40 year old Virgin

Item: Valiant Lady
Rating: 4.2
Author: DessertSteaks

Valiant Lady Cruise Review

DessertSteaks

Contributor Level: First Mate

43 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 8

Helpful Votes: 103

Overall rating:

4.2 out of 5

6 Night Western Caribbean Charm (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 05, 2023

Ship: Valiant Lady

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Interesting cruise style. Definitely enjoyed the smaller restaurant style cruise rather than one giant dining hall.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Mostly fun, kind and helpful crew. There was someone hyping and engaging with customers outside the terminal, inside the terminal and at the seating areas. There was one bad apple, but everyone else was awesome. I even pointed out that they needed to expand the walkway between the sofas and mobile posts to have more room for wheelchairs and they quickly complied

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

The restaurants and dock/dockhouse have excellent food. The galley is hit or miss, the other stations are fairly decent and best cruise pizza I've had so far.

Sip Lounge

4 out of 5

Tried the afternoon tea and it was okay. Not sure why champagne and tea are a combination, but to each their own

The Social Club Diner

4 out of 5

Hotdog variety and tasty wings. Pretzel and boozyshakes were okay

Lick Me Till...Ice Cream

4 out of 5

Cones were stale, but ice cream was tastyGood variety, not too frozen or soft. Blood orange was my favorite on this cruise.

Noodle House

4 out of 5

Tonkatsu was a bit saltier than I like, the kimchi in the spicy tonkatsu was different, the miso Udon was okay and the Thai curry was the best.

The Dock Bar

5 out of 5

Very relaxing, especially with tasty treats and happy hour. Bring sunglasses.

Burger Bar

4 out of 5

Enjoyable, especially with burger of the day features. The chicken was really good too and I like when they have the charcoal buns too. Fries are crispy and flavorful. I didn't like the football shaped bun as it was too dry for me

Bento Baby

3 out of 5

Similar to grocery sushi options for lunch/dinner. Breakfast seemed to be fruit only.

Sun Club Cafe

3 out of 5

Poke was alright, I'm not crazy about cabbage in it though. The short rib bao were delicious

The Wake

4 out of 5

Clam chowder, bone marrow and lamb are delicious. Softshell Crab is better without the Benedict

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Decent selection of self directed and cruise directed events. Free nostalgic arcade games, free private room karaoke, free tabletop and card games, bar shuffle board, air hockey, adult playground/workout areas

Sailor Services

5 out of 5

Always very helpful and willing to assist with inquiries and concerns.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Lots of dancing. I think everyone in the entertainment staff could sing and dance. The circus cast was my favorite. They party with you at every cruise directed events, including Bimini beach Club

The Groupie

4 out of 5

One of the rooms didn't have audio. Walls are thin so you can hear people from the hallway by elevators. Wide selection of songs and two mics per room. Fun if you're willing to sing

High Street

5 out of 5

Very friendly and helpful staff. They even looked in stock for items that weren't on the shelf such as toothpaste

The Arcade

4 out of 5

Fun, free, old school ish games. One racing game for up to two people, street fighter, ninja turtles, etc

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Excellent service. Lots of fun from the happenings crew such as Ryan & Cameron, awesome bar service from Druvaughn and Manny and many others

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Nice and modern ship, but walking around on the days the ship got rained on had areas smelling a bit like sewage near elevators and entry/exits to the outside of the boat

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

They use a firm mattress, not plush. Space isn't huge, but it's ample. The rainfall shower is great, the bathroom is a bit cramped though

Ship tip

Get familiar with the Happenings Cast, go to the parties, engage in the cruise directed events for fun, chances for free drinks, and branch out

Thumbs up

Ports of call

The Beach Club (Virgin Voyages), Bimini Bahamas

4 out of 5

Nice beach day. Happenings Cast keep the party going at the pool. Drink menu seemed too sugary and heavy. Could use more citronella around the dining areas

Thumbs Up 1

Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

3 out of 5

I'm more excited to see this port develop and grow so that there's more to do and more accessible throughout the island

Thumbs Up 1

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

3 out of 5

Rainy day so may have been better otherwise

Thumbs Up 1

Miami, Florida

4 out of 5

A bit warmer than I wanted, but overall a decent city to checkout for food, drinks, parties and beaches