First time cruiser here, but I've already made a second reservation on Carnival Conquest. I'm hoping that things go as swimmingly as my first cruise with only a couple of exceptions.

I did not plan this trip, but was guest of a family who have travelled Carnival several times before, so I was not privy to the planning process. However it seemed pretty easy to get around the web site to book my second trip.

I took Amtrak from Chicago area to southern Mississippi to stay with my hosts for a couple days prior to the trip. I always enjoy the Amtrak ride down south and this was no exception. Family members shuttled us to the Port of N.O. the morning of our departure. We were armed with info that the Conquest was being repositioned and to not be in a hurry to get to port. Still, not wanting to be at the end of the line we arrived mid afternoon to a complete fiasco. The ship was late getting in and all the passengers were piled on top of one another at the port. A tall gentleman shouting at the top of his lungs tried to maintain some order while everyone took numbers to be processed and another group number for their boarding call. This took literally hours. There should be a PA system in that Port waiting room for announcements, not being shouted at. The employees in charge of setting up a photo backdrop were nearly rude to a paraplegic man in wheelchair 'needing the space' he was in so they could herd passengers through their booth. Computers were down so it took quite a long time. But we got through it and all the other employees were as nice as could be. Read more