If you are looking for a great four day laid back cruise on a large ship, this is a good one. We chose Carnival Valor because of its proximity to us and the low price. It was a full ship and we still felt like is wasn’t too crowded. Cozumel is always a great time and a beautiful place to visit. Carnival staff are polite and work so hard. It really is the Fun ship. We are already planning our next cruise ☺️
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Long lines but the staff handled it as well as could be expected. They try very hard to keep you informed and organized.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Breakfast (both Sea Day and regular days) in the main dining room was by far the best meal. We were very disappointed in the Steakhouse. We wasted all of our onboard credit and over 2 hours of our night waiting at this restaurant for our food. Not worth the up charge. Go get the same food for $28 in the main dining room at night.
The drinks at the Red Frog Pub on 5 were the best on board.
Buffet …..blah. Very disappointed with the selection of food
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Fitness center was good. Pool and hot tubs on aft end of Lido deck were not as crowded. Serenity section had a crowd as did the main pool on the lido. But there were always chairs available every single day. (This was August 4-8, so not as many school age kids)
No rock climbing but we did putt putt. It was fun.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Only one “big” show in the theater on the final night. If you like 80s and 90s rock, it’s a must see. They were very entertaining. Enjoyed all of the live music in the atrium and on the Promenade. DJ kept it lively on the Lido deck with a variety of music.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Cleanliness—in true Carnival form they are always nice and always cleaning, especially at the buffet area and tables
Layout—-good grief, this is a maze! This was the only real downside of the ship. there are floors that you can’t walk from one end to another (Lincoln to Washington dining rooms—-know which elevator you need!! Otherwise go to 5th floor or go from your stateroom and walk the length of the ship) it is extremely confusing and hard for those with walking and movement limitations
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Loved being on the “fan tail”, aft the ship. Worth the extra money, and we spent every morning on the balcony watching the sunrise! The only downfall is that is right above Eagles lounge and we could hear karaoke night from our room 😄It wasn’t a big deal for us at all.room is the size of most cabins but the balcony is oversized. This one is right beside “premium vista balcony” which is huge! Carnival makes great use of storage and closets for such a small cabin. Nice having multiple closets
Ship tip
As with all cruises, I think it is what you make it. This is an older ship and the decor is somewhat dated but not offensive. Love the patriotic themes! There are plenty of things to keep you busy if that’s your thing. If you want to just relax, then you can do that too! This was an adult trip with my husband, sons and wife/girlfriends in their twenties. We had a fabulous time! We were able to relax, eat, drink, laugh, and make memories together! There were many groups of families and friends on this cruise, and everyone was happy and friendly. Valor has had some negative publicity but we thoroughly enjoyed it, especially for the price! The casino rates cannot be beat. We love to travel and usually get a house on the beach each year—we’ve decided to cruise instead. 💃🏼🏖🌊😎🛳
Easy peasy. Just don’t get in a hurry and think you can get off right at 8 (maybe the diamond and platinum can but not the regular folks 😄). We ate early breakfast, exited our room at 8, had all of our luggage with us, and stayed on promenade deck until our muster station was called. We were off the boat, through customs and pulling out of the parking garage by 9:45. I thought that was great, all things considered.
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