Some Background: This is our third cruise, we started on the Jewel in 2005, then the Explorer last year and now the Grandeur. This is our favorite ship size wise. My DH is 56 and I am 46. We have our DS who is 15, but he was not on this cruise.

New Orleans: We went to NO a few days ahead to enjoy the sites and pour some money into the economy. It's really starting to come back, but you can tell there is a lot of work still to do. We will continue to visit there when we can arrange it. Getting to the port from the hotel was simple and we were on the boat by 12:15 pm.

We decided on this cruise we would take the advice of fellow CCer's and pick a bar to hang out in the whole cruise (well, at least when drinking indoors!) and we picked the Scooner Bar. Errol and Cameron were the bartenders and they were just the best! We went down nightly for a Martini and it was up before we sat down. If we stopped in during the day for any activities - the Campari and the Mai Tai were at the ready. But it was more then the service, it was also how nice and friendly they were - it really made the difference. Read more