We decided to do a cruise for our anniversary, and we chose New Orleans as the port because we are frequent visitors. We also used the Harrahs discount and had free rooms prior to the cruise through Harrahs. We also like driving, and New Orleans is the closest port to Chicago.

We chose NCL, because one of the things we do not like about traditional cruises are the "formal nights". I do not want to "dress up" while on vacation. NCL was just what we expected, dress up if you want, or wear your swim suit all week long. We did wear resort casual to the formal dining rooms two of the nights.

Embarkation was a breeze. We drove into the Erato Street terminal and Seacaps were right there and took our bags. The parking fee was $98, not too bad. We parked and went through TSA processing line, which took about an hour. Read more