We are a 60ish couple who cruise to relax. This was about our 10th cruise on NCL and our 3rd on the Spirit. Overall, we have cruised 40+ times on a variety of cruise lines. In general, the cruise met our expectations, however, we feel that last year's cruise on the Spirit was more enjoyable.
We drove to New Orleans on the morning of the cruise and parked at Fulton Place Parking, which is a few blocks from the cruise terminal and charges $10 per day for cruise parking. They have a free shuttle to the terminal and the ride takes less than 5 minutes. We arrived at around noon and embarkation was painless - we were on the ship within 20 minutes. We ate a leisurely lunch in the Windows dining room and the rooms were available at around 2 p.m.
The ship: The Spirit is an older ship and lacks the style of some newer ships, but it is clean and functional.
Nice room for 2, adequate closet space, good view, small balcony, tiny TV set, and surprisingly quiet as the room is below the buffet.