jgmpuma

Holiday.

This is not first-hand, but from a friend. Uber has a marked pickup site at the terminal. Service was fairly quick.

I pass that lot all the time, and have never seen it full, even on weekends.

2021, the last time I checked. 

Traffic in the area is more congested than usual, so allow some extra time to get from the hotel to the port.

Not like a weekend, but there are always lots of people, even on a week night.

Rouse's, at 800 Baronne Street, about five blocks away. A safe walk, especially during the day. Good selection and good prices.

There is a service at the cruise terminal called Advance Checkin. They will take your luggage, store it, and transport it to the airport. Lots cheaper than what Carnival offers.

As above, just a short walk to the Quarter from the terminal.

Mardi Gras 2020 is on 2/25. If you are coming in on 2/16 you should have no problem parking. NCL uses the Whale lot on Convention Center Boulevard, and I have never seen it full. There will be some night parades on 2/16, but you will be parked and on the ship by then.

New Orleans is all about music. For current listings:

www.wwoz.org

It lists venues by location and genres.

If you are not dropping off luggage, just drive down Convention Center Blvd. and enter the Whale lot at the entrance indicated in the photo. That is the only vehicle entrance to the lot. You will avoid the congestion at the Erato Street and Julia Street terminals and save a good bit of time. There is construction going on along CCB right now that will make this trip a bit confusing, so just be patient. 

After you park, head towards to covered walkway you see crossing the railroad tracks. There are two options to getting to the terminal. You can take a right after you cross the tracks and walk along Port Of New Orleans Place to the terminal, about a block. You will be walking against traffic and there are signs telling you not to do this, but it is the quickest route.

You can also take the escalator or elevator up to the Riverwalk mall. To your left you will see an elevator that will take you directly into the terminal.

Your choice.

Do a dry run when you are here at Christmas. It is actually less complicated than it sounds.

Every ship I have ever seen docked at the port of NO has been with the right side toward the city. It would be really inefficient to have the ship do a 180. There's not much to see of the city from the ship anyway.

Just do a Google search for "Louisiana Alligator Farm." They are out there.

We have lots of experience with both, and Uber/Lyft comes out on top every time. Uber knows who we are and we know who the driver is. Better drivers, better cars and a good bit cheaper, even with a tip. Cabs are a crap shoot. 

Do a Google search for "New Orleans With Kids." Lots of choices there, depending on what you and the kids like to do. Some are free, others are guided tours.

I would look for a hotel in the Warehouse District. There are lots of them with larger rooms, free breakfasts and other amenities, roomier and less expensive than French Quarter/Canal Street hotels. They are in walking distance of the French Quarter and other  attractions, and close to streetcar and bus lines. www.norta.com. Also very close to the cruise terminal.

You won't need a car unless you plan to go outside the city. For shorter trips there are cabs/Uber/Lyft.

www.nomenu.com is a good source for restaurant ideas, including many within easy walking distance in the Warehouse District. This site lists restaurants by area, cuisine and price. 

If you are coming in around Mardi Gras, there are also parades, and online sources that will show the schedules and routes. You can download apps that will follow the progress of the parades.

It depends at least partly on your risk tolerance. It is about a 30 minute trip from the port to the airport. There are plenty of cabs available at the port, and Uber/Lyft have pickup spots. There is no construction going on right now, and weekend traffic tends to be fairly light. Anything noon or after would be safe. 11:00 a little less so, but probably doable. If there are any major events going in in NO, a longer safety margin would be recommended.

Arrival should be no problem.

The weather expected to arrive in NO this afternoon is coming from the west, so your aunt needs to be prepared for this since she will be headed in that direction.

Unless there is some major event going on, Saturday traffic is fairly mild. You can get traffic reports here:

www.wwltv.com

There is no "regional flair" in Slidell or Gretna that I can think of. Gretna is a lot closer to downtown and the French Quarter than Slidell. Same with Laplace and Boutte, but as long as you are just looking for a place to spend the night, any of them would  work.The plantation tour should fit into your schedule.

They have all of the above.

Don't give them any ideas.

It would be worth your while to walk to the Rouse's at 701 Baronne Street, a few blocks from your hotel. It is a full-service grocery with a wide selection and good prices. Cajun Market is a convenience store, narrow selection and high prices.

Full schedule of live music by venue and type of music.

www.wwoz.org

The construction on Convention Center Blvd. is still going on, but they don't work on weekends and you should not have any problems getting to the port.

One of my sons works part-time booking French Quarter tours. People regularly ask him if they will actually see ghosts. He assures them that they will not. The guides tell stories about places that are "haunted," based on myths and local lore involving sightings, voices, voodoo, etc. but they are just stories. No bars are involved.

It is a fairly easy walk to the French Quarter from Embassy Suites.

You are also within walking distance of the Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue streetcar lines.

Maps and schedules are here:

www.norta.com

If you would like to learn about Creole cooking, a great way to start is with La Bouche Creole. It is a cookbook by Leon Soniat, first published back in 1981 and still in print. It captures the European/African roots of the cuisine of New Orleans with lots of local classics. The recipes are easy to follow, but success depends a lot of the fresh seafood readily available in this area.