Leaving the Elation
When I left New Orleans after the first cruise, I really didn’t think I’d be getting on another cruise ship in the near future. I felt like they ripped me off charging a lot of money for no internet. Then on the way out the door I was falsely accused of being an international drug mule. Who would sign up for that again?
For some reason I remember the bad aspects of that cruise more vividly than the good aspects. The Cheers Beverage package may be partially to blame for that.
At some point during the next year Carnival rolled out their unlimited WiFi plan. That was a game changer for me. I would be paying less money for unlimited internet access than I paid for no internet access on my previous cruise. Who wouldn’t sign up for that?
Ocean View Stateroom
This time I booked three months out. I decided to upgrade to an Ocean View room but I didn’t really know where that room should be located. I booked the Ocean View guarantee which saved a little money but the cruise line picks the room. I was guaranteed an ocean view room which also guaranteed I wouldn’t be in R1. That was good enough for me.
This time I was on the upper deck. It’s a little different than the upper deck at a sporting event. They really should call it the middle deck. It was deck 6 near the back of the ship. While it was nice having a window, I really didn’t use it much. In fact the only picture I have of that window is from before we left the port. This was the cruise I figured out that for me, room location was more important than room type.
Customs
After my customs experience at the end of my first cruise, I was a little paranoid about anything that went off of the ship with me. I didn’t know if I was singled out because I was traveling alone wearing a ball cap and dark glasses or if the dog really did smell drugs on something I was wearing or carrying. Maybe I picked up the smell on a bus or in a bar or at a restaurant I visited in Mexico. To be safe I wouldn’t carry anything off of the ship in Mexico other than a bottle of water. When I got back I made sure everything I was wearing went into a separate laundry bag and was washed.
I haven’t had a customs issue since the first cruise. Now security before you get on the ship is a different story. We’ll get to that in a future installment.
When I got back from the second cruise I was hooked. I did not want to wait a year to cruise again. I booked the same cruise again for six months later.
Hotel
Prior to my third Elation cruise I stayed at the Marriott at Lakeway in Metairie which is about seven miles from the port.
Parking
I parked at the Fulton parking garage which is where I have parked for six of my seven cruises out of New Orleans. It’s where I’ll be parking in August as well. They typically have the best price for cruise parking and their shuttle service has been outstanding.
Inside Stateroom
This cruise is when I started really looking at room location. I wanted to be close to a bar. I booked an inside room (E45) on deck 7 just steps from the Atrium Bar. This is the cruise where I learned I would never book a room with the pull down beds again. They were a bit of a…headache.
Another thing about E45 is it was either under or close to being under the main theater. If you want to take a nap or go to bed during a show, you better pack ear plugs.
On our first sea day morning I stopped by the lido bar as usual and was stunned. The bartender, Wahyuni, knew exactly what I was going to order. She remembered it from six months earlier. This is when I really started paying more attention to the crew and making sure they get the recognition they deserve when it comes to the post-cruise survey. I didn’t forget you either, Wahyuni.
My third cruise was one of the last for Elation out of New Orleans. I heard the Cruise Director talking about how after our cruise they would be trimming something on the funnel so it would fit under the bridge in Jacksonville. She would soon be going to dry dock where she would get room upgrades, Red Frog Rum Bar, Blue Iguana Tequila Bar, Guy’s Burger Joint, and the Blue Iguana Cantina.
Elation may be leaving New Orleans, but our paths will cross again.
