Loved New Orleans. Drove down on Friday, spent Saturday in the French Quarter and had a great time. Embarkation on Sunday was very painless. Only 50 minutes from the time we left the limo until we boarded the ship. The ship is HUGE and gorgeous. Our cabin was very roomy with lots of storage space for just the two of us. The location was perfect for us as it was very quiet, but close to everything that was important to us. We used our balcony alot, and felt it was worth every penny spent.
The first day at sea was extremely rough. We were in 14 foot seas, and lots of people were sick. I took Bonine before boarding the ship in NO and every morning after that and never had a problem. Second day at sea was windy but much calmer seas, everyone felt better. Went to Sunset Beach Resort in Montego Bay and loved it, very relaxing and cost-effective. Not offered by Carnival, but taking a taxi there was easy. About 5 minutes or less from the ship.
Grand Cayman was beautiful but sad. The devastation was incredible. Took an independent tour for $15 per person for about 1.5 hours and went to Hell and the turtle farm. Most shops and restaurants downtown are open and in good repair. Tendering was easy and quick for us. Loved Cozumel and thought about missing the ship on purpose! We rented a minivan with two other couples and drove around the island with a map provided by the rental agency (Alamo). Ate lunch at Mezcalito's on the far side of the island and felt like I was in a Corona commercial. The food and scenery were fabulous. Six of us ate and drank (Sol beer is better than Corona) for $68 total. Way cool. Shopped and shopped and shopped downtown. In general, we had a great time!