Port of New Orleans info

[Reijo]

We are booked on the 2/22/2014 sailing of Serenade out of New Orleans. I've never been there and just wondered how difficult it is to park at the port. I read some posts, most from a year or two ago about difficulties parking AND going through the check-in process. Is this normal? I've only found a couple of hotels w/cruise parking available. We thought we would go to NO a few days early but the hotels seem very expensive and I don't know anything about where they're located. Maybe we should stay outside of the city. Any help out there?

[cruise wizard]

We are on the 2/22 cruise also............we have a thread for the cruise, so you may want to join us, introduce yourselves and ask this same question. There are some "locals" that should be able to help you.

 

We are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn - first time there - it had very good reviews. We are flying in 1 day early and are looking forward to some great Cajun food!!!!

 

Hope to see you join the thread!!!!!

[Reijo]

Thanks Gary, I"ll do that.

[papaflamingo]

Personal experience from a few years ago. We drove both times. The port is a bit "complicated" to navigate. It's easy to get confused, and if you drive, you can end up missing the parking. No big deal, just go around and do it again. As for boarding, that, too is a bit "complicated." Long line when we did it. We got an email to not show up until 1:00 since there had been a norovirus outbreak. So we did. Line was ridiculously long. No priority line for suite or Diamond, etc. I finally asked a RCI employee as we had suites and were Diamond. He escorted us to security, but didn't seem that there was any priority. So, be patient and I would suggest you go early.

At the port there is a shopping center attached. They have a Cafe Du Monde. So if you get there early, go have Beignets. If you go to New Orleans for a couple days, be sure to visit Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter for Beignets and Chicory Coffee. Definitely a "bucket list" item.

Love New Orleans. Go early if you can. GREAT FOOD and GREAT DRINKS! Try and find a hotel near the French Quarter so you can really enjoy the area.

Have fun.

[RoyalDiamond]

Hotel prices can run high in Feb due to Mardi Gras. We're on the Serenade on Feb 8 and 15. I actually got a "free" room for 2 nights before through Harrah's, since we gamble in their casinos, and Harrah's New Orleans. I was surprised to get the free room offer for Feb, but I took it! LOL

 

Peter

[help04me]

We are booked on the 2/22/2014 sailing of Serenade out of New Orleans. I've never been there and just wondered how difficult it is to park at the port. I read some posts, most from a year or two ago about difficulties parking AND going through the check-in process. Is this normal? I've only found a couple of hotels w/cruise parking available. We thought we would go to NO a few days early but the hotels seem very expensive and I don't know anything about where they're located. Maybe we should stay outside of the city. Any help out there?

I was there in 2009 and the parking was extremely easy then unless it has changed they took your bags even before you parked and you took an elevator up to where you start your check in . we too came in 2 days early bourbon street is 2 minutes tops from the port . make sure to get a hurricane from pat o brien s a beignet from café du monde and try two ladies for authentic Cajun food buffet style . do stay away from dark alleys even during the daytime though I felt safer in Cozumel than new Orleans . good luck and enjoy the city 1st

[foxgoodrich]

We are booked on the 2/22/2014 sailing of Serenade out of New Orleans. I've never been there and just wondered how difficult it is to park at the port. I read some posts, most from a year or two ago about difficulties parking AND going through the check-in process. Is this normal? I've only found a couple of hotels w/cruise parking available. We thought we would go to NO a few days early but the hotels seem very expensive and I don't know anything about where they're located. Maybe we should stay outside of the city. Any help out there?

 

Hope we can help!:) We did a Mardi Gras cruise out of NOLA in 2012. After MUCH research, we decided to stay at the Hampton Inn in Metairie. Their rates (considering it was Mardi Gras) were great compared to the other hotels I looked at. They also let us leave the car there free, though this may have been because we are Hilton Gold members. They even had us repark it in a spot visible from the front of the hotel - really nice as they said they could better keep an eye on it there. They said they normally have a shuttle to the port, but since it was Mardi Gras weekend, they had suspended the shuttle service to the port, so we used a taxi. (No big deal - I think it was about $21-22.)

 

Hampton also has daily shuttles to and from the French Quarter, which we used. We also arrived early and spent a couple of days playing in NOLA, one of our top three favorite US Cities! (the others are San Francisco and Santa Fe…but I digress!) Once you get to the French Quarter, you can get most anywhere in the city on a bus. (Like it's an easy bus ride up Esplanade to the New Orleans Museum of Art. Or you can take a bus to Magazine Street and explore the cool antique shops if you like that stuff. Sidenote: If you find yourselves on Magazine Street, Joey K's is a great place for lunch!)

 

There is so much to do and see in the French Quarter. For us it's obligatory to go to Cafe du Monde for coffee and beignets in the morning. If you like oysters, our opinion is that Acme Oyster House is the best in the Quarter. (We like 'em on the half shell and also charbroiled - yum!) And of the classic NOLA restaurants in the Quarter, Tujague's is our favorite. It's historic and the food has been excellent each time we've gone there.

 

When we returned from our cruise, we took a cab back to the Hampton in Metairie, loaded up the car, and headed home. It worked great for us, and we figured the cab fares to and from were less than we'd have paid for port parking. If you're considering staying outside the city, you might give them a call to see what they have to offer.

 

Have a great time in NOLA, and have a wonderful cruise!:D

Judy

[Reijo]

Thanks to all for your great information. Since I've never been to New Orleans I was a bit concerned about what to do, where to stay, where to park, etc. We're spoiled by the ease in parking in Port Canaveral. Thanks again and we look forward to checking out some of these eating establishments.

[rpruzinsky]

We are booked on the 2/22/2014 sailing of Serenade out of New Orleans. I've never been there and just wondered how difficult it is to park at the port. I read some posts, most from a year or two ago about difficulties parking AND going through the check-in process. Is this normal? I've only found a couple of hotels w/cruise parking available. We thought we would go to NO a few days early but the hotels seem very expensive and I don't know anything about where they're located. Maybe we should stay outside of the city. Any help out there?

 

Hi There. I found a hotel that our travel agency works with called the Holiday Inn Metairie New Orleans Airport. They have a package going on there where it includes at least one night of hotel before the cruise and up to 10 days worth of parking, two breakfasts, two welcome cocktails, free transportation to the pier and back. The total cost for the room and entire length of parking is 179.00 for two people sharing the room. If you call them just tell them that Rob from BCD Travel in Nashville recommended their hotel. Let me know if they can help you out. Thanks!

 

PS..we are doing this next week going on the Serenade of the Seas on 12/12/2013 from New Orleans.

[VideoTech]

Just in case you haven't mapped it, please be aware that Metairie is about 15 to 20 minutes from downtown New Orleans and the French Quarter.

 

If you're just looking for a quick pre/post cruise stay, you'll be fine. But if you're intending to spend a day or more doing New Orleans before or after, and don't have a car, you'll want to find a hotel closer in.

 

There are hotels in the "Warehouse District," near the cruise terminal and convention center, that also have cruise parking packages. Search this forum for more info if you need.

Edited December 3, 2013 by VideoTech