09/19/2026
🚢 My Honest Review of the Carnival Valor! 🚢
So, we booked a 4-day Carnival Valor cruise out of New Orleans specifically to check out the ship in preparation for her move to Mobile as her homeport in May 2027.
Booking during the peak of hurricane season was a little dicey, but we lucked out with absolutely beautiful weather for the majority of the journey! ☀️🌴
I have to admit, I was prepared to judge this ship pretty hard. 😂 I hadn't sailed Carnival since 2005, and the Valor is an older, smaller ship, so I really wasn't sure what to expect.
I am VERY pleased to say...
She exceeded my expectations!
🚢 Smaller Ships = A BIG YES for Me
One thing I have learned through our travels is that I really enjoy the smaller ships.
Somehow, they just don't feel as crowded, and that certainly rang true on this sailing.
The ship was sold out, yet we never had trouble finding a table in the buffet or a lounge chair by the pool. There are four sets of elevators, so we never waited long for one, and the service in all of the venues we visited was on point.
I did notice there was almost always a line at Guest Services, but luckily, we never had a reason to join it! 😆
🇺🇸 The Ship
The Valor recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation, and despite her age, I thought she was quite beautiful. It still held that old ship charm.
The décor is VERY patriotic, with accents in the colors of Mardi Gras — purple, green and gold — which I honestly never would have thought would come together so nicely, but they really do!
The gym and spa are basically brand new after the renovation. There is no thermal spa, but the sauna and steam room are complimentary on this ship.
🍔 Let's Talk Food!
I am HARD to impress when it comes to cruise food, so I wasn't expecting to be blown away.
But I have to say, we had a few things that I can honestly say were some of the best food I've had at sea.
First up: Guy's Burgers and Blue Iguana Cantina.
Carnival is famous for both, and they absolutely lived up to the hype!
Blue Iguana makes their tortillas from scratch, use all fresh ingredients, and they even serve breakfast, which was also was fantastic!
The famous melting chocolate lava cake, however...
Sorry Carnival, but it did NOT win any awards with me. 😂
In fact, there were quite a few desserts that I didn't think were worth the calories.
BUT...
The crème brûlée and pear almond butter cake?
Those were worth EVERY calorie! 🤤 The baked Alaska was not bad either!
The buffet was multi-level and had a pretty diverse variety. For buffet food, I really had no complaints. Some things were pretty good, some were definitely meh...but that's a buffet for you!
The main dining room was also very good. I enjoyed all of my meals, and the service was fantastic.
And true to Carnival's "Fun Ship" tagline, even in the main dining room, the servers periodically come out and DANCE ON THE TABLES during dinner.
It is something!! 😂 And definitely FUN!
🛏️ Our Stateroom
Our stateroom was roomy, with plenty of storage, and the bathroom was actually laid out really well.
It was big enough that you didn't feel ridiculously cramped regardless of what you were doing in there. 😂
Our room attendant was good. Not the best we've ever had, but no complaints.
And best of all...
WE GOT TOWEL ANIMALS! 🐒🐘🦢
This may sound silly, but I LOVE coming back to the cabin to see what creature we got!
We've sailed some lines that don't really practice that kind of fun anymore, so we definitely enjoyed it.
🎭 Entertainment
The cruise director, Shy, was AMAZING!
He really made sure the whole ship was having fun.
Carnival takes audience participation to another level, and I think being on a smaller ship made it even better. Even though the ship was sold out, everyone who wanted to participate had an opportunity to be part of something.
And honestly, that really does make things more fun!
My biggest criticism of the entertainment would have to be the costumes in a couple of the shows. 😬
Let's just say...they may have been almost as old as the ship itself. 😂
But I guess you can't have everything!
There was live music of every genre you can think of every night in different areas of the ship. The piano bar with Gustavo was my favorite! 🎹
The comedy club was also pretty decent, although the Love & Marriage Show on the last night was funnier than any comedian I have ever seen at sea OR on land. 😂
There was definitely something for everyone, including karaoke.
🍹 Drinks & Adults-Only Areas
We did not purchase the drink package, so I can't really give an honest review of the bartenders.
I will say this:
Tip your servers well, and you may find yourself with a few extra drinks by the pool. 😉🍹
The Valor has several adults-only areas, and we frequented those quite a bit.
There were two hot tubs both forward and aft, with amazing views. The décor in those areas could maybe use a little sprucing up, but they were clean, there were plenty of comfortable loungers, and there was a bar right there that never had a line.
And that's a win in my book!
🎰 The Casino
The casino was big and actually had live music.
There is a smoking and a non-smoking section, but you can still smell the smoke, which I did not love. But it is what it is.
We did see some people actually win, but I don't think I gambled enough to get a casino offer. 😂
Once I start losing, I generally give up.
⭐ So...What Do I Think?
Honestly?
I was pleasantly surprised by the Carnival Valor.
I went into this cruise expecting to find an older ship that felt dated and crowded.
Instead, I found a ship that was fun, comfortable, easy to navigate, had genuinely good food, great service, and an atmosphere that actually lived up to the "Fun Ship" name.
Was everything perfect?
No. But nothing is, and I would sail her again. without hesitation!
It definitely beat sitting on the couch! 😂
