Glory vs. Valor

[jcharisman]

Brand new to this site. I've been on three cruises, all with Carnival. Was looking to book another and we have the destination all set and will be leaving out of Miami and here's my "problem"; there are two ship with the exact itinerary going on the exact same date. Can I go wrong? We are a couple in our early 50's who are still quite young. Food, entertainment, quiet areas and lounges would weigh into what we value most. Opinions, please?

 

[Cruizer]

I think you need to look closer at the dates. No cruise line sends two ships from the same home port on the same itinerary on the same day. Either one leaves on Saturday and the other leaves on Sunday or they rotate their itineraries, meaning one goes east and the other goes west, then the following week they switch.

That said, the Carnival Glory and Carnival Valor are both Conquest class ships, meaning they lay out of one is just like the other. The interior color schemes might be different and the names might be different but the location of all the cabins and public areas are the same. The Carnival Glory is about one year older than the Carnival Valor.

 

[jcharisman]

Your reply caused me to go back again and check; absolutely everything is the same except the order of the exact same ports of call - hence my question.

 

[Gayle V]

If they really are doing the same itinerary, you can just flip a coin. Those ships will likely offer nearly identical experiences. We have cruised on other Carnival "sister ships" (those with identical deck plans) , and other than decor, it was like sailing the same ship a second time.

But, what Cruzer said is true. It would be very unusual for the same cruise line to sail two ships on the same itinerary at the same time, even if they weren't identical ships. Did you check it out on Carnival's own site. It's not unheard of for web booking sites to occasionally post some erroneous information.

For what it's worth, tell us what week are you planning to go. An extra pair of eyes to double check can't hurt.

 

[Cruizer]

Your reply caused me to go back again and check; absolutely everything is the same except the order of the exact same ports of call - hence my question.

If the ships are going to the same ports in a different order than the ports might be the same, but the itineraries are different. A ship that goes to ports A, B, C & D is on a different itinerary than a ship that goes to ports D, C, B & A.

Nonetheless, what you are describing is very unusual. I checked the March 2012 itineraries for these two ships and they are not the same. The Carnival Valor is doing six and eight night cruises while the Glory is just doing seven night cruises. What time frame are you looking at, because what you are describing is really unusual. In June 2012 the Glory is not in Miami (I believe it moves to NY). In September 2012 the Glory has still not returned to Miami. In December the Glory is doing the Eastern Caribbean on the 2nd, 16th & 30th while the Valor is doing the Western Caribbean on the 2nd, 16th & 30. The Glory is doing the Western Caribbean on the 9th & 23rd, while the Valor is doing the Eastern Caribbean on the 9th & 23rd.

Okay, I found it. Later this year the ships are doing what you stated:

The Valor on December 11 ...

Sunday, Dec 11	Miami, FL		4:00pm
Monday, Dec 12	Fun Day at Sea
Tuesday, Dec 13	Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands	7:00am	4:00pm
Wednesday, Dec 14	Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan	11:00am	6:00pm
Thursday, Dec 15	Belize	8:00am	5:00pm
Friday, Dec 16	Cozumel, Mexico	8:00am	5:00pm
Saturday, Dec 17	Fun Day at Sea
Sunday, Dec 18	Miami, FL	8:00am

The Glory on December 11 ...

Sunday, Dec 11	Miami, FL		4:00pm
Monday, Dec 12	Fun Day at Sea
Tuesday, Dec 13	Cozumel, Mexico	8:00am	5:00pm
Wednesday, Dec 14	Belize	8:00am	5:00pm
Thursday, Dec 15	Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan	7:00am	3:00pm
Friday, Dec 16	Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands	10:00am	6:00pm
Saturday, Dec 17	Fun Day at Sea
Sunday, Dec 18	Miami, FL	8:00am

These are not the same itineraries. Given the choice I would rather arrive in Grand Cayman early than late, so I like the Valor's itinerary better. Also, for what I would want to do in Roatan, the later arrival works fine, while the later arrival in Grand Cayman does not. Also, it is possible to miss Grand Cayman because it is a tender port (as is Belize). If you miss Grand Cayman the captain might try to arrive in Roatan early. The time for Cozumel and Belize are the same in both cases.

These are not the same itineraries, as noted above. Neither ship will be in the same port on the same day as other other ship. The different timing and different order does make a difference.