Myself, wife, and her good friend got an amazing deal on Carnival's website about a month earlier.  We elected for an inside cabin due to it being such a cheap deal.  We drove 6 hours from Florida and arrived the afternoon before embarktation in New Orleans.  We took others suggestions, and booked the Drury Inn on Poydras St.  This deal can not be beat!  $109 a night got us a decent room, free parking for the length of our cruise, and a short walk to The French Quarter.  I had been to New Orleans several times before, so we just did a bit of walking and ate a couple of nice meals. Embarkation:  We drove to the Garden District in the morning, due to the fact that we could not board until about noon.  We left our vehicle at the Drury Inn, and took a taxi cab to the port.  Embarktation was relatively easy.  Porters met us as soon as we got out of the cab.  Once through all of the customs lines, we were divided by deck levels.  Basically whichever deck you are on, there is a line to check you in.  This went pretty smoothly.  Overall it took less than 45 minutes which was great, considering we got there at about 12:30, and it was quite busy.  Once on board we did the usual exploring of the ship, and some lunch on the Lido Deck.The cruise was full, and had close to 1,000 kids on board.  I never really felt like it was too crowded except for lunch time on the Lido Deck for sea days.  I guess it is quite difficult to feed 2600 guests at one time.  I did think the food at the Lido Deck was average compared to other cruises.  The Mongolian stand was a nice touch, and food was nice and hot.  We had an inside cabin on the Main Deck.  It was by far the best view and scenary of any cruise embarktation.  Sailing down the Mississippi River was fantastic.  You get to see all the shipping areas, large mansions, and swamps.  Really was relaxing as we floated down with a nice cold drink in my hand!Cabin:  It was the first time with an inside cabin.  I've always had an ocean view or balcony. (I know, spoiled)  Overall, the room was decent size, but of course a tight squeeze for three people.  My wife and I enjoyed the queen bed, and her friend had an average sized roll away.  The room had decent space, and we utilized the room underneath our bed for luggage.  Our cabin steward Luis was great, and knew us all by name the first night.  We were always in and out of the room, but he always seemed to make sure our bed was ready each night, and the bathroom was clean.  I did notice that the inside cabin did not have very good ventilation.  It was tough to dry a wet bathing suit or beach towel.  After several days you could notice a smell of dampness in the room.  I was surprised how dark the rooms got, since there is no natural lighting.  Make sure you set your alarm, because I could have easily slept all day considering the room was pitch black.Food:  I am easy to please in the food column.  Anything that I don't have to cook is good enough for me.  I did fell that the quality of the food on the Lido Deck in the buffet had gone down since the last time I was on Carnival five years ago.  Like others have said, the cheese on the pizza had a fake taste to it.  The calzone however was awesome.  So were all of the other sandwiches from the deli.We got stuck with late seating in the Jubilee Dining Room.  We were at a table for 12, and I must say that it was the worst group of people I have ever had to cruise with.  I normally don't mind eating with others, and enjoy meeting new people.  However, the others were bad right from the start.  They were always negative, and it is tough to enjoy yourself when someone is constantly complaining about little things.  The others were a group of girls and their dad who had won a cruise, and were from the DEEP SOUTH.  It was interesting, and sometimes gross to watch them eat.  By the fourth day everyone kinda gelled together, but it was by far the worst tablemates I have ever had.Our server was Jaco from South Africa.  He was very efficient, and really seemed to care about his job.  He wasn't the "stand up and dance" type, but was good at what he did.  He stated that he had been with Carnival for over three years.  I'm sure the daily dancing gets old after awhile.  I don't recall our assistants name, but he was polite and good at what he did.  The food in the dining room was on par.  Lobster and shrimp on elegant night was superb!  I heard a few people complaining that the portion size was smaller than before.  Overall, I think this is a good thing.  I see so much food wasted on cruises, because people are too full or just don't like it.  If you finish, and want another, just ask, and you will have one.  The Baked Alaska on the last night was gross though.  It was not how I remembered it from the past. Entertainment:  Our first and last days on board were at sea.  The deck's were quite crowded, but you could always find a lounge chair.  We always got a spot near the Water Works area, and enjoyed watching the kids (and adults) go down the water slides.  This was a nice touch by Carnival adding the Water Works area!  We used the adult serenity deck mostly in the late afteroon.  They had nice umbrellas, and it was great sipping a cocktail and reading a book while out on the open seas.There was Bingo almost every day, and some type of scratch offs.  We didn't play any of these, so I couldn't tell ya anything about it.  We lost $30 in the casino, which really doesn't use cash anymore.  Everything is on your sail and sign card.  Mini golf was always crowded, but seemed to be fun.I was disappointed in the shows put on by the dancers.  When you think of cruise shows, you think corny.  Well that pretty much summed it up!  The "Night Club Express" was good, but the tribute to the Beatles show was a yawn.  The male singer I thought was great, but the female from London....not so much.  Both rated R comedy acts were hillarious!  The first was Derrick Eason, and the second was a heavy set southern white guy.  Both were great, and had most in the audience rolling on the floor.Disembarktation:  We chose to do the self-assist program, and carry our own luggage off.  We had to drive six hours home, and I had to work at night, so I wanted to get out at a decent time.  They began the self assist at 7:00am, while we were still asleep!  I thought they would not begin until at least 7:30am.  They call by deck, and the Main Deck was last.  I don't think they called us until about 8:00am.  Took about an hour to get completely off, which is better and worse than I've experienced.  Carnival employees guided us to a taxi area, and put a group of twenty on a bus that were all going back to the Drury Inn.  Basically it was $7 a person, same as a cab.Overall, we had a great time.  The Fantasy is kinda like a small Southern town.  Everyone knows everyone, and are genuine people.  I would go on the ship again without a doubt.  Carnival always fulfills my needs, and is always a bargain for the price.  I will say that this was my first cruise during the summer time.  Even though I live in the south, it was extremely hot on the deck and in the ports.  I would prefer to go in the Spring or Fall, but it was still enjoyable.