I should first mention that while we did look for the best prices during this cruise, we decided to go first class as part of our 21st anniversary celebration. This is not a frugal travel report.
We traveled from Chicago to New Orleans by Amtrak's "City of New Orleans", departing at 8pm and arriving the next day (our anniversary) at 3pm. Our compartment was comfy and we enjoyed our cafe car dinner with our BYO wine.
We booked the Hampton Inn, Convention Center in NOLA at a special group rate of $89, obtained by a fellow CCer. The hotel is delightful and well situated for exploring the French Quarter, Warehouse and Garden districts. They provided comp breakfasts and transport to the ship.
Great Cabin