Carnival Valor Review

4.0 / 5.0
1,524 reviews

First Time Cruiser Impressions

Review for the Southern Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Valor
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gypsy_20@hotmail.com
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Feb 2015

Transfer to dock went smoothly and fairly quickly. Embarkation process is very organized and got through quickly. This is where you receive your sail & sign card which gets you on/off the ship, pays for everything on board, including shore excursions, and is your room key. The ship is beautiful, with interesting artwork, patriotic theme, and great tilework everywhere. First night was massive party.

First stop St. Thomas. Bought shore excursion, shopping & beach. Magens Bay is absolutely gorgeous. But the shopping is right outside the pier, so kind of a rip. Better to hire your own taxi, on any island, and share the ride, it's cheaper. The Jolly Roger was a blast at Barbados. The Rum Punch is extremely potent!! Snorkeling the "shipwreck" was cool. Clear water, so many different fish and coral, then sea turtles showed up while we were walking the plank. On St. Lucia, we booked Adrenaine Zip Lining. Awesome! Our guides were Augusta and Norbert, and they were great! Very safety conscious and concerned for your welfare. Highly recommend. At St. Kitts, we wandered the stores, then shared a taxi with another couple and went to Cockleshell Beach. $14 a couple, and the driver comes back to pick you up when you want, for another $14. More people, less money. Good deal. Cockleshell Beach was perfect. Little shack bars on beach run by locals who are great to talk to. Rent 2 chairs and umbrella for $10. Beers & pop, $2. Lots of shells. On St. Maarten, paid $7 a person to ride water taxi to main beach & shopping. You get a wrist bracelet that is good all day. Beach was a bit crowded, but still pretty and good swimming. Vendors stroll the beaches, so you can relax and shop at the same time, if you like. Very busy, lots of boats in harbor and water sports going on, so go to another beach if you want more privacy. Free wifi is the thing here. Get 2 chairs, umbrella, 5 ice cold beers for $20, plus free wifi. Or just the chairs & umbrella for $10. The beer is local Carib.

The ship staff is amazing. From countries all over the world, they are all very hard working, fit, attractive, courteous, friendly, helpful. Treat them with the courtesy and dignity they so deserve. Tip them well, directly. The ship is very clean. The staff cleans 24 hrs a day. Food was plentiful, varied for every possible desire, and tasty. We did not have a beverage package, but did purchase individual drinks. Prices are outrageous, but it is vacation. $50 to 60 for drinks for the week. But if you are a partier, then the package would probably be better. Always something going on somewhere on the ship. It gets overwhelming. Highly recommend seeing Chris Wiles if he is at Punchliner. An excellent comic. Ship is generally crowded and noisy on Lido deck and restaurant areas. Depends on what your personal preferences are. To party or not. There are always quiet places to go, if the noise and activity is too much. Something for everyone , I would have to say. Don't know that I would go again, but everyone should try it once.

Cabin Review

Ana Maria cabin steward, did great job daily. Room was always clean. Plenty storage. A tv. Weird not having a window. Might upgrade, if we go again. King bed, very soft sheets. Temp control, but normally set just right when you get there. Towels were slightly rough if you are sunburned. Robes were nice. Can wear them to the hot tub late at night, when the air is cool. Always plenty of big, thick beach towels available.

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