From a leisurely paced dinner in an intimate supper club to a casual buffet lunch poolside, Carnival Cruise Lines’ new Carnival Valor…
From a leisurely paced dinner in an intimate supper club to a casual buffet lunch poolside, Carnival Cruise Lines’ new Carnival Valor will offer an array of palate-pleasing selections to suit every mood or taste. The 110,000-ton “Fun Ship” is set to launch year-round seven-day Caribbean service from Miami Dec. 19.
Housed within the 2,974-passenger SuperLiner will be a wide range of formal and casual dining venues, including two two-level main dining rooms, a steakhouse-style supper club with nightly entertainment, a sushi bar, a wine bar, a patisserie, and an expansive poolside eatery offering breakfast, lunch and dinner alternatives and a 24-hour pizzeria. Complimentary 24-hour stateroom service will also be available.
“Food is considered one of the highlights of any ‘Fun Ship’ cruise and Carnival Valor, with its seemingly endless array of formal and casual dining options, all enjoyed in spectacular surroundings, will provide guests with a truly memorable culinary experience,” said Bob Dickinson, Carnival president and CEO.
Myriad Formal Dining Options
Guests dining in Carnival Valor’s Washington and Lincoln restaurants will have a choice of six appetizers, two salads, six entrees and four desserts each night, along with an extensive wine and after-dinner drinks list, all served by friendly and efficient staff. The decor of the restaurants is colonial but done in a contemporary fashion, with bas relief images of Washington and Lincoln, dark wood chandeliers and a gold-leaf dome.
In keeping with the recent trend toward low-carb diets, dinner menus will also feature specially created low-carb items prepared by Carnival’s master chefs. Other healthful selections include nightly vegetarian dishes and Spa Carnival Fare, items that are lower in fat, sodium, calories and cholesterol. Children’s menus will also be available.
To celebrate a special occasion or simply to enjoy an evening of exquisite dining, there’s Scarlett’s, Carnival Valor’s reservations-only “steakhouse-style” supper club. This intimate restaurant will offer a truly exquisite dining experience with hand-cut dry-aged beef – a 24-ounce porterhouse, 14-ounce strip loin, and nine-ounce filet mignon – along with other gourmet cuisine such as veal chops, lobster tail, Alaskan King Crab, and Chilean sea bass. Scarlett’s will also feature one of the finest wine lists afloat – hand-picked by Carnival’s chefs to match the cuisine.
Scarlett’s interiors are inspired by the heroine in the classic Civil War film and novel “Gone with the Wind,” employing decorative touches of the era — wood paneling, white columns, pink shutters in the windows, and arches throughout the room. Nightly entertainment in the form of a talented jazz duo completes the mood of understated elegance. Scarlett’s will carry a $25 per person reservations fee.
Extensive Casual Options
Those seeking a casual alternative can take advantage of the diversity of offerings at Rosie’s Restaurant, located poolside on Lido deck.
This expansive 1,250-seat eatery will offer a huge array of options. In addition to self-serve breakfast and lunch buffets with a variety of hot and cold items, Rosie’s will feature an Asian specialty area; a grille serving hot dogs, hamburgers and grilled chicken and steak sandwiches; pasta and meat-carving stations; a “Taste of the Nation” section with a different international cuisine each day; a deli serving freshly made sandwiches and traditional side dishes like potato salad and cole slaw; and a rotisserie offering broiled meats and chicken.
Located on the upper level of the restaurant will be a specialty seafood venue with shrimp ceviche, oyster fritters and bouillabaisse and other fresh from-the-sea delicacies.
Rosie’s will also house a 24-hour pizzeria with seven kinds of pies and calzones and a 24-hour ice cream/frozen yogurt station, along with a 35-item salad bar. The two-level eatery will also serve as the venue for Carnival’s nightly alternative dinner-time service, the Seaview Bistro.
Inspired by “Rosie the Riveter” of the World War II era, Rosie’s will feature Art Deco-themed interiors with a tile mural depicting the famous 1940s poster illustration of “Rosie,” as well as banquette separators made of tile and stainless steel.
Numerous Other Dining Options
Also featured on Carnival Valor will be Jeanne’s, a wine bar with an excellent selection of wine by the bottle or the glass. There’s also the Java Cafe, a patisserie where guests can enjoy a decadent selection of cookies, pies, cakes and other confections, along with various specialty coffees – espresso, lattes, cappuccino and the like. At the Togo sushi bar, guests can watch chefs prepare authentic Asian delicacies right before their eyes.
Carnival Valor will also offer the “Fountain Fun Card,” which, for a one-time fee, provides unlimited soft drinks throughout the duration of the voyage. The cards are purchased once on board and are available for both adults and children.
Guests who want to enjoy a meal in the comfort of their stateroom can take advantage of Carnival Valor’s complimentary 24-hour room service which will offer a variety of freshly made sandwiches, salads, wraps and desserts delivered any time of the day or night.
Carnival Valor will also offer its own version of Carnival’s legendary midnight gala buffet once each cruise, along with late-night buffets and a Chocolate Extravaganza which, like the name implies, offers a vast assortment of all-chocolate desserts.
Carnival Valor is slated to enter service from Miami Dec. 15, 2004 with a special two-day introductory voyage to Nassau, The Bahamas. The ship is scheduled to begin year-round seven-day service from Miami Dec. 19, operating alternating week-long voyages to the eastern and western Caribbean. Eastern Caribbean cruises call at Nassau, The Bahamas; St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.; and St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, while western Caribbean cruises visit Belize City, Belize; Isla Roatan, Honduras; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico.
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