Chichen Itza Calling – Merida & Cozumel

About this cruise

Some of the best trips are the ones you barely had to plan. 5 nights from New Orleans on March 16, 2026, visiting Cozumel and Progreso (Mérida), and you're home before the laundry piles up. The sea days at each end give the whole trip a natural arc: build-up, exploration, cool-down. Port to port, the water changes colour and the music changes too. That's the fun of it. Progreso (Mérida) stands out. It's Gateway to the ancient Mayan world of Yucatán. Roughly 8 hours ashore per stop. No need to rush. There are 12 restaurants on Carnival Valor, so you'd need to double up a few evenings to try them all in 5 nights. New Orleans itself is worth spending some time in. Don't just treat it as a departure point. And March is a good time to go. Mild weather, things starting to bloom, and fewer people than summer. All in all, it's a solid trip.