All Aboard! 3 Reasons to Sail Away on a Carnival Caribbean Cruise

Truth be told, I’ve never thought of myself as much of a cruiser.

In fact, until a few years ago, I hadn’t been on one since I was 17 years old (which, for the sake of argument, we’ll say wasn’t all that long ago).

What do I have against the idea of cruising? Well, nothing really.

I mean certainly, I’m known for whirlwind stops in various countries on my 30-day round-the-world trips that could roughly resemble a cruise ship itinerary. Of course, in my defense, I usually at least spend the night.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to book through these links, I receive a small commission, which I will undoubtedly blow on more flights (it’s a vicious cycle).  All of this internet voodoo takes place at no additional cost to you. 

But after several cruises in recent years (including sailings to Europe, Asia, Africa, and even Antarctica) I can officially say I am slowly but surely becoming a fan of cruise ship travel.

Read More: A Mediterranean Cruise: Spain, France, Italy, Tunisia & Mallorca

Read More: Asia with Ease: A Cruise to Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand

But there’s just something about the pristine beaches and turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea that keeps calling my name.

Why cruise the Caribbean?

With my newfound love for cruise trip travel, I’ve discovered quite a few compelling reasons to cruise the Caribbean. And more specifically, to cruise the Caribbean with Carnival Cruise Lines (but more on that in a moment!).

It turns out there are certain parts of the world that just lend themselves perfectly to cruising.

The Caribbean definitely falls into this category. There are so many fabulous islands so close together, why not just unpack once and call it a week?

Read More: 10 Best Caribbean Islands to Visit Right Now (& Why You’ll Love Them!)

One of my favorite things about cruising is waking up in a different port every morning with a new island to explore!

But there are a variety of cruise lines with dreamy Caribbean cruise itineraries, why choose a Carnival cruise?

3 Reasons to Choose a Carnival Caribbean Cruise

Recently, I set sail with my best friend, Autumn, for our second annual spring Caribbean cruise. For the third time, we chose to sail with Carnival Cruise Lines. And here’s why.

1. The Fun Ships are just that!

Known as the “Fun Ships,” I’ve always enjoyed cruising with Carnival.

If you’re a cruiser who likes a wide variety of activities, Carnival is the cruise line for you. From lively deck parties to entertaining shows with plenty of audience involvement, you’ll have no trouble filling your days and nights with as much (or as little) as you like.

2. Relaxing “Fun Days at Sea”

After a few cruises, I have developed a major affinity for starting and ending my cruise with a day or two at sea. It gives you a nice opportunity to learn your way around the ship and relax by the pool a bit before all the island-hopping starts in earnest.

And then, after all that island exploration is done, you have a few days left to relax and unwind as you slowly sail back home.

Highlights of a “Fun Day at Sea” on a Carnival cruise ship include the can’t-miss Sea Day Brunch, a visit to the ship’s spa, and even a “Dive-In Movie”.

Tip: Southern Caribbean cruises are ideal for working in a few extra relaxing days at sea.

3. The Carnival Crew

But without a doubt, my favorite part of the cruising experience is meeting the crew. Carnival crews are truly an international bunch with crew members hailing from more than 100 countries.

I have found in my past few cruises that meeting the crew and talking to them about their countries is one of my favorite parts of the trip.

I love it when I meet the waiter from Indonesia or the Internet Café manager from Macedonia or the dining room hostess from Bulgaria and I get to say that I have visited their country. The surprise on their faces is priceless and it always turns into a lengthy conversation.

The crew members obviously enjoy their jobs and they really love talking to interested passengers about their countries. Not to mention they are a wealth of information for globetrotters like me. It’s like having my own personal international travel agency floating across the Caribbean.

In fact, on my 30-day trip around the Balkans, I spent a full day touring Serbia with our cocktail waitress from the previous year’s cruise. Magdalena, and her husband (a dining room waiter) Milan. They were home in Serbia between assignments.

Read More: Surprisingly Serbia – Belgrade & Novi Sad

When I saw her name tag on our first night, I mentioned I was headed to Serbia next summer. She immediately gave me her contact information and said they would love to show me around.

Maggie and Milan were incredible hosts and it just goes to show you the wonderfully hospitable people Carnival employs from top to bottom.

So, there you have it! Three great reasons to choose a Carnival Caribbean cruise.

But before I move on to the story of our fabulous 8-night Caribbean cruise, let’s talk about some of Carnival’s ships.

What’s the best Carnival Cruise Ship?

It’s hard to go wrong with any Carnival Fun Ship. And the best Carnival cruise ship often depends on what type of traveler you are.

Carnival Horizon and Carnival Mardi Gras are two of the cruise line’s newest and most popular ships. (Carnival Jubilee, the line’s newest vessel, set sail for Caribbean itineraries in 2023.)

For families, Carnival Vista is a terrific choice. Kids of all ages will find plenty of things to keep them busy!

For couples, or those looking for a little seclusion and pampering, you can’t go wrong with Carnival Dream or Carnival Liberty.

And for history buffs, set sail on the Carnival Valor (our ship for this cruise). Here’s a little more about the ship we chose for this sailing.

The Carnival Valor

Inaugurated in 2004 by Godmother Katie Couric (did you know cruise ships had Godmothers?), the Carnival Valor is part of Carnival’s mid-size “Conquest Class” of ships.

Like all Carnival ships, the design of the Valor is focused on a central theme that permeates every inch of the ship. Valor’s concept of “Heroes and Heroics” allowed designer Joe Farcus to explore heroes of both mythology and reality.

For example, the main show lounge is the Ivanhoe Theater – named after Sir Walter Scott’s signature novel. The name of the dance club, One Small Step, was inspired by the famous words of Neil Armstrong on the first lunar space walk.

Its planetary design – including actual Hubble telescope photographs – mimics the surface of the moon and combines a little history with the usual nightclub whimsy.

The aft show lounge, Eagles, honors the strength and freedom of the national bird of the United States. The Cigar Bar is named after Sir Winston Churchill while the sports bar – Bronx Bar – is a tribute to the Yankees.

The two magnificent main dining rooms – Washington and Lincoln – recognize two of America’s most legendary presidents. Everyone from Charles Lindbergh to Joan of Arc gets a nod on the Valor.

Kicking off 8 nights at sea on a Carnival Caribbean cruise!

For this trip, Autumn and I chose a Carnival cruise itinerary out of Miami with a good mix of Eastern and Southern Caribbean destinations.

Stops include Grand Turk, the Dominican Republic, Curacao, and Aruba. With a few of those serene sea days thrown in for good measure.

After a quick flight from Atlanta, we arrive at the departure Port of Miami around 10:00am. The kiosk check-in process is quick and easy. Within 15 minutes, we clear security, check in, and have our Sail & Sign cards in hand.

Since boarding doesn’t start until noon, we have a little time to kill in the terminal. Luckily, they begin boarding at 11:00am so before we know it the ship’s photographer is snapping our photo as we step aboard the Carnival Valor, our home for the next 8 nights.

Our cabin won’t be ready until 1:30pm, so we head to the Lido Deck for lunch. After that, we grab lounge chairs at the aft pool (which is just for adults…hooray!). It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a beautiful Miami afternoon until we can ditch our carry-ons in the cabin.

Roll call!

While we wait, we meet up with a few of the folks that Autumn interacted with on the CruiseCritic.com website before our cruise. (Sidebar: If you’re taking a cruise and haven’t visited Cruise Critic, do so immediately!)

One of the great things about the Cruise Critic website is they have a feature called “Roll Call” that allows you to meet your fellow cruisers and share information about excursions, etc prior to your cruise.

The Roll Call forum has a wealth of information and for the second cruise in a row, we meet a number of people through it who become fast friends on the ship.

Setting Sail for a Caribbean Cruise

A few hours later, it’s time to sail away from Miami to begin our week exploring the Caribbean.

Our first full day is a “Fun Day at Sea” and it’s the perfect way to ease into our casual cruising lifestyle.

By the morning of Day #2, we’re refreshed and ready to tackle our first island.

First Stop – Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands

Just 6 miles long and 1 mile wide, the capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands has welcomed a notable guest or two throughout the course of history. Locals claim Columbus first made landfall here in 1492 while most historians believe that it was Ponce de Leon who was the first to visit in 1512.

One historic landing that is not up for debate is that of U.S. astronaut John Glenn. Glenn’s space capsule famously splashed down in the waters off Grand Turk on February 20, 1962 after he became the first man to orbit the earth.

Glenn’s craft, the Friendship 7, was picked up by the U.S. Navy. He was taken to Grand Turk for a medical and two days of debriefing before Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson arrived to fly him back home.

It was the first time the international spotlight had come to the islands. Locals who were lucky enough to shake Glenn’s hand gleefully held up their own hands saying they had “touched space”.

These days it’s mostly cruise ship passengers who arrive on Grand Turk thanks to a brand new deep-water cruise port opened in 2006.

Grand Turk by golf cart

For our day on the island, Autumn and I rent a golf cart (all you really need to get around this tiny island) and set out to explore.

Two hours later, we’ve circled the entire island visiting the colonial capital of Cockburn Town, the charming lighthouse on the northern tip of the island, and Columbus Landfall National Park – all the while dodging the island’s ubiquitous wild donkeys.

Jack’s Shack

After returning the golf cart, we settle in at one of the Caribbean’s best beach bars for the afternoon.

It all started when Jack met Janet, a Canadian nurse who had relocated to the island. Jack’s career in waterfront construction brought him to Grand Turk for the new cruise port project which was completed in 2006.

The two met and the rest is history.

Their dream to open a mojito hut on the beach became reality when they teamed up with a local dive shop and opened a tiki hut on their spacious deck.

Today, Jack’s Shack sits on a perfect stretch of sandy Caribbean paradise. The popular spot serves up local specialties, a mean rum punch, and island music to locals and cruise ship passengers alike.

On any given day, you’ll find Jack and Janet behind the bar and their two dogs Topher and Cooper looking for playmates on the beach (sadly, Topher crossed the doggie Rainbow Bridge in 2019 – but his legend lives on in the bar).

Our afternoon at Jack’s Shack reminds me a lot of our favorite day on last year’s cruise – at the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke, BVI.

Read More: Photo of the Day – Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke

It’s hard to beat a relaxing day on a perfect Caribbean beach with a cold adult beverage. While Grand Turk is very small, it actually makes a perfect cruise ship stop because you really can see it all and still have time to sit and relax in just one day.

Stop #2 – La Romana, Dominican Republic

We were initially torn about what to do with our day in the Dominican Republic.

But thanks to Autumn’s regularity on the Cruise Critic board, she discovered a local tour outfitter offering a day trip that sounded like fun.

So, after docking in La Romana at 9am we make our way to the village of Bayahibe. There, we hook up with Seavis Tours for a day of exploring the Parque Nacional del Este, one of the Dominican Republic’s eleven national parks.

We climb into a speedboat with about 20 others to begin our day.

First, we cruise past the rocks of Penon and through Mangroves to see the colonies of Frigate birds. Then, we arrive at beautiful Saona Island for an afternoon of snorkeling and relaxing on the beach.

Saona Island

Famous for the natural beauty of its beaches, Saona Island is a protected nature reserve and part of the Dominican Republic’s Parque Nacional del Este.

Located just a short distance from the mainland on the southeastern tip of the Dominican Republic, the island was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494 on his way to the Americas. He named it Saona to honor the commune of Savona, his home at the time.

The seas around the island are home to rich marine life including indigenous starfish that can be found dotting the many shallow sandbars surrounding the island.

After some relaxing time on the beach, our final stop of the day is the “Piscina Natural” or natural swimming pool, a giant sandbank famed for its colorful indigenous starfish. A few photo ops later, we’re headed back to the ship.

Saona Island is a great day trip whether you’re visiting the Dominican Republic for a week or just for the day on a cruise ship.

It was an amazing day out on the water and I’m impressed with the beauty of the Dominican Republic.

A word of caution about the Dominican Republic…

Unfortunately, not everyone on our ship was as impressed with the country.

Those who chose to strike out on their own and hire a taxi to tour the island were mostly disappointed with their experience. The D.R. is one of the poorest of the Caribbean islands and though there are many luxury resorts and exceptional natural beauty, there is also widespread poverty.

Even booking with a tour company doesn’t keep the local children from coming up and (basically) demanding money from you. I’m not sure if I would go back to the island and spend more time but I definitely enjoyed my day there.

Stop #3 – Willemstad, Curacao

Up next on our Carnival Caribbean cruise tour…a return visit to the beautiful island of Curacao.

I visited the island last summer and while I was there, I met up with a friend of a friend (Sandra, who was born and raised on the island) for lunch. At the time, Sandra promised that if I ever returned to Curacao she’d give me the full tour.

Read More: Know Your Caribbean ABC Islands: Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao

So, I happily take her up on her offer while our ship is docked in Willemstad for the day. Sandra is kind enough to take the day off work to show us all around the island.

First, we visit the Nassau Fort and the gorgeous Avila Beach Resort on the eastern side of the island. And then Sandra drives across to the western side to visit a few of the other resort areas. She also takes us through several of the local neighborhoods. We really enjoyed getting an “insider’s tour” of this gorgeous island.

We end our day exploring Willemstad before getting back on board.

For my money, Willemstad is the best capital city in the Caribbean – it’s certainly the most colorful. All in all, an excellent day ashore!

Last stop, Aruba!

I know what you’re thinking…this Carnival Caribbean cruise seems really lovely and all the beaches are so beautiful. But what’s really missing is a death-defying adventure sport.

And you’re absolutely right!

So for our last stop in the Caribbean, we book a windsurfing lesson.

What possessed us to attempt windsurfing on the Caribbean’s windiest island? I’m honestly not sure. But we actually do pretty well and manage to stay above the water most of the time.

It’s a fun sport and I’d love to try it someplace less challenging next time. Maybe I’ll be better at it. (OK, so it wasn’t exactly death-defying but that’s as close as I plan to get on this particular Carnival Caribbean cruise!)

After our lesson and a little practice time, we’ve had plenty of sun for the day. So we head back to the port and spend the afternoon enjoying the empty ship.

Two days at sea

Aruba is the last stop on our Caribbean cruise itinerary. We spend the next two days at sea in total relaxation mode before arriving back in Miami on Sunday.

It seems the more cruises I take; the more they seem to grow on me.

More Carnival Caribbean cruises? Yes, please.

So, yes, I admit it. This globetrotting nomad likes to cruise. (Is there a 12-step program for that?)

And while Caribbean cruises are fabulous, there are plenty more exotic itineraries available with a variety of cruise lines for your next cruise. For example, a South American cruise with a transit through the Panama Canal. Or a cruise around the African continent like the two I took from Cape Town with MSC on Round the World #9.

Read More: Cruising to Walvis Bay Namibia: USA, Party of One (Are Americans Missing the Boat?)

Read More: Cruising to Mozambique on the MSC Opera

Or, for those with a truly adventurous spirit, venture outside the typical itineraries of the traditional mega cruise lines with an expedition cruise to Antarctica, like the incredible one I took on Round the World #8!

Read More: Expedition Antarctica: Why it’s Worth Every Penny

But if the Caribbean is more your speed, there’s also a do-it-yourself cruising option. You can learn to sail the Caribbean on a sailboat at a variety of sailing schools around the islands.

Read More: A Learn to Sail Caribbean Vacation: Rookie to ASA Sailor in 7 Days

The possibilities are endless with new cruise itineraries being posted all the time. So I guess the only question is…where will a Carnival Fun Ship take me next?