Gulf Sway – Riviera Maya from Louisiana

About this cruise

5 nights from New Orleans, visiting Cozumel and Progreso (Mérida). It sails March 15, 2027 and it's the sort of trip where you come back saying "I needed that." The shape of this trip works well: open water on either side with 2 port calls clustered in the middle. Port to port, the water changes colour and the music changes too. That's the fun of it. If one port sticks with you, it'll probably be Progreso (Mérida), Gateway to the ancient Mayan world of Yucatán. Around 8 hours per port on average, which is generous enough to go beyond the obvious. 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. Timing-wise, spring usually means comfortable temperatures and lower prices than peak season. It's the kind of trip you actually remember afterwards.