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There will be many changes, of course, but the City has vowed to allow this celebration to go on.

The aroma of spilled beer and mule poop kind of grows on you after a while.

As we have for many years, my wife and I spent Saturday in the Quarter. It was a beautiful Fall day, cool and dry, after a very hot and stormy Summer.

The bars are open, but for to-go drinks only. There were lots of people strolling the streets with their drinks in hand. Not as crowded as before COVID knocked the Quarter on its butt, but close. About 80% wore masks, and did the best they could to maintain distance, even on Bourbon Street.

Restaurants are opening at reduced capacity, with some menus shortened. Some don't keep their web sites updated, so call before you go.

Still no live music except for a couple of open-air venues on Decatur and a few street performers, but that may be returning in the near future.

No sign of cruise ships yet. Maybe in the Spring.

Shops are mostly open. The mule carriages are back, as are a few foot tours.

New Orleans came back after Katrina, and is gradually coming back again.

About 15 years ago a local radio station had a contest: describe how a loved one endured Hurricane Katrina and improved the lives of others. I entered my wife. Well deserved. Then I completely forgot about it.

About a month later I got a call from the radio station. My entry had won a cruise on the Fantasy.

We kept waiting for the cabin assignment, expecting something in steerage. We arrived at the terminal the morning of the cruise, still with no cabin assigned. As soon as we checked in a Carnival rep came to meet us. She said we had been assigned to Cabin 2. What in the heck was that? It was not even shown on the ship's deck plans.

It turned out to be the "owner's suite." Living room, dining room, hot tub, wraparound balcony. Talk about luxury. We had a great cruise (even won in the casino). Still one of our all-time favorites. Au revoir, Fantasy.

NCL and RCL use the Julie Street terminal. An elevator takes you from Riverwalk into the terminal.

Carnival uses the Erato terminal. Everything is covered except the two flights of stairs.

The walk from the Hilton to the terminal is through Riverwalk Marketplace, handy in case of bad weather. You will also pass Cafe du Monde, if coffee and beignets are on your agenda.

Based on past experience, ships usually arrive around 5:00 a.m. Factoring in customs, etc., disembarkation should begin by 8:00. There is not much traffic on weekends, so a 10:45 flight should work.

Restaurants are reopening at 50% capacity.

Bars that serve food are open at 50%.

Other bars open at 25% capacity.

Still no live music except in open-air forums.

Harrah's casino is open.

Shops are reopening.

People are returning to the streets.

That's pretty much what the French Quarter looks like now, but there are signs of life. Cafe du Monde just reopened. No bars or music clubs yet, but a few restaurants are opening, mostly for take out, but a few with limited seating: 25% of capacity.  Some shops are open, mainly on weekends. We see more people on the street each week, something like the post-Katrina era.

COVID numbers have been improving steadily.

Restaurants will be closing at 9:00 p.m.

Bars will be closing at midnight.

Tour groups limited to 7.

Until further notice.

Do a Google search for "New Orleans with kids." Keep in mind that some of the results will be just ads, and some of the info is out of date, but there is also a lot of attractions for kids.

New Orleans has a world-class aquarium and zoo. The Children's Museum (it isn't just a museum) recently moved to a new and greatly expanded facility in City Park. Storyland is also in City Park with rides, a train that circles the park, and other attractions.

We don't have beaches, but lots of other things a 4 year old would like.

One of the benefits of cruising from NO is sailing down the Mississippi to the Gulf, about a seven hour trip. Fascinating.

Restaurants open Christmas Eve/Christmas Day:

nomenu.com

Music:

wwoz.com

Events:

bestofneworleans.com

A tribute to the pilots who bring the ships back and forth between the City and the mouth of the Mississippi.

Nothing stops them. 

It is still closed, and probably will be for several more months due to construction on the old World Trade Center. The closest station to your hotel is at the foot of Canal Street.

It wouldn't be a bad walk from your hotel: about eight blocks. Or you could walk down to the Harrah's Casino and catch a pedicab. There are always several of them at the Canal Street entrance.

The "official" parking area for Royal Caribbean is the "Whale Lot" on Convention Center Boulevard. It is open-air. Fulton is just across Convention Center Blvd. They have a free shuttle to the cruise terminals. It is a little more expensive, but parking is protected.

About eight blocks. Not a bad walk. Just go down Port Of New Orleans Place (that's the street that the Erato terminal is on) and you will run into it.

There would be no problem in dropping off luggage, exploring, and then boarding. Two separate processes. The French Quarter is easy walking distance, if you would rather do that.

Just a few blocks. An easy walk. Just do a search for French Quarter maps.

Maps, etc.:

www.norta.com

Do a Google search for "what to do in New Orleans." You will find dozens of options. Show them to your kids and see what interests them. Some are year-round, some are seasonal, and there are always special events/festivals.

New Orleans opened a brand new terminal building this week. So far, the reviews have been excellent, but there have been some problems with the ride-sharing services. 

In the past, Uber and Lyft fares have been close to those charged by cabs, but on some days this week they have been nearly double their usual rates. 

Until this gets sorted out, a cab ride may be substantially less that what the ride-sharing services cost.

Convention Center Blvd. is still a mess with the construction going on. Just allow a little more time than usual.

You need to make a RIGHT turn from CCB into the Whale Lot. No need to take the Port Of New Orleans Place route. That would just tie you up with traffic dropping off passengers at both terminals. You can do a Google search for "New Orleans Warehouse District" and see how the streets are laid out. Most of the streets in the area are one-way, so the route you take will depend on where you park the night before.

www.advancecheckin.com

Casino opens very shortly after departure. Gambling is legal in Louisiana, so no need to wait until you reach international waters.

Cruise ships spend most of the last night cruising upriver to New Orleans. I have never stayed up late enough to see when the casino closes.