Carnival Valor 2018 5-Day Caribbean Cruise Review
Day 5 July 4, 2018 Day At Sea
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Day 5 July 4, 2018 Day At Sea
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Early Morning Walk Around The Ship:
Today was our last sea day and last full day of the cruise. Once again, I woke up around 5:45am to get ready for a walk around the ship. After getting dressed I began my walk on the Lido Deck. At this time of the morning, Rosie's Lido Buffet was empty. The breakfast buffet lines were not yet open.
Today was our last sea day and last full day of the cruise. Once again, I woke up around 5:45am to get ready for a walk around the ship. After getting dressed I began my walk on the Lido Deck. At this time of the morning, Rosie's Lido Buffet was empty. The breakfast buffet lines were not yet open.
Tables In Rosie's Lido Buffet
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One Of The Buffet's Drink Stations
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One Of The Buffet Lines In Rosie's
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Rosie's Lido Buffet
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Another Drink Station In Rosie's Lido Buffet
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Main Buffet Line & Seating To The Right
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After walking in the buffet's interior, I went outside to the Lido aft pool. The Carnival Valor's pizzeria and Seafood Shack are located outside in this area. The pizzeria is open 24 hours a day and is a complimentary eating venue. The Seafood Shack costs extra and is only open for the lunch and dinner meal times. As I walked by this area, I noticed the ship's retractable roof was still closed for the night. By mid-morning the retractable roof would be open and the pool would be open for use by cruisers.
Seafood Shack Menu With Prices
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Tables & Chairs Around The AFT Pool
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Seafood Shack Counter
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I walked down from Deck 9 to Deck 5. The Promenade Deck was empty because most places were still closed. I saw on the ship's tracker we were heading northwest towards Galveston. Here are some pictures I took as I walked around the Promenade Deck:
Promenade Area Right Red Frog Pub & Java Coffee Bar
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Promenade
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Ship's Tracker
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Empty Taste Bar - Now An Unused Space
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Alchemy Bar
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Promenade Walkway by the Alchemy Bar
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Lindy Hop Piano Bar
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Some Seats In The Lindy Hop Piano Bar
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Paris Hot Lounge
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After walking around Deck 5, I went down to Deck 3 to catch a glimpse of the sunrise. The sunrise was beginning to appear, but due to my camera lenses I had to wait to start taking pictures. I like my camera, but its lense fog up way to easily.
Sunrise
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Sunrise
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Sunrise
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When I went back inside I decided to walk into the Ivanhoe Theater. The lower level of the Ivanhoe Theater is on Deck 3. However, the theater also has seating on Decks 4 & 5.
Ivanhoe Theater - Deck 3 Level
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Ivanhoe Theater - Deck 3 Level
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Ivanhoe Theater - Deck 3 Level
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After looking around the Ivanhoe Theater I went up to Deck 4. I walked into the atrium and continued walking past the photo gallery into the Lincoln Dining Room. From the upper level of the Lincoln Dining Room I was able to see the tables on Deck 3 setup for the Green Eggs & Ham Breakfast. The Green Eggs & Ham Breakfast is a Dr. Suess themed breakfast that costs extra.
Lincoln Dining Room - View From Deck 4
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Table Decorated For Green Eggs & Ham Breakfast
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Tables Decorated For The Green Eggs & Ham Breakfast
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I continued my walk back up towards the ship's top decks. I stopped on Deck 6 for a quick look outside at the front. Decks 6, 7, and 10 all have deck spaces at the front of the ship for cruisers to look out. To get outside to one of these decks go to the front of the ship and in the stateroom hallway you will see an exterior door. Deck 4 & Deck 5 have front areas, but these are crew only spaces. After looking out at at the front I got to Deck 10.
Carnival Valor's Front
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Sunrise
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Deck 10
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Hottub on Deck 10
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Pool on Deck 10
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View Of Deck 9 From Deck 10
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Looking Down At A Lido Hottub
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View From Deck 11
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Ping Pong Table On Deck 12
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One of the last places to stop on my morning walk was Deck 14. I looked at the upper level of the Serenity Adults Only Retreat as well as stopped to see the ship's coin.
Deck 14
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Deck 14
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Ship's Coin
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Since it was almost time for breakfast I headed down from Deck 14 to the Lido Deck (9). On my way to the buffet I passed by the ship's towel station, Blue Iguana Tequila Bar, Red Frog Rum Bar, and the ship's main pool. All of these venues were still closed for the day.
Towel Station
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Blue Iguana Tequila Bar
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Lido Deck (9)
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Lido Deck
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Lido Main Pool
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Lido Deck
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Red Frog Rum Bar
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Stairwell To Deck 10
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Guy's Burger Joint
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Breakfast in Rosie's Lido Buffet:
Rosie's served continental breakfast from 6:30am - 10:00am and the general breakfast buffet lines were open from 7:00am through 10:30am. The Blue Iguana Cantina served breakfast tacos and burritos from 7:00am - 10:30am too. For cruisers that wanted to eat in the dining room, the Washington Dining Room was having SeaDay Brunch from 8:30am until 1:00pm. For late risers, Rosie's was serving a late risers breakfast buffet from 10:30am - 12:00pm. The Dr. Suess Green Eggs & Ham Breakfast was taking place in the Lincoln Dining Room (deck 3 level) at 8:30am and 9:45am. This Dr. Suess breakfast was an extra charge.
NOTE: The times listed in the Fun-Times did not accurately reflect the times the buffet actually opened.
Here are some breakfast pictures:
Rosie's served continental breakfast from 6:30am - 10:00am and the general breakfast buffet lines were open from 7:00am through 10:30am. The Blue Iguana Cantina served breakfast tacos and burritos from 7:00am - 10:30am too. For cruisers that wanted to eat in the dining room, the Washington Dining Room was having SeaDay Brunch from 8:30am until 1:00pm. For late risers, Rosie's was serving a late risers breakfast buffet from 10:30am - 12:00pm. The Dr. Suess Green Eggs & Ham Breakfast was taking place in the Lincoln Dining Room (deck 3 level) at 8:30am and 9:45am. This Dr. Suess breakfast was an extra charge.
NOTE: The times listed in the Fun-Times did not accurately reflect the times the buffet actually opened.
Here are some breakfast pictures:
Continental Breakfast Buffet Line - Pastries
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Continental Breakfast Buffet Line - Pastries
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Continental Breakfast Buffet Line - Pastries
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Continental Breakfast Buffet Line - Pastries
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Continental Breakfast Buffet Line - Pastries
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Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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My Omelet
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After breakfast I took a quick walk around the ship's outside upper decks. I started on Deck 10, went up to Deck 11, and then went back to down to Deck 10's front. I had about 30 minutes until the Behind the Fun Tour began, which meant I didn't have to much time to walk around the ship.
Waves At The Back Of The Ship
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Deck 10's Back Area
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Deck 10
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Looking Down At The Aft Pool From Deck 10
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Deck 11 Jogging Track
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View From Deck 11
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Deck Area Closed For Work
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View From Deck 10
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Carnival Valor's Front
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Behind the Fun Tour Strawberry Plate
Behind The Fun Tour:
The Behind the Fun Tour is a tour that takes cruisers into crew only areas such as the engine room, navigational bridge, galley, backstage, and more. This tour cost $95.00 per person and had a limited number of tickets sold at the Shore Excursions desk.
For my Behind the Fun Tour experience, we were instructed to meet at the Illiad Library at 8:45am. The tour was scheduled to depart at 9:00am. When we arrived in the library we were greeted by the ship's HR staff member and she checked our tickets. Juice, coffee, and pastries were available in the library as we waited to go. Once all the guests were present we were given information about the tour and a security guard used a wand to make sure none of us had electronic devices. There were no cameras or phones allowed on this tour.
The tour began on the ship's bow on Deck 4. We took a group picture with the ships bell and then went inside to tour the Ivanhoe Theater's backstage area. While backstage we saw the storage area for the show's props and the costume/dressing rooms for the dancers. After leaving this area we walked down a crew only stairwell. During this time we passed by the ship's brig and morgue. We also saw the crew gym. The tour visited the laundry room on Deck B (below the waterline). It was impressive seeing how busy the laundry room was! We also saw some of the locations of crew staterooms throughout the lower decks, but due to all of the rooms being used we were not able to see a crew room. Unfortunately, I do not remember each deck that had crew staterooms, but I think Deck A and Deck 0 had many crew staterooms. When we walked back up to Deck 0 we saw one of the crew dining rooms, the crew bar, and the human resources office. The tour took a short break in the human resources office. While on Deck 0 we saw the meat locker and beverage storage area. Furthermore, we went into the Engine Control Room. Since this was considered a secure area, the security guard was watching everyone very closely. After leaving Deck 0 we headed up to the ship's main galley on Deck 3. In the galley we were given a strawberry and a cookie to sample. The chef told us a little bit about the galley. Following our visit to the galley we went to Deck 8 and go to go into the navigational bridge. Since this area was also considered secure we were closely watched by security and the ship's officers. The captain came and answered a few quick questions, but before we left we took a group picture with the captain. The Behind the Fun Tour concluded in the ship's steakhouse on Deck 10. I greatly enjoyed this tour and felt it was well worth the money spent. I hope to do this tour again in the future on another ship!
While we gone on the tour, the chef has sent us a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. The plate was delivered to our stateroom. These tasted very good! For going on the tour, we got a Behind the Fun Tour hat, lanyard, and a basic ship facts sheet.
TIP: If you are considering the Behind the Fun Tour make sure you book it early in the cruise! Also, the tour is walking intensive and elevators are not available for many portions of the tour.
The Behind the Fun Tour is a tour that takes cruisers into crew only areas such as the engine room, navigational bridge, galley, backstage, and more. This tour cost $95.00 per person and had a limited number of tickets sold at the Shore Excursions desk.
For my Behind the Fun Tour experience, we were instructed to meet at the Illiad Library at 8:45am. The tour was scheduled to depart at 9:00am. When we arrived in the library we were greeted by the ship's HR staff member and she checked our tickets. Juice, coffee, and pastries were available in the library as we waited to go. Once all the guests were present we were given information about the tour and a security guard used a wand to make sure none of us had electronic devices. There were no cameras or phones allowed on this tour.
The tour began on the ship's bow on Deck 4. We took a group picture with the ships bell and then went inside to tour the Ivanhoe Theater's backstage area. While backstage we saw the storage area for the show's props and the costume/dressing rooms for the dancers. After leaving this area we walked down a crew only stairwell. During this time we passed by the ship's brig and morgue. We also saw the crew gym. The tour visited the laundry room on Deck B (below the waterline). It was impressive seeing how busy the laundry room was! We also saw some of the locations of crew staterooms throughout the lower decks, but due to all of the rooms being used we were not able to see a crew room. Unfortunately, I do not remember each deck that had crew staterooms, but I think Deck A and Deck 0 had many crew staterooms. When we walked back up to Deck 0 we saw one of the crew dining rooms, the crew bar, and the human resources office. The tour took a short break in the human resources office. While on Deck 0 we saw the meat locker and beverage storage area. Furthermore, we went into the Engine Control Room. Since this was considered a secure area, the security guard was watching everyone very closely. After leaving Deck 0 we headed up to the ship's main galley on Deck 3. In the galley we were given a strawberry and a cookie to sample. The chef told us a little bit about the galley. Following our visit to the galley we went to Deck 8 and go to go into the navigational bridge. Since this area was also considered secure we were closely watched by security and the ship's officers. The captain came and answered a few quick questions, but before we left we took a group picture with the captain. The Behind the Fun Tour concluded in the ship's steakhouse on Deck 10. I greatly enjoyed this tour and felt it was well worth the money spent. I hope to do this tour again in the future on another ship!
While we gone on the tour, the chef has sent us a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. The plate was delivered to our stateroom. These tasted very good! For going on the tour, we got a Behind the Fun Tour hat, lanyard, and a basic ship facts sheet.
TIP: If you are considering the Behind the Fun Tour make sure you book it early in the cruise! Also, the tour is walking intensive and elevators are not available for many portions of the tour.
Last Lunch Onboard & Chocolate Extravaganza:
Today's lunch options were:
Since today was the 4th of July, the Chef's Choice buffet line was serving American food. However, since it was the last sea day the Carnival Valor was serving the Chocolate Extravaganza. Some of the items on the Chocolate Extravaganza buffet line were served specially because it was the 4th of July. Here are some pictures from lunch:
Today's lunch options were:
- Blue Iguana Cantina 12:00pm - 2:30pm
- Chef's Choice (American) 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
Since today was the 4th of July, the Chef's Choice buffet line was serving American food. However, since it was the last sea day the Carnival Valor was serving the Chocolate Extravaganza. Some of the items on the Chocolate Extravaganza buffet line were served specially because it was the 4th of July. Here are some pictures from lunch:
Two Tacos From The Blue Iguana Cantina
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Fried Shrimp
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Red Velvet Cake
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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The ice cream swans are one of my favorite parts of the chocolate extravaganza. Cruisers can get a vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream swan. Very tasty!
Chocolate Extravaganza Desserts
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Chocolate Extravaganza - Ice Cream Swan Station
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Ice Cream Swan
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After lunch I decided to take another walk around the ship's exterior decks. Here are some pictures:
Deck 11 - Jogging Track
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Deck 11 - Some Chairs Setup
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View Of The Blue Water
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Ship's Funnel
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View From Deck 12 Of The Ship's Main Pool Area
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Seaside Theater Displaying 4th of July Messages
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View Of The Ship's Side From Deck 10
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Ship's Front - View From Deck 10
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Ship's Front
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View From Our Balcony
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Deck 3
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Towel Animal Monkey
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Some Rain & Getting My VIFP Appreciation Drink:
Around the late afternoon (5:00ish) the weather was very cloudy and it rained some. However, we sailed through the rain and were out of it within 15-20 minutes. I am a Gold Level VIFP club member with Carnival and one of the freebies that comes this level is an appreciation drink coupon. This coupon is placed in the room on the first day of the cruise, but it is not valid until the last evening after 5:00pm. The appreciation drink coupon is good for 1 drink (there is a value limit). We visited the casino bar and I got a strawberry smoothie. It was very good!
Around the late afternoon (5:00ish) the weather was very cloudy and it rained some. However, we sailed through the rain and were out of it within 15-20 minutes. I am a Gold Level VIFP club member with Carnival and one of the freebies that comes this level is an appreciation drink coupon. This coupon is placed in the room on the first day of the cruise, but it is not valid until the last evening after 5:00pm. The appreciation drink coupon is good for 1 drink (there is a value limit). We visited the casino bar and I got a strawberry smoothie. It was very good!
Bad Weather In The Distance
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Chairs & Mini Table On The Balcony
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Free VIFP Appreciation Drink - Smoothie
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Last Dinner In The Lincoln Dining Room:
Tonight was our very last dinner in the Lincoln Dining Room. The doors to the dining room opened a few minutes early and the dining room was more crowded than some of the other nights of the cruise. We had the same dining room waitstaff and they did a great job. Once again, I greatly enjoyed the food. Since tonight was the last night the waitstaff did a baked alaska parade that included music and fire on the baked alaska cakes. Also, since tonight was the 4th of July the waitstaff sang God Bless America, but this song replaced the Leaving on a Fun Ship song that is normally sang on the last night (the Leaving on a Fun Ship song is still sang on other cruises).
Tonight was our very last dinner in the Lincoln Dining Room. The doors to the dining room opened a few minutes early and the dining room was more crowded than some of the other nights of the cruise. We had the same dining room waitstaff and they did a great job. Once again, I greatly enjoyed the food. Since tonight was the last night the waitstaff did a baked alaska parade that included music and fire on the baked alaska cakes. Also, since tonight was the 4th of July the waitstaff sang God Bless America, but this song replaced the Leaving on a Fun Ship song that is normally sang on the last night (the Leaving on a Fun Ship song is still sang on other cruises).
Bread Basket
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Appetizer - Heart of Iceberg Lettuce
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Appetizer - Braised Ox Tongue
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Appetizer - Shrimp Cocktail
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Appetizer - Caesar Salad
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Appetizer - Grilled Beef Skewers
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Main Course - Southern Fried Chicken
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Main Course - Grilled Beef Tenderloin
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Main Course - Grilled Beef Tenderloin (Side Of Macaroni)
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Side Baked Potato
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Dessert - Baked Alaska
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After dinner I made a quick trip back to the stateroom to change. Our stateroom had come by to leave us a towel heart. Before heading to the Ivanhoe Theater for the show, we went up to Deck 11 and walked some on the jogging track.
Stateroom
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Towel Heart
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Sunset - View From Deck 11 Jogging Track Area
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Ship's Funnel
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Deck 11
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Deck 11
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Playlist Productions Show - "America Rocks"
Tonight's production show was America Rocks. This was not a 4th of July special because this show is performed each cruise. The show consisted of 80's rock music and was enjoyable. The showtimes for tonight's production show were at 8:15pm and 10:15pm. The pre-show entertainment started in the Ivanhoe Theater at 7:45pm and 9:45pm.
4th of July Balloon Drop:
At 9:45pm, a balloon drop was held in the Carnival Valor's atrium. The balloons were dropped from Deck 9 onto Deck 3. I was up on Deck 9 when the balloon drop took place and it was fun seeing the entertainment department's team undo the net to launch the balloons. Happy Fourth of July!
Tonight's production show was America Rocks. This was not a 4th of July special because this show is performed each cruise. The show consisted of 80's rock music and was enjoyable. The showtimes for tonight's production show were at 8:15pm and 10:15pm. The pre-show entertainment started in the Ivanhoe Theater at 7:45pm and 9:45pm.
4th of July Balloon Drop:
At 9:45pm, a balloon drop was held in the Carnival Valor's atrium. The balloons were dropped from Deck 9 onto Deck 3. I was up on Deck 9 when the balloon drop took place and it was fun seeing the entertainment department's team undo the net to launch the balloons. Happy Fourth of July!
4th of July Balloons
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4th of July Balloons
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Balloon Drop - Net Was Just Released
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Balloon Drop
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Balloon Drop
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Balloon Drop
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