Hilton Riverside NOLA

[Topdog52]

We are staying at the Riverside in April and we were wondering which building is the best to get to the mall to walk to the ship? I also 

heard that the gate is not always open to get to the Breakaway from the mall. Has anyone had problems getting to the ship

from the mall?

[wolft927]

4 minutes ago, Topdog52 said:

We are staying at the Riverside in April and we were wondering which building is the best to get to the mall to walk to the ship? I also 

heard that the gate is not always open to get to the Breakaway from the mall. Has anyone had problems getting to the ship

from the mall?

Go down the elevator and puts you right across from the entrance to the terminal 

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, Topdog52 said:

We are staying at the Riverside in April and we were wondering which building is the best to get to the mall to walk to the ship? I also 

heard that the gate is not always open to get to the Breakaway from the mall. Has anyone had problems getting to the ship

from the mall?

I  think you'll find this interesting:

 

https://www.saintgregtravel.com/new-orleans-hotel-guide-hilton-riverside/

 

If you go almost to the end, there's a video of walking from the hotel to the cruise port.

[Topdog52]

9 hours ago, wolft927 said:

Go down the elevator and puts you right across from the entrance to the terminal 

Thank You!!

[PatandStu]

Our ta booked the NCL shuttle from Hilton riverside to the port. Never again. It would have been faster & easier to walk with our luggage through river walk & do it ourselves. Shuttle wasn’t till 12 and we had to check out by 11. Then too many folks for the busses, so more waiting. Then a 45 minute line to check in. 
next time we’ll walk & book a more preferable check in time. 

[RocketMan275]

15 minutes ago, PatandStu said:

Our ta booked the NCL shuttle from Hilton riverside to the port. Never again. It would have been faster & easier to walk with our luggage through river walk & do it ourselves. Shuttle wasn’t till 12 and we had to check out by 11. Then too many folks for the busses, so more waiting. Then a 45 minute line to check in. 
next time we’ll walk & book a more preferable check in time. 

NOLA is notorious for very painful embarkations.

You were lucky you only had a 45 minute check in time.

Last march we stood in the security line for at least an hour and a half.

No one boards the ship in NOLA until 1100/1130 or so at the earliest.

If you had taken your own luggage and walked to the port, you would have spent at least a couple of hours standing in the security line.  There is very limited seating and once that fills, they stop the security line until boarding commences.

We plan on arriving No Earlier Than 1130, check our bags with the porters, then surf the mall until the lines dissipate.

 

[PatandStu]

The wait was after a 90 minute shuttle shuffle/wait. An hour of hanging in the lobby. Then 30 minutes in another lobby waiting on a bus. Then the 45 minute line to get through security. Then another 30 minutes to get through check in. 
checked out of hotel at 11, we finally boarded at 2:45 

[PatandStu]

Likely won’t sail out of Nola again. Only did this time because we’d never been to Nola & spent 3 days exploring the city before the cruise. 
Cruises out of Florida work best for us. 

[RocketMan275]

36 minutes ago, PatandStu said:

Likely won’t sail out of Nola again. Only did this time because we’d never been to Nola & spent 3 days exploring the city before the cruise. 
Cruises out of Florida work best for us. 

The only reason we sail out of NOLA is because we can drive.

Even with the screwey boarding process, it's better than flying.