We arrived in New Orleans two nights before departure. I am so glad we did. Even though we grew up in Louisiana, it was nice to be a tourist and enjoy the ambiance of the French Quarter.

Embarkation was a breeze. There were 6 of us traveling. So my husband dropped off all the luggage & me, then went to get the other couples. Embarkation was delayed due to extra cleaning on the ship. (evidently the previous cruise had several cases of a virus). We were allowed to check in and get our Seapass card. But we were given a 3pm boarding time. No problem! There is so much to see nearby. Royal Caribbean made sure our New Year started happily! I was hesitant to cruise over the holidays because of the higher fare. But it was actually worth it. The New Years Eve celebration was quite an affair, complete with hats, noisemakers, music and champagne. Hundreds on balloons dropped at midnight!

The first two days at sea flew by. Relaxing & fun! The hot tub in the spa area was never crowded. Read more