This was our 6th cruise, and 4th with Royal Caribbean. We originally planned to take a larger vessel and had booked with our travel agent, however, after speaking to some friends, we learned that the Grandeur of the Seas, leaving from New Orleans, was essentially the same as the Voyager of the Seas, with the same ports, at a much reduced price. We then booked with the cruise line directly. We advised our travel agent that we wanted a refund for the original cruise. Her response was that by changing the booking from Royal Caribbean to her she could even save us more money. So we did it.
This is our fifth Xmas cruise all with our three teenagers. Generally we have travelled with a large group of people who we know. This was our first family trip where we didn't know a soul. We arrived in New Orleans on the 23rd of December, leaving one day early in case the flights were delayed or cancelled. We travelled U.S. Airways and no sooner than we arrived in New Orleans, one of our 6 bags was "lost." The weather was just at freezing, something that has not happened in many years there. Without a warm jacket, we weren't able to explore New Orleans. However, just as promised, three hours before we were to board ship, the missing suitcase arrived. We were feeling much better.
The nasty weather didn't end as we sailed. The seas were rough and the temperature and wind did not improve. Even with stabilizers, there was some rocking and rolling for a few days. My teenagers and wife were not happy campers, but we still took advantage of most of the facilities. The rough seas did not allow us to visit the Cayman Islands, or Coco Cay in the Bahamas, but we did stop at Nassau and Miami instead. In the end the weather did improve, but there was always a refuge in the Solarium for us.