Background Information: We are a family of 5, but only 4 of us went, as our 19yo DD is in college and her spring break did not coincide with ours. So, it was myself and my DH (early-mid 40's) and our two DS ages 17 and 13. This was my 10th cruise overall (7th with Carnival), and probably DH's 8th overall and the boys' 7th overall. We have also cruised with NCL twice and Costa once. We have most often sailed 4-day itineraries, but have done 3, 4, 5, and 7 day cruises throughout the years. We have sailed from almost every southern US homeport: Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Pt. Canaveral, Miami, Tampa, Charleston, and now NOLA. We choose cruises by cost, itinerary, fit with kids' schedules, and driving distance from Ohio and/or our relative's home in eastern Florida.

Travel To Port of Embarkation: We drove from central Ohio to NOLA overnight Saturday/Sunday. The drive is easy as far as it being all highways. We hit two major accidents with unmarked detours (thank goodness for GPS on my I Phone!), and a large thunderstorm system on the way down. This caused the drive to be over 16 hours (Mapquest estimated 14.25 hours). We would do it again though, rather than pay over $1000 for four people to fly, and pay for transfers/baggage fees etc.

Hotel Info: We booked the Courtyard Convention Center with a two-queen room including parking for the week for around $147 including taxes. This saved us the $80 to park at the cruise terminal, so it was a great deal. One drawback is they do not offer free breakfast. Parking was in an attached covered lot with do-it-yourself parking with in/out privileges. It seemed very secure. We arrived at around 1:00pm and our room was ready. We asked for and got a room facing the pool with a balcony. I would stay there again if we ever go back to NOLA with a car. The hotel is 3 blocks from the port and Riverwalk, and close to the Aquarium and about a 15-minute walk to the French Quarter. Read more