STATEROOM:  The recently-renovated stateroom was a bit bigger and nicer than anticipated. The beds were quite comfortable, even the fold-down bunk that my teen son bunked in.  Storing luggage under the beds helped free up space. We used the safe in the closet to store valuables, not that there is a concern about cabin security. Cabin steward Bosco had our room made up by the time we returned from breakfast each day, and had the beds turned back with the usual towel creatures and pillow chocolates each night. We did not see much of him, but knew he was never far away. The bathroom - shower, sink and lavatory - was much more spacious than on our last Carnival cruise 10 years earlier. Nice to have the shampoo and body wash dispensers in the shower.  There are only two standard electrical outlets in the cabin - one in the bathroom and the other near the bedside desk area, so it's not a bad idea to bring along an extension cord or power strip if you have need of additional outlets.With a full ship and some 900 passengers under the age of 18 on board, I anticipated more noise in the hallways, but exterior noises were minimal.DINING: We had a late dining assignment at a 12-seat table in the Jubilee dining room. I can say that we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner's each night and the two days we ate breakfast in the dining room. Our tablemates made the experience all the more enjoyable. Our server, Elias, did a superb job and offered some nice suggestions to help guide us through some great options. The only bump on the dining room road came when some post-dinner coffee arrived in a coolish state. Elias quickly secured a fresh hot pot and all was well at table 316. The Windows of the Seas self-serve dining room on the Lido deck was outstanding and included a nice variety. Like many, we made it our first stop after boarding while waiting for our luggage to make it to the cabin... dined on cajun cuisine outside while watching the paddle-wheel riverboats sail by on the Mississippi River.  The pizza and calzones were winners with our crew, and our teen son liked the sushi bar and short-order line ENTERTAINMENT: I'm not big on cruise shows, but I felt like the entertainment - from our South Carolina-native cruise director Risa to the musicians and other entertainers, was the best we'd seen on a cruise. The Beatles tribute on the final night was right down my alley. A Motown singer came on board in Cozumel and performed one show - was outstanding - wished she had been with us when we sailed out of New Orleans - an outstanding performer. There was plenty of variety in entertainment throughout the ship during the cruise, so the 2,600-plus on board likely had something that would "float their boat". We didn't take in the late-night adult-directed comedy shows, though I heard they were thoroughly enjoyed by many.ACTIVITIES:  We hit the casino more than we should and stopped in to hear some karaoke a time or two after dinner. Would have preferred a no-smoking zone in the casino. And maybe a few more aces at the blackjack table, But most of the time we found a place to stretch out and soak up the sun on the serenity deck (for we of the 21-and-up crowd). We tried out the miniature golf on the upper deck, and son joined the gaggle at the water slide. That was a nice addition with the ship's renovation in late 2008, especially for the younger cruisers.   EMBARKATION/DISEMBARKATION: Sailing from New Orleans was a breeze - thanks to Carnival for offering non-Florida, non-Texas sailings for those of us in the heartland. We followed on-line directions to the port, got parked, and in less than an hour made our way on board. Lots of folks on hand to keep you moving in the right direction and get your bags where they need to get.  We opted to carry our luggage off at the end of the cruise, which was a good move... allowing us to have access to needed items up until we left the Fantasy Thursday morning after a final breakfast on the Lido deck. From cabin door to loading into our vehicle probably took less than an hour, much less of an ordeal than feared.    SUMMARY: We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, our fourth cruise, third on Carnival and second on Carnival from New Orleans. Sailing out of N.O. is a big plus for us and helps avoid costly airfares. Carnival's Fun Ships are staffed by friendly people, and you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who didn't want to help make your vacation the best possible. The CCL folks give you every opportunity have a good time, and from what I could tell, most of our 2,600-plus passengers took full advantage of those opportunities.