Cruisers: Myself and two girlfriends. I was the only veteran cruiser of the group. We chose the Carnival Dream for the reasons that the itinerary was just what we were looking for and it departed from NOLA, which was a day's drive from our homes.
Pre-Cruise: Arrived afternoon before sailing. Stayed at Courtyard by Marriott about 2 miles from port. It was a good rate for a good room, however we didn't get access to our room until after check in time and there were alot of people behind us waiting on their rooms as well. My friends went out that evening and hit up Bourbon Street, but I stayed in.
Embarkation: A bit on the chaotic side, just because there are lots of people in a fairly small space. I can see why they do the staggered check in times. We arrived at 11:20 for an 11:30 check in, moved through the lines without too much delay. By the time we were directed to wait, our boarding group was being called. From there, we were on the ship within minutes. If you expect a terminal like in PC or Miami, you will be disappointed. Still, they got the job done and I have no complaints.
Unless you go somewhere on an excursion, not anything to rave about.