New Orleans - Voyager of the Seas

[Cruiselady3]

We're booked on Voyager of the Seas next March sailing from New Orleans. We're planning on arriving in New Orleans a couple of days before we sail. Can someone recommend a hotel close to the pier (Nice, but doesn't cost and arm & a leg). Also, is there anywhere we shouldn't miss (beside the French Quarters)? Can't wait to sail down the Mississippi.

[Abear2]

Lots of people that are leaving on a cruise from New Orleans stay at the Drury Inn. I always stay at Harrah's casino/hotel. It is quite expensive, but my stay is free, so that's why I stay there. :D

[Ponchatoula Mayberry]

Cruiselady3: March is a great time to visit our fair city. Depending on the dates we have several St. Patrick/St. Joseph day events: i.e. parades and celebrating. A St. Joseph alter is a pretty spectacular viewing. It is a high season for festivals also. Check out nola.com for festival and parade events. Then there is the typical Audubon Zoo, aquarium or insect museum. All of which are exceptional. A street car ride down St. Charles Avenue offers a nice inexpensive option. If you like antique/boutique shopping Magazine Street is a nice place to spend some time. If you do cemeteries I highly recommend doing this as a tour. If you don’t know which ones to go to this could be unsafe. Since I live here I really can not recommend hotels for lack of knowledge on prices. If you have any additional questions feel free to shoot. I will be happy to answer any questions honestly.

[pegasusa]

I will be happy to answer any questions honestly.

 

Hi Ponchatoula Mayberry, I'm taking you up on your offer to answer questions and would like to know of an authentic creole or cajun restaurant in or near the French Quarter. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Ponchatoula Mayberry]

Pegasusa: I will be happy to make a list for you. Do you want to stay just around the French Quarter? The food there is good but more expensive and not as we (locals) would normally eat. My husband is a retired police officer who spent 8 years down in the Quarter. When he wakes we will get a list together and I will post. If you think of any other questions just ask. Get back to you soon. :)

[pegasusa]

Pegasusa: I will be happy to make a list for you. Do you want to stay just around the French Quarter? The food there is good but more expensive and not as we (locals) would normally eat. My husband is a retired police officer who spent 8 years down in the Quarter. When he wakes we will get a list together and I will post. If you think of any other questions just ask. Get back to you soon. :)

 

Thanks! We will be staying in the French Quarter on Dauphine. I suppose anything in the Quarter or nearby, we can even take the cable car down S. Charles or the one along the river. Is Mulate's too touristy? We're heading out to New Jersey's annual Crawfish Festival hosted by Michael Arnone, a NO native. He invited a few friends 21 years ago and it's grown over the years. Now it's held at the state fairgrounds with camping, entertainment and food and thousands now attend!

[Ponchatoula Mayberry]

Okay I know this seems like a lot but this is just a drop in the bucket for New Orleans. Please enjoy your visit.

Safely first please: When we go down to the Quarter we do not wear jewelry. I don’t take a purse either. I put my ID, money, credit cards etc in my front pocket. During the day is not too bad but I do not take chances. In my opinion the day is okay for kids but at night Bourbon Street is really no place for kids. At night the crowds on Bourbon Street can get very thick and rowdy in a party fashion of course. At night stay in well lighted areas with crowds. Don’t go past Burgundy (pronounced Ber-gun-dee), Iberville, and St. Ann unless you are on Decatur day or night.

There is a tourist desk located in the Vieux Carre Police Station located at 316 Chartres Street.

Good for breakfast – you will need to take a cab to these two locations but popular with the locals

Mother’s Restaurant @ 401 Poydras Street

Betsy’s Pancake House 2542 Canal Street. The President’s of the United States seem to like going here as well (Just a little tid bit.)

Places I go to:

A must is to have coffee and beignets (sort of a donut) at Café Du Monde @ 800 Decatur Street. It is right off Jackson Square at the French Market.

A favorite beer of mine is Abita Beer which is served at many restaurants. Abita is a local brew that comes in many brews. Some are seasonal. If you come in the spring and they have the Strawberry brew it is a favorite of most locals but all are good. Purple Haze and Amber are my two all year favorites.

Sandwiches

Johnny’s Po’boys @ 511 St. Louis Street

Central Grocery @ 923 Decatur Street – Known for the famous Muffaletta. I recommend getting one and sharing.

The Napoleon House @ 500 Chartres Street. They may have other dishes but we also go for po’boys

Restaurants

The Alpine Restaurant/Bistro @ 620 Chartres Street (great alligator sausage – for the skeptical it tastes alot like chicken – REALLY).

Deanie’s Seafood @ 841 Iberville Street

For drinks

Crescent City Brewhouse @ 527 Decatur Street. They have food also but we always go for a good cold beer.

Pat O’Brien’s @ 718 St. Peter Street. They are famous for the Hurricane. Drink slowly for they sneak up on you. They also have food but we only go for the drinks there as well.

For a nicer dinner and a little pricey

The Rib Room @ 621 St. Louis Street. It is inside the Omni Hotel but you do not need to be a guest.

NOTE: The Touché Bar is located right next door to The Rib Room. It is on Royal Street and part of the Omni Hotel also. It is a great place to catch a quiet drink and take a break. They also serve food (smaller menu and cheaper) from The Rib Room. Look for a yellow and white awning.

Ralph and Kacoo’s –@ 519 Toulouse Street. It has been a while since I have been here but would think it is still good.

Muriel’s @ 801 Chartres Street. We use them for special work dinners when we have visitors in from out of town.

I’ve never been but famous (tourists go to) and pricey. I don’t go only because I can get good food cheaper somewhere else.

Antoine’s @ 713 St. Louis Street

Arnaud’s @ 813 Bienville Street

Brennan’s –@ 417 Royal Street

Court of Two Sisters @ 613 Royal Street

Dickie Brennan’s –@ 716 Iberville Street

Galatoire’s –@ 209 Bourbon Street

K-Paul’s @ 416 Chartres Street

Also you can check out most listed above on-line @ www.neworleansonline.com to get a look at menus and prices.

A nice outing is to take a street car ride down St. Charles and South Carrollton. In the spring or summer months you can get off and go to Plum Street Snowballs. They are located at 1300 Burdette Street. If you get off at South Carrollton and Plum Street the snowball stand is located 3 blocks off of South Carrollton. A New Orleans snowball is made of finely shaved ice and sweet flavored syrups of many flavors. There are several snowball stands but Plum Street is a local favorite.

World War II Museum is a great place to visit and they have a good restaurant there as well. A little pricey but good. You would need to take a cab from the Quarter though.

[Ponchatoula Mayberry]

Pegasusa: Sorry I missed your question about Mulate's. I've never been but heard it was alot of fun. They have live Cajun music and dancing. They are not in the Quarter so you would need to take a cab. They are located at 201 Julia Street. If you google them they have a list of entertainment schedules and menus. Once again people have said it is alot of fun so I would add it to your list. Please let us know how you enjoyed your trip here after you return.

[pegasusa]

Pegasusa: Sorry I missed your question about Mulate's. I've never been but heard it was alot of fun. They have live Cajun music and dancing. They are not in the Quarter so you would need to take a cab. They are located at 201 Julia Street. If you google them they have a list of entertainment schedules and menus. Once again people have said it is alot of fun so I would add it to your list. Please let us know how you enjoyed your trip here after you return.

 

Thank you so much for the wealth of information. BTW, hubby wants oysters and the last time we were there he had them at Felix's. Any thoughts?

[Ponchatoula Mayberry]

Glad I could help. I know this will sound strange with me being from New Orleans but I don't like oysters. I have never heard of Felix's so I can't give an opinion on them. There are two places that come to mind: Acme Oyster House at 724 Iberville or Drago's at 2 Poydras in the Hilton Hotel. Drago's does a Charbroiled oyster that is suppose to be really good. Also, check some of the menus from some of the listed places in previous post. Quite a few do serve oysters. I do know that Crescent City Brewhouse serves raw oysters and most likely cook them as well.

[Ponchatoula Mayberry]

My husband said Felix's is the oldest oyster house in the city and they are good also. Sorry we have sooooooo many good restaurants in the city that even living here we don't get a chance to do them all. :)

[jennbill]

I'm not an oyster eater typically but...

 

Prior to our NOLA cruise last year, Jennifer told me how good the bbq oysters at Red Fish Grill were and she was right.

 

In January, my goal was to have the chargrilled oysters at ACME. Holy cow!! Amazing. Can not wait to have them again in October. Tremendous flavor, great service and darn good food. Don't let the line and wait for a table discourage you from trying ACME.

[Ponchatoula Mayberry]

Yes Red Fish Grill is good also. There are sooooo many good restaurants. And just think...this is just in the French Quarter area. Don't get me wrong though, there are some bad ones also. I always like to hear when someone enjoys their visit here.:)

[whirlybird3]

Pegasusa: This will be my second time in NOLA (1st time, I was attending a conference) This time will be staying a couple of nights before embarking a cruise.

 

One thing in our bucket list is to do a cemetery tour. Who do you recommend? Should be make reservation in advance? I have see some people advertising a tour at the square... Are they reputable?

[DebbieMH]

I live in NOLA (in the Marigny). Actually, my husband and I go to Mulates - not often, about twice to three times a year. Believe it or not, they really have good food. Yes, a little pricey ... but very good. You would need to take a cab, though. Other places in the Quarter have good food. Redfish Grill ... K-Paul's .... Mr. B's .... Gumbo Shop ... plus several more - all should be on your to do list! As far as the tours are concerned, the cemetaries you really need to do with a tour ... look on Trip Advisor, I'm sure they will give you ratings. All our tour companies are good and I'm sure you will enjoy anyone you go with. The Haunted History tour is especially fun to take at night!

 

New Orleans is not cheap, but it is one of the most unique cities in the US - or maybe even the world! You either love it, or you hate it. I happen to love it :-)

Lynn

[pegasusa]

You either love it, or you hate it. I happen to love it :-)

Lynn

 

Well said..........and we LOVE it too! We ate at Mr. B's the last time we were there and it was outstanding. We'll be arriving Thursday afternoon for a Saturday cruise and will get in as much as possible. There are a group of us going on this cruise and we met on the Radiance out of San Diego Nov.2009. We just hit it off and sailed again out of San Juan last November on the Serenade. We cannot wait to enjoy NOLA with everyone next March!

[Lynda59]

Also check the New Orleans section under ports. There is info there, too.

 

For restaurants, I recommend Cafe Adelaide at the Loews Hotel on Poydras (across from Harrah's). It is a sister restaurant to Commander's Palace. For a fancier dinner (or special occasion) I like Bayona on Dauphine. They space out their reservations really well and the food is delicious. For casual with a big, varied menu try Mandina's on Canal St. (on the Canal St. (red) streetcar line). Good fried seafood. Or try Zea's on St. Charles (on the St. Charles streetcar line).

 

Don't waste your time on Antoine's - overpriced and overrated. Same thing with Nola - and they pack you in like sardines. For restaurant reviews, try http://www.nomenu.com. It will have links to a lot of the restaurants, too.

[cruizinnanapop]

Hi, I'm sailing Voyager Feb 18 out of NOLA! Very excited, but a little nervous after reading posts about the French Quarter and the crowds. We will be staying at the Bienvielle House in the French Quarter and arriving 2 days in advance of the cruise. We will be by ourselves the first night then meeting another couple the next day who have been before. Any tips for naive first time carnival-goers? We (DH and I) are late 40's and not party-crazy, but don't want to hide away from the fun either. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Ponchatoula Mayberry]

Cruizinnanapop: The parades are not in the French Quarter. They do still have big crowds but it is party people. Check out www.neworleansonline.com or www.nola.com. They both have extensive information. Nola.com has a section on Mardi Gras with a parade schedule showing locations and times. I don't know if you are driving but you will not be able to drive into the Quarter starting the Friday before Mardi Gras unless you have a pass. If you have specific questions I will be happy to answer them. Enjoy your visit.

 

Lucky dog to be taking the cruise out for Mardi Gras. I would love to leave and miss the madness. After 40 something Mardi Gras I can take it or leave it.

[DebbieMH]

We are locals to New Orleans and actually do go to Mulutes for lunch - not a lot, but a couple of times a year. It is actually very good. Their blackened redfish with crabmeat is excellent and you get good veggies and a baked potatoe. Yes, a bit pricey, but very good.

 

As far as crime is concerned, just use common sense and don't walk around falling down drunk, and you will be fine.

[mcgore83]

A great place to eat! It is right across the street from Acme. We went there after seeing the line for Acme was around the corner. We had the chargrilled oysters and they were mouth watering. My husband doesn't usually eat oysters, but he raved about this meal. We did get to eat at Acme two days later, both meals were awesome, however, the husband thought the oysters at Felix's were better, again coming from the non-oyster eater! Hope this helps. I had the turtle soup for the first time in my life at Felix's, still waiting to return to NO for more.

[cruizinnanapop]

Thanks to you both! Makes me feel a little better!

:p

[cruizinnanapop]

Nice tip!

[whirlybird3]

Everyone is making me hungry! :) Thanks for the tips!

[jnv]

Thank you all for the suggestions and the valuable information. I have a few specific questions that maybe you can help with...there are 4 of us (three grown daugthers and our mom who will be turning 84 on our cruise) we are flying into NOLA on Friday and from what I read we will be taking a cab to our hotel - Hilton Riverside. Any suggestions as to a good place very near or in that Hotel that would give us a taste of New Orleans cuisine? My mom is somewhat mobility impaired, so going a distance even by cab will not be possible after flying all day. Also after dinner - two of us would like to experience the nightlife, is it safe for us to walk from Hilton Riverside to the French Quarter, and if so what route should we take? if we need to take a cab, where should we ask to be dropped off? we would like to see Bourbon Street, but really don't know where to go or what to look for. (this will be our first time in NOLA) Also is the garden district something we can enjoy at night if we take a trolley or do the trolleys run in the early evening? if not would that be something not to miss? We were wondering if it would be better to try to get up early and see the garden district or to go to the Riverwalk and do some shopping, etc. We plan to head to the port by 11am. Also, where would be the closest liquor store to the Hilton Riverside? Thank you for any help, suggestions, etc. We have such a short amount of time in NOLA and we want to see as much as possible.