My young son and I had a wonderful trip on the Valor this past week. It was disappointing in some respects, but none so major that they impacted the overall fun that we had.

The ship on the inside is not attractive. One would say it is garish, I suppose. Reminiscent of the American flag, many floors are done with brown, grey and blue. Does this reflect the designer's image of a faded America? I don't know, but I found it unsettling.

Keeping with the American theme, the restaurant on the Lido Deck, Rosie's (after the Riveter or perhaps the designer), had an industrial feel. Urine colored tiles and stainless steel predominated and were in large part just ugly. Lime green chairs and sofas patterned on 1950's Greyhound busses added (or detracted) from the ambiance. Then there were also tiles depicting women in either demeaning or, in some cases, subversive poses. I know what they were trying to get at, but do we really need it for breakfast? I wondered whether good old Micky Arrison was making a political statement. Read more