We flew in on Saturday and spent the night in New Orleans at the Sun Suites of Metairie. The hotel was nothing spectacular, but it was clean, reasonably priced, and served our needs for a place to sleep the night before the cruise.

We arrived at the port about 10:45 AM, and there was no line for Latitudes check-in. We very quickly got through security, had our paperwork taken care of and got our cards. We were on the ship sipping our first mimosa by 11:45. We chose to eat at the buffet for lunch; it was very crowded and busy but we did manage to find a table with another couple. My advice here is not to be shy! I walked up to a table and asked if we could join them; turns out, we spent a lot of time with the people we met that first day!

On Sunday, it was warm and sunny. We were able to sit at the Bier Garten Grill and enjoy the weather and a few beverages. The first sea day it was quite windy and chilly. People were sitting at the pool but not many were swimming. We enjoyed relaxing and meeting new people. The weather all week was perfect; it was in the 80's and 90's. Reality set in on the last sea day when it turned windy and chilly late in the afternoon, and by Sunday morning, we knew we were headed home! Read more