A Beautiful and Relaxing Cruise to Cozumel and Progreso---Dolphin Excursion!

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 6

Helpful Votes: 185

Review summary

We finally turned VIFP Gold on this Carnival Cruise to Cozumel and Progreso. We were excited to get our Gold Card as we made our way through the embarkation process. It turned out that Carnival now delivers your sail and sign card to you in your stateroom mailbox outside the room. As such, we arrived, cleared security, and were immediately waved onto the Carnival Valor. We stopped in the Atrium for a mojito, and then had lunch on the Lido deck. Our cabin was ready before the 1:30 time we had been expecting. After getting settled, we lounged in a hot tub on Lido until the Muster drill. It was a super embarkation because it was calm and relxing. Our cabin steward, I Made, greeted us with a warm smile. If you get a good steward, it makes the cruise all the more enjoyable, and I Made was perfect for us. He kept our ice bucket filled and dry towels coming throughout the cruise. The dining was phenomenal. We dined in the Steakhouse the first night and received a complimentary bottle of Chardonnay. The lamb chop were succulent and everything was served cooked to perfection. The following nights in the Lincoln Dining room were nearly as good. The American Table menu has nearly reached perfection with mouth-watering steaks, delicious pasta, flavorful seafood, and well-prepared side dishes. We tried Your Time Dining for the first time this cruise and liked it much better than Assigned Time. We were able to plan dinner around the various shows and comedians that formed a part of the evening's entertainment. Swimming with the Dolphins at Dolphinaris was without exception the highlight of the cruise. The venue was quiet and easily accessible. The pictures were a bit too expensive for us. Be prepared to spend at least $100 if you want any pictures of you with the dolphins (no photos allowed). We were also able to see two mother dolphins with their babies. They are endearing creatures with human-like personalities. We spent most of our free time enjoying the hot tubs on the Serenity deck. DW got a massage and I got a haircut. We gambled a very little bit in the casino, and I did win $86.00 on one machine. However, I would describe the slots as relatively tight, not loose. I did not get the Cheers package, but I wish that I had. We ended up spending quite a bit on drinks, and Cheers would have given us more value with less worry about prices. Overall, this was a textbook cruise with calm seas, wonderful service, and good times. I highly recommend the Carnival Valor to all cruisers, as well as the Dolphinaris excursion through Carnival.

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Galveston, Texas

Cozumel, Mexico

Progreso (Merida), Mexico

Disembarkation

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