We were looking for an anniversary cruise for the end of December. This 5 day cruise to Cozumel and Progreso fit our schedules and was a welcome break from the cold. The Valor is a big ship, but we never felt crowded.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
The port is a little confusing. I couldn't find anywhere on my Carnival documents where it said which terminal to go to. It's like a rat cheese maze in the old terminal and then you finally get to the new part where you actually check in with the Carnival staff. After that it's an easy process to get on the ship. At other terminals they give you the sign and sail ID in the terminal. But at Galveston the cards are left outside your room on the ship.
If you want to grab food and the Lido is busy on embarkation try the BBQ upstair from the main buffet or Guy's Burgers. Many people haven't discovered those areas yet.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Natalia and Dino took great care of us in the dining room, including celebrating our anniversary with us. If you plan to drink wine more than once in the dining room it makes sense to buy a bottle the first night. They store it for you until you come back for dinner the next night.
I really liked the Mongolian BBQ and the Omelet Station. The pizza station serves pizza with nice thin crust, but the toppings are skimpy. Guy's Burger Joint was great and the fries were very tasty.
Washington Dining Room
2 out of 5
The Washington dining room is at the back of the ship and most nights there was a lot of vibration. I would make an effort to get booked in the Lincoln Dining Room mid ship
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The fitness center was a welcome place to try to work off all that food. A lot of cardio machine choices.
The shows in the Ivanhoe Theater and the comedians in Eagles Lounge were great. The crew was very efficient getting us off and back on at the ports. We did the excursion to Uxmal and the guide and bus service were very good.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The shows in the Ivanhoe Theater and the comedians in Eagles Lounge were great. The performers are very high energy. The only issue with the comedians is the Eagle's Lounge isn't big enough for the number of people who want to see the show so many have to stand on the sides.
Children's Programs
No children
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The room Steward did a good job. He always greeted us when he saw us in the hall and asked if everything was to our satisfaction.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
I like this ship better than the Legend. It has a patriotic theme and the decor is less tacky than the Legend.
If I could change one thing on the ship it would be to move the casino to the front or the back of the ship. The cigarette smoke is terrible and there were times we would have to walk through it to get to another part of the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
This cabin is close to the elevators and above the Java Cafe/Casin. I was worried about noise, but it was not an issue. The balcony is small and there is a bit of rust. The balcony light did not work. The carpet was dirty upon arrival, but they came and vacuumed. The carpets really need a deep cleaning.
Ship tip
Avoid walking through the casino if you don't like smoke.
We were on the 6th floor and had to wait until almost 10AM to disembark. And the lines for customs were long and slow. Even though we had a US passport they threw us in the line with other passport holders.
The valor was my first cruise and I feel in love with cruising as a result. However I totally agree with the casino needing to be moved. That smoke was horrible!
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