We recently returned from a five-day cruise on the Carnival Valor out of New Orleans. Our cruise was a five-day cruise and we went to Cozumel & Progresso. Here is my real-life Mom review of our experience on our first cruise.
Our group was a bit unique, there were a total of eight of us: my mom, sister and brother-in-law, myself, my husband, and three kids (19, 17 & 11). Experiencing a cruise with the ages of our kids was PERFECT. They were able to have fun & explore on their own in the safe surroundings of the ship while we got bonding time over dinner and games in the evening.
The service was TOP NOTCH. Everyone we interacted with was incredibly friendly and would make sure our group have everything we needed down to an extra chair for one of our adults who had a broken foot.
The food … y’all if you are a foodie like me, BOOK IT. We had great food each night in the dining hall; these menus rotate by the day. As well as Guys Burgers, pizza, and burritos available anytime we would like. One night we splurged and booked the steakhouse on board. This is not included in the all-inclusive food but is well worth the splurge. This food was like food I had never experienced. The Chef would send us the best suggestions on wine pairing, too! It was a great excuse to get dressed up as a family, too!
The beds were comfortable and the rooms were much bigger than I thought they would be! We had such a great time on board between the arcade, live entertainment, and karaoke every night. At our stop in Cozumel, we went to a private beach club and the beach was the most gorgeous beach I have ever seen! We ate, drank & relaxed by the pool. It was perfect! In Progresso, we chose not to do an excursion because of some of the limitations of our group so we shopped around the port & it was so great to see all of the people and local art that was created.
Overall, this was the first vacation as a mom I felt like I could REALLY relax. I didn’t have to plan anything. Meals, we just showed up and we were provided with the menu. Entertainment was endless … the older kids could stay up until 3 am hanging out and swimming and I could relax in my room knowing they were safe. There is also Camp Ocean which is a free child play time for kids 2 & up! My daughter (11) enjoyed the games and crafts done onboard every day.
We are so lucky in Louisiana to have the availability to take a cruise right out of New Orleans! 
