My travel party
This trip was booked at the end of August with my parents. We tend to like cruises over Christmas, but pricing just didn't work out for us this year. We caught this voyage at a decent price (later found a military rate right before final payment which made it even better) and I found a great cabin. I am D+ and this was my parents' last cruise before becoming D+. We have left from New Orleans once before (and stopped there a couple of times on Carnival cruises) and I was fairly familiar with the downtown area after spending 4 nights there last April for a conference.
Pre-cruise
Huge room for a standard balcony price. Nice large balcony with a view of the sky above. If you stand at the rail, you are visible from the buffet above. No noise from above. Some rattling from being way at the back. Long walk to cabin.