New Orleans: We arrived in New Orleans 2 days prior to the cruise. We stayed at the Renaissance Arts Hotel that I had booked on Hotwire overall a nice hotel.. Within walking distance to Canal street and very friendly staff. Cost us 15$ for a cab to the port (for four).
Embarkation: Simple easy, no stress and very little waiting. Very streamlined and it was obvious they have done this a few thousand times! They really checked the carry on liquids so beware. Opened cases of soda etc.
Rooms: Really what we expected. We had a balcony and the kids had an interior. The balcony room was not the cleanest and it was obvious the ship is older. The interior room was actually pretty good sized and the kids loved that it was so dark and they slept well. The beds were amazingly comfortable.