Under Captain Reed's command that ended on 30 August 1935, "New Orleans" made a shakedown Transatlantic crossing to Great Britain and Scandinavia in May and June 1934. "New Orleans" made ports of call and was greeted by thousands at Stockholm, Sweden, Copenhagen, Denmark, Amsterdam, Netherlands and Portsmouth, England, returning to New York on 28 June. On 5 July, "New Orleans" sailed to Balboa, Panama, the western entrance to the Panama Canal to rendez-vous with the heavy cruiser , carrying President Roosevelt, on a nearly . cruise to Hawaii and an exercise with the United States Airship and her aircraft off the California coast.