Hotels?

[Saint Greg]

35 minutes ago, zabnee said:

We cruise out of NOLA in 2020, with plans to stay one night before cruise.  We get back the Sunday of Mardi Gras week and plan to stay in town until Wednesday.  Still a few months before I can actually seriously look at booking a hotel, but I'm guessing if I want a half decent price at a choice hotel that week, I'll probably need to book rather early..

 

We will be three adults with a vehicle.  are we better off looking at a hotel with cruise parking, or booking something on Hotwire and parking at the Fulton Garage?  We will be on the Glory for 14 days.

 

Hey, I know you! Holy smoke! You're driving from Canada in the winter? It's a bit early for the 2020 hotel info. I was just looking around as if your dates were around the 2019 mardi gras and it looked like hotwire hotels in the downtown area started at $185 for your precruise night and $210 for your postcruise nights. The park n cruise package I used is starting at $214 for an equivalent 2019 saturday and $185/night for equivalent nights post cruise. But that's looking at it just two months ahead of time. About 1 year out is when we'll be able to look at your actual dates and it may be a better price at that point. So follow my next live review the last week of feb and when I get back remind me to look at hotels and parking for you.

[zabnee]

17 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Hey, I know you! Holy smoke! You're driving from Canada in the winter? It's a bit early for the 2020 hotel info. I was just looking around as if your dates were around the 2019 mardi gras and it looked like hotwire hotels in the downtown area started at $185 for your precruise night and $210 for your postcruise nights. The park n cruise package I used is starting at $214 for an equivalent 2019 saturday and $185/night for equivalent nights post cruise. But that's looking at it just two months ahead of time. About 1 year out is when we'll be able to look at your actual dates and it may be a better price at that point. So follow my next live review the last week of feb and when I get back remind me to look at hotels and parking for you.

 

Oh, yeah...  not like we haven't driven down to Clearwater/Miami, or Port Canaveral in the winter...  NOLA is at least a shorter drive.  and we have a truck now! :D 

 

I've set a reminder for myself to make SURE I get to follow your review the end of February, and we'll talk more after that!

[nicole276]

Could anyone tell me what hotel this might be?

 

Edited December 26, 2018 by nicole276

[kldbu]

We're sailing out of New Orleans January 26, 2020 on Carnival Glory.  Trying to book a room for a few days prior to cruise, but most are showing booked with no availability.  Any suggestions?

[Saint Greg]

55 minutes ago, kldbu said:

We're sailing out of New Orleans January 26, 2020 on Carnival Glory.  Trying to book a room for a few days prior to cruise, but most are showing booked with no availability.  Any suggestions?

 

Could be too early. Hotwire won’t let me look beyond Nov 2019.

[nicole276]

We will be cruising with our kids, age 12 & 9 for spring break.  Looking for a hotel for March 24th to spend the day/evening before our cruise on the 25th.  We have never been to New Orleans, and I'm getting overwhelmed with the options.  I have been looking on hot wire.  I know the main sites we want to see are Jackson square, cafe du monde, st.charles streetcar ride, and visit a cemetary, plus just whatever else we have time for.  I would like to stay somewhere that we could walk everywhere, and has that New Orleans old charm about it.  Could anyone recommend anywhere? I have considered the Maison Dupy, French Market Inn, and Hotel Provincal.  I'm eager to hear other recommendations though.  Thanks

[Saint Greg]

On 12/30/2018 at 6:50 AM, nicole276 said:

We will be cruising with our kids, age 12 & 9 for spring break.  Looking for a hotel for March 24th to spend the day/evening before our cruise on the 25th.  We have never been to New Orleans, and I'm getting overwhelmed with the options.  I have been looking on hot wire.  I know the main sites we want to see are Jackson square, cafe du monde, st.charles streetcar ride, and visit a cemetary, plus just whatever else we have time for.  I would like to stay somewhere that we could walk everywhere, and has that New Orleans old charm about it.  Could anyone recommend anywhere? I have considered the Maison Dupy, French Market Inn, and Hotel Provincal.  I'm eager to hear other recommendations though.  Thanks

 

It sounds like you want to be in the French Quarter. I've stayed at Maison Dupoy and Hotel Provincial with no problems. I don't know if they're all like this or not but the room we had at Hotel Provincial had like a kitchen, living room, bedroom with it's own bathroom. Then stairs going to a loft bedroom that also had it's own bathroom. 

 

Looking at hotwire the best deal in that area is actually the 3* with 95% recommendation. If you use hotwire make sure you put 2 adults, and 2 children in the search. That will ensure you get a room with two beds in the event it doesn't give you the bed choice option. Anyway...the 3* with 95% recommendation for $86 is actually the Sheraton Four Points on Bourbon Street. Great hotel and location if you don't mind the kids being so close to the action. The 4* with 85% recommendation is going to be the Wyndham French Quarter. This is going to be a block off of Bourbon and Canal...On Royal Street. Which turns into St. Charles on the other side of Canal. You could catch you St. Charles Streetcar there. 

 

Looking at non-hotwire hotels. I'm going to look on Hotels.com and see what I see. Wydham is $152 on there. Holiday Inn Chateau Laymone. A nice French Quarter style hotel 1 block off of Bourbon Street is $180. Hotel Monteleone. Fabulous hotel and location...$214.

[Saint Greg]

I was in New Orleans last weekend and stayed at the Marriott Convention Center. I tacked a hotel review for it on the end of my last cruise review if anyone is interested.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2609424-carnival-dream-live-dec-2-9-nola-to-western-carib-fun-times-menus-etc/?page=19&tab=comments#comment-56439802

 

 

[mickismith]

Due to the time of year and booking our cruise relatively recently, hotel prices for 2/14-2/17 are not cheap.  It is hard to get a feel for driving ease and access from googlemaps, so is Metairie a good option (close to airport helpful as we get in very late on the 14th)?  Cost is definitely more affordable and we tend to rent cars when we stay somewhere at least 2 days.  I'm finding some really cute AirBnBs that seem like good fits, but want to make sure the area is recommended.

 

Thanks for any advice/direction!  

[Saint Greg]

35 minutes ago, mickismith said:

Due to the time of year and booking our cruise relatively recently, hotel prices for 2/14-2/17 are not cheap.  It is hard to get a feel for driving ease and access from googlemaps, so is Metairie a good option (close to airport helpful as we get in very late on the 14th)?  Cost is definitely more affordable and we tend to rent cars when we stay somewhere at least 2 days.  I'm finding some really cute AirBnBs that seem like good fits, but want to make sure the area is recommended.

 

Thanks for any advice/direction!  

 

Yeah...Metairie is just a couple miles from the airport...and about 7 miles from the cruise port. I’ve stayed in like 6 hotels in the veterans memorial blvd area.

Edited January 3, 2019 by Saint Greg

[Vpender]

St Greg help please. First time.. we want Close to French quarters. Park and cruise. May 18-19. Cruise on May 20. Options?

[Saint Greg]

20 hours ago, Vpender said:

.St Greg help please. First time.. we want Close to French quarters. Park and cruise. May 18-19. Cruise on May 20. Options?

 

New Orleans doesn't have any perfect park and cruise options. They either charge extra for parking or don't offer transportation or offer only 1-way transportation. Close to the French quarter they don't have transportation. But let me give you options. I checked some prices for your nights.

 

Holiday Inn Downtown is just a few blocks from the French quarter and has a park n cruise package but no transportation to the port. Their package would be $532 for the two hotel nights and it says up to 8 days parking while you cruise. That sounds to me like they may charge for your pre-cruise parking. If so they charge $30/night and that would bring it to just under $600. And you'd have an 8 dollar uber/lyft each way.

 

Wyndham french quarter is actually in the French quarter. One block from Bourbon street. They have a park and cruise package that is $750 for your nights. Again the way its worded sounds like your precruise parking isn't included so you'd be looking at about $830 if you have to add that on plus the $8 uber/lyft each way.

 

If you've read this thread you know I'm a hotwire person and that's the route I'd go in this case. You can get that same wyndham french quarter on hotwire for $335 after tax on hotwire. It's the 4* in the French Quarter - Bourbon Street area with 2548 trip advisor reviews for $130.  Tack on $80 for two nights of their valet parking. I'm assuming you're on a 5-day cruise since you're leaving on Monday...unless you're doing NCL or RCCL. I don't know their schedules. Anyway I'm quoting 5-day parking prices here. If you park at the port that's $100. If you park at the fulton garage that's 97 covered or 61 rooftop. ...and they shuttle you to and from the port.

 

If you don't like hotwire and want to book something guaranteed you can cancel..the best deal I'm seeing is the Royal St. Charles. Just a few blocks from the French quarter for $396 after tax plus $40/night valet parking during the stay. Then add in one of the above cruise parking options.

 

If you have any other questions let me know.

Edited February 3, 2019 by Saint Greg

[DeesEscape]

Question for Saint Greg - 

 

So we are doing our bucket list trip to NOLA from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 (the day we leave for our cruise). I have us booked at the Hampton Inn/Downtown/French Quarter for 3 nights at $600. Just wanted to know if that was a good deal or not and any thoughts/recommendations you may have for this property?

Edited February 8, 2019 by DeesEscape

[Saint Greg]

4 hours ago, DeesEscape said:

Question for Saint Greg - 

 

So we are doing our bucket list trip to NOLA from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 (the day we leave for our cruise). I have us booked at the Hampton Inn/Downtown/French Quarter for 3 nights at $600. Just wanted to know if that was a good deal or not and any thoughts/recommendations you may have for this property?

 

I haven't stayed at that Hampton Inn so I can't comment on that. It's a good location. You're just two blocks from Canal/Bourbon. Looking at prices it doesn't look like you're going to do much better than what you have that weekend. Being one that books hotwire If I were booking that weekend I would book the 4* french quarter/mississippi river for $139 which is Hilton Riverside. That comes to $541 after taxes so not a huge savings...and then you couldn't cancel that if there's a chance you could have a change in plans.

[beaucajun]

On ‎2‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 4:43 PM, DeesEscape said:

Question for Saint Greg - 

 

 Just wanted to know if that was a good deal or not and any thoughts/recommendations you may have for this property?

 

I know this wasn't meant for me but I can answer this part.  We've stayed at this hotel 3 or 4 times in the past.  It's at a great location if you don't want to stay in the Quarter.  1 and a half block walk to Bourbon Street.  The rooms are fairly big.  Hotel is very safe.  Breakfast included.  Added bonus is a Brother's Food Mart on the corner heading to Canal Street.  Great fried chicken and meat pies.

[Saint Greg]

54 minutes ago, beaucajun said:

 

I know this wasn't meant for me but I can answer this part.  We've stayed at this hotel 3 or 4 times in the past.  It's at a great location if you don't want to stay in the Quarter.  1 and a half block walk to Bourbon Street.  The rooms are fairly big.  Hotel is very safe.  Breakfast included.  Added bonus is a Brother's Food Mart on the corner heading to Canal Street.  Great fried chicken and meat pies.

 

Off topic do you have any Lafayette food recommendations?

[BigNance]

T-Coon's for lunch-anything, Chris' Po Boys-gumbo and po boys, Pop's Poboys-OMG,  Old Tyme Grocery - po boys, Don's Seafood Downtown-Crawfish bisque, jacked up shrimp, gumbo, Don's Seafood Hut-grilled oysters, fresh oysters, Dwyer's Cafe-breakfast, Another Broken Egg Cafe-breakfast, Drago's - fire roasted oysters, the list is endless!!

There is also a grocery store near Lafayette General hospital, Champagne's, that makes seafood pies and chicken pot pies.  They are about 8-9 inches, so enough for 4 (or 2 if you are glutton!).  The seafood pie is KILLER!!  Go early, they run out by 10 AM.

 

[Saint Greg]

19 minutes ago, BigNance said:

T-Coon's for lunch-anything, Chris' Po Boys-gumbo and po boys, Pop's Poboys-OMG,  Old Tyme Grocery - po boys, Don's Seafood Downtown-Crawfish bisque, jacked up shrimp, gumbo, Don's Seafood Hut-grilled oysters, fresh oysters, Dwyer's Cafe-breakfast, Another Broken Egg Cafe-breakfast, Drago's - fire roasted oysters, the list is endless!!

There is also a grocery store near Lafayette General hospital, Champagne's, that makes seafood pies and chicken pot pies.  They are about 8-9 inches, so enough for 4 (or 2 if you are glutton!).  The seafood pie is KILLER!!  Go early, they run out by 10 AM.

 

 

Thanks. Probably should've mentioned I've done Tcoons, chris', pops, old tyme, don's, french press, blue dog, bon temps, twins,  deanos, and pizza village on prior visits. I probably won't make it to breakfast. And I'm guessing that's the same Dragos they have in New Orleans.

Edited February 11, 2019 by Saint Greg

[BigNance]

Sounds like you have hit many of the high points..

Another Broken Egg is open through lunch/brunch.  Lafayette Crawfish time is good for boiled crawfish, if you are in season.

We went to Bon Temps, I thought it was sadly over rated. Drago's is the same as NO.  

Charley G's used to be excellent, but I haven't eaten there in years, so I don't want to comment.  Oh, Randol's is good and fun in the evening with a Zydeco band and dancing.  Cafe Vermilionville is very good for fine dining.  

[Saint Greg]

1 hour ago, BigNance said:

Sounds like you have hit many of the high points..

Another Broken Egg is open through lunch/brunch.  Lafayette Crawfish time is good for boiled crawfish, if you are in season.

We went to Bon Temps, I thought it was sadly over rated. Drago's is the same as NO.  

Charley G's used to be excellent, but I haven't eaten there in years, so I don't want to comment.  Oh, Randol's is good and fun in the evening with a Zydeco band and dancing.  Cafe Vermilionville is very good for fine dining.  

 

Yeah I wasn’t a big fan of Bon Temps either. Had my issues with old tyme and pops as well. Old tyme I didn’t like that they don’t devein the shrimp. They gave me a big shrimp crap sandwich. Pops was great the time I got it to go. The time I tried to eat inside at lunch it was like 15mins before they brought me a basket of fries...which I saw the girl take from another table...then another 20mins to bring the sandwich. By then I didn’t have time to eat anyway.  At T Coons I tried rabbit and found out I don’t like rabbit. Really liked Chris’ and the jacked up oysters at Dons.

Edited February 11, 2019 by Saint Greg

[BigNance]

5 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Yeah I wasn’t a big fan of Bon Temps either. Had my issues with old tyme and pops as well. Old tyme I didn’t like that they don’t devein the shrimp. They gave me a big shrimp crap sandwich. Pops was great the time I got it to go. The time I tried to eat inside at lunch it was like 15mins before they brought me a basket of fries...which I saw the girl take from another table...then another 20mins to bring the sandwich. By then I didn’t have time to eat anyway. Really liked Chris’ and the jacked up oysters at Dons.

My brother warned me to call ahead for Pops and get it to go.  It still took a while..... But, it was darn good!

Shrimp crap sandwich

 

[DeesEscape]

On 2/8/2019 at 6:58 PM, Saint Greg said:

 

I haven't stayed at that Hampton Inn so I can't comment on that. It's a good location. You're just two blocks from Canal/Bourbon. Looking at prices it doesn't look like you're going to do much better than what you have that weekend. Being one that books hotwire If I were booking that weekend I would book the 4* french quarter/mississippi river for $139 which is Hilton Riverside. That comes to $541 after taxes so not a huge savings...and then you couldn't cancel that if there's a chance you could have a change in plans.

Thank you Saint Greg. Appreciate the feedback. 

[DeesEscape]

On 2/11/2019 at 7:13 AM, beaucajun said:

 

I know this wasn't meant for me but I can answer this part.  We've stayed at this hotel 3 or 4 times in the past.  It's at a great location if you don't want to stay in the Quarter.  1 and a half block walk to Bourbon Street.  The rooms are fairly big.  Hotel is very safe.  Breakfast included.  Added bonus is a Brother's Food Mart on the corner heading to Canal Street.  Great fried chicken and meat pies.

Thank you Beaucajun for the input. It is most appreciated and informative.

[Saint Greg]

On 2/11/2019 at 11:25 AM, BigNance said:

Sounds like you have hit many of the high points..

Another Broken Egg is open through lunch/brunch.  Lafayette Crawfish time is good for boiled crawfish, if you are in season.

We went to Bon Temps, I thought it was sadly over rated. Drago's is the same as NO.  

Charley G's used to be excellent, but I haven't eaten there in years, so I don't want to comment.  Oh, Randol's is good and fun in the evening with a Zydeco band and dancing.  Cafe Vermilionville is very good for fine dining.  

 

Half price oyster night...jacked up 

 

 

[BigNance]

40 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Half price oyster night...jacked up 

 

 

I’m soooo jealous!!

although, next week for us!

yum