We just returned from the Carnival Valor, six day cruise out of Miami to Key West, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios Jamaica. There were 6 of us in our party. Two grandparents, two parents, and two boys age 14 and 11. This was the grandparents 4th cruise, parents 3rd cruise, and boys 2nd cruise.

We flew in on Delta to the West Palm Beach airport a day early. The West Palm Beach airport was cheaper than either Ft. Lauderdale or Miami even with having to rent a car. We rented a car and headed to Miami. Since it was too early to check in to our hotel we drove to Florida City and got a milkshake from Robert is Here. I decided to be adventurous and have a mamey milkshake. I should have been like the rest of our family and got a fruit that I know what it tastes like. Since it was time to check in to our hotel room we headed to the La Quinta Inn at the airport. The La Quinta Inn is what you would expect. Nothing fancy but a place to lay your head. The grandparents and kids decided to order in pizza which was way too greasy. My husband and I walked to the Bennigans. Bennigans was not that good. Maybe that's why they aren't around anymore. The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast was pretty bad. It was crowded and smoky. I think someone burned their toast. There was very little selection. The free shuttle to the port worked out fine. But I think next time I will spend the extra money to stay somewhere else.

We were finally at the port by 11:00, luggage given to the porters and off we went to check in. Lines were a little long but nothing unreasonable. We were on the boat by 12:00 and eating lunch on the Lido Deck. Our cabins were ready by 1:00. We had two balcony cabins, 8337 and 8441. The grandparents had a king size bed and a sofa in their room. We had a king size bed, a sign bed, and a drop down bed from the ceiling. Believe it or not, we had plenty of room for all our stuff. It got a little crowded when all the dirty cloths started piling up. The partition between our balconies was opened so we had a double sized balcony to enjoy. And enjoy we did! Our cabin steward was nice and kept the room clean. Of course, we enjoyed our nightly towel animals. Our rooms were near the back of the ship under the adults' only pool area. There was a good bit of noise every night from scraping chairs across the floor above. But what can you expect when you have a 24 hour pizza restaurant above you. The location of the cabin was very convenient to the Rosie's restaurant for breakfast and lunch and to the other Lido deck pools. Overall, I think it was a good room in a good location and can get over the noise. Read more