We chose this cruise for the opportunity to take our 7 and 8 YO granddaughters on their first cruise over Mardi Gras break (Louisiana residents). We had no issues with the Valor vs. Liberty swap, both were new to my wife and me although we'd previously sailed the Conquest so were comfortable with the class. Our cabin, 7397, on the Empress deck was quiet with respect to neighbors, above, below and both sides, but we did have a very annoying rattle outside the door described elsewhere.

Embarkation and debarkation were very smooth, Faster to the Fun is a must for us and makes everything more enjoyable. We parked offsite on the Lighthouse lot and their operation was very smooth. The porters are well worth the tip for debarkation.

We booked our excursions outside of Carnival and in Cozumel we went to Chankanaab park and swam, with dolphins. Very enjoyable and saw a sea lion show and petted the manatees also. The food was ok there with inside dining to beat the heat and avoid the flys. The cost of buying photos is excessive to say the least. Even with the price of the taxi roundtrip the excursion was a bargain over Carnival rates and there was no concern about missing the vessel. The excursion was booked through dtraveler.com and the booking was very smooth. Read more