Cruise Critic

Lazy piano whore that I am, I am using the cruise review I submitted to CruiseCritic.com as my post today. I've added a few photos here and there. If you've never been on a cruise, I hope this review convinces you that cruising is a great way to travel.
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CARNIVAL VALOR (Eastern Caribbean):
I just returned from a week cruising the eastern Caribbean on the Carnival Valor. This was my third Carnival cruise, my second on the Carnival Valor. My friend and I cruised on the Valor in late January of 2005, that time visiting the western Caribbean ports.

EMBARATION:
Embarkation was easy. We completed the “Fun Pass” registration process on-line so there was very little paperwork involved when we got to the port. Security moved quickly and we were allowed to board immediately. On my first cruise several years ago, we had to wait before boarding the ship. Sitting on the floor in a crowded room, waiting for our group to be called was something like being stuck at the airport with a bunch of other bumped passengers during bad weather conditions. Walking right on the ship was wonderful. We couldn’t enter our cabins until 1:30, but we were able to go right up to the Lido Deck for the lunch buffet.

We were in cabin #2300 on the main deck – a very comfortable room. Having learned our lesson last year, we always made sure to pull the shower curtain completely around to avoid flooding the bathroom. The showers are VERY small – a tight fit and I’m not a large person. It made shaving in the shower a tremendous challenge.

THE FOOD:
One of the greatest things about our cruise last year was our waiter, OV, from Romania. When we booked this trip we requested to be seated in his section. Our first order of business on the ship was to visit the Maitre' D to check on our seating assignment. We were delighted to learn that OV was still on the ship, but disappointed to hear that we had NOT been seated in his section. We were told that there was no way to shuffle things around to allow us to sit where we’d requested. We had to settle for eating there only one night during the trip, at a small table for two. OV remembered us. When we stopped down to see him the first night, he turned around and threw up his hands in surprise. OV and his wife (who is a bartender on the ship) were on their final sailing before their two-month vacation. When they return, they will be on a different ship. Fortunate timing for us! It was so great to see them again!

While the food on last year’s cruise was excellent, we found it even better this year. Someone at our table said that he’d read that Carnival had recently hired a new chef. We found the food in the dining room and on the Lido Deck to be outstanding.

THE PORTS:
Our first stop was Nassau, Bahamas. We visited the famous Atlantis Resort there. Now I know how the Donald Trumps of the world vacation! What an incredible place! I wasn't that impressed with Nassau on the whole, but the resort was mind-blowing! It isn’t necessary to book the excursion through Carnival. You will be bombarded by people who want to drive you to the resort the moment you step onto the island. I think we paid $6/each and we rode with several other people in a white, stretch limo.

In St. Thomas we booked the Coral World Helmet Dive excursion through the ship. It’s a pricey excursion but we were told by the Coral World folks that the ship charges only $5 more than you’d pay booking the trip on your own. When visiting an unfamiliar island, it’s sometimes nice to be able to count on the idiot-proof signs to where you want to go, rather than trying to figure out how to get there on your own. Coral World was a lovely park and the helmet dive was a fun and unique experience. Wearing a helmet into which air is continuously pumped, you walk on the floor of the ocean and view creatures living in the coral reef. You’re allowed to handle some of the sea life and photos are available. Upon returning to the dock, we rode a cable car ride which was right across the street. The view was gorgeous, the band was great and the signature drink (the Bushwhacker) tasted like a mocha milk shake…with a kick!

TIP: Don’t be in such a rush to get off the ship in St. Thomas. You’ve got PLENTY of time in this port. If you take your time and eat a leisurely breakfast, you won’t have to wait in line to get through customs. We sailed right through – no line, no waiting.

St. Maarten was the prettiest island we visited. We went parasailing at Orient Beach. Orient Beach is a lovely place on the French side of the island. A warning to conservative travelers: The beach is clothing optional. If you stay away from the very end of the beach where the nude resort is, you’re unlikely to see many (if any) nude bathers. Most visitors keep their clothes on however you will see plenty of thongs and topless women.

THE SHIP:
We discovered the ship's piano bar on this trip, something we overlooked last year. It proved to be the popular night spot on this cruise and we were there every night. The top of the revolving grand piano became my favorite seat in the house and I must confess that there are far too many embarrassing photos of me lounging on top of the piano. Ron Pass, the piano man, is as talented as he is engaging and the place draws a crowd of regulars who soon find themselves on a first name basis.

The disco was less popular on this cruise than it was last year, no fault of the two new DJs who were just great and very willing to play requests. One of the DJs mentioned to me that the eastern Caribbean itinerary tends to draw an older and more conservative crowd than the western itinerary and I did find the crowd (aside from the regular drunks shuffling into the piano bar) to be fare more low-key than last year’s passengers.

I ventured into the karaoke bar once on the trip, another place I’d not experienced on my previous cruise on the Valor. It was fun but there were technical problems on subsequent nights.

I only visited the Eagles Lounge once on this trip and that was for the returning guests’ party.

THE SHOWS:
I didn’t manage to attend all the shows but the ones I attended were excellent. From the splashy Vegas-style reviews to the mid-night comedy acts, the shows are top rate and you will be amazed at the entertainment you’re treated to on the cruise for no additional charge!

A FEW SMALL COMPLAINTS:
Rosie’s places items such as butter, cream cheese, croutons and grated cheese ahead of the foods they compliment in the buffet line. People were constantly cutting back into line to grab cream cheese, having discovered bagels further down. It’s trivial, but it would make things more efficient if foods were in more logical order.

What happened to the old smoke-free Carnival ship? With many states making restaurants and bars smoke-free these days, it seems logical to re-introduce the smoke free cruise-ship. I found myself struggling to breathe in some of the most fun places on the ship – like the piano bar – because they were so smoky. The Lido deck is split, with a smoking and non-smoking side, but smoking is permitted in nearly all the indoor hangouts and can sometimes be overwhelming.

Inappropriate advances by male staff should be curbed. We were two over-30 (in my case over 40) women traveling together and a flirtatious comment once in a while is admittedly flattering. But when innocent and playful flirting becomes pushy and dauntless pursuit, it makes female passengers uncomfortable. (I spent a couple of nights ducking on overzealous calypso band member.) Carnival should train its staff concerning being friendly without crossing the line.

THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE:
The one thing I never read about in cruise reviews or on travel sites is the community aspect of cruise travel. Being on the ship with the same 2500-3000 guests for seven days greatly encourages passengers to form friendships with other travelers. As one new friend mentioned, “You can be anonymous on a cruise ship if you really want to be, but why would you want to be??” Everyone on the ship is happy and friendly and generally willing to bond with their fellow passengers. You’ll leave the ship with a half dozen or more email addresses. I’m still in touch with people I met on my last cruise and I expect to maintain relationships with people I met on this trip. I traveled with a friend from work, but we did not spend all of our time together. If you’re dying to shake your groove thing in the disco and your cabin-made is more interested in listening to jazz music in the cigar bar, don’t feel either of you must compromise. In a matter of minutes you’ll have made new friends, wherever you go on the ship. People of similar interests visit the same places and those people will quickly become familiar faces. Friendships blossom quickly on cruise ships and that social aspect is one of the biggest benefits of this type of travel.