A New Orleans Pre-Cruise Trip

Before our cruise we decided to head down to New Orleans a night early, go out, and then not have to get up too terribly early to make it to the cruise terminal the following morning. We were a group of 8 adults, 6 who would be going out that night, so we found the perfect Airbnb in Treme. So comfortable, beautifully decorated, and right next door to some really great seafood! I highly recommend booking a stay here whether you're cruising, going to a football game, or just want to enjoy the city. It's a quick Uber or Lyft to just about anywhere you might want to go!

Dining onboard Carnival Valor

 

I will start by saying that I am not overly fond of buffet style dining on a good day, so you won't find me raving about anything I got off the buffet, as I avoided it for the most part aside from pretty common things such as breakfast selections. I also didn't try many specialty drinks as I'm a Tito's & Vodka girl and I'll order the occasional Extra Dirty Martini, but this Mai Tai was a perfect start to my morning! 

Scarlett's Steakhouse Carnival Valor

I think the most asked question I receive is: Was Scarlett's Steakhouse on the Carnival Valor worth it? The answer is ABSOLUTELY! The price was $38 per adult, which is a steal for a good meal and we booked embarkation day so all premium bottled wine was half off for our wine loving companions!

Carnival Valor Oceanview Stateroom

 

We took a, much needed, 4 day cruise to Cozumel aboard the Carnival Valor! We were a group of 8 adults and it was just such a fun experience all the way around. 

Tequila Tasting Tour at Buccano's in Cozumel

 

Let me start by saying that the tequila tour was included with admission to Buccano's, otherwise this is not something we would have typically done. The tour itself had a lot of fun information about how tequila is made, about agave plants, and included some free samples. We liked that our guide was not overly pushy about purchasing the product too. I will say that these "dessert tequila" options we tasted were very tasty, but upon doing a quick web search we quickly learned that these were not luxury, "true tequila" products they were trying to sell us and many reviews claimed these tequilas were watered down. 

Buccanos Beach Club in Cozumel

We knew while we were in Mexico we definitely wanted somewhere to relax and just enjoy the sun and the sea, but without the large crowds that can be found at Mr. Sanchos. Buccanos was just what we were looking for! There was a $20 entrance fee but we ended up doing a group rate at the pier that included transportation to and from and even a stop for shopping. Buccanos has wonderful drinks, delicious food, and a very nice swimming pool! The food and drink prices were very affordable, especially for the portion size.