The Last Hurrah
Sunday, October 1, 2017
I consider it a successful cruise when I win a trophy!
This was our last day to see, explore and do all that the Carnival Valor had to offer. We spent lots of time at the pools and hot tubs and ALL FOUR of us got to go on the WaterSlide. It was a great day!
Morning
I woke up at 6:15AM, got ready and went straight to the balcony. I was able to capture the 6:45AM sunrise and it was gorgeous. Then I was able to relax and take a relaxing nap before everyone else woke up around 8AM. Mom came out to the balcony and I was still asleep and I am not sure she realized I was out there because she left to get ready and locked me out. I waited a little while then had to bang on the windows for someone to let me in! I thought it was hilarious but Natalie did not like being woken up to banging on the window!
This sunrise was amazing!
This is PERFECT! The absolute best place to be at 6AM!
This was about 15 minutes after the sun had come up! Stunningly beautiful!
Natalie and I enjoyed some balcony time before we all went to breakfast on Lido. We missed the SeaDay Brunch since we were late getting up and Allie had a nail appointment at 9AM. All of us received a $50 SPA gift certificate and Allie chose to use hers to get a "Fire N Ice Manicure". She enjoyed it very much and said the view was beautiful. Tip- As mentioned in previous installments, be sure to let your "personal Vacation Planner" (PVP) about anything you are celebrating. They will usually go out of their way to help you celebrate with anything from SPA gift cards to Wine certificates and anything in between. But you have to enter the celebration into the MY CRUISE MANAGER and then let your PVP (or travel agent) know ahead of time.
We LOVE balcony time!
Morning balcony time is the best!
As Allie was getting her manicure GiGi, Natalie and I enjoyed some time in the gym before we were kicked out because Natalie was too young (12 years and up). Then we went to the towel folding fun in the Ivanhoe Theater. Frankie, the cruise director, was running this event and we liked that better than the usual housekeeping staff. We made a puppy, elephant and a sting-ray! It was lots of fun as usual. Tip- This is a favorite event of my kids but be sure you get there early and on-time so you do not miss any steps! The towel animals look better this way too! After the towel folding fun we watched the Towel Puppet Show. This has been a hit or miss event on Carnival cruise ships but my kids love it and it has some funny adult topics as well! Tip- Look for these 2 events in the FunTimes on the last sea day, usually around 10AM.
GiGi ended up walking over 1/2 mile!
Natalie just liked roaming around in the gym!
Frankie leading the Towel Folding Fun!
I loved that he promoted the "home team" and wore a Texans jersey!
This is the best puppy (or any animal) she has ever made!
Natalie's elephant!
The Puppet Show!
At the conclusion of the Puppet show Natalie and I went to the Arcade for "Power Hour". I had never heard of this before but it offered HALF PRICE arcade games from 10-11AM. And some were even lower than 50%. Natalie and I played about 8 games before the prices went back to normal. This will certainly become a tradition for us. I was told by crew members they offer this on every cruise on various days.
The Carnival Valor arcade (mid-ship deck 5)
That's my girl... Skeet-ball all the way!
After our Power Hour we met back up with the girls and we all got some specialty coffee at the Java Cafe on Deck 5 in the Promenade. There was only one worker and it took over 30 minutes to get through the line and get our order. The coffee was "so-so" but they all LOVED the enormous chocolate and carrot cakes. Natalie was in heaven and had so much fun eating her GIANT piece of cake!
This was a massive FIVE layer cake!
Afternoon
We went up to the Lido in hopes of eating lunch but Natalie was not hungry and wanted to swim so, of course, we all got in our swimsuits and we spent the majority of the afternoon at the pool area. While we were getting ready we noticed that our Gold Level drink coupons had never been delivered for GiGi and I and then Natalie lost her card so I made a pit-stop at the Guest Services. The person I spoke to said that Carnival recently changed their loyalty rules and only 5+ days sailing receive the Gold Level drink coupon. I explained this was disappointing but I understood. The guy then looked at his screen and said "Oh Wait a minute Mrs. Davis" and he went to the back of the office. When he came back he told me he appreciates my loyalty and kind "journalism words" as he said verbatim. He then gave me a receipt for a $10 credit to use as I wish. This was not at all necessary but once again, Carnival went above and beyond for their customers. This is a reason I do stay loyal to Carnival and I speak so highly of them. Any and EVERY time I have had a problem (this was not a problem or complaint just a questions) they answer and solve the problem and go above and beyond. The guy told me I am "starred" in the system and he knows to take care of me. Well thank you very much Carnival! You just made a customer for life!
And thank you to all of my followers. If it weren't for y'all reading, I would not be as popular as I am currently and would not be "starred" I'm sure! Thanks!
Natalie and I made our way to Lido and it was about 12:30PM. There were hardly any chairs available and the lido deck was PACKED, even more so than usual. Come to find out, the Texans were playing on the big screen. We finally found some chairs and literally parked it there the rest of the afternoon. We swam in the main pool, the WaterSlide pool as well as dipped in the hot tubs many times.
We are ready for a fun afternoon!
A cruise ship on NFL Sunday!
A look at the cruise ship during NFL Sunday! There is no boycott here!
We all went up to the WaterSlide so we could all have a ride and it was "closed" due to lack of water. This seemed really weird but we made our way back to our chairs blistering our feet on the hot deck the whole way. Of course, by the time we got back down it was opened again. It was the weirdest thing I have seen. But we all went down and it was awesome!
It is ALWAYS selfie time!
Natalie's turn!
She decided to ride on her stomach this time! Slower than usual!
60 and FABULOUS! Way to go GiGi Shirley!
Auntie Allie's turn!
This was not Auntie Allie's 1st time on the slide! She loved it too!
My turn!
We paused for lunch briefly at the beginning of the 3rd quarter as the lines were incredibly long during halftime, much like a real football game. Natalie and GiGi got Guy's Burgers but I opted to try both the Sushi at Sea as well as the Seafood Shack. Both of these were an additional "a la carte" fee but I wanted to try them. I waited in line for about 30 minutes between the two but they were both very food and fulfilling. The Sushi at Sea was a $5 roll (tip extra) and the Seafood Shack was about $13 (tip extra). This lunch costed me an additional $20 but I think it was worth it to try these venues out. Tip- Be sure to get to the Seafood Shack EARLY in the lunch time as the line became VERY long. Also, be sure to check back for our FOODIE BLOG. This will include ALL of the MDR menus as well as pictures of the dishes, including both the Sushi at Sea and Seafood Shack.
The Sushi at Sea menu options.
These guys loved their job and did a fantastic job making my sushi!
The California roll with caviar.
The Seafood Shack menu.
The lobster roll (which came with 2 surprisingly).
This was not the best I have ever had (Houstonians check out Mainely Sandwiches on I-45 and Beltway 8 N) but it was pretty good. The lobster was very flaky and huge pieces.
The Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet offered by Carnival.
Tip- This is now almost always offered on the LAST sea day at noon!
I REALLY don't like chocolate but had some time to kill while I waited for my sushi/ seafood.
It was not bad but still not for me.
After lunch we spent some time laying out and enjoying the sun before another rain storm came and rained on our parade. Natalie loved it because this meant she could swim in the rain and her and GiGi did just that. Allie and I opted to find cover and then enjoy the coolness of the open decks. I ventured back to the aft of the ship for a very brief moment and it was GLORIOUS. Again, this is my absolute favorite part of the ship! I could spent the entire cruise at this area!
How I spent my $10.
Thanks again Carnival. You truly know how to take care of your customer base!
THIS is my happy place! I literally dream about it often!
We opted to go in early from the pool so we could ensure we got John Alex as our waiter in the MDR. We knew this meant we had to be at dinner by 6 o'clock so Natalie and I got out of the pool around 4:30PM. We were ready earlier than the other girls so we enjoyed the evening breeze from our balcony. The waters were yet again calm and the sun was on the other side of the ship so it was literally a perfect evening.
We are ready for dinner!
I love this girl so much! 8 going on 20!
Natalie brought along some silly emoji props to use and we just remembered on this night!
Silly picture!
Balcony fun before dinner!
Evening
We made it to dinner before 6PM and we were able to not only sit in John Alex's section but the exact table from night #1. Natalie was so excited and once again John Alex went above and beyond. He knew our needs and practically brought it out before we asked. Again, he has been the best Carnival server to date! We were able to catch the "showtime" performance of the waiters singing goodbye to us and my favorite dance/ performance "gang-ham style". It was a GREAT way to end our cruise in the Main Dining Room.
"Awe that's the stuff" she said as John Alex brought her the FOUR bowls of Mac-n-Cheese!
And there is always room for more pasta!
Time for SHOWTIME!
Natalie and her favorite... John Alex!
"You're leaving our FUNSHIP"! This song almost always makes me cry... it means the cruise is almost over! (This guy can sing... he should switch places with one of the Playlist crew)
Gangham Style... always my favorite!
After dinner we went straight to the America Rocks Playlist Production Show. This is one of my favorite new shows on Carnival ships and I wanted to get the full experience with the pre-show fun. Natalie got to go up on stage and have her face painted and Allie got to take a picture with a "rock-star" mannequin. The show itself was fun and great for singing along. The singers were better but still bad for cruise ship quality. Tip- Be sure to get to this show early for the pre-show fun. They pass out all kinds of goodies like glow sticks and etc. They also find volunteers to be a "part" of the show at this time.
Natalie getting her face painted for the America Rocks show!
We are ready for the show!
Look at that face. She ran up and down the center aisle to get these glow sticks!
The LIVE band was impressive!
I left the show early so we could ensure a seat for the 80s trivia sing-along. This has become my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE thing and event on any Carnival cruise ship. The cruise director really makes it fun and Frankie continued this pattern. I played by myself and then sang and danced the night away during the sing along. I got 13/14 correct AND I guessed the bonus question of Frankie's favorite 80s song (Don't Stop Believing). This earned me my very own 24K gold piece of ship on a stick! I kept the Davis trophy tradition alive! I was so excited!
Frankie and his FunSquad were very entertaining
(Not as good as Flying Scotsman- Dream or Schwartz- Breeze but very good).
Fun with Frankie during 80s Trivia!
Ladies and Gentlemen... please welcome Cinnamon!
I, we, DID IT!
WooHoo... the cruise is now complete for me!
We made some last minute shopping purchases and looked at our pictures from the week before retiring back to our room to pack. It was hard to believe the fun was coming to an end but it had been a blast! We packed our bags and put them outside our room shortly after 11PM. I then retired to the balcony to take it all in again while Allison decided she would use the jetted whirlpool tub. She used bubbles and let me tell you, it was a hot mess! This made for a hilarious last night of our cruise. We had to call guest services and maintenance and finally the issue was resolved and the bathtub was drained after 1AM. It didn't bother me one bit... memories were made and fun was had by all!
Hahaha... ooops!
It was the end of our trip and our last hurrah and we were sad but fantastic memories were made. I think we have decided we will make this a "milestone birthday" tradition. Natalie is the next milestone birthday and she will turn 10 in 2019. We already have our next Girls Gone Cruising adventure planned for August 2019!
Thanks again for following along!
Up next... FOODIE BLOG!
(lots of pictures and tips)
God is good... ALL the time!
Carnival Valor- 2016
Carnival Legend- 2016
Caribbean Princess- 2016
Carnival Triumph- 2015
Carnival Magic- 2015
Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015
Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014
Carnival Conquest- 2013
Carnival Conquest- 2006
This was our last day to see, explore and do all that the Carnival Valor had to offer. We spent lots of time at the pools and hot tubs and ALL FOUR of us got to go on the WaterSlide. It was a great day!
Morning
I woke up at 6:15AM, got ready and went straight to the balcony. I was able to capture the 6:45AM sunrise and it was gorgeous. Then I was able to relax and take a relaxing nap before everyone else woke up around 8AM. Mom came out to the balcony and I was still asleep and I am not sure she realized I was out there because she left to get ready and locked me out. I waited a little while then had to bang on the windows for someone to let me in! I thought it was hilarious but Natalie did not like being woken up to banging on the window!
This was about 15 minutes after the sun had come up! Stunningly beautiful!
Natalie and I enjoyed some balcony time before we all went to breakfast on Lido. We missed the SeaDay Brunch since we were late getting up and Allie had a nail appointment at 9AM. All of us received a $50 SPA gift certificate and Allie chose to use hers to get a "Fire N Ice Manicure". She enjoyed it very much and said the view was beautiful. Tip- As mentioned in previous installments, be sure to let your "personal Vacation Planner" (PVP) about anything you are celebrating. They will usually go out of their way to help you celebrate with anything from SPA gift cards to Wine certificates and anything in between. But you have to enter the celebration into the MY CRUISE MANAGER and then let your PVP (or travel agent) know ahead of time.
As Allie was getting her manicure GiGi, Natalie and I enjoyed some time in the gym before we were kicked out because Natalie was too young (12 years and up). Then we went to the towel folding fun in the Ivanhoe Theater. Frankie, the cruise director, was running this event and we liked that better than the usual housekeeping staff. We made a puppy, elephant and a sting-ray! It was lots of fun as usual. Tip- This is a favorite event of my kids but be sure you get there early and on-time so you do not miss any steps! The towel animals look better this way too! After the towel folding fun we watched the Towel Puppet Show. This has been a hit or miss event on Carnival cruise ships but my kids love it and it has some funny adult topics as well! Tip- Look for these 2 events in the FunTimes on the last sea day, usually around 10AM.
Natalie just liked roaming around in the gym!
Frankie leading the Towel Folding Fun!
I loved that he promoted the "home team" and wore a Texans jersey!
This is the best puppy (or any animal) she has ever made!
Natalie's elephant!
The Puppet Show!
At the conclusion of the Puppet show Natalie and I went to the Arcade for "Power Hour". I had never heard of this before but it offered HALF PRICE arcade games from 10-11AM. And some were even lower than 50%. Natalie and I played about 8 games before the prices went back to normal. This will certainly become a tradition for us. I was told by crew members they offer this on every cruise on various days.
That's my girl... Skeet-ball all the way!
After our Power Hour we met back up with the girls and we all got some specialty coffee at the Java Cafe on Deck 5 in the Promenade. There was only one worker and it took over 30 minutes to get through the line and get our order. The coffee was "so-so" but they all LOVED the enormous chocolate and carrot cakes. Natalie was in heaven and had so much fun eating her GIANT piece of cake!
Afternoon
We went up to the Lido in hopes of eating lunch but Natalie was not hungry and wanted to swim so, of course, we all got in our swimsuits and we spent the majority of the afternoon at the pool area. While we were getting ready we noticed that our Gold Level drink coupons had never been delivered for GiGi and I and then Natalie lost her card so I made a pit-stop at the Guest Services. The person I spoke to said that Carnival recently changed their loyalty rules and only 5+ days sailing receive the Gold Level drink coupon. I explained this was disappointing but I understood. The guy then looked at his screen and said "Oh Wait a minute Mrs. Davis" and he went to the back of the office. When he came back he told me he appreciates my loyalty and kind "journalism words" as he said verbatim. He then gave me a receipt for a $10 credit to use as I wish. This was not at all necessary but once again, Carnival went above and beyond for their customers. This is a reason I do stay loyal to Carnival and I speak so highly of them. Any and EVERY time I have had a problem (this was not a problem or complaint just a questions) they answer and solve the problem and go above and beyond. The guy told me I am "starred" in the system and he knows to take care of me. Well thank you very much Carnival! You just made a customer for life!
And thank you to all of my followers. If it weren't for y'all reading, I would not be as popular as I am currently and would not be "starred" I'm sure! Thanks!
Natalie and I made our way to Lido and it was about 12:30PM. There were hardly any chairs available and the lido deck was PACKED, even more so than usual. Come to find out, the Texans were playing on the big screen. We finally found some chairs and literally parked it there the rest of the afternoon. We swam in the main pool, the WaterSlide pool as well as dipped in the hot tubs many times.
We all went up to the WaterSlide so we could all have a ride and it was "closed" due to lack of water. This seemed really weird but we made our way back to our chairs blistering our feet on the hot deck the whole way. Of course, by the time we got back down it was opened again. It was the weirdest thing I have seen. But we all went down and it was awesome!
Natalie's turn!
Auntie Allie's turn!
This was not Auntie Allie's 1st time on the slide! She loved it too!
We paused for lunch briefly at the beginning of the 3rd quarter as the lines were incredibly long during halftime, much like a real football game. Natalie and GiGi got Guy's Burgers but I opted to try both the Sushi at Sea as well as the Seafood Shack. Both of these were an additional "a la carte" fee but I wanted to try them. I waited in line for about 30 minutes between the two but they were both very food and fulfilling. The Sushi at Sea was a $5 roll (tip extra) and the Seafood Shack was about $13 (tip extra). This lunch costed me an additional $20 but I think it was worth it to try these venues out. Tip- Be sure to get to the Seafood Shack EARLY in the lunch time as the line became VERY long. Also, be sure to check back for our FOODIE BLOG. This will include ALL of the MDR menus as well as pictures of the dishes, including both the Sushi at Sea and Seafood Shack.
The California roll with caviar.
This was not the best I have ever had (Houstonians check out Mainely Sandwiches on I-45 and Beltway 8 N) but it was pretty good. The lobster was very flaky and huge pieces.
Tip- This is now almost always offered on the LAST sea day at noon!
It was not bad but still not for me.
After lunch we spent some time laying out and enjoying the sun before another rain storm came and rained on our parade. Natalie loved it because this meant she could swim in the rain and her and GiGi did just that. Allie and I opted to find cover and then enjoy the coolness of the open decks. I ventured back to the aft of the ship for a very brief moment and it was GLORIOUS. Again, this is my absolute favorite part of the ship! I could spent the entire cruise at this area!
Thanks again Carnival. You truly know how to take care of your customer base!
We opted to go in early from the pool so we could ensure we got John Alex as our waiter in the MDR. We knew this meant we had to be at dinner by 6 o'clock so Natalie and I got out of the pool around 4:30PM. We were ready earlier than the other girls so we enjoyed the evening breeze from our balcony. The waters were yet again calm and the sun was on the other side of the ship so it was literally a perfect evening.
Silly picture!
Balcony fun before dinner!
Evening
We made it to dinner before 6PM and we were able to not only sit in John Alex's section but the exact table from night #1. Natalie was so excited and once again John Alex went above and beyond. He knew our needs and practically brought it out before we asked. Again, he has been the best Carnival server to date! We were able to catch the "showtime" performance of the waiters singing goodbye to us and my favorite dance/ performance "gang-ham style". It was a GREAT way to end our cruise in the Main Dining Room.
And there is always room for more pasta!
Time for SHOWTIME!
Natalie and her favorite... John Alex!
After dinner we went straight to the America Rocks Playlist Production Show. This is one of my favorite new shows on Carnival ships and I wanted to get the full experience with the pre-show fun. Natalie got to go up on stage and have her face painted and Allie got to take a picture with a "rock-star" mannequin. The show itself was fun and great for singing along. The singers were better but still bad for cruise ship quality. Tip- Be sure to get to this show early for the pre-show fun. They pass out all kinds of goodies like glow sticks and etc. They also find volunteers to be a "part" of the show at this time.
We are ready for the show!
Look at that face. She ran up and down the center aisle to get these glow sticks!
I left the show early so we could ensure a seat for the 80s trivia sing-along. This has become my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE thing and event on any Carnival cruise ship. The cruise director really makes it fun and Frankie continued this pattern. I played by myself and then sang and danced the night away during the sing along. I got 13/14 correct AND I guessed the bonus question of Frankie's favorite 80s song (Don't Stop Believing). This earned me my very own 24K gold piece of ship on a stick! I kept the Davis trophy tradition alive! I was so excited!
(Not as good as Flying Scotsman- Dream or Schwartz- Breeze but very good).
WooHoo... the cruise is now complete for me!
We made some last minute shopping purchases and looked at our pictures from the week before retiring back to our room to pack. It was hard to believe the fun was coming to an end but it had been a blast! We packed our bags and put them outside our room shortly after 11PM. I then retired to the balcony to take it all in again while Allison decided she would use the jetted whirlpool tub. She used bubbles and let me tell you, it was a hot mess! This made for a hilarious last night of our cruise. We had to call guest services and maintenance and finally the issue was resolved and the bathtub was drained after 1AM. It didn't bother me one bit... memories were made and fun was had by all!
It was the end of our trip and our last hurrah and we were sad but fantastic memories were made. I think we have decided we will make this a "milestone birthday" tradition. Natalie is the next milestone birthday and she will turn 10 in 2019. We already have our next Girls Gone Cruising adventure planned for August 2019!
Thanks again for following along!
Up next... FOODIE BLOG!
(lots of pictures and tips)
God is good... ALL the time!
Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Our Cruise Ship Experiences 2006-present
Carnival Breeze- 2017
Carnival Dream- 2017
Our Cruise Ship Experiences 2006-present
Carnival Breeze- 2017
Carnival Dream- 2017
Carnival Valor- 2016
Carnival Legend- 2016
Caribbean Princess- 2016
Carnival Triumph- 2015
Carnival Magic- 2015
Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015
Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014
Carnival Conquest- 2013
Carnival Conquest- 2006
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