December 2012 Departure from NOLA with Young Kids

[gatec1008]

We're looking to book a last minute Caribbean cruise this December and wondering if NOLA is good/safe for young kids. It will be our first trip to NOLA. We usually sail from Florida or San Juan where the weather is generally warmer than NOLA.

 

Since a lot of walking is required for all the sightseeing around NOLA, would it be too cold in December? Also, we read to stay away from Bourbon St. at night with all the bars. How about the rest of the tourist areas? Would we be able to find a safe place to eat at night? Any advice on where to stay would be greatly appreciated.

[jgmpuma]

Stay in the well-traveled areas and you will be fine, even with kids. There is a lot of crime in New Orleans but, as in most big cities, most of it happens in areas that tourists seldom visit.

 

Bourbon Street is not suitable for children at night (or at any other time, for that matter). The rest of the French Quarter is fine. Some of the T-shirt shops display offensive stuff, but just try to avoid them.

 

Weather in December is unpredictable, but usually not so cold that it would be a proble. Check the local forecast before you leave home:

 

http://www.wwltv.com

 

There are plenty of safe places to eat. It just depends on what you like.

[gatec1008]

Thanks jgmpuma. After doing some research on the temperature in December and reading your comments. We've decided to look for cruises out of Florida and San Juan where we are more familiar with the ports.

[rvsullivan]

Thanks jgmpuma. After doing some research on the temperature in December and reading your comments. We've decided to look for cruises out of Florida and San Juan where we are more familiar with the ports.

 

That's too bad. NO is an amazing city and the children's museum is not to be missed and the kids love the Mardi Gras museum. Swamp tours and alligator farms seem to be very popular too. The weather seems to be about the same as Tampa. In both we've found temps to range anywhere from the 40's to 70's in December. The selection of hotels, dining and sight seeing is great.

[jgmpuma]

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-best-cities