Love Key West!! However, you really can't experience it unless you stay into the evening so a cruise stop is too much of a tease!!

Key West

A very nice stop but I was not impressed. Pay for a shuttle and they almost throw you out to the closest beach so they can get another trip, charge you for a beach, ($2, not bad) that could have used some litter pickup. I wouldn't go back unless I knew exactly what beach area I should go to.

Grand Cayman (Georgetown)

Now, I wasn't expecting much but the sand and water was spectacular!!
We made the mistake of grabbing the "Hop on, Hop Off" shuttle that allows you to go to shops, beach and Margaritaville at $15 per person, charged to your Ship card.
It was a waste. They drove us all the way to Rose Hall to some high end shops- we did not get out! And then backtracked all the way back to the Hip Strip at a pay beach access.
We decided not to fall for that again and walked the little strip a little and were bombarded by small shopkeepers all selling the same tourist trinkets. They were a bit pushy but as northeasterners were are accustomed to that!! They will practically give you stuff as you walk out the door, so barter, barter, barter.

We walked up to the Twisted Kilt Irish pub on the beach and saw a direct access to the beach, it was still very early in the morning and it was deserted although the pay beach next door had all the active amenities (and costs).
We walked in and met Houdini was the "lifeguard" of the free beach. They're all free of course but you have to pay a toll to get to them!! He offered the small clean beach and would cater to us with all we needed from food and drink... and Gonja.
Well he set up chairs and an umbrella that elsewhere charge you $10 each for. After a bit of solitude on the beach, other shipmates found us!
As more folks came, so did the smoke vendors and quite a few folks took them up on the medicinal powers of whatever leaf they were offering- it wasn't for us but we had a few drinks and relaxed without an problems.
For 6 drinks, Red Stripe of course, we only paid $26!! Houdini was so good we tipped him what it would have cost to get on the pay beach and left happy!!

Montego Bay

Great closets, bathroom spacious and very clean. Beds could use an update or better quality. but basically it was fine since we made sure we were not in our little coffin very long!!
Oh and a laptop will NOT fit in the safe.

Overall, the ship was great, the entertainment so-so, the food good and the staff terrific.For less than $100 a day per person, the week before Christmas, we enjoyed the ship very much and found the service excellent and the food better than expected.

Carnival Valor Review

Never felt crowded on the Valor

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