Help from New Orleans Area locals!..(Please!!!)

[MusicMan]

We (a family group of 8) are booked out of NOLA on the Conquest June 19th. We are staying at the Drury the Friday and Saturday nights before the cruise. The cruise returns on the 26th, but airfare was outrageous on Sunday so we're staying an additional night in the area. I need help on two things. 1) Is there a clean, comfortable, dirt-cheap (okay maybe not dirt cheap but as close as possible) hotel anywhere within reasonable distance of the Airport??? 2) Transportation. I am booking a limo or van (not sure which yet) to get us from the airport to our hotel. Since there are 8 of us, is there any more economical way to get from the Drury to the pier than using a limo/van service? 3)Okay, I lied.. it's three things ;) .... It looks like I can rent a full size van down on canal street for less than the cost of a limo. This would expand my range in seeking a hotel for Sunday night (after cruise). Any suburbs, adjacent cities, etc, I should be looking at???? As always, all help is appreciated and TIA!!!

 

-Jerry

[selucrey]

The NOLA airport is actually in Kenner, try these links...

http://www.hotels-finder.net/louisiana/kenner/

 

You might consider renting a van at Hertz at the airport and returning it at the Fulton Street Garage Hertz and doing the opposite on your return to NOLA.

[fozziscooter]

We stayed at the Clarion and got a great rate and enjoyed the hotel. It wasn't fancy, but average. It was a quick walk to all the hot spots!

[Momw/4boys]

We have 13 people arriving at the NOLA airport - we will make reservations 2 weeks in advance to get a group rate on the airport shuttle for $10.40 apiece. Not great but we didn't want the hassle of a vehicle before our cruise as we are not arriving until Saturday night. After the cruise, we will send one person to the airport in a taxi to pick up a 15-seat commuter van, he will come back to pick us up and then we will drive around NO for about 4 hours sightseeing until it is time to go to the airport. The van will cost us about $150, but it solves the problem of what to do with all of our luggage and we wanted to see some things in NO.

[Micktooth]

You can look up hotels in Metairie,LA. This is the suburb just to the west on the way to the airport. There are many hotels there. The doubletree lakeside is very nice:New Orleans Lakeside Hotel

3838 North Causeway Boulevard

Metairie, LA 70002

Tel: 504-836-5253

Fax: 504-846-4562

Just read up on the reviews. If you want to be close to the airport, the Airport Hilton is right across the street. It is a very nice hotel, but it is not close to most attractions.

[cawhite]

Hi there,

 

We're flying into N.O. for a cruise 3 weeks from today. We're also staying in a hotel 1 night before the cruise, and 1 night before we return home.

 

I booked both hotels on "one of those internet booking sites" - the most famous one (guess we're not supposed to advertise here).

 

For our after cruise stay, I bid $35 on a hotel in the airport area and got the Four Points Sheraton in Metarie. I'm sure it will be fine for 1 night.

 

For our before cruise stay, I bid on 4 star hotels in the convention center area and central business district and got the Sheraton on Canal. We wanted to be close to the port and were hoping for the Riverwalk Hilton, but the Sheraton will be fine too. For this we paid more as the French Quarter Fest is going on that weekend (higher rates when their are activities in town). But we still got a great rate.

 

Carole

[cawhite]

oops... typo.

 

I meant when there are activities going on in town!!

[martha5944]

We (a family group of 8) are booked out of NOLA on the Conquest June 19th. We are staying at the Drury the Friday and Saturday nights before the cruise. The cruise returns on the 26th, but airfare was outrageous on Sunday so we're staying an additional night in the area. I need help on two things. 1) Is there a clean, comfortable, dirt-cheap (okay maybe not dirt cheap but as close as possible) hotel anywhere within reasonable distance of the Airport??? 2) Transportation. I am booking a limo or van (not sure which yet) to get us from the airport to our hotel. Since there are 8 of us, is there any more economical way to get from the Drury to the pier than using a limo/van service? 3)Okay, I lied.. it's three things ;) .... It looks like I can rent a full size van down on canal street for less than the cost of a limo. This would expand my range in seeking a hotel for Sunday night (after cruise). Any suburbs, adjacent cities, etc, I should be looking at???? As always, all help is appreciated and TIA!!!

 

-Jerry

Weare a group of 15 going in April. We're staying 3 nights in New Orleans; 1 before cruise and 2 after. You really should stay in French Quarter and enjoy and experience New orleans asit is a great place. We're staying at the Holiday Inn Express CBD for 88 dollars a night. The roundtrip van service is 20 dollars per person. Alot of the hotels run specials if you go on the websites and you can get greatrates but you have to work at it. Someone in another thread said they had a room at the Marriott for 50dollars a night. That is a great rate. I find the discount rates run late at night onthe websites. Have a great time!!!

[martha5944]

Can I ask you how/where you bid for a hotel? I've stayed on business trips at the Sheraton and it is topnotch. But with a group as large as mine we couldn't afford to stay there this time. They have the best hurricanes at the bar in the lobby!!!! Eventhough I'm not staying there this time that is where I'm getting my drink from to tour Bourbon St. Their rooms are spacious and clean, the pool on the roof is relaxing and the views at night from your room are great.. Great breakfast buffet also. Have fun; I'm jealous!!!

[cpayne]

Anxiously awaiting this answer myself! I'm arranging a group cruise out of N.O. for 16 and definitely want to stay in the French Quarter, but also want to be a fair price for a room which seems difficult to do in this town!

[pswoo]

Sorry about the off topic post, but...........I need information about the streetcars in NOLA. How late do they run, and is it possible to take a trolley from the French Quarter area to Riverwalk/port? Thank you for your help.

[selucrey]

Sorry about the off topic post, but...........I need information about the streetcars in NOLA. How late do they run, and is it possible to take a trolley from the French Quarter area to Riverwalk/port? Thank you for your help.

Maps; routes and schedules here... http://norta.com/services/

The Riverwalk is across the street from the French Quarter. The street car does not run all the way to the port.

[MusicMan]

Thanks to everybody for the advice. I think I have figured out what I'm going to do (trying to strike a happy medium between cheap and convenient) . I've chartered a van to pick us up at the airport ($100+tip). I'm willing to pay the few extra dollars to avoid stopping at other hotels. With 8 of us in the group there isn't that much difference. We're staying at the Drury Inn on Poydras street. This gives us a free hot breakfast (and happy hour for the adults) . It's close enough to the FQ to walk or alternatively, the street car line runs right next to the hotel. I spoke with the consierge at the Drury and she said they have a cab company that will shuttle us and our luggage to the port for $7 a person. Then after the cruise I've rented a van from an agency fairly close to the port (I'll either walk or take a cab to their office). This provides transportation to the Sunday night hotel and anywhere else we want go that evening (allowing us to stay at a more remote location if necessary) and then returning the van to the airport on our way out the next morning. By joining the rental car companies members program, we're getting coupons for hotel discounts with their partners, so I'll wait a week or so until I have the coupons to book Sunday nights hotel. Whew!! Hope this all works out!! LOL! Anyway, thanks again for the help/advice.

[cpayne]

Do you have the phone number and/or name of the chartered transportation you arranged? Do you know how many people it holds including luggage?

 

Thanks.

[MusicMan]

The service I contacted was Celebrity Limousines(800) 253-1991

I'm not sure how many the van will hold (they know that we are a group of 8 with quite a bit of luggage), but I believe they also have 18 passenger mini-tourbuses

[kallie05]

We (a family group of 8) are booked out of NOLA on the Conquest June 19th. We are staying at the Drury the Friday and Saturday nights before the cruise. The cruise returns on the 26th, but airfare was outrageous on Sunday so we're staying an additional night in the area. I need help on two things. 1) Is there a clean, comfortable, dirt-cheap (okay maybe not dirt cheap but as close as possible) hotel anywhere within reasonable distance of the Airport??? 2) Transportation. I am booking a limo or van (not sure which yet) to get us from the airport to our hotel. Since there are 8 of us, is there any more economical way to get from the Drury to the pier than using a limo/van service? 3)Okay, I lied.. it's three things ;) .... It looks like I can rent a full size van down on canal street for less than the cost of a limo. This would expand my range in seeking a hotel for Sunday night (after cruise). Any suburbs, adjacent cities, etc, I should be looking at???? As always, all help is appreciated and TIA!!!

 

-Jerry

Musicman -

 

We are also sailing out of NOL and staying a couple days before the cruise. I went directly through the Airport transportaion and book online a round trip and it

save us money. Here is the web site: http://www.airportshuttleneworleans.com/

 

I don't know your exact arrival times and depart times but I roughly put in your info that you had posted and it came up with 80.00 round trip....