I had a great time on my recent eastern Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Valor. This was my second cruise and my friend, Linda's second cruise as well. We drove from Knoxville to Atlanta and flew from Atlanta to Miami where we spent two nights in South Beach before our cruise. We stayed at the Beach Plaza Hotel in South Beach. The hotel was located on Collins Avenue, just one block from Ocean Blvd. It was an art-deco hotel and looked nice, but the service was less than spectacular. However, we didn't complain too much, because our room was almost $200 less per night than any other hotel we researched in South Beach.

We explored the sidewalk cafes on Ocean Blvd. on our first night and found some great food and lots of interesting people. On our second day, we took a cruise in Biscayne Bay on Fiesta Cruises. We saw the homes of all the celebrities and had a great time. Afterwards, we hung out at Bayside and checked out all the shops and stores. It was fun. EMBARKATION - We arrived at the Carnival terminal at 11:15. We made it through security very quickly and through the initial lines where we received our Sail and Sign cards. After a fifteen minute wait, sections began boarding and, before we knew it, we were embarking on board ship. The entire process took only about an hour and went very smoothly. Once on board, we ate at the Fish & Chips cafe on the second floor of Rosie's. We at there three times during the cruise and enjoying it very much each and every time. We attended the Sail Away party on the Lido deck and had fun. The Entertainment Hosts did a great job and were very enthusiastic the entire week.

SHIP - The Carnival Valor is a great ship. I loved the "Heroes and Heroines" theme and all the different public rooms. My favorite places to hang out were The Bronx Bar and the Casino Bar. I liked the environment of the Lindy Hop Piano Bar, but I wasn't crazy about the music. Read more