I will be hosting a group cruise for divers in December 2006 aboard the Carnival Valor. Our group is scheduled to depart from Miami, FL on Sunday, December 10, 2006; the Valor will call on Belize, Roatan, Grand Cayman and Cozumel and includes two relaxing days at sea.

Itinerary
1 Miami, Florida --- 4:00 p.m.
2 At Sea
3 Belize City, Belize 9:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
4 Roatan Isla Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras 7:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.
5 George Town, Grand Cayman 9:00 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.
6 Cozumel 11:00 a.m.- 11:00 p.m.
7 At Sea
8 Miami, Florida 8:00 a.m.

This group will consist of certified scuba divers and non-diving family and friends; arrangements will be made at each port of call to go scuba diving. If you've always wanted to check out these top diving destinations in the Caribbean, here is your chance. The price of the cruise does not include diving - but if you plan to dive at each port of call, it is estimated it will run you an additional $350pp for two tanks at four ports. Airfare is up to you.

Each cabin will receive $100 in shipboard credt, a one hour shared cocktail party (free drinks) and a bottle of champagne and chocolates at embarkation. For a limited time, it's only a $25pp deposit to book a double occupancy cabin.

If you'd like more information, please check out our web page and forum:


If you'd like a copy of our brochure, email me with "Valor Scuba Cruise" on the subject line and I will attach it to my reply.

Thanks.

Susanne

All prices include port fee and taxes. Diving is extra.

Inside (Cat 4A): $ 599 pp
Oceanview (Cat 6A): $ 729 pp
Balcony (Cat 8A): $ 819 pp
Mini-Suite (Cat 11): $ 1299 pp
Penthouse Suite (Cat 12): $ 1839 pp

Rates are based on double occupancy and include the port charges and
gov't fees.

Single (Cat 1A): $ 799 pp

3rd anda 4th passenger rates are subject to change and vary depending
on the category but the current rates are as follows:

Inside (Cat 4A): $ 369 pp

Oceanview (Cat 6A): $ 389 pp

Balcony and Suites (Cat 8A, Cat 11 and 12): $ 449 pp

The Valor Scuba Cruise will be embarking on the Carnival Valor on
December 10, 2006. It will set sail from Miami on an exotic Western
Caribbean itinerary, calling on Belize, Roatan, Grand Cayman and
Cozumel. A few people have been asking about the ship; as as I too
have yet to sail on a Conquest class vessell, I thought I would post
some resources for you to check out before committing to the trip.

Carnival Valor is a Conquest-class (Carnival Conquest, Carnival
Glory, Carnival Liberty) ship. A larger version of the line's Destiny-
class vessels, Valor's 13 passenger decks house 22 bars and lounges,
a 15,000-square-foot health club, Internet cafe, four swimming pools
and three restaurants, including an upscale "steakhouse-style" supper
club serving U.S.D.A. prime beef and other gourmet cuisine and an
expanded food service area on the Lido deck. There are
numerous "family-friendly" amenities, including an expansive 3,300-
square-foot play area and family recreation area featuring a teen
club and video game room.

Carnival Valor is the first ship to have 100% bow-to-stern wireless
Internet access (Wi-Fi) enabling passengers to check e-mail, the web,
stock quotes and news from anywhere aboard the vessel, including
staterooms.

Our group has a variety of cabins to choose from, ranging in price
from $599 for an inside guarantee. Please let me know if you would
like me to send you a brochure, with more detailed information.

If you're plannig to bring kids, I would recommend you consider
booking two cabins next to one another; the $100 per cabin shipboard
credit will offset the cost. This only works well with kids 10 years
and older.

As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email
me. In the mean time, please check out the following links.


Susanne

I'm glad you stopped by to get information about our group. The
cruise line deals differently with groups than it does with
individual reservations; they have rules that only apply to groups,
and some policies are very inflexible. But groups definitely have a
few advantages over individual bookings. I'm going to take this
opportunity go over our group's rules and compare your group booking
to an individual reservation. If in the end you still have
questions, feel free to send me an email
First of all, our cruise is being administered by CruCon, a cruise
only agency selected by Cruise Critic. This group booking was made
by our agent Kevin at the request of Laura Sterling, Cruise Critic
Community Manager and I was selected to lead and coordinate the
group. Our agent is the only person, besides Laura, who will have
acess to our booking and to the people at Carnival Cruise Lines. I
have been assigned to answer any group questions you might have
related to the cruise, but anything specific to your reservation, you
will need to speak to Kevin. As with any cruise booking made by a
travel agency, you and I will NOT have direct access to any agent who
has been assigned to our group at Carnival, therefore, calling
Carnival directly for information concerning your booking will be in
vain.

With that said, you will have easy access to Kevin, our TA at CruCon.
If you have any questions related to monies paid into your booking,
about insurance, any mistakes on your invoice, or any questions about
your cruise reservation, feel free to call Kevin . . If
you would like information about the Valor, the make up of our group,
our group's schedule of activities, our dive arrangements, or any
concerns you might have about your participation, I'm the person to
contact. I can easily be reached via email
Our group booking was set up to lock in 2005 rates on a 2006
sailing. All perks Canival extends to groups are based on the number
of group points that are tied to the sail date. Some sailings
generate up to 8 points, while others none. Group points are
determined by a number of factors, but the most important is the sail
date. Popular sailings, like those over the summer or holiday
periods generate no points, while those in the fall and off season
have a larger number of points. We got 6 amenity points for our
sailing; A couple of sail dates in the fall have 7 or 8 (at the
height of hurricane season), but our sailing's 6 points is
excellent. These points allowed us to get $100 per cabin shipboard
credit, a shared cocktail party and some cheap champagne at
embarkation.

One perk extended to groups is a reduced deposit on double occupancy
cabins that is NOT available to individual bookings. When you hold a
room with this reduced deposit, you are NOT booking a guarantee, even
though most agents refer to the booking as a guarantee. What you are
essentially doing is paying a deposit to hold a room in a particular
category until your second deposit posts.

Once your reservation posts the full $250pp deposit, you can then opt
to get a cabin assignment or have your booking become a guarantee.
The purpose of the $25 deposit is really to buy you some time. Many
people, who desire a certain cabin or prefer to know they have a
cabin reserved usually make their second deposit well before its due
date.

Once your second deposit posts to your reservation (meaning you have
a total of $250pp on your booking), in the eyes of the cruise line,
your booking is treated very much like any other individual
reservation.

All triples, quads and singles require a full $250pp
deposit at the time you make your reservation, as do two adjoining
rooms (the kind with inside doors). . The reason the cruise line
insists you plunk down the full deposit is because there are not many
of these cabins on the ship to begin with. It's simply a supply &
demand issue.

Your second deposit of $225 is due on June 16, 2006. Please
note that you are welcome to make your second deposit at any time; if
you would prefer a room assignment when you initially reserve this
cruise, simple tell our TA you wish to do so and pay the full deposit
of $250pp. You are welcome to make payments on your booking in ANY
amount any time. Once your reservation posts $500 ($250pp) you're
home free until the August 25, 2006 the final payment due date.
Most people, after posting $500 on their cabin (normally this occurs
in groups at the time your 2nd deposit is made), usually opt for a
cabin assignment. But there are a lot of people who prefer that their
reservation become a guarantee. If you are not familiar with
guarantees, I would recommend you read
this article I found on the web:

I can't say which is best for you, as I have been
on cruises where I got upgraded thanks to my guarantee and on cruises
where I have NOT. If you have any questions concerning guarantees,
let me know.

If ever you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact
me. Hopefully, this posting answered a few of your questions.
Remember, our group was set up to accommodate divers, their non-
diving family and friends as well as snorkeling enthusiasts. If you
or someone you know would like a copy of our brochure, let me know.

Susanne

A few people have indicated a desire to come on this cruise, but are unable to commit as it's just too far in the future. I just wanted to address this situation as I know 19 months in the future - more than a year and a half away - is a long way into the future for many of you to project.

First off, if this is your dilema, you are not alone! Who knows what the future will hold for us in December 2006! What I can tell you is if you don't deposit this cruise, you risk paying a premium later on. Remember, all monies paid into your booking are 100% refundable through the summer of 2006. Meaning, if you put down your $25pp deposit on a double occupancy cabin now and later on it turns our you can't come, simply call up our travel agent and cancel the cruise - you'll get your deposit credited back to your credit card. By putting down this initial deposit, you lock in our low "Early Booking" discounted rates, which won't be guaranteed after May 27, 2005 - when our deposit promotion ends.

Although people desiring to join the group later in the year will be able to do so probably well into 2006, it's not guaranteed their rates will be as low as they are now, as the $50 deposit LOCKS in this low rate. If you've cruised before, you and I both know rates are bound to go up. To insure you get the best price, I would recommend you put down your deposit NOW. Like I said earlier, if it turns out later that you can't go, feel free to cancel knowing you'll get your deposit refunded.

I am not trying to pressure anyone into doing something they can't afford to do. But if you think there is a chance you can do this cruise, I would recommend you plunk down the $50 (even if you are not sure who your room mate will be) to lock in our rates.

I went to www.Carnival.com this morning to see what this cruise would run me if I were to book it individually online. I took the guarantee rates and added in the $51.98pp government tax on the three most popular categories we have in our inventory and here is what I came up with:

A category 4 guarantee room priced out at $610.98pp; that is almost $12 more per person than our group's $599 rate. A category 6 oceanview guarantee cabin will cost you $760.98pp; that is an additional $31.98pp compared to our $729pp rate. A category 8 balcony guarantee is pricing out $860.98pp online; that's $41.98pp more than our group price of $819pp. And when you book online or directly through Carnival or through another travel agency, you won't get the $100 per cabin in shipboard credit or any of the other group perks.

Please don't let me or anyone pressure you into doing something you not comfortable doing. I just wanted to point out that there's a good chance prices on this cruise will go up significantly later in the year - at least that has been the trend with all my group cruises.

Good luck.