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 (~€310) (US$334) per person in interior cabins. Cabins with a window start at £302 (~€352) (US$380) per person. Tips add 6 x US$14 (~€14) = US$87 (~€81) 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 USA offers many sights, natural wonders and cultural significance. Thanks to numerous airlines offering flights across the Atlantic, it is always pretty inexpensive to get there. Alternatively, you can also cross the Atlantic by boat.
Immigration, ESTA & Visa Requirements
The USA has one of the strictest entry regulations in the world. Most EU citizens, among others, are lucky to be able to participate in the so-called Visa Waiver Program. If you get an electronic entry permit (ESTA) for approximately €20, you don’t need a visa for entry.
The Best Time to Visit
Due to its sheer size, the perfect time to visit the USA varies greatly from region to region. In winter, Florida is very popular due to the mild temperatures. In the summer the West and East Coasts are flooded by tourists which drives up the prices for hotels and flights and during the Indian Summer in late autumn New England is a very popular destination. The hurricane season between July and September can be dangerous in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida and the southern states are regularly struck by these tropical storms. Blizzards occur from the East Coast to the Midwest during the winter months and regularly put air traffic and public life on hold.
Currency
The US dollar is widely used throughout the world and accepted as a currency in most tourist hotspots worldwide. That being said, carrying cash isn’t necessary in the US, all you need is a credit card! These are very common in the USA and are accepted pretty much everywhere without any issues. If you already have a credit card in your wallet, you should make sure that it does not charge a foreign currency fee if possible. Carrying a few dollars in cash doesn’t hurt though. You might need cash e.g. for the bus ticket if you want to buy it directly from the driver. Most of the time you even have to give exact change.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
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