1. Carnival Valor Best Slot Machines

Carnival Valor keeps choosing a cabin simple with four main categories: interior, ocean-view, balcony and suite. Within each category there are a number of cabins that might cost you a little less (such as an obstructed ocean view) or a little more (an aft-view extended balcony, for example).

Cabins are spacious, in good condition despite their age and share similar decor: a burnt-orange color scheme with cherry-wood end tables, drawers and closet doors. A number of suites also feature pops of red and gold, giving them a slightly more regal appearance.

The Carnival Valor is outfitted with a 15,000-square-foot gym, that has all the fitness equipment you need, including treadmills, stationary bikes, rowing machines, weight machines and stair climbers. Shogun Club is the ship's casino with the usual slot machines and games such as poker, blackjack and roulette. It is located on deck 5 with a capacity of 484. Some games like blackjack and poker have a minimum $5 bet. Tournaments take place on different ships seasonally - check with Carnival.

Carnival Valor® Cigarette smoking (including electronic cigarettes and personal vaporizers) are permitted in the following areas: Shogun Club Casino: Smoking is permitted while playing at designated slot machines and table games. The Casino Dream Bar: Smoking is permitted in a designated area during open hours.

Each cabin comes with adequate storage (closets with hangers, a desk and shelving); two terry cloth robes; a hair dryer; safe; telephone; two twin beds that can convert to a queen (suites have king-sized beds); and a flat-screen TV streaming networks like CNN and TNT as well as cable movies and one channel dedicated to providing information about ship-wide activities, events and procedures; and a mini-fridge.

Bathrooms also offer lots of storage space above the sink. There's no shelving in the shower, so consider bringing a hanging bath caddy if you use a lot of products. Additional features include a makeup mirror, 115-volt outlet and 230-volt European outlet (hidden in the upper corner) and basic toiletries (bars of hand soap and shampoo and body wash via shower dispensers).

One downside was the lack of outlets. Interior and balcony cabins are equipped with only one 110-volt and one 220-volt European outlet (not including the ones in the bathroom), and there are no outlets next to the beds.

Here's a breakdown of cabin categories. Note: Cabins that sleep four or more are equipped with either pullout sofa beds or bunk-style pulldown beds.

Interior: Carnival Valor's interior cabins start at 185 square feet, which is spacious when compared to the industry standard. There are 589 interior cabins, including 11 upper/lower (meaning there's one twin bed and a pulldown bunk bed) options that offer a little extra room. A select number of cabins are connected by doors, which are ideal for multigenerational families. On the flip side, they tend to let in more sound, so noise can be an issue if you have loud neighbors. Most interior cabins sleep four.

Oceanview: Ocean-view cabins come in at 220 square feet. There are 337 total, including a handful of scenic ocean-view cabins (floor-to-ceiling windows) and obstructed ocean-view cabins. Like the majority of interior cabins, all ocean-view cabins sleep four except the obstructed-view (for two). All ocean-view cabins feature connecting doors for easy access among large groups.

Balcony: More than 60 percent of the outside staterooms have balconies, although the majority is too narrow to fit lounge chairs that recline and all are equipped with the same plastic furniture (two chairs) and small cocktail tables. Still, the balconies provide an oasis where you can read a book, enjoy room service and catch sea breezes in private.

Carnival Valor's 521 balcony cabins are the same size as interior cabins (185 square feet), but configurations and sizes vary based on subcategories: standard balcony, Premium, Premium Vista, and Aft-View Extended. Premium and Premium Vista cabins feature whopping 75-square-foot balconies and sleep only two as opposed to four, which allows for more use of the space. The Aft-View Extended cabins feature 60-square-foot balconies, while the remaining balconies measure at 35 square feet. Only standard balconies include connecting doors.

Suite: Suites are broken up into four sub-categories: Junior Suite, Ocean Suite, Grand Suite and Captain's Suite. Features above and beyond what you'll find in lower-category rooms include a shower/whirlpool tub combo, double sinks, walk-in closet, king-sized bed, granite countertops in the cabin and bathroom (except in the Junior Suite), larger sitting area with a couch (double sleeper sofa in some cabins for third and fourth passengers) and VIP check-in.

Junior Suites, of which there are only two, are equal in size to Premium and Premium Vista cabins, at 275 square feet with 50-square-foot balconies. They sleep up to two.

Ocean Suites are also 275 square feet, but have room for four and larger balconies (65 square feet).

The 345-square-foot Grand Suites also sleep four but feature an 85-square-foot balcony and larger tub.

The largest suite is the Captain's Suite, which offers 548 square feet with a 258-square-foot balcony and sleeps up to five. Its standout features are a separate bedroom, two bathrooms (one master bath in the bedroom, one smaller in the living room) and a wall of windows that fills the room with light.

Carnival Valor Best Slot Machines

There are 27 wheelchair-accessible cabins onboard: 23 interior, one ocean view, two balcony and one suite.

Review of Carnival Mardi Gras deck 7 (Casino)

Mardi Gras Theater (level 2 of 2) is the ship's main show lounge for grand style show productions featuring live performances (tribute acts - singing and dancing) combined with sound and lighting special effects. The evening shows are 30 minutes. The music is backed by high-definition graphics (photos and videos) projected on large-size LED screens. The evening entertainment program also offers popular family game shows (like 'Love and Marriage') and guest performers (stand-up comedy acts, magicians, musicians). The large lounge also hosts the 'Playlist Productions' (live stage musical revues) and 'Hasbro The Game Show' (interactive board games). The daily program includes seminars, expert lectures, multimedia presentations, workshops and classes, bingo sessions. Carnival Panorama ship offers an exclusive program with 3 production shows (at 7 pm, 8:45 pm, 10:30 pm) followed by after-show parties allowing guests to interact with the performers. The three Panorama ship-exclusive production shows are named 'Amor Cubano - A Caribbean Dance Romance' (7-piece band mixing contemporary and classic Latin songs), 'America Rocks' (rock music-themed tribute show) and 'Flick - The Power of Motion Pictures' (movie songs-themed). The ship's theater lounge is designed as a multi-purpose venue, so instead of traditional stadium seating (bench-style), all chairs are individual allowing different configurations. The theater also hosts pre-scheduled daily events - port talks, Carnival shore excursions meetings, land tours-related media presentations, etc.

Mardi Gras Casino is a Vegas-style gambling casino equipped with various slot machines ('Coinless Fun Slot Machines') and gaming tables (Craps, Roulette, Black Jack 21, Caribbean Stud Poker, dealer-free poker tables). The Casino also provides complimentary gambling lessons and hosts regularly gambling tournaments. Guests can pay in cash or with their S&S cards ('sign and sail' /backed by the credit card given at check-in). Travelers' checks can be cashed at the Cashier's Window (casino cage). Table games are cash only. Slot machines are S&S cards only (coinless). The opening hours on sea days are - slots (9 am), select tables (10 am), all games (12 noon - 3 am), but may vary depending on itinerary port times. The Casino is closed when the ship is in port and opens 30-60 min after the ship leaves port. On Carnival ships calling overnight on Nassau Bahamas, the Casino stays open. On Carnival ships in Half Moon Cay (the line's private island) the Casino opens at management's discretion. Smoking is allowed only on designated slot machines and gaming tables. Carnival chips are fleet-transferable and generic. MegaCash is the world's largest jackpot that can be won on a cruise ship - over USD 1 million.

The Fun Shops is named the ship's duty-free shopping complex of stores (mid-level 2 of 3, open between 8 am - 12 midnight) selling Carnival Cruise Lines logo merchandise (ship models, fun wear-apparel), Special Occasions (gifts, souvenirs, packages), name-brand boutique merchandise (luxury jewelry-watches, designer bags-hats-shoes-fashion-accessories-sunglasses, perfumes-cosmetics-beauty products), also liquor-tobaccos and conveniences.

Limelight Lounge offers live evening entertainment by vocalists, musicians, comedians, karaoke.

Alchemy Bar is a vintage-themed cocktail bar ('pharmacy') where professional mixologists (dressed in lab coats) serve handcrafted cocktails and made-to-order drinks from unique ingredients.

Dreams Studio (photo sessions studio)

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse (indoor/outdoor seating, open between 6 - 9:30 pm) is a premium steakhouse-seafood restaurant at a surcharge (reservations recommended). Cover charge fee of $35 pp (adults/kids) includes 1 appetizer, 1 entree, 1 dessert, and gratuity. Steakhouse's menu has starters (escargots, grilled mushroom, tuna tartare, shrimp cocktail, crab cake, lobster bisque, onion soup), salads (Caesar, spinach/mushrooms, iceberg lettuce, beefsteak tomato), sides (Baked Potatoes, Sauteed Mushrooms, Creamed Spinach, Steamed Broccoli), entrees (prime-aged beef steaks - 14oz NY strip loin, 18oz rib and 18oz ribeye, 9oz filet mignon, lamb chops, chicken, Maine lobster, fish fillet from the market /itinerary based), desserts (cheesecake, caramelized apples, chocolate sampler, fresh fruits, selections of cheeses, sherbets and ice creams). The Steakhouse also serves beverages (bar prices apply) - fresh coffee/tea, dessert wines and after-dinner drinks. The food is wheeled on a cart to your table for examination. A cooking demonstration offers an hour-long presentation from a team of chefs. Dress code is 'Elegant' (jeans permitted). At the steakhouse can also be made reservations (bookings) for the 'Chef's Table' (private dinner package).

Palm Restaurant (Dining Room / upper level 2 of 2)

Grand Central Atrium

Grand Central (mid-level 2 of 3) is a large open-floor-designed Atrium space (midship on decks 6-7-8) that combines an entertainment complex with a bar lounge overlooking the ship's starboard side) with 3-decks high floor-ceiling windows.

Grand Central features 3000-ft2 (280-m2) glass panels (built into the vessel's superstructure) to provide passengers with unobstructed views as they relax in comfortable seating. From the Atrium are accessible 3 dining venues (Bonsai Sushi, Bonsai Teppanyaki, Punchliner Comedy Club) as well as Piano Bar 88 (themed venue for sing-a-longs), Mardi Gras Casino (gaming lounge), The Fun Shops (retail shops).

During the day, Grand Central Atrium serves as a relaxing space for enjoying beverages, light food, live music performances or participate in trivia contests and leisurely pursuits. At night, the Atrium transforms into an intimate venue with live performances (stand-up comedy acts, dancing, acrobatics) and quality media as guests can interact with 16 individually controlled LED screens (sized 6x14 ft / 1,8x4,3 m each) displaying video and special effects, along with aerial feats and lasers.

On Atrium's top-level (deck 8) is the Grand View Bar which offers floor-ceiling views and custom-made cocktails amidst new design features - such as a virtual waterfall displayed on translucent panels. The Atrium's mid-level (deck 7) is served by the Center Stage Bar. Both Atrium bar lounges offer specialty cocktails inspired by the evening's themed entertainment.

On Atrium's low-level (deck 6) are JavaBlue Cafe (a coffee bar serving lattes, coffees, cappuccinos, fresh bakery items, salads and light food throughout the day) and Cherry on Top (sweets shop).