FamAbLE

Our second cruise ever was aboard the Carnival Valor, a truly memorable experience made even more special as it was our oldest daughter Cora’s very first cruise. We surprised her with this Carnival adventure for Christmas, a trip just for the three of us. Our youngest, Aidric, stayed back home with his grandma while Brandy, Cora, and I set off for new horizons. Adding to the list of firsts for this trip, it was also our very first time sailing out of the vibrant city of New Orleans.
Brandy and I had taken a Norwegian cruise a couple of years prior, but at that time, we hadn’t quite formed a strong opinion about cruising. This Carnival Valor cruise, however, was the one that would completely change our perspective.
To date, this cruise remains unlike any other we’ve experienced. It took place right after the worst of the pandemic, a time when the cruise industry had come to a standstill and was just beginning to slowly get back on its feet. There were still some restrictions in place; masks were required in the indoor areas of the ship, and the ships weren’t sailing at full capacity, which actually provided a nice sense of extra space. It was during this cruise that we truly understood why they call Carnival “the fun ships.”
Just a few weeks ago, as I was preparing our latest Carnival Jubilee video, I found myself watching some of our old Carnival Valor videos. I don’t often revisit past content, but enough time had passed that many details had faded from my memory. I was also a bit curious, perhaps even critical, wondering just how “bad” those older video series might seem now. As I’ve gained more experience in creating these videos, my own critiques become harsher, making it sometimes difficult to watch earlier work where I know there are mistakes, or in my case, where the narrations might not have been my best. You see, I often have to add narration in post-production to ensure the story flows smoothly. The raw vlogs don’t always convey the complete narrative I envision, or perhaps my initial delivery wasn’t clear enough. Sometimes, it’s to include essential tips or to correct something I might have gotten wrong. There’s almost always a need for some kind of intervention in the editing process. Back then, I often felt like I was really struggling with it.
However, as I sat there watching one Valor video, it naturally led to another and another, and before I knew it, I had watched nearly the entire series. To be honest, I was quite impressed. I was relieved to find that the video series still holds up, even though it captured a very different time, and many things have evolved with Carnival since then. For me, it’s like a time capsule. It not only shows what cruising was like in that specific period but also captures a time when our oldest daughter was still living at home. She’s now in college and lives out of town, having grown up so much since then. Both our kids have.
Watching that old video series was genuinely motivating. It reminded me of the core elements that made those videos special and inspired me to continue creating and striving to make each new video even better. I feel like in our new Carnival Jubilee series, I’ve consciously tried to incorporate some of that original feeling. I even went back and reused many of the music tracks from the Valor series. The time of year was the same (January), and we even revisited Cozumel, which was our only port stop on the Carnival Valor. Interestingly, just as our Valor cruise marked our first departure from New Orleans, our new Carnival Jubilee series also features another first for us: sailing out of Galveston, Texas.
There’s a special vibe to this Carnival Jubilee series as well, as it marks Aidric’s first vacation series with just Mom and Dad. Because of this, I’ve been taking my time to make this one every bit as special as the Carnival Valor series was for us.
So, if you haven’t had a chance to see our Carnival Valor series, I encourage you to check it out. It’s a look back at a significant time for our family and our cruising adventures.