Carnival's MS Valor - November 27 - December 4, 2005

November 27, 2005 we took a cruise on Carnival's M.S. Valor. This is the largest and the newest of the Carnival ships.

The ship is huge and, in my opinion, difficult to get your bearings. I have been on 12 previous cruises and this is the first time I always got turned around in trying to find a destination onboard. Maybe I am just getting older?

The food was good - but not great. The service in the dining room was very good. Most of the staff onboard were friendly, but also seemed to be turned around in directions also. Almost every person I asked directions from sent me to wrong places. Twice I had an officer just escort me rather than try to tell me how to get to a place. An example: I was looking for an ATM machine. My cabin steward (more on him later) directed me to the casino. In the casino I enquired at the bar for the exact location and was told there was no ATM there, but I should go to the Pursar's desk. At the Pursar's desk I was directed back to the casino with a more exact location, and found it - about 50 feet from the bar I had first inquired at. Later in the cruise I found another ATM accross from the Pursar's desk - why direct me back to the casino when I could just turn around and there was one?

My biggest disappointment on this cruise was my cabin steward. For the first time in all my cruises my steward never introduced himself to me. I discovered him the second day of the cruise and asked him if he was my steward. Starting that day, I noticed that he had a propensity for letting himself into my cabin when I was there - usually in various states of dress or undress. When he did knock and I asked who was there he would then just walk in. The room was never cleaned to my satisfaction - especially the head (toilet). Other guests would rave about the different animals that their stewards would make from towels, not mine. The 4th day of this 8 day cruise I found a rolled up towel on the floor under a chair - a snake maybe?

All in all - I cannot recommend the Valor until they get their act together. I presume the ship is just too new for the staff to feel at home and make the guests feel at home also.