As we mentioned in our latest Carnival cruise deal, cruises are usually cheap in the Southeast US. Usually, people think of Florida, overlooking great deals from New Orleans or Galveston. One of these is Carnival Valor’s regular sailings from New Orleans stopping in Cozumel and Progreso with two sea days.
Fares including full board and taxes start as £266 (~€306) (US$356) per person in interior cabins. Cabins with a window start at £302 (~€348) (US$404) per person. Tips add 6 x US$14 (~€12) = US$87 (~€75) per person. You can still adjust them to your liking once on board.
The Route
There are departures year-round, although the cheapest departure is on January 23. The ship departs from New Orleans and arrives back there 5 nights later.
- Day 1: New Orleans, USA (15:30)
- Day 2: At sea
- Day 3: Cozumel, Mexico (08:00-16:00)
- Day 4: Progreso (Yucatan), Mexico (08:00-16:00)
- Day 5: At Sea
- Day 6: New Orleans, USA (08:00)
The Ship
Unfortunately, Carnival doesn’t assign its newest, modern ships to New Orleans. Although, the Carnival Valor is still among the good ones. It entered into service in 2004 as a Conquest-class cruise ship and got refurbished in 2016. Of course, it has a theatre, a casino, pools, jacuzzis, multiple seated dining rooms, and a buffet restaurant. There are also speciality restaurants, many of which are free.
When it comes to entertainment, there is a minigolf course, a sports deck, a spa, a waterslide, and a comedy club (I’m not joking!). If you take kids on a cruise, you can drop the off at the kids’ group respective to their age and join your childless cruisers in the Serenity adult-only retreat. Or if you like kids, you can join them at a build-a-bear program, although it will cost you.
Here are what the cabins look like on Carnival Panorama, a newer ship. There isn’t much difference:
Unfortunately, Carnival likes to hide pictures of older ships and only has a very limited number of pictures available that we could put in this deal. So, here is a 34-minute ship tour video that you could quickly jump through:
Flights
While this cruise is mostly intended for our American readers, it is possible to get to New Orleans for a good price. From US cities Southwest offers direct connections to many destinations across the country. We highly recommend a buffer day even for those coming from the US, since the ship departs at 15:30! You can use our search box below that will redirect you to either our flight search or Southwest’s website:
From European cities, British Airways offers direct flights from London, which seems to be the cheapest departing from Paris at just €455. Although, you can also combine this cruise with trips to other parts of the US. We recommend keeping an eye out for our active deals to the US:
Destination
Hotel prices in New Orleans usually start at roughly €70, depending on the hotel category. Whichever category and hotel you opt for, make sure to get the best price! Our recommendation is to search on booking.com, or even on our own Travel-Dealz hotel search:
Information & Tips for USA
The United States offers a wide range of tourist sights, from national parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon to cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. The currency is the U.S. dollar (USD), and card payments are widely accepted. Prices vary by region but can be high in major cities, especially for accommodation and dining. Weather differs greatly across the country—winters can be harsh in the north, while the south often stays mild; summers are generally hot and humid in many areas.
The U.S. transport infrastructure is highly car-dependent, especially outside major cities. Urban centres like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco have functional public transit, but many other cities have limited options. Between cities, domestic flights are common for long distances, while intercity buses and Amtrak trains cover some routes, though often with slower speeds and less frequency compared to other countries. Without a car, getting around can be inconvenient in many parts of the country.
We’ve compared various esim providers, such as Knowroaming and Ubigi. To see which plan is best for your travel needs and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for the USA 🇺🇸 Compared
→ All Dealz for USA