Carnival Valor Review

A good Eastern Carribean Cruise

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Valor
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dbhwyman
2-5 Cruises • Age 50s

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Additional details

Sail Date: Jul 2015
Cabin: Interior Upper/Lower
Traveled with children

When selecting a cruise I was looking for an affordable trip for myself (single dad) and my 13 year old daughter. I wanted to include stops in San Juan and St Thomas as these are 2 ports we had not yet visited. I choose this ship as I had good luck in the past booking a room at the front of the ship on deck 2 which included 2 port holes for a rate less than the interior rooms (Rm #2207 on the Carnival Destiny). I was able to get the same room for this ship at the low rate. Being as we are not a "couple" having the separated beds was fine.

There were 2 disappointments to this room. First was that there was not a port hole as hoped for. I realize that this was a gamble on my part but when at dock one day I noticed that there appeared to be a double porthole window on the exterior with a wall behind it (probably my room). I guess starting with room 2209 would have port holes. The second issue was that previously we had a single bed and then a couch with a bunk above. This trip they had removed the couch and had a bed in it's place. That would be fine except they did not give the bed a standard mattress. Instead it was half the thickness of the other mattress making it extremely hard. The positive for the room was it's size versus the rooms I had on Royal Caribbean and Norweigan for the same rate. This room actually gave us space to maneuver around in which is what I really liked. For this I give the comfort level 3 stars instead of 2.

For the most part the ship activities all seem similar from boat to boat. I played numerous rounds of trivia, sat by the pool watching movies during the evening, ate the food provided, went to two comedy shows, etc. Again I give all this 3 stars as it is "average".

Cabin Review

Interior Upper/Lower

Cabin 1A

I was hoping to possibly catch a room with a port hole for the cheap price by did not do so. Instead of an "upper" the couch had been replaced with a second bed that had a substandard mattress. I believe the air conditioner worked but never felt too cold in the room.

Both the room and the bathroom seemed to be above average in size. We definitely had space to move around in the room. The bathroom there was space to maneuver without having to be in the shower.

Port Reviews

Port Canaveral (Orlando)

I think the biggest drawback to this port is it's location. It is approximately 45 miles to Orlando Airport in an area that seems somewhat remote. There were numerous shuttle services that can take you from Orlando to the port. The trick is finding the right one.

We flew in the night before and stayed by the airport. The next morning my shuttle picked us up at the hotel but then went to the airport to pick up guests flying in. We spent an hour sitting in a shuttle van, Mid July at the airport waiting for flights to arrive, people to get their luggage and figure our where to meet the shuttle. Shuttles for 2 people run $40-50 each way which is nearly double what I paid to fly into Fort Lauderdale and shuttle to Miami. I also think you lose some of you first/last days at sea or in a port since the boat has to travel further up the Florida coast to get here.

Nassau

We enjoy the stop over in Nassau. We pull into port and walk down the pier and into the city. Just before you hit the actual city there is an area all guests get funneled through where one is hit up for every excursion, hair braiding, local crafts, whatever. However, once outside this little area the city opens up. Few panhandlers or street vendors. The sidewalks are easy to navigate for the few blocks past countless stores and restaurants.

The area is mainly within a few blocks of the pier. You can see the Atlantis Casino across the water and cab rides there are about $4. Make sure the excursion for the waterpark is pre-booked before going there.

San Juan

When seeing San Juan there is no reason for an excursion. Once getting off the boat simply walk across the street and look for the big sign saying "Trolley 1". Even though there is no set timetable, eventually a FREE trolley will come buy. We caught the open-air which circled around the capitol building and to the front steps of the Old Fort. After spending an hour taking pictures while passing through near-dark tunnels and climbing to scenic overlooks, we walked out the gate and stood next to trolley stop 18. Eventually another trolley came and drove us to the front gate of the other half of the fort.

NOTE: There are 3 different trolley runs and they are all free. There is no tour guide pointing out the sites along the way. It is best to do a Google search to find out more regarding these trolleys as some also travel through the shopping areas of town. Also, as the day wears on you will find that they become full without people getting off. Be prepared to wait or walk.

After finishing the west half of the fort we made our way by foot to the Church of San Juan Bautista. This is an old Catholic Church that is fully functioning. When going inside fallow the wall to the left as you approach the alter. About midway down will be a niche. A large marble monument marks the burial place of Juan Ponce de Leon. When standing there look to the left to see the remains of St Piux. What is fascinating about this is that the body has been encased in ceramic; however, if you look at the mouth you can see the actual teeth.

Outside the church we zig-zagged our way back to the ship stopping at stores along the way. Keep an eye open for Walgreens and CVS along the way as this is a good place to pick up some items you may be running low on without paying cruise ship prices.

Our last stop was the Harley Davidson shop. It was located adjacent to Senor Frog's between terminals 2 and 3. There had been some past posts online as to whether it was still there. As of July 2015, the answer is yes!

Grand Turk

This was a last chance for those wanting to snorkel, scuba or whatever adrenaline high one wanted to fulfill. For us it was a relaxing day.

The dock leads straight into a shopping plaza designed for cruisers. There are the various duty-free, souvenir, art and jewelry stores. The biggest attraction in Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville with a large pool in front. The use of the pool is free. The water is the right temperature for just relaxing. With the beach nearby having sand which feels like mud and a rocky bottom to the water, this pool was a great alternative. Of course there is a swim-up bar to get your frozen concoctions or whatever else you please. The best part it that the area is clean, safe and hardly has anyone pushing their wears or tours on you.

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