My husband and I decided to take our summer vacation aboard the Carnival Victory to Key West and Cozumel because it was cheap and because we wanted to go to Key West. We have since learned that one gets what one pays for!

We booked via phone call to a Carnival agent. At first, we were considering a Junior Suite at the front of the ship and even looked at a great video of it on YouTube. However, the phone rep. strongly suggested the aft cabin with an extended balcony. She assured us the cabin would be quiet and that we would have lounge chairs instead of regular deck chairs because of the larger balcony. The price was right, it came out to just over $1,000 for the 4-night cruise including pre-paid gratuities, tax, port fees, and trip insurance. I like that we were allowed to take up to 12 unopened bottles (20 oz. max) each of our beloved Coke and Diet Coke.

Luckily, we only live a few hours away so we travelled to the Port of Miami in our own vehicle. We went all the way to the top of the parking garage without finding a spot, so we parked on the bottom level and it was uncovered. It cost $80 to park there from Thursday at 12:45 p.m. through Monday at 7:45 a.m., which was not unexpected. Read more