EnjoyingCruising

I understand there is a parking lot right next to the Marriott specifically for Covid Testing.  It costs $7.  You can then drive to the cruise terminal parking lot and go through the boarding process.

I can't address what most places do.  This is why I suggested discussing the policy with each hotel.

Restaurants will depend on what you want.  Almost no one does everything well.

Beignet's - Cafe du Monde

Drinks - Pat O'Brien's.  Visit the Piano Bar.  Hurricane's are stronger than they seem.  Nice souvenir glass.

Grilled  Oysters - Drago's

Grilled Fish - GW Fins

Service - Commander's Palace, need a reservation, possibly months in advance

Creole - Galatoire's

PoBoy's - Mothers

Something for everybody - Mr. B's Bistro

Some New Orleans hotels have a Tesla charger.  These include:  Sheraton, Loews and Windsor Court.  You will have to check with the hotels for their policy regarding leaving a car while you travel.  Some will let you do that and provide transportation to the terminal.

The Canal Place Garage has a J-1772 charger, if you have a converter. 

My understanding is that the deposits are tracked by the number.  I gave one to my daughter and people have sold them in the past.  

Agent said there will be an announcement soon.  I think we know what that means.

Just got off from an on-line chat with a Norwegian agent.  My cruises on the Joy out of Miami on 10/19 and 10/30 are frozen.

I am booked on the Joy for an October 19 departure.  We booked this last year and it is our first back-to-back cruise.  We will be enjoying the same rear-facing balcony cabin on each cruise.  The first of the back-to back itinerary has a few ports we have never visited.  The second will re-visit some favorite ports.

We are looking forward to it and will be scheduling our flights to Miami tomorrow.  Comments regarding the Joy and back-to-back cruising are welcome.

I hope he decides to wear the uniform.  It looks sharp and his service is something of which to be very proud.

A local restaurant critic has a website www.nomenu.com which has a breakdown of local restaurants by neighborhood.  This might be helpful for the food part.  I don't have a good suggestion for handling the luggage.

It takes about seven hours to go down the Mississippi River but I cannot say when the casino will open.

Thanks for the feedback.  I was planning to take an Uber the 45 minute drive to my home from the port.

I would like to know anyone's recent experience getting an Uber after disembarking in New Orleans.  Thanks.

The port side will give you good views of New Orleans.  This includes a great view of the St. Louis Cathedral.

Thanks Sauer-kraut, the pillowcase is a great suggestion.

You can store your luggage at the hotel.  After that enjoy a nice lunch somewhere.  The battleship (USS Alabama) tour is interesting.

I saw someone's photos of the muster drill on the Valor from a couple of years ago and everyone was wearing life jackets.  Several years ago, on another Carnival cruise, we had to bring and put on the life jackets.  Hopefully, this is not necessary anymore.

We are looking forward to sailing on the Getaway on October 20 out of Copenhagen.  This is a 19 day cruise and it follows our spending 3 days in Copenhagen.  We are wondering if there is a self-service laundry on the ship that is convenient to use.  Our cabin is on deck 9.

I realize there is a full-service laundry on the ship but we would prefer to do it ourselves.  Thanks for the information.

We are sailing on the Carnival Valor on September 23.  It has been six years since our last cruise on Carnival.  I understand the muster drill on the Valor is outside.  I would appreciate it if someone can share whether life jackets are required at this drill.  I think wearing the life jacket outside for 20 minutes will be too much for my wife and we may have to go to the alternative area.

Thanks for the feedback.

This year, I am going on a Carnival cruise and it has been several years since I sailed with Carnival.  I found that my VIFP did not have any past cruises.  I called Carnival and it seems I formerly had separate logins for VIFP and Carnival.com.  They have now merged this.  The Carnival rep fixed this while I held on the phone.  It did not take long.

I also used the shareholder credit while sailing Princess.  I have never had a problem getting the credit, but I have never received a confirmation of the posting.  It just shows up on my account.  It would be nice if they would send a notification but I did not find it that big of a deal.

I encourage you to put these things behind you and enjoy your cruise.

Grand Cayman - We always either snorkel or scuba dive. This area is fantastic.

Roatan - Also a great snorkel and scuba diving location.

Belize - The last time we were in Belize we took a boat trip up the river than was a lot of fun. We saw a lot of monkeys and other wildlife that was really interesting.

Cozumel - There is so much to do in Cozumel. I have been there about 10 times and have enjoyed every visit. We have done jeep rides on the beach, snorkeling, and sometimes we just wander the city. There are a lot of interesting stores and restaurants right at the docks and the city is just a few miles away and there are lots of taxis.

Princess Cays - I have never been there.

Ocho Rios - I do not like Jamaica. I have been there twice. I went there once with young teenage girls once and they were repeatedly asked if they wanted marijuana. Locals were openly trying to sell drugs. A local started a friendly conversation with one of the teenagers and started showing her how to braid her hair. She then immediately turned to me and demanded $50. I gave her $10 and told her to leave us alone. We did not enjoy either visit.

Based on my experience, I would go on the trip that does not include Jamaica.

I never found the refund to be automatic with Carnival either. I always had to ask for it.

For the most part, I agree with the previous comments here. I have found that Carnival's biggest weakness is their nighttime entertainment. They use comedians to compensate for poor theater shows and weak entertainers. I have found the food on Carnival to be as good as Princess. The Carnival website is much better than the Princess website. Especially when looking for information regarding excursions.

If you enjoy hanging around the pool and playing group games, you will probably enjoy Carnival more. I prefer Princess because I don't spend time playing games around the pool and Princess has much superior entertainment.

I would love to book an aft cabin but I seldom see them available. Do you have to book these early? I usually try to book one year to six months out.

I have to book more than a year in advance to get an aft cabin.

We love sailing out of New Orleans. It is possible the weather in New Orleans will not be that cool in February. Regardless, it will begin to feel warm soon after exiting the Mississippi River.