NCL & Carnival ships within walking distance in New Orleans?

[Bobug]

We will be cruising on the Jewel in February from New Orleans then hopping on the Carnival Sunshine. Are the ships close enough that we will be able to walk with our luggage? This is our first cruise on NCL...we are excited to try a new line.

 

Thank you!! Happy Cruising :)

[luddite]

Pretty much.

[thescot123]

If you are Carnival, then you can park in the covered Julie Street parking garage. This is used only by Carnival and go drive right up to the porters who will take you bags before you park.

 

NCL uses an open parking lot called "The Whale Lot". They share it with RCL so it can busy and you are exposed to the elements so you can get wet if it is raining. Some people say that you should drive around to drop your bags off first but you may experience traffic jams.

 

For me, I used Machu Picchu Tours as he offers cheaper parking which is covered and free shuttle to/from the terminal. Since I only use NCL this helps me from not having to deal with the Whale Lot. I would use the Julie Street parking if I was using Carnival as it is next to the boat and easy to use.

 

http://machupicchutours.com/cruise-ship-parking/

Edited November 10, 2013 by thescot123

[www3traveler]

We will be cruising on the Jewel in February from New Orleans then hopping on the Carnival Sunshine. Are the ships close enough that we will be able to walk with our luggage? This is our first cruise on NCL...we are excited to try a new line.

 

Thank you!! Happy Cruising :)

Usually the Carnival ship is docked directly in front of the Norwegian ship in New Orleans. However they use two different terminals in restricted access areas. I am not sure how easy it would be to go from one to the other. You might want to check with the Port of New Orleans and see what they say.

[terrydtx]

Once you depart and clear customs from the NCL terminal you will have to walk about 200 yards or so to the Carnival terminal and their luggage check in. It is an easy walk along the river front between terminals.

[rvsullivan]

I agree it is about a 200 yard walk, easy, not so much! It is a zoo on embarkation/debarkation day. You will be off NCL about 9 or so and not be able to check in quite that early with Carnival. Second possible issue is if you have a car. Either lot will be a "problem" distance wise at the beginning and end of the cruise as they are a bit further apart. If you are not driving, then no issue.

If you are driving, I would drop of other passengers with NCL and go park in Carnival's lot and walk back. Then at the end of you second cruise you will be close to the enclosed Carnival parking.

 

Machu Picchu (sp) solves the problem.

[terrydtx]

If you are driving to NO you might also want to consider staying the night before your NCL cruise at one of the stay and park free hotels close to the cruise port. Most have a decent rate for the night with free parking and a shuttle to and from the cruise port. We are staying at the Holiday Inn Tower West bank directly across the river from the cruise terminal for $139 which includes breakfast and free parking. They do not have a shuttle but a taxi is less than $20 each way. Parking at the cruise terminal will cost you $114 per week so the hotel is a much better deal.

[kcwingwalker]

If you are Carnival, then you can park in the covered Julie Street parking garage. This is used only by Carnival and go drive right up to the porters who will take you bags before you park.

 

NCL uses an open parking lot called "The Whale Lot". They share it with RCL so it can busy and you are exposed to the elements so you can get wet if it is raining. Some people say that you should drive around to drop your bags off first but you may experience traffic jams.

 

For me, I used Machu Picchu Tours as he offers cheaper parking which is covered and free shuttle to/from the terminal. Since I only use NCL this helps me from not having to deal with the Whale Lot. I would use the Julie Street parking if I was using Carnival as it is next to the boat and easy to use.

 

http://machupicchutours.com/cruise-ship-parking/

 

 

It's Julia Street:)

[MagnoliaBlossom]

If memory serves me correctly there is a luggage storage service at the terminal. If not and if you are parked at the pier, you can lock your luggage in the car while you enjoy Nawlins for a while. There is a trolley that runs from the pier to the Quarter in case you want to go to Cage Dumonde for breakfast or to mass at St Louis Basilica. Or in case you haven't gained enough weight on cruise one, you can have breakfast at Brennans or The Court of Two Sisters.

[BigEasyCC]

If memory serves me correctly there is a luggage storage service at the terminal. If not and if you are parked at the pier, you can lock your luggage in the car while you enjoy Nawlins for a while. There is a trolley that runs from the pier to the Quarter in case you want to go to Cage Dumonde for breakfast or to mass at St Louis Basilica. Or in case you haven't gained enough weight on cruise one, you can have breakfast at Brennans or The Court of Two Sisters.

 

Family feud at it's finest. The restaurant is closed and the name is gone from the building.

[Bobug]

Thanks so much for all the help. We are driving but will be staying the night before the cruise at the Doubletree Airport...has anyone stayed there? We are leaving our car there for the 2 weeks. I was thinking just this morning that it would be too early to get on the Sunshine once we get off the Jewel. If we can store our luggage somewhere maybe we can go eat breakfast.

Any suggestions on things to see & do in New Orleans the day before the cruise. We do not gamble & drink very little but I love taking photos so would like to see some of the sites to photograph.

Thanks again!!

[Bobug]

Can anyone answer the questions on my last post on this thread?

 

Thank you...Happy Cruising!!

[luddite]

No clue on the parking.

Ever been to New Orleans?

New Orleans is a singular culture. Food is a BIG down there.

Walking the French Quarter is a doable pastime with the bonus of finding a place to have some....food.

A streetcar is also a way to get around and see things beyond the Quarter.

[Bobug]

No clue on the parking.

Ever been to New Orleans?

New Orleans is a singular culture. Food is a BIG down there.

Walking the French Quarter is a doable pastime with the bonus of finding a place to have some....food.

A streetcar is also a way to get around and see things beyond the Quarter.

 

No we have never been to N Orleans. I guess I need to find out how close the French Quarter is from our hotel. We are staying at the Hilton Doubletree.

thanks

[luddite]

It's a quick cab ride to the Quarter. It's walkable but takes a bit of time.

Take a cab to maybe -Royal and Canal. It is easy to walk around the Quarter. You probably won't go wrong at any restaurant. Jackson Square will be a destination. There are myriad photo-ops. Cross Decatur to see the river and you can see the cruise ships down the way.

I was gonna say hit Deanie's for dinner but they might have closed since our last trip. The Quarter has been there a long time. There is a lot of history there.

[luddite]

Deanie's website says they are there. Iberville a couple blocks off Canal.

Get the BBQ Shrimp.

Another spot I like is the Crescent City Brewhouse. They make their beer, have a oyster bar and they have the seafood cheesecake appetizer. Which changed my life.

 

There are a lot of antique shops on Royal. A Cafe Beignet is also on Royal with a patio and a HUGE cat. It's a nice place for beignets and coffee without standing outside Cafe DuMonde` for 90 minutes. There are art galleries as well.

 

You will notice that I mention food a lot. New Orleans and gfood are hand-in-hand. You won't find Olive Garden or Applebee's. If I hear that you went to McDonald's...I will taunt you.

 

Stanley, just off Jackson Square does a fine Egg's Benedict with Oysters.

 

The St Charles Streetcar (don't call it a trolley,they will taunt you) is a nice diversion.

 

You'll note that I haven't mentioned Bourbon Street. I drink. mostly good beer. I avoid Bourbon St because I don't need that nonsense in my life. If you aren't travelling with little humans---well, everyone should see Bourbon St once.

[Bobug]

Deanie's website says they are there. Iberville a couple blocks off Canal.

Get the BBQ Shrimp.

Another spot I like is the Crescent City Brewhouse. They make their beer, have a oyster bar and they have the seafood cheesecake appetizer. Which changed my life.

 

There are a lot of antique shops on Royal. A Cafe Beignet is also on Royal with a patio and a HUGE cat. It's a nice place for beignets and coffee without standing outside Cafe DuMonde` for 90 minutes. There are art galleries as well.

 

You will notice that I mention food a lot. New Orleans and gfood are hand-in-hand. You won't find Olive Garden or Applebee's. If I hear that you went to McDonald's...I will taunt you.

 

Stanley, just off Jackson Square does a fine Egg's Benedict with Oysters.

 

The St Charles Streetcar (don't call it a trolley,they will taunt you) is a nice diversion.

 

You'll note that I haven't mentioned Bourbon Street. I drink. mostly good beer. I avoid Bourbon St because I don't need that nonsense in my life. If you aren't travelling with little humans---well, everyone should see Bourbon St once.

 

Thank you so much for the info...I am going to write all this down right now :) I promise we will not eat at McDonalds...LOL..we don't even do that at home !!

We will not have little humans with us but I am not sure I can even handle Bourbon Street :)

Thank you again!

[luddite]

You should walk down Bourbon once in a lifetime.

Without little humans in tow.:)

[VideoTech]

The other responders may have missed the fact that you said you are staying at the Doubletree Airport hotel. This is, as the name implies, near the airport, and not at all near downtown or the Quarter. It's about a 20 minute taxi ride from the airport to downtown in good traffic.

 

My suggestion would be to change to a downtown hotel, since it sounds as if you'll only have one short evening in New Orleans before your first cruise departs. If you check the Home ports forum, you can find plenty of suggestions for hotels in New Orleans that have cruise packages which include parking.

 

If you stay in a hotel in the warehouse district, near the port & convention center, this could solve your problem of what to do with your bags between the NCL and Carnival cruises. You could take them back to the hotel you stayed in, and check them with the bell captain for a few hours. There are plenty of restaurants in that area that serve breakfast or lunch if you wanted to eat before embarking on Carnival.

 

Hope that helps!

[luddite]

The other responders may have missed the fact that you said you are staying at the Doubletree Airport hotel. This is, as the name implies, near the airport, and not at all near downtown or the Quarter. It's about a 20 minute taxi ride from the airport to downtown in good traffic.

 

My suggestion would be to change to a downtown hotel, since it sounds as if you'll only have one short evening in New Orleans before your first cruise departs. If you check the Home ports forum, you can find plenty of suggestions for hotels in New Orleans that have cruise packages which include parking.

 

If you stay in a hotel in the warehouse district, near the port & convention center, this could solve your problem of what to do with your bags between the NCL and Carnival cruises. You could take them back to the hotel you stayed in, and check them with the bell captain for a few hours. There are plenty of restaurants in that area that serve breakfast or lunch if you wanted to eat before embarking on Carnival.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Oh my.

I didn't realize they were at the airport!

That changes things and I agree-----get to the port are hotels. Or near the Quarter. There is a Comfort Inn on O'Keefe that works out nicely.

[BigEasyCC]

They are leaving their car at the airport hotel for two weeks. As far as I know there aren't any hotels downtown that will let you park two weeks for free. I've heard of a hotel on the westbank that will let you park for free, but the airport hotel is just as good.

 

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[luddite]

They are leaving their car at the airport hotel for two weeks. As far as I know there aren't any hotels downtown that will let you park two weeks for free. I've heard of a hotel on the westbank that will let you park for free, but the airport hotel is just as good.

 

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That's a spendier cab ride to the Quarter than from the Convention Center area, which is where I thought they were.

[garycarla]

* With a handful of NCL cruises out of New Orleans, they were all in a parking building, and not an outside lot. - but no matter for THIS poster...

 

* They are leaving their car away from Downtown to save a ton of money.

 

* As to storage - no need for that. Most ports will take your bags way earlier than the checkin. Not sure about NO, or even the time. You can drop bags and then go on your way. Come back later to checkin.

[Bobug]

They are leaving their car at the airport hotel for two weeks. As far as I know there aren't any hotels downtown that will let you park two weeks for free. I've heard of a hotel on the westbank that will let you park for free, but the airport hotel is just as good.

 

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YES!! This is the reason we ended up at the Doubletree Airport...we couldn't find a hotel that would let us leave our car for 2 weeks. We are saving a lot of money doing it this way.

[tallyho8]

Just relax and stay on the Jewel until they kick you off then walk down the street to the Sunshine and check your bags and then go spend a couple hours seeing the Quarter.

 

No problems, no cares, this is the "city that care forgot". :D