Review of Carnival Cruise Fantasy from New Orleans

This cruise was our fourth, so we've traveled with Carnival enough to know about their cruises. This was, however, our first trip from New Orleans on the Fantasy. We traveled to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico on a five-day cruise.

We didn't stay in New Orleans the night before the cruise, although many people do, even those who are driving in from shorter distances. If you decide to, it can be much more convenient and you will be better rested than driving a long distance on the first day of your cruise. We drove from Decatur, AL to New Orleans and arrived at 11:00 AM. Parking went smoothly. New Orleans, as a port, has gotten their system very organized for loading and unloading. A valet took our luggage from our trunk and then motioned us on through for parking. He told us our bags would be delivered to our room later in the day.

We were told the ship was not quite ready for boarding, so even though we were allowed in the terminal, we had to stand in line for an hour or so. Our cruise was to depart at 4 PM, but we have always tried to arrive early enough to board, have lunch, and relax for a while before the ship becomes crowded.

Once we got inside the main part of the terminal, our boarding went quickly. We showed our identification and tickets, and were given a "Sail and Sign" card for each member of our party. We were also given our room keys, which are a punched plastic card like hotels use now. The Sail and Sign card is what you will use to make all your on-ship purchases, as they don't do cash. We only used cash to pay the parking attendant, play slots in the casino, and shop in Mexico. Your Sail and Sign card also identifies you as a guest on the Fantasy, and you will have to show it each time you get on or off the ship. It serves as a credit card, so keep them in a safe place. We bought neck lanyards and plastic sleeves at our office supply store before leaving home, and found this a convenient place for each person to keep both the Sail and Sign and room key, because we were constantly needing one or both. It proved to be very convenient and people kept stopping us the whole cruise to ask where they could get one.