New Orleans - Parking Tips?

Hello, everyone!

A little over two weeks to our cruise, and the last detail to sort out is the New Orleans pier parking situation, since we're driving down the day before the cruise.

Everything I've read recently says that the Julia Street Pier is under construction and rather a mess, and considering our cruise leaves during the Jazz Festival, downtown hotels are pretty much booked up or out of our price range.

Is it possible to book a hotel outside of New Orleans, say, the airport, or Slidell, leave the car at the hotel, and take a taxi to the pier? Has anyone gone about making arrangements with the hotel to leave your car there? I'm more than happy to pay them if the car will be safe and our pier embarkation/debarkation goes smoothly. Alternatively, would it be just as easy to drive ourselves to the pier and pay for parking there?

Any advice would be appreciated from intrepid cruisers familiar with The Port of New Orleans! Thanks in advance!!

Thanks for tolerating me, everyone!

Strider, I saw this post on another thread at the Carnival board. Maybe I can help. I just brought a couple of the other threads along this line to the top, and they should be on page one of Carnival board.

In the meantime, I'll offer a few thoughts.

Even though Jazzfest will be in full swing, the pier area won't be involved, so I would first try Fulton St. Garage, then Manchu Pichu lot. Both will be $12 per day, and both have shuttles. (Go look at those other threads for add'l info.)

I would definitely not suggest Slidell. The taxi fare would eat you up! If anything, I'd try maybe the LaQuinta on Crowder Blvd. in N.O. East. There are lots of motels in that area, and the cab fare would be MUCH less than from Slidell. I know the LaQuinta will allow you to park you car there for the duration of the cruise....some friends of mine did that a few months ago. Check it out. Good luck!:)

Thanks to your scholarly advice, we skipped Slidell all together!

Finally booked the La Quinta Westbank (in Gretna, LA). Got at $79.00 rate through www.parksleepfly.com, including continental breakfast and up to 7 days parking. 5 miles from the pier, so hopefully the cab fare won't kill us.

Every website I found quote $139 for La Quinta Westbank, so I just hope ParkSleepFly comes through. Tried the Crowder Blvd location first, as you suggested, but couldn't find any availability. :(

Thanks again, Cotton... you're the coolest!!!