Fun Cruise with My Daughter

Carnival Valor Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 20

Overall rating:

4.3 out of 5
Carnival Valor

5 Night Western Caribbean (New Orleans Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 04, 2023

Ship: Carnival Valor

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 1104

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

This was my first cruise. I am now addicted, and I'm ready to book another Carnival cruise on the Valor!

Embarkation

4 out of 5
I had Faster to the Fun, sp it was great, except it was my understanding that I would be able to drop my carry on off at my room, and I wasn't able to. That wasn't great.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
We ate in the Washington Dining Room every night for dinner, and the food was fantastic, as was our service. The BBQ was also very good. Guy's Burgers were very good. Wasn't so crazy about the Wok. The breakfast buffet wasn't a favorite...it was extremely slow. Trays would have made things so much better. I dropped half my eggs on the floor because I couldn't maneuver.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
Serenity Deck, which I was so disappointed to find that there was no pool. There really, really needs to be one. There needs to be one for us sunbathers to take a dip in to cool off. I enjoyed an art auction and a hair seminar.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
I spent a lot of time at the bar in the atrium enjoying the shows and entertainment. There was a string trio that was very enjoyable.

Children's Programs

Because 1. All of my children are over the age of 22, and 2. Bringing a child on a cruise wouldn't be enjoyable.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
My room steward (room 1104, Leonides) was the absolute best. He knew my daughter's and my names from day 1 and always asked how we were and if we needed anything. Our room was always very clean. I LOVED him. Every one of the bar tenders in the lobby were terrific...NeeNee, Bas, and all the rest. Our server at the early dining time at table 380. All the people responsible for our table were top notch.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
Some parts of the ship were hard to navigate. I always had a hard time with the Washington Dining Room. As far as cleanliness, it was always sparling clean. Everything was always in good working order.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
I had the most comfortable bed and pillow ever. Best sleep of my life. Cabin was a good size, and the cleanliness was very good. It was all so much better than I expected.

Ship tip

The clerks in the Effy shop are WAY too pushy. You may want to avoid.

Ports of call

New Orleans, Louisiana

4 out of 5
Walked around, enjoyed benets, good, and shops.

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

1 out of 5
Over crowded, over priced, and I was felt up by someone looking for my money. I will never go back.

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5
Visited shops, ate at Panchos. The food was fantastic! The shops were great! I enjoyed this port!

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
This went very smooth.

Traveler Photos

Leonides, best room steward ever!
Was this review helpful? 20

8 Comments

Kirstiesmom2001    1 year ago

Valor to us also! Welcome to cruising

Sogmoore    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing and great pix

cbyron3    1 year ago

Costa maya is awesome...with some planning...cheap taxi to Krazy lobster and food, drinks and massage super cheap and vendors are completely chill. Only folks that stay in the port due to no planning have a bad experience. If you loved the Valor you will really love when you sail a newer ship.

Gwbigdog    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing

javawoody    1 year ago

Glad you enjoyed your first cruise

mary0909    1 year ago

So glad you enjoyed your cruise.They are the best type of vacation. I agree with your Costa Maya comment about the vendors. They are rude and pushy,every other port we have visited we have just said No thank you and they let it go.

cruising2004    1 year ago

Glad you had an awesome cruise with your daughter. Thank you for your review.

RetiredRay    1 year ago

Glad it was an overall successful trip.

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