This cruise was a B2B on the Spirit, with our son and grandchildren joining us on the second week. We had a terrific pre cruise stay in NOLA at the Place d Armes, ate wonderful food and were in a terrific mood to begin the cruise. We've been to NOLA several times before, and always enjoyed the city, its dining and the spirit of the people. This time, it seemed even better; as if everyone we encountered, including the taxi drivers, appreciated our visit and wanted to see that everything was great.

Boarding of the Spirit went well and we were able to leave our carry on luggage in the cabin before heading to the Lido deck buffet. The cabin was not handicapped, but still spacious. There were 3 adults sharing the cabin and we felt that it offered plenty of room to maneuver the wife's scooter and store things. The maintenance was fine and the cabin was clean.

We've cruised many times before on Caribbean, Hawaiian, Alaskan, Baltic and Mexican Riviera itineraries before, so the cruise was more about the ship and services than it was about the ports of call. Those were good, though, and we went ashore at all ports and felt comfortable, though we bought no souvenirs. Read more