Leaving New Orleans

[vbscoot]

Heading out of New Orleans on Glory on Sunday the 13th.  Just wondering how long the trip down the river to the Gulf takes.  Does anyone remember when the casino will open?

[tidecat]

In Louisiana, a casino that's in water can open. I last sailed from there pre-Covid, but it was open upon conclusion of the muster drill.

 

It may be close to Midnight by the time the ship reaches the mouth of the Mississippi. Your cell phone likely will lose reception before then (just remember to put it in airplane mode if you don't want to use the ship's cell service).

[Saint Greg]

Around 7 hours. If Valor is coming back that night you may want to try to be outside when the ships pass on the river.. It's a pretty unique experience. Not sure when the casino opens.

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by Saint Greg

[Purvis1231]

In Louisiana since Casino are legal, the ship's casino opens soon after leaving the dock but if you win big the Louisiana taxman will be calling. 

[stevethepirate]

About 7 hours is right on. It's a fun cruise down the river. It snakes around. So you can see the lights of New Orleans for a good bit. It's pretty relaxing.

[PhotoPete]

Was on Valor's 1/29 sailing.  We hit the mouth of the river around 11pm.

 

[ninjacat123]

So do you stay in New Orleans before embarkation?  I didn't realize it would be a 7 hour cruise down the Mississippi. Sounds awesome but I'd want to see New Orleans as well.

[jiggs]

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

So do you stay in New Orleans before embarkation?  I didn't realize it would be a 7 hour cruise down the Mississippi. Sounds awesome but I'd want to see New Orleans as well.

we usually stay further north and drive the remainder of the trip day of sailing, you could spend time in NO before boarding.  I've also come in early and stayed in NO for one night or more before sailing.  If you get a ship leaving on a Sunday, you can easily come in Friday PM or Saturday and enjoy the city before sailing. 

[rcandv]

We live in New Orleans and have been on five cruises out of New Orleans so far.  The trip down the river is slow and beautiful.  I concur that it is approximately 7 to 8 hours to the mouth of the river.  

[BlerkOne]

I guess I'll dissent. I think our past few cruises down the Mississippi were closer to 6 hours. It depends on a few things including the flow of the river. It's about 96 river miles.

[keels81]

It took us about 6 hours on the Valor on 1/20.

[icft]

I'm kind of curious as to how you guys tell when you have entered the Gulf with it being dark. You do realize Pilottown is about 20 miles from where the southwest pass enters the gulf and that at Head of Passes the mississippi is over a mile wide.

[BlerkOne]

1 minute ago, icft said:

I'm kind of curious as to how you guys tell when you have entered the Gulf with it being dark. You do realize Pilottown is about 20 miles from where the southwest pass enters the gulf and that at Head of Passes the mississippi is over a mile wide.

I look at Google maps. 🙂

[keels81]

15 minutes ago, icft said:

I'm kind of curious as to how you guys tell when you have entered the Gulf with it being dark. You do realize Pilottown is about 20 miles from where the southwest pass enters the gulf and that at Head of Passes the mississippi is over a mile wide.

 

I'm friends with a riverboat pilot and the first time I went on the Valor a few years ago, he told me a couple landmarks to watch for.

[icft]

10 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

I look at Google maps. 🙂

Ah! That's a good way. And are you placing the "mouth" where the southwest pass enters the gulf or at Head of Passes? Apparently many of the geography nerds contend the Gulf starts at Head of Passes and the lands south of there are islands in the Gulf. I never liked that way of looking at it.

 

[BlerkOne]

14 minutes ago, icft said:

Ah! That's a good way. And are you placing the "mouth" where the southwest pass enters the gulf or at Head of Passes? Apparently many of the geography nerds contend the Gulf starts at Head of Passes and the lands south of there are islands in the Gulf. I never liked that way of looking at it.

 

I make no claims as to what constitutes the mouth (some think it is way up north) but Mile O of the river is the Head of Passes. I'm not really sure it matters as if left alone, the mouth of the river would relocate to the west.

[JandPB]

I was able to use my Garmin Active Captain app on my phone for the trip down river and once we came back. Very helpful since the majority of the outbound leg was in the dark and the entire trip back up was in the dark. 

 

PB

[TomAndJane]

We were on the Carnival Valor over New Years 2022 that left on Dec 31.  We left at 3:30 and the casino was opened at 7:30 p.m.  After celebrating New Years we went to our balcony and we could see land (within 40-50 yards away - starboard side) until around 12:30 a.m.  I didn't look to see where we were but now looking at google maps I would assume somewhere in East/West Bay.

Edited February 8, 2022 by TomAndJane

[chengkp75]

9 hours ago, icft said:

I'm kind of curious as to how you guys tell when you have entered the Gulf with it being dark. You do realize Pilottown is about 20 miles from where the southwest pass enters the gulf and that at Head of Passes the mississippi is over a mile wide.

My indication that we have left the river is when the pilot boat comes alongside and takes the pilot off.  Yes, pilot town is well up the river, but that is merely where the pilots live.  They still are onboard the ship until it reaches the Southwest Pass sea buoy, which is outside the jetty ends of the Pass.  The other indication is seeing ships anchored close by, and no land visible, which means you are at the SW Pass anchorage.

[chasinraynbowz]

I knew when we left the river and were in the Gulf on my very first cruise out of NOLA because of the ship rocking.  There was a storm in the gulf so the seas were rocky!!

 

As for the casino, they do open not long after leaving the port.

 

Happy Sailing!!  I will be cruising on the Valor in March!!

[BlerkOne]

Valor NYE. I'm calling it 9:35

 

 

[jsglow]

16 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

So do you stay in New Orleans before embarkation?  I didn't realize it would be a 7 hour cruise down the Mississippi. Sounds awesome but I'd want to see New Orleans as well.

We did the night before our Valor trip. That allowed us to visit 3-4 favorite Frenchman/Bourbon St spots that we hadn't been to since before Covid. Still got to bed before midnight and get a good night's sleep before embarking the next day. 

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

Valor NYE. I'm calling it 9:35

 

 

What you are indicating is "Head of Passes" where SW Pass, South Pass, and Pass A Loutre come together.  SW Pass, where you leave the river, is 20 miles to the southwest, as indicated by the low islands of the delta on the map.  So, about another 1-1.5 hours to get out of the river.

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

What you are indicating is "Head of Passes" where SW Pass, South Pass, and Pass A Loutre come together.  SW Pass, where you leave the river, is 20 miles to the southwest, as indicated by the low islands of the delta on the map.  So, about another 1-1.5 hours to get out of the river.

or Mile 0 of the river, as I stated.

 

The river has changed course a number of times over the years, and will again in the future. The Corps of Engineers can't win against Mother Nature. It's only a matter of time.

[chengkp75]

41 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

or Mile 0 of the river, as I stated.

 

The river has changed course a number of times over the years, and will again in the future. The Corps of Engineers can't win against Mother Nature. It's only a matter of time.

Yes, that is mile zero, not sure what the course of the river has to do with it.  Miles on the Mississippi are measured in AHP (above Head of Pass) and BHP (below Head of Pass).  The sea buoy is mile 20 BHP.  Sorry, still in river at Head of Pass.