This is my review of the Carnival Valor. I booked this cruise through Carnival at the last minute (about 4 wks before sailing). I called them up, told them the timeframe (last two wks of April), didn't care about the destination and cheapest possible. I also booked the air through Carnival to keep is simple. The itinerary was Nassau, St. Thomas, & St. Maarten.
This was the third cruise out of Miami for me. Port is easy to get to, about 15 minutes from Miami International Airport. My plane landed about 9:10 and was able to get my bag right away. The longest part was waiting for the transfer arranged by Carnival. They had a representative waiting at the baggage area who directed us to a waiting line, depending on which ship. From the time I got in line to getting on the bus was about 45 minutes.
After getting to the Carnival terminal, it took about 1 hr from start to getting on the boat. Not bad. I got on board about 12:15 and was told my room would be ready at 1:30. So, I got myself a pop (and soda card) and waited in the main lobby (American Lobby) and people watched.