Carnival Valor 2017 4-Day Caribbean Cruise Review
Day 4 June 25, 2017 Sea Day
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Day 4 June 25, 2017 Sea Day
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Early Morning Walk Around The Ship:
Once again, I wanted to start my day early with a walk around the ship. After my alarm clock rang at 6am, I got dressed and went up to the Lobby Deck (3) to start my walk. There were very few people out at this early time of the morning. Most of the people out were crew members. Several of the crew members were working hard to clean the public areas of the ship before crowds of passengers woke up for the day. The Carnival Valor's atrium was darker than normal in the early morning because some of the lighting was cut off. I am glad Carnival cut lights off to conserve energy, but it would have been easier to take pictures with some of the extra lights turned on.
Once again, I wanted to start my day early with a walk around the ship. After my alarm clock rang at 6am, I got dressed and went up to the Lobby Deck (3) to start my walk. There were very few people out at this early time of the morning. Most of the people out were crew members. Several of the crew members were working hard to clean the public areas of the ship before crowds of passengers woke up for the day. The Carnival Valor's atrium was darker than normal in the early morning because some of the lighting was cut off. I am glad Carnival cut lights off to conserve energy, but it would have been easier to take pictures with some of the extra lights turned on.
American Atrium Lobby - Deck 3
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Sitting Area Located By The Shore Excursions Desk
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Atrium Bar
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The Ivanhoe Theater was open at the time, so I stepped in to have a quick look. The lounge was empty and completely clean.
Ivanhoe Theater - Deck 3 Level
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Ivanhoe Theater - Deck 3 Level
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Seats Near The Back Of The Lounge
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After walking around the Lobby Deck (3), I walked up to the Promenade Deck (5). Once again, there were hardly any people on this deck.
Carnival Valor's Atrium - View From Deck 5
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Looking Down At The Atrium Stage
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Atrium Glass Elevators
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Promenade Walkway
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Internet Cafe - Deck 5 Midship
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Coffee Bar Located On The Promenade
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Booths, Tables, and Chairs
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Looking Towards The Front Of The Ship On The Promenade Walkway
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Alchemy Bar Located Near The Back Of The Promenade
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The Carnival Valor's arcade is located near the back of the Promenade Deck (5). The arcade costs extra and has several different machines/games for cruisers to play. On sea days, the arcade became crowded with kids wanting to play games.
Arcade
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Arcade
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Arcade
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After walking around the Promenade Deck (5), I took an elevator to the Lido Deck (9). Rosie's was already serving Continental Breakfast, but the main breakfast buffet lines were not open because it was too early. The buffet was virtually empty.
Rosie's Lido Buffet - Continental Breakfast Was Open, But Main Buffet Lines Were Stilled Closed
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Breakfast Grill Line Waiting To Open
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Rosie's Lido Buffet
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Blue Iguana Salsa Bar - Not Yet Opened
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Blue Iguana Cantina
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Early Morning Surprise From The Housekeeping Department:
The Carnival Valor's Lido Deck pool area was lined with towel animals in the morning. Immediately after walking outside of the atrium, guests were greeted towel animals lining the pool area. Before I could take pictures of the towel animals, I had to wait for my camera lenses to defog. By the time I got outside to look at the towel animals, there were a few other people outside taking pictures of the towel animals too.
The Carnival Valor's Lido Deck pool area was lined with towel animals in the morning. Immediately after walking outside of the atrium, guests were greeted towel animals lining the pool area. Before I could take pictures of the towel animals, I had to wait for my camera lenses to defog. By the time I got outside to look at the towel animals, there were a few other people outside taking pictures of the towel animals too.
Lido Main Pool Area - Decorated With Towel Animals
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Towel Animals Lined The Entire Main Pool Area
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Towel Animals
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Towel Animal - Hippo
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Towel Animal
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Towel Animal - Frog
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Towel Animal
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Towel Animal - Monkey
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Towel Station - Decorated With Animals Too
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Blue Iguana Tequila Bar
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Lido Main Pool Area - Looking Towards Waterslide
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Spiral Staircase To Deck 10 - The staircase I slipped on
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Breakfast:
Today's breakfast times were a little different compared to our first sea day on the Carnival Valor. Today, the continental breakfast buffet opened at 6:00am and stayed open until 8:00am. The Blue Iguana Cantina and Main Breakfast Buffet lines opened at 7:30am and stayed open until 10:30am. The Late Riser Buffet lines were open from 10:30am - 12:00pm. Here are some pictures of breakfast buffet foods:
Today's breakfast times were a little different compared to our first sea day on the Carnival Valor. Today, the continental breakfast buffet opened at 6:00am and stayed open until 8:00am. The Blue Iguana Cantina and Main Breakfast Buffet lines opened at 7:30am and stayed open until 10:30am. The Late Riser Buffet lines were open from 10:30am - 12:00pm. Here are some pictures of breakfast buffet foods:
Continental Breakfast - Milk & Yogurt
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Continental Breakfast - Cereal (Assorted Varieties)
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Continental Breakfast - Fruits
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Continental Breakfast - Fruits
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Continental Breakfast - Fruits
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Continental Breakfast
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Continental Breakfast - Assorted Meats & Cheeses
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Main Breakfast Buffet
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Main Breakfast Buffet
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Main Breakfast Buffet
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Main Breakfast Buffet
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Main Breakfast Buffet
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Main Breakfast Buffet
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Main Breakfast Buffet - Bacon & Ham Served From Behind The Counter
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Continental Breakfast - Pastries
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Continental Breakfast - Pastries
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Continental Breakfast - Pastries
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Continental Breakfast - Pastries
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Continental Breakfast - Pastries
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Continental Breakfast - Pastries
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Continental Breakfast - Fruits
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Breakfast was extremely good! I had an omelet once again. For cruisers that did not want to eat in the buffet, the Dr. Suess Breakfast was taking place in the Lincoln Dining Room at 8:30am. The Dr. Suess Breakfast costs extra. Also, the Sea Day Brunch was taking place in the Washington Dining Room from 8:30am until 1:00pm.
After eating breakfast, I walked up to Deck 10 from the Lido Deck.
After eating breakfast, I walked up to Deck 10 from the Lido Deck.
View Of The Waves From Deck 10's Back
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Walking Along Deck 10 Looking At The Ocean
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Deck 10 - Tons Of Deck Chairs
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Serenity Entrance - Deck 14 Level
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Serenity Adults Only Retreat
The Serenity Adults Only Retreat is located on Decks 12 and 14 around the ship's front. While the Serenity's name implies adults only, it is actually for adults that are 21 and older only. On the Carnival Valor, this area was constantly monitored by crew members as well as security for kids and young adults that were underage. There are a variety of tables, chairs, hammocks, and places to relax on the Carnival Valor's Serenity Adults Only Retreat. While it was only about 8:30am, there were already some people claiming chairs at the Serenity. Here are a few pictures of Deck 12 and Deck 14 of the Serenity Adults Only Retreat on the Carnival Valor: |
Serenity - Deck 12 Level
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Serenity - Deck 12 Level
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Serenity - Deck 12 Level
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Serenity - Deck 12 Level
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Serenity - Deck 12 Level
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On The Stairs From Deck 12 to Deck 14
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Serenity - Deck 14 Level
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Serenity - Deck 14 Level
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Serenity - Deck 14 Level
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Serenity - Deck 14 Level
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Serenity - Deck 14 Level
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Serenity - Deck 14 Level
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Serenity Entrance on Deck 12
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Serenity Entrance On Deck 12
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Looking Towards The Ship's Back From Deck 11
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Waterslide & Atrium Skylight
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Seaside Theater & Ship's Funnel
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Promenade Stage Area By The Casino Bar
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Morning Trivia:
At 9am a morning trivia game was being held at the Dream Bar. The Dream Bar is the Carnival Valor's casino bar located on the Promenade Deck (5) around the middle of the deck. This trivia game was about a variety of general knowledge topics. We played this trivia, but lost by one question. It was still fun! Live Morning Show With Orlando: At 9:30am in the Ivanhoe Theater, Orlando (our cruise director) was hosting his morning show. The morning show is broadcasted on a designated onboard TV channel. We went to sit in the Ivanhoe Theater to be a part of the audience. This was a fun and informational show! Towards the end Orlando asked some random trivia questions and the winner received a medal. |
Towel Folding Class:
At 11:15am in the Ivanhoe Theater a free towel animal creation class was being held. I stopped in to see what was going on. After watching kids (and adults too) grab towels to learn how to make towel animals, I decided I would give it a try. However, I did not try because the housekeeping department ran out of towels to give out. I stayed to learn how to make a towel animal dog, but I was unable to practice too, so I think I already forgot how to make the towel animal.
At 11:15am in the Ivanhoe Theater a free towel animal creation class was being held. I stopped in to see what was going on. After watching kids (and adults too) grab towels to learn how to make towel animals, I decided I would give it a try. However, I did not try because the housekeeping department ran out of towels to give out. I stayed to learn how to make a towel animal dog, but I was unable to practice too, so I think I already forgot how to make the towel animal.
Ivanhoe Theater
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Towel Animal Swans
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Towel Animals
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When our stateroom steward came by to do his morning stateroom cleaning, he left us another towel animal as well as a little generic thank you for cruising note. Throughout this cruise he did a great job!
Towel Animal Left In Our Stateroom
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Thank You Note From Our Stateroom Steward
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Beds
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Lunch In Rosie's Lido Buffet:
Today was our last lunch onboard the Carnival Valor. In 24 hours, a different group of cruisers would be onboard eating at Rosie's, enjoying their first day's lunch. Here were the last sea day's lunch choices:
I started my lunch by getting in line at the Blue Iguana Cantina. The Carnival Valor's Blue Iguana Cantina serves taco salad bowls. I did not know this until seeing someone else eat one during this cruise. When I got in line, I asked for a bowl and I was able to choose all of the fillings. I asked for extra guacamole too because I love avocado. The bowl is something I will now eat at least once on every Carnival cruise ship that has the Blue Iguana Cantina.
Today was our last lunch onboard the Carnival Valor. In 24 hours, a different group of cruisers would be onboard eating at Rosie's, enjoying their first day's lunch. Here were the last sea day's lunch choices:
- Chef's Choice (American themed) 12:00pm - 2:30pm
- Chocolate Extravaganza 12:00pm - 2:30pm
- Mongolian Wok 12:00pm - 2:30pm
- Ol' Fashioned BBQ 12:00pm - 2:30pm
- Seafood Shack (costs extra) 12:00pm - 5:00pm
- Sushi At Sea (costs extra) 12:00pm - 5:00pm
- Guy's Burger Joint 12:00pm - 6:00pm
I started my lunch by getting in line at the Blue Iguana Cantina. The Carnival Valor's Blue Iguana Cantina serves taco salad bowls. I did not know this until seeing someone else eat one during this cruise. When I got in line, I asked for a bowl and I was able to choose all of the fillings. I asked for extra guacamole too because I love avocado. The bowl is something I will now eat at least once on every Carnival cruise ship that has the Blue Iguana Cantina.
Fillings For Burritos & Bowls At The Blue Iguana Cantina
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Burritos Menu Posted On The Wall
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Fillings For Burritos
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Blue Iguana Cantina Bowl
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Blue Iguana Cantina Bowl
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Turkey Wrap From The Deli
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Pepperoni Pizza From The Pizzeria
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Caesar Salad From The Pizzeria
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Mongolian Wok Stir Fry Bowl
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Out of all of the buffet lines and choices for this day's lunch, the Chocolate Extravaganza line was the longest. In order to get pictures, I had to take them while waiting in line. Otherwise, I would not have been able to take any pictures of the chocolate desserts because the line stayed long throughout the afternoon until the buffet line closed. Here are some Chocolate Extravaganza pictures:
Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet Line
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Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet Line
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Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet Line
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Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet Line
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Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet Line
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Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet Line
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Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet Line
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Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet Line
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Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet Line
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Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet Line
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Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet Line
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Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet Line
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Chocolate Cake & Ice Cream Swan
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Ice Cream Swan With Vanilla Ice Cream
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Chocolate Covered Cantaloupe & Donut
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Carnival Freedom Passing Us In The Gulf of Mexico:
When I was almost finished eating my ice cream swan, I saw another Carnival ship sailing by. I finished my ice cream swan to make it outside to have a look. At first I thought it was the Carnival Triumph, but then I quickly realized it was the Carnival Freedom. The Carnival Freedom was sailing the opposite direction from where we were headed. This was the first time I remember ever passing another cruise ship in the middle of the day while sailing in the Gulf of Mexico. For those that don't know, the Carnival Freedom sails 7 night cruises from Galveston that depart on Saturdays. On this particular day, the Carnival Freedom was sailing south to Cozumel and those cruisers were enjoying their first sea day as we enjoyed our last sea day.
When I was almost finished eating my ice cream swan, I saw another Carnival ship sailing by. I finished my ice cream swan to make it outside to have a look. At first I thought it was the Carnival Triumph, but then I quickly realized it was the Carnival Freedom. The Carnival Freedom was sailing the opposite direction from where we were headed. This was the first time I remember ever passing another cruise ship in the middle of the day while sailing in the Gulf of Mexico. For those that don't know, the Carnival Freedom sails 7 night cruises from Galveston that depart on Saturdays. On this particular day, the Carnival Freedom was sailing south to Cozumel and those cruisers were enjoying their first sea day as we enjoyed our last sea day.
Carnival Freedom's Front
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Carnival Freedom - Sailing Opposite Direction From Us
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Carnival Freedom
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Afternoon Activities:
The afternoon passed by so quickly I did not have much of a chance to get pictures. Some of the afternoon's activities included reverse charades, ice carving demo, art auction, military appreciation gathering, country line dancing, and bean bag toss. Out of these activities, I went to the bean bag toss game. The bean bag toss game was disappointing because only 8 teams could play and nearly 50 people showed up. The Fun Squad member distributed numbered tickets and did a raffle to choose who could play. My ticket did not win.
The afternoon passed by so quickly I did not have much of a chance to get pictures. Some of the afternoon's activities included reverse charades, ice carving demo, art auction, military appreciation gathering, country line dancing, and bean bag toss. Out of these activities, I went to the bean bag toss game. The bean bag toss game was disappointing because only 8 teams could play and nearly 50 people showed up. The Fun Squad member distributed numbered tickets and did a raffle to choose who could play. My ticket did not win.
Carnival Valor's Front
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Deck 10 Front Area
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Looking Down The Side Of The Ship
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Dinner Table
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American Table Dining Experience - Last Night's Dinner:
Tonight was our last dinner on the Carnival Valor. At 5:45pm, the Lincoln Dining Room opened and we were seated quickly. The dining room was just as busy on this night of the cruise as the formal night dinner. Once again, the food was extremely good! We were finished eating dinner too quickly to see the after dinner dancing by the waitstaff. I would have liked to been in the dining room to see this, but it is not too big of a deal. Here are some pictures from the night's dinner: |
Bread Basket
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Appetizer - Marinated Chicken Tenders
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Appetizer - Shrimp Cocktail
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Appetizer - Caesar Salad
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Main Course - Chicken Breast
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Main Course - Flat Iron Steak w/ Extra Side of Broccoli
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Dessert - Cheesecake
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Dessert - Chocolate Panna Cotta
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Dessert - Chocolate Panna Cotta w/Sauce
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Evening Walk Around The Outside Decks Of The Carnival Valor:
After becoming stuffed from dinner, it was time to head up to the jogging track on Deck 11 for an evening walk. As I walked around, the sun began to set and some oil rigs could be seen in the distance. Seeing the oil rigs was exciting. We were still a long way from land, but I knew as we sailed forward we were getting closer to Galveston.
After becoming stuffed from dinner, it was time to head up to the jogging track on Deck 11 for an evening walk. As I walked around, the sun began to set and some oil rigs could be seen in the distance. Seeing the oil rigs was exciting. We were still a long way from land, but I knew as we sailed forward we were getting closer to Galveston.
Ship's Funnel
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Deck 11 Jogging Track
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Volleyball Court - View From The Jogging Track
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View Of the Ocean From The Jogging Track
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Deck Railing Under Repair
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Looking Below At The Lido Pool Area
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Sunset
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Sunset
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Volleyball Court - Peeking Inside From The Gate
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On many of the decks near the mid-ship elevators, empty luggage racks were sitting. This was so crew members could collect suitcases that were put outside people's stateroom doors.
Luggage Carts Waiting In The Elevator Areas
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Caesar Salad From The Pizzeria
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Carnival Valor Pizzeria
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Night's Entertainment: Viva Variety
Since one of the Carnival Valor's shows was removed already due to the installation of Playlist Productions, we had a filler show called Viva Variety. Two entertainers, Max Winfrey and John Cassidy, were onboard to give us a show. Both of them did such a great job! The show was very enjoyable, high energy, and filled with laughter!
Looking At The Food In Rosie's Lido Buffet:
After watching the show and laughing so much, I went up to the lido buffet to see what was up there to eat. I ended up going by the pizzeria to get some pizza and Caesar Salad. Here are a few pictures of the food options that were on the buffet line:
Since one of the Carnival Valor's shows was removed already due to the installation of Playlist Productions, we had a filler show called Viva Variety. Two entertainers, Max Winfrey and John Cassidy, were onboard to give us a show. Both of them did such a great job! The show was very enjoyable, high energy, and filled with laughter!
Looking At The Food In Rosie's Lido Buffet:
After watching the show and laughing so much, I went up to the lido buffet to see what was up there to eat. I ended up going by the pizzeria to get some pizza and Caesar Salad. Here are a few pictures of the food options that were on the buffet line:
Dinner Buffet Line
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Dinner Buffet Line
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Dinner Buffet Line
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Dinner Buffet Line
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Dinner Buffet Line
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Dinner Buffet Line
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Dinner Buffet Line
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Dinner Buffet Line
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Dinner Buffet Line
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After a quick visit to the buffet, it was time to go to bed. My alarm was set for 4:30am and I had a few more things to pack before I could fall asleep. Stay tuned for the last day's cruise review!
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