New Orleans from West Coast

[joepeka]

Does anyone who lives in the West (California, Arizona, etc.) and has cruised from New Orleans know if Carnival flys you in to New Orleans a day early? We are in Arizona and we've always booked our previous cruise flights through Carnival (and HAL) and they've all been to LA (fly same day as cruise) and Florida (fly day before cruise). New Orleans seems like a twilight zone between the two in terms of flying time. I suppose it depends on airline schedules but I was just wondering if anyone has booked air with Carnival to New Orleans from the West and if they flew same day as the cruise or the day before. I'm thinking my TA could check with Carnival and get an answer but we're pretty far out on our cruise (next May) and Carnival may not know because of unknown flight schedules at this point. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

[joepeka]

bumping..... just in case there's some West coast folks that missed this initially.

[zydecocruiser]

Didn't miss, just don't book airfare through cruise lines. Southwest has some non-stops from Phx-Msy and America West also has one. Other than that you will be connecting and that could be through Denver, Las Vegas, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta or there are some worse.

 

I think the last time I went on a cruise line arranged air, I was on a prop plane from Phx to LAX via Yuma and then from LAX to Acapulco. Decided I wasn't going to do that any more.

 

On Southwest, each passenger can check three (3) bags up to 50 pounds each whereas most other airlines have a limit of 2.

 

Don't think any cruise line thinks much about what is convenient for you, but what is least expensive for them.

[VolzCruiser]

It is Carnival normal procedure to fly you out the day of your cruise. I don't know for sure about NOLA but I wanted to fly a day early into San Juan to do some site seeing but Carnival said that they book all flight the day of the cruise. I hope this helps a bit

[joepeka]

Thanks for the responses. My personal experience with Carnival and HAL is that for East coast cruises they have flown us from Phoenix to Florida the day prior and provided a hotel. For LA cruises, flights were the same day (makes sense.... it's only an hour from PHX to LAX). Carnival's policy reads "Guests arriving from many West Coast cities may also enjoy complimentary overnight hotel accommodations prior to embarkation." I was just looking for anyone who could confirm this applied to New Orleans from my part of the country.

[karessamom]

We live in Utah--taking our first cruise on Aug 7. Personally from what i've read on these boards--you can do alot better if you get air yourself and that would include hotel as well. (Paying for air, hotel, meals etc. less than Carnivals air program) I just kept watching the rates and got a good airfare from SLC to NO (MSY) and we also got a good deal on hotel. In the end i think it's costing us much less to do it this way than it would of if we had carnival fly us in. Even my TA said we could do better than Carnival's air and reccommened that we do our own air.

[Saymyname]

It's too far to try to come in the same day as the cruise. You will be wore out.

We bought our flight tickets almost a year early from Oak to Msy ( $209 per person) Great deal.

We arrived 3 days early to enjoy New Orleans.

[harrodsfan]

We tookt he Mississippi Queen from NOL and flew in from california the day before. So much to see and besides weather could delay you. Arrange your own transport IMHO.

[joepeka]

Thanks everyone. It so happens oldest daughter (who is going with us on the Conquest) is itching to do some tourist stuff in New Orleans so if Carnival won't fly us in a day early, we're probably going to do it on our own. Thanks again!

[Sea Turtle]

Carnival's policy reads "Guests arriving from many West Coast cities may also enjoy complimentary overnight hotel accommodations prior to embarkation." I was just looking for anyone who could confirm this applied to New Orleans from my part of the country.

 

It's almost painful to read the responses to your question since so far no one has come even close to providing you with an answer to your most direct question. I read your question in its entirety and understand exactly what you're asking (I used to live in CA so know about the 'comp' overnight when traveling eastbound). I truly wish I had an answer but I have yet to do the route you're considering.

 

Good luck in finding 'first-hand experience'.

[joepeka]

Seaturtle, Thank you for understanding and trying to help, I do appreciate it. I knew after several years membership on this board that I would get a lot of "don't book through the cruise line, do it yourself" responses and that's OK because I know folks are just trying to give their best advice even if it doesn't answer my specific question. I was kind of hoping though that at least one person would have first hand experience and would be able to clue me in. Perhaps someone will after all but in the meantime, I've put in a call to my TA who will probably get whatever answer Carnival is providing at the moment on the subject.

Thanks again.....

[Daycare Provider]

Hello Joepeka:

 

When are you traveling on the Conquest? My family and I will be traveling on the 21st of August. We are flying into NO from California. Carnival was going to have us fly in the day of the cruise becaue it leaves port late in the afternoon. I have never been to NO and wanted to do some sightseeing. I decided to pay for the extra night hotel stay and had carnival arrrange my flight for Saturday. I have one lay over in Dallas for 35 minutes, then I arrive in NO at 2:00 p.m.

We have arranged to meet other cruise critic members for dinner on Saturday night and then do the ghost story walk in the french quarter.

 

Angela/Daycare Provider

[joepeka]

Angela, Unfortunately our cruise isn't until next May - a lot long wait but we know it's worth it. I don't know where you are located in CA but it probably doesn't matter because everything there is west of Phoenix and a longer flight to NO so it's interesting that Carnival wanted to fly you in the day of your cruise. I also prefer to come in the day prior mostly because I don't trust airline connections even though the Conquest leaves later than most cruise departures (6PM local).

Thanks again... I think your situation pretty much answers my question. Enjoy the Conquest!

[crazycath]

He said from So CA they fly you in the same day, I was hoping for a "free" hotel room also.

 

Cathy

[joepeka]

Hi Cathy, When my TA called Carnival, they wouldn't comment on "day of" or "day prior" flights because our departure is so far out. Maybe from So. CA (LAX?) there are more early flights to NO so perhaps that's the reason for same day flight you were given? Regardless, my TA told me she didn't think that "day of" would be an option due to flight schedules out of Phoenix to N.O. next May. That could change I suppose but it's something I'll check in to after the first of the new year. Thanks for the information!

[glrounds]

He said from So CA they fly you in the same day, I was hoping for a "free" hotel room also.

 

Cathy

 

That's exactly the response I got a year ago. Don't know if anything has changed.

 

When I fly to the east coast I always take a "red-eye" Non-stop, works out great. But, to NOLA there is no such thing and even though the CONQUEST leaves later than most, I wouldn't chance a same day on my own (maybe through Carnival if they'll "hold" the ship, etc.). :rolleyes:

[4yanx]

We booked a cruise for 12/26/2005 on Sensation out of New Orleans. We live in the Bay Area, CA. Going through Carnival, they were going to book air same-day. There are no non-stops out of SJC, SFO, or OAK to NOLA and we would have arrived in New Orleans at 2:00pm (flying on United through Denver in December? No thanks). American flies through DFW but gets in at 2:17. We decided to nix the whole cruise/air deal and booked our own flights on 12/25 (the day before) and will take a room.

 

So, if Carnival was going to fly us same-day out of the Bay Area, I can only assume they'd do the same with you in AZ.

 

As an aside, had we been able to take a 7-day cruise (others in our group could not), they had a special for Californians (or so I was told), where we would have flown in the day before and they would have comped us a hotel room.

[joepeka]

Thank you everyone - this was the kind of first hand, West Coast experience I was looking for. If history is a guide, I can expect Carnival to try to wedge us into a same day flight regardless of what the TA says about current flight schedules. I plan to follow up on this after the first of the year and make a decision at that point based on Carnival's position. Thanks again to all you "left coast" folks that helped me out on this!