I got one of those āfree cruiseā vouchers from the Rio Hotel & Casino a while back, and after looking into it, I finally pulled the trigger on a sailing! Iām booked for February 15ā22, 2026 aboard the Carnival Liberty, and Iām pretty pumped to get back out to sea.
The itinerary is sounds pretty good, weāll be hitting Key West, Celebration Key, and Nassau.
Iāve never been to Key West before, so Iām really looking forward to exploring that area.
Celebration Key is brand-newāCarnivalās private island thatās built with all kinds of amenities like beach clubs, swim-up bars, and water activities.
Iāve been to Nassau once or twice many years ago, but itāll be cool to revisit and see whatās changed.
This will be my first cruise since my Alaska trip back in October 2024, so Iām definitely ready to be back on the water. And while I say āfree,ā of course there are still costsātaxes and port fees alone were about $500 for a 7-day cruise for two people in an interior cabin, which honestly isnāt bad considering all the included food, entertainment, and destinations.
I ended up upgrading to an ocean view cabin and added my stepdaughter to the booking, so for all three of us it came out to around $1,300 total without hotel or airfare.
I'm also excited to be sailing out of New Orleans as I've never been there either but I'm excited to try the food and visit bourbon street.