for the CD, Mat. He was over the top and his cheesy intercom greetings were so long-winded. Personally, I'd prefer to refer to my Fun Times schedule, I don't want to listen to him recite it over the loudspeaker every five minutes.

 

 

 

The pizza was excellent but the waits were very long - the pizzeria was understaffed and often they made only one pizza at a time regardless of the number of people standing in line. The food in the MDR had decreased in quality since our last Carnival cruise. The appetizers were generally good, the entrees were uninspired and the sides were repetitive, and the desserts were dry and tasteless. The Taste Bar only had offerings maybe during four evenings and was closed down every other evening. The bakery items in the Java Cafe never turned over and those cakes must have been pretty stale by the end of the cruise.

 

 

 

I'm sorry I don't remember the Dine-In movies but it seemed they were heavily family-oriented.

 

 

 

A few other minor irritants:

 

1) What's with having to sign for every soda even with the soda card? Is this new? And we got charged for tax and had to sign a slip anytime we were in a U.S. port. I don't remember ever having to sign a bunch of 10 cent or zero cent slips in the past. Normally, my cup would be filled and I'd be on my way. It definitely deterred us from getting sodas, which may be their intent. I wouldn't get the soda card again.

 

2) The photographers - so.many.photographers. It was so cramped in the Dream Lounge with a photographer/set/equipment every five feet! Really ruined the ambiance of sitting in that area before dinner. And get out of my face while I'm eating in the MDR. And why do they have to capture you on the gangplank so they create a huge bottleneck while you're trying to disembark at the ports. For goodness sake, set up near the gangplank but don't encroach on my valuable time just to nickel and dime me on photography.

 

3) I saw so many waitstaff just standing around in the Lido Buffet even though there would be numerous tables that needed to be cleared. In fact, the flies became unbearable in some areas because of the situation.

 

4) There were several of the server/bartender staff that would volunteer complaints about not getting off the ship, etc. I guess it's my own fault because I tend to greet people with a "Hello, how are you?" to which I've invited the discourse - I really need to stop to doing that because it invariably resulted in negativity on their part. Of course, I don't start telling them about all of my work problems if they ask me how I am (which didn't happen often) so I think it is a matter of boundaries and training.

 

5) We were happy to have a table for two in the MDR but we were stuck in the middle of two sets of booths on the upper level of the Washington dining room and had waitstaff traffic coming and going on both sides of us constantly (we were near the front of the room so there was a well-traveled path from the kitchen to the rest of the dining room on both sides of us). It was distracting and nerve-wracking as trays of drinks and hot plates stacked high kept passing us every 30 seconds. However, our own wait staff lacked warmth and rarely greeted us. There was never any information about the dishes or recommendations. They came with water and bread in the beginning and then never came back except to deliver the dishes and clear our plates (often before we were finished). Overall, the service was cold, impersonal and slow. Normally, dinners are the highlight of our day.

 

 

 

Overall, it was a cruise and we're always happy to spend time together away from work so we enjoyed ourselves. But it was not our favorite, mainly because of many small things, none of them by themselves a deal breaker.

 

 

The soloist is TJ Carter, she is excellent. You can find her on Facebook and YouTube.

[vegadog2]

I didn't see any either. I usually don't make any petty complaints on vacation. The food was good, the staff was good and we made sure we enjoyed ourselves as everybody should do

 

I AGREE lots of folks with scooters are just too lazy to walk. Most of the folks I saw were just over weight and really needed the exercise. Before you FLAME ME let me tell you I have Heart failure, A FIB and COPD. I don't use a scooter because it's sometimes just LAZY.I do get out of breath when I walk and I do have to stop to catch my breath. Yes I use a cane and I do use the elevator when NOT being run over by a scooter. if YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE FOLKS THAT IS GOING TO flame ME JUST THINK ABOUT THE REALITY. Do you need the scooter ? or are you just LAZY and want it for convenience.

[ScottJames]

I to thought TJ Carter was really good. But, just thinking, they should bring back the Reggae bands for sea days. It puts you more in the mood for the Caribbean instead of acoustic versions of Taylor Swift songs

[boog55]

By chance would you know if there are fridges in the balcony rooms?

[christyran1228]

Had a upper deck balcony and yes, had an old tube TV.

 

 

We had a Jr. Suite 11/2014 - 9206 -

It had a flat screen.

 

I think that particular room was relatively new, though, so I guess that might be why ...

[marshabear]

we had a flat screen tv in our deck 7 inside cabin but the one next door to us did not...

 

 

 

 

 

Marsha

[Mott1086]

I was pleasantly surprised by seeing how wrong I felt a lot of the complaints were. Anyone need a question answered?

 

 

Sir--

 

We are planning our VERY FIRST Carnival cruise in December for a wedding.

 

The wife and I are thinking about the Cheers package.

 

I read the program includes up to $10 cocktails.

 

I usually drink mudslides...any idea how much those are?

 

Thank you!

 

-Michael

[jdevine]

Sir--

 

We are planning our VERY FIRST Carnival cruise in December for a wedding.

 

The wife and I are thinking about the Cheers package.

 

I read the program includes up to $10 cocktails.

 

I usually drink mudslides...any idea how much those are?

 

Thank you!

 

-Michael

 

They are under the $10 mark. Either 8.75 or 7.25

[jdevine]

Curious as to what you thought of amber cove? We will be boarding valor in 20 days!!

 

My family loved it! We didnt do an excursion we stayed at the pool and water slides right at the port. I have three boys 9, 7, and 4 and they had a blast. Drinks were kind of expensive but comparable to the ship. We did the zip lining right at the port and it was fun as well.

[SkyMaster]

We sailed "Valor" about three weeks ago, and had a flat screen in our inside cabin, on deck 1. I think they upgraded the T.V.'s when the original old tube type T.V.'s failed.

We too, had a GREAT time aboard "Valor". No major complaints at all. ;)

 

"SKY"

[jdevine]

We sailed "Valor" about three weeks ago, and had a flat screen in our inside cabin, on deck 1. I think they upgraded the T.V.'s when the original old tube type T.V.'s failed.

We too, had a GREAT time aboard "Valor". No major complaints at all. ;)

 

"SKY"

 

We just got off the Valor as well. Sailed 1/16 to 1/23.

 

We had two inside cabins on deck 1 and one of them had a tube and one of them had a flat.

[micro yaya]

wondering if you had a copy of the fun times. we were wondering what bands were onboard we usually like to go to hear the latin band. thanks