Carnival Elation Review
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We started out with a group of six middle aged fok(50-63), heading down to New Orleans on the Megabus. An inexpensive form of transportation that puts all types of society in one place. We decided to leave on Friday night the 17th at midnight so that we could spend two full days in New Orleans before the cruise. It was very very cold in Atlanta, and none of us were dressed appropriately for hanging out on the street waiting for a bus, but we finally boarded, and headed out of town. We were about two hours out of Atlanta, when the bus pulled over, and they informed the riders that there was an incident on the bus, and that we would be moving soon.
We were actually pulled over waiting for the Alabama State Police because someone on the bus was drunk and showing aggresive behavior. The police showed up, took him off the bus, asked him a bunch of questions, told the driver that the gentleman(using the term loosely) would behave, they put him on the bus again, and we started on back down the road. Our goal of course was that we would all sleep on the bus and wake refreshed in NOLA, this did not happen, but I finally got some good sleep right before we got there. The bus has two scheduled pick up/leave off spots, Montgomery and Mobile, and one rest area pit stop ( a truck stop with clean rest rooms) in Evergreen AL.
We arrived in NOLA at 7:30 a.m. and headed to our hotel to see if we could leave our luggage there, we had requested early check in, but our rooms were actually ready, and we checked in. Four of us were at the Staybridge Suites in the Central Business District-two blocks from the French Quarter. Right across the street from Mother's Restaurant. The other two stayed at the Lafayette Hotel. We all enjoyed our hotels, but I think that since the prices were the same, the Staybridge won hands down. It included a nice hot breakfast, and was closer to the French Quarter, but book early, seems the prices rise the closer to the date that you book. The Lafayette Hotel did not have a breakfast, and was further from "the action".
Cabin Review
Portholes are in the front of the ship which keeps people from walking past your cabin all night unless they are getting to their cabin, so it's nice and quiet. I liked walking down the hall and hearing the music from one of the performers. Empress is one level down from the MDR, so I never felt I was too far from any thing. But this is a small cabin, and that's why the life jacket box seems so huge. I would recommend any other cabin but E9 or E2.