Carnival Valor Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We have cruised Holland America, Princess and Royal Caribbean since our last Carnival cruise, swearing never to sail with them again. But the pricing value was just so advantageous that we decided to take a chance and go again.
Embarkation did not bode well for me: Miami was a zoo, in spite of our having arrived early. Multiple lines with long queues were daunting, as was all the walking and shoving through throngs of people. Although we booked a year in advance, Carnival had us on a wait list for My Time Dining, so our first stop was to arrange that. After a line at Guest Services, we were sent to a line for the maitre d'. He did facilitate that.
After that, things looked up! The cabin, aft with extended balcony, was just what we expected, but no amenities except shower gel and shampoo in dispensers in the shower. I had to ask for bar soap for the sink! The room was in good condition; and Daniel, our steward, served us very well all week, including remembering we needed extra hand towels each day, and always having plenty of ice. We never got a key for the mini-bar and there were no directions for that, which didn't matter to us, but seemed weird. Warning! The safe needs to be secured by swiping a credit card, which means you have to carry your credit card with you all the time. Someone gave me a good tip: any mag strip card will work. I locked up my credit card and used my AAA card. A WalMart gift card with a minimal amount on it is a good purchase, if you have no other mag strip cards. Other cruise lines allow you to set your own combination and lock up your credit cards. The only other complaint about the room is that the room service menu is very limited. Breakfast only has continental available and the rest of the menu is pretty limited to sandwiches and a couple of salads and a few uninspired desserts. We would have enjoyed breakfast on the balcony and evening hors d'oeuvres, but that was not to be.
Cabin Review
Aft-View Extended Balcony
Cabin 7451-Aft extended balcony
We ALWAYS choose the extended balcony on the back of the ship. Many people say, "We don't spend any time in the room anyway, so go for an inside cabin." Well, I contend that if you have a nice cabin, you spend time there. We sometimes get overwhelmed with the crowds and need to escape, and a private balcony is ideal for us. The view from the rear is wide angle, and there's no wind while sailing. There is a light outside, adequate for night time reading if you can't sleep, are sick of limited TV, or just want some fresh air. We also think that much of the illness that cruise ships get a bad rap for is caused by recirculated air handling systems; and we try to get as much fresh air as possible. All bars, restaurants, showrooms are enclosed, except the buffet near the pool deck. So we leave our cabin door open and get a breeze and fresh air. The back of the ship is also quiet, as there are not a lot of rooms lined up. Only the cruisers whose rooms are there go back there. Minimal hall noise makes for better sleep! Closet space was adequate, as was drawer space, if you include the two drawers under the sofa. I'd have liked a drawer in the nightstand, rather than just cabinet bottom. We never got a key to the mini-bar.
The safe needs to be swiped with a credit card mag strip to open and close, which means you have to carry your credit card with you, not lock it up. Bring a card with no risk to use. I used my AAA card. If you don't have any, buy a WalMart gift card with $2 on it to use!
Daniel, our cabin steward, was wonderful. If you need anything extra, you just have to ask and he'll take care of it for you. Note: direct tips are appreciated, in addition to the $10 per person per day added to your cabin account.
Loudspeaker announcements are heard loud and unclearly in the cabin and occur all day long and are annoying. It seems that they should understand that if you are in your cabin, you want peace and quiet. Emergencies could be broadcast via ships' blasts, so removing the continuous announcements would not be an emergency danger.
I wish there had been an alarm clock in the room, or at least a small wall clock. They don't provide lotion or hair conditioner, only shower gel and shampoo dispensed in the shower. Ask the cabin steward for bar soap for the sink.
I would definitely book this category cabin again.