Our family decided to take a cruise over the Christmas holidays. We selected this cruise on the Carnival Valor based on price and destinations that we've never experienced. Since we reside in Florida, our family drove over the day of embarkation. The entire process of checking in and boarding was surprisingly smooth. Parking was the only part that took time because we chose a parking option offsite.

Here are my overall thoughts:

The Ship: 1. I agree with what most say about the Valor: it is showing many signs of wear and tear, but it is kept immaculate at all times. The staff does a great job of cleaning and keeping everything tidy in all areas of the ship. 2. The other thing I liked about the Valor is that it was just big enough to give you the ability to avoid overcrowding. Our family found areas that were free to do our own thing and have a lot of fun family time (Serenity area, Winston's bar, Lido deck grill area) 3. It is easy to navigate the ship. Getting to the different areas was easy to figure out and not very difficult to figure out. 4. Only drawback is the smoking areas. I wish they didn't exist and the smell of cigarettes overwhelmed us in some areas of the ship. Read more