Disclaimer: I will be making terrible puns.
Is there anything more fun than a girl's trip? My group didn't think so when I hosted one last month aboard the Carnival Valor. If you've read my blogs in the past, you know I am nothing if not honest, so it was almost a girl's trip. Like my dad says almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, also known as my niece and my son on this trip. I just want you to imagine the amount of grief from a preteen boy I got from him being the only boy.
None the less we were ready with our matching shirts, overpacked bags, and wine bottles ready to go! (If you didn't know you're allowed 1 bottle of wine no bigger than 750 ml and no more than 15% alcohol to be carried on per adult). I might have carried on 1 for each adult in our group.
So, let's talk about the Carnival Valor. This ship leaves out of New Orleans, Louisiana and offers 4- or 5-day sailings to Mexico. If you live in the Gulf area and use ports like New Orleans or Galveston and do less than an 8-day itinerary...... I hope you like Mexico. This ship set sail in 2004 for the first time, and if you're like me and think oh that's like what 10 years ago, WRONG, try 21 years ago. That's right 2004 babies it is your year, no more replacing your parent's vodka with water and acting surprised when it freezes in the freezer.
Of course, Carnival has done a wonderful job with making sure she has been updated with all of the fun things to do. I will rant about one thing.... THERE WAS ONE POWER OUTLET FOR THE ENTIRE ROOM!!!!
OK BACK TO THE FUN....
There's a waterslide, Guy's Burger Joint, Basketball court, Mini Golf, arcade, spa, and the place I spent way too much money at a casino all on board. If you don't have fun on a Carnival Cruise, it's really your own fault. You can look on your HUB app thru Carnival and see what you can get into for the day or have a paper copy that gets delivered outside your room every day.
So, let's start with Day 1. We all met up at the Port Parking Garage, which opens at 9am and was $25 a day to park, but can you really put a price on someone offloading your luggage right from your vehicle, finding a spot, and just taking an elevator down to the Security area? Yes, you can, it's $25 a day.
We all made it thru Security after showing either your passport, passport card, or birth certificate, thankfully I did such a good job keeping my group informed before the trip, everyone had all of their stuff! Once you get on board unless you cruise way too much and have that special status or you paid for Faster to the Fun, your rooms won't be ready until at least 1:30pm. After you check in at your muster station, the boat will not leave until everyone has done so don't be that person, you can grab yourself a bite to eat, have your first drink, or stake out an epic spot to watch the Sailaway party! (You do not want to miss this, I know you have seen the Tik Toks.)
The Sailaway party on the Lido Deck is where you'll be introduced to your cruise directors, and it's also where Bonnie who's had 3 rum punches already gets her chance to show off her vast knowledge of line dancing.
Once you're out of breath and get done making a fool out of yourself, enjoy the nice views you get from floating down the Mississippi River. That whole first evening you'll be on the Mississippi, so you still get cell phone service. I personally like to turn my phone off and detach from society for a few days.
It's now dinner time and you have so many options to choose from, but I personally like to go to the main dining rooms and enjoy a nice sit-down meal. When I host a group, I like to remind everyone this is their vacation and do what you want when you want!! I make a standing reservation each night for a set time so if people would like to join they can. I mean where else can you see staff dance on the tables (besides the strip club) and get epic pictures of a pirate with a sword to your throat?
After dinner, I took my niece to go watch a movie poolside so her mom could enjoy some adult time. We watched King Kong vs. Godzilla, I still don't know how to feel about all the scenes of monsters coming out of the ocean while I currently sat on a ship in the middle of the ocean.
Pro Tip: Ask your room steward for one of those cushy blue blankets when you get onboard. It gets really windy at night.
Now, I know you guys think I am the life of the party after reading some blog posts and watching the video above, well the real answer is yes, but only until about 9:30, then your girl is out. I sit on the balcony watching the world go by for a few, get on my comfy pj's and relax in bed.
After some of the best sleep because that boat does the perfect amount of motion to rock you to sleep all night it was time for Day 2.
Day 2 for us was an at sea day. Some of the girls were going to the Seaday Brunch and the Tea Party at Sea. I'm a boy mom and Teatime is just not my jam. I knew right where I was going to be, in the atrium playing TRIVIA! They had everything from TV soundtracks to country hits where I got extra points for dancing to Shania Twain and singing a little Tennessee Whiskey. Can you believe we still didn't win?
I am going to shock everyone even myself when I tell you this next part. I actually stayed awake enough to go to the R rated comedy show at 11PM. It was Percy Crews2 and he was well worth me staying up past my bedtime. I think I even peed a little laughing so much. (Don't act like it doesn't happen to you ladies)
The next morning it was time for Cozumel! We had all decided that we were going to Mr. Sanchos an all-inclusive day resort for our time off the ship.
Pro Tip: Go past all of the private transportation options that will over charge you and head to the taxis.
When you arrive at Mr. Sanchos you will get your own personal waiter, ours was Romon and he was fantastic!! He stays with you while you check in and then guides you to your tables and with such a large group, I could not have been more thankful he took care of us. Your all-inclusive day pass includes all food, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), pool access and a nice beach area to enjoy! You can pay extra for the aquatic jump park for the kiddos but be advised the only lifeguard is on the beach and not out in the water with your kids. They also have ATVs, and horseback riding for additional fees.
You can also shop, take pictures with the iguana or the beautiful parrots the handlers are walking around with. Although I am pretty sure I heard that parrot say "look at these idiots" at least twice after some people were twerking to the mariachi band. If you are feeling really adventurous, they even have the fish pedicures there.
They do an excellent job of making sure taxis are waiting to take you back to the port when you are ready, and because I refuse to end up as a pier runner, we headed back to do a little shopping and get back on the boat.
Once your back on the ship, get you a nice view of the pier, because you're either going to see someone running for their lives to catch the boat, or wheeled right up to the ship because they couldn't handle Mexico. It's also a great way to look at the other cruise ships in port as well and decide which one you'll go on next!
We were on our way back to New Orleans when all of a sudden, the captain comes over the intercom. We needed to turn around to get a crew member to land for a medical emergency. We got close enough to Isla Mujeres for a tender boat to get the crew member to safety and I pray they are ok.
Now begins Day 4, the sunny skies of Mexico had turned to gray because Louisiana weather is completely unpredictable, we left New Orleans a sunny 70 degrees, but we were headed back to a blizzard to hit us the next day.
Yes, I said blizzard not hurricane, and I don't mean Dairy Queen blizzard.
The ocean seemed just upset as we all were thinking of snow in Louisiana and had that ship rocking and rolling. We started out at the Sea Day Brunch at which I was informed halfway thru that my son had to go, because he was meeting "the boys" at 11.
You might be thinking while you were reading this post, I know she said she brought her kid with her on this trip
"WHERE IS HE????"
Calm down everyone, he is officially too cool to hang out with his mom. He made a group of friends that had him playing basketball, in the arcade, and chilling in the jacuzzi. You ever want to feel old? Go check on your kid when he's with a group of his friends...
"BYE LANE'S MOM" was the chorused goodbye I got every single time, I walked away from the group of pre-teens.
I am going to do a little bragging on here. It is hard to give your kids a little freedom to be their own person sometimes I am guilty of being that parent that wants to keep my eyes on him at all times, but he really stepped up to the challenge of check in times that were set and keeping me notified of where he would be. If you saw the lady who looked like a creeper on the stairs to make sure he was still playing basketball I'm sorry it was just me trying not to get seen by him after I told him "Sure I trust you". I should have never told him the stories of when I was younger, and my brother and I used to wake up before our parents at an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica and head down to the pool for the first of 1910 pina coladas for the day...It was used against me.
Now that we've determined my kid is very much still on this cruise, take a guess at what I did for the rest of my sea day? If you guessed more trivia, you should be on my team next time. FYI we never actually ended up winning any of the rounds we played. But go ahead and ask how I still ended up with a mini trophy version of the Valor? The sweetest lady actually won but said I looked so excited playing she gave it to me.
As I got ready for dinner on the last night, I couldn't help but pause and reflect on how the heck I am doing this as a career?!!!
Also, I really wanted a picture of that beautiful hand painted hat I got in Cozumel!
Isn't it gorgeous?
Does anyone want to guess the temperature we woke up to back in New Orleans?
*Cue Jeopardy Music*
I hope you didn't bet as much as I did in the casino if you answered anything above 30 degrees. It was 27 degrees, and that wind was trying to rip the little warmth in my body I had left from the sunburn I got in Cozumel.
I do have to applaud the Port of New Orleans, that was the smoothest and fastest I have ever gotten off a cruise ship, even with having to use the birth certificate line for my son. (Don't judge, I need to get his passport)
This was also the first cruise where I had to drive a car after being on a cruise for days.
0/5 STARS and I do not recommend it, ladies this is what husbands are really for.
Have you ever drove a jet ski thru Baton Rouge traffic before? Well technically neither have I, but I feel like that experience was the closest I am ever going to get to it.
Thankfully everyone in my group got home safely before the great blizzard of 2025 shut the state down for 2 days.
So, if you're looking for a fun time, first hire me to host your group (just don't expect me out past 10PM), secondly check out the Carnival Valor, and third....
TAKE THE TRIP!!
Samantha C.
-Owner/Agent Worth the Miles Travel
Comments