My Experience and costs in NOLA

[travelexplore3]

Hey everyone,

Thought I'd share some hopefully helpful information for you all who are unfamiliar and cruising in/out of New Orleans. We tool a fantastic 7 night exotic western Caribbean cruise out of Nola back in April 2011 with NCL. (We have just booked another thru NCL leaving out of NOLA in November 2013)

Anyways just wanted to share our experience with unexpected costs that most people are unaware of. Not everyone who shares trip reports remembers all the little nickle and dimeing that happens on the inbetween. So It was me at the time i was 34, husband was 38, and our son who was with us was 11. This cruise was his birthday gift.

I did a ton a research (or what I thought was a ton) about the areas surrounding new orleans french quarter. I knew the action was happening there in the french quarter and thats where I wanted to be, however most hotels were booked solid, leaving me to research. I found most (not all) but most had many recent reports of bed bugs, and were way overpriced, or just way overpriced. We opted to stay at a hotel in Meterie. We had a fabulous room on the 12th floor overlooking the cosway at the Marriott in Meterie. Hmmmm the hotel concierge said french quarter was really close. Never had been to Nola, so we believed him. NOT TRUE. We arrived at the Nola airport and caught a cab to Meterie....$35 cab ride. (Not expecting it to be so high) The our day in NOLA began with a $25 cab ride into the french quarter. (at this point I knew we were screwed...I did not plan on this much money for cabs) We had a nice lunch at the Riverside Cafe which was very pricey for what we ordered (me: salad, hubby: Alligator po boy, Son: Chicken sandwich and 3 sodas) For a whopping $60 including tip. We had booked a swamp tour which was AMAZING and worth every penny. After the tour we were dropped off on Burbon street and made our way back to Jackson Square heading to Cafe Du Monde for those wonderful slices of heaven...Biengettes!!! $12 for 3 of them. Hmmm pricey stuff. After that we shopped around and began to look for a place for dinner, everywhere was very expensive. We opted for Bubba Gumps which was in no means saving us money...lol $100 I believe was the total after tip. Ughh we could eat at bubba gumps at home, ordering the same stuff for $60!!! But whatever, it's vacation right? So next on the agenda was the Vampire Tour. (Highly reccomend if anyone in your group is into gothic, vampire stuff) For me this was MY Tour!!! It was amazing. It finished up about 9:30p.m. and we walked the french quarter and headed over to Burbon Street. Like I said it was our first time here and yes we had an 11 year old with us and had no idea Burbon was so crazy!!!! After escaping Burbon street (lol) at around 11:30p.m. we hailed a taxi (which are VERY hard to find after 10p.m. in french quarter FYI) and headed back to our hotel...$30 cab ride back to hotel. We had to take a cab once again to get to the port on Julia street for another $30, and a cab back to the Nola airport after the cruise for $30 more. So what I'm trying to say is do lots of research and opt to stay in the french quarter, or garden district, or downtown Nola.

This trip coming up we booked a suite at The Inn on St. Ann. I've got all my cab fee's upfront and it's sooooo much cheaper. From my hotel to port on Julia street is a $12 cab fare, AIrport to Hotel is $30 and Port to airport is $30. I saw there is so much to do in French Quarter...everything is right there and everything is walking distance. This will save us so much $$ on Taxis. Try not to rent a car...parking is very very expensive in french quarter. Hope this info helps.

[Reggiefan]

Sorry you had some of the experiences you had.

 

If anyone has a choice, wants to spend some time in New Orleans and does not have a car, do not book a hotel outside the downtown area. Do not. A possible exception is a hotel uptown on or near the St. Charles Ave. streetcar line. But the area I strongly recommend is the Warehouse District, which is roughly six blocks from Canal Street and the French Quarter and has a number of hotels.

 

And you can eat very good food at cheap prices in New Orleans. Many, though not all, of the French Quarter restaurants cater to tourists and charge a tad more.

[mafig]

Was that $12 price just for the beignets at Cafe du Monde, or did it include the coffee too? It seems high from what I had been reading.

[daliflor]

Was that $12 price just for the beignets at Cafe du Monde, or did it include the coffee too?

 

It seems high from what I had been reading.

 

My question too... been to NOLA for the very first time-- Fall last year, 2012 (stayed in New Orleans' French Quarter post-cruise).

 

Still, the prices - as listed below - for beignets (they come in servings of 3) seemed different than the OP experienced:

 

 

In 1986 a third Cafe Du Monde was opened in the Rouse Co.'s Riverwalk Marketplace.

 

 

The Original Cafe Du Monde Coffee Stand was established in 1862 in the New Orleans French Market.

 

The Cafe is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week!

 

 

Beignets are square French-style doughnuts, lavishly covered with powdered sugar.

 

They are served in orders of three.

 

 

 

Finally, I do agree with the hotels in the French Quarter being bit expensive but it pays off at the end,

especially on transportation costs and time saved as major attractions are within walking distance.

 

Additionally, with a bit of luck and research, we got a hotel @ HotWire that was not only in the heart of Downtown

but included complimentary breakfast and free internet (fresh cookies at the Reception desk too, 24/7).

[travelexplore3]

Ahhh yes....I save all my reciepts in my travel folders and I save them to help my friends, or myself plan trips to those destinations. In fact my purchase at cafe du monde did include 2 orders of biegnettes, and 2 drinks.

[daliflor]

Ahhh yes....I save all my reciepts in my travel folders and I save them to help my friends, or myself plan trips to those destinations.

 

In fact my purchase at cafe du monde did include 2 orders of biegnettes, and 2 drinks.

 

Now the 'details' and obviously the math adds up, so it makes more sense.

 

And yes, sometimes we think that we save with a great offer on the hotel but often times, the "commute" to the main attractions

and the time spent getting there adds up quickly and only AFTRWARDS,

the high price of the centrally located hotel that we passed on starts to make sense.

 

Location is KEY and in NOLA certainly pays off at the end!

 

Hopefully, your upcoming experience will be a much enjoyable one as New Orleans is a unique destination!

[FreezingInMichigan]

Hey everyone,

Thought I'd share some hopefully helpful information for you all who are unfamiliar and cruising in/out of New Orleans. We tool a fantastic 7 night exotic western Caribbean cruise out of Nola back in April 2011 with NCL. (We have just booked another thru NCL leaving out of NOLA in November 2013)

Anyways just wanted to share our experience with unexpected costs that most people are unaware of. Not everyone who shares trip reports remembers all the little nickle and dimeing that happens on the inbetween. So It was me at the time i was 34, husband was 38, and our son who was with us was 11. This cruise was his birthday gift.

I did a ton a research (or what I thought was a ton) about the areas surrounding new orleans french quarter. I knew the action was happening there in the french quarter and thats where I wanted to be, however most hotels were booked solid, leaving me to research. I found most (not all) but most had many recent reports of bed bugs, and were way overpriced, or just way overpriced. We opted to stay at a hotel in Meterie. We had a fabulous room on the 12th floor overlooking the cosway at the Marriott in Meterie. Hmmmm the hotel concierge said french quarter was really close. Never had been to Nola, so we believed him. NOT TRUE. We arrived at the Nola airport and caught a cab to Meterie....$35 cab ride. (Not expecting it to be so high) The our day in NOLA began with a $25 cab ride into the french quarter. (at this point I knew we were screwed...I did not plan on this much money for cabs) We had a nice lunch at the Riverside Cafe which was very pricey for what we ordered (me: salad, hubby: Alligator po boy, Son: Chicken sandwich and 3 sodas) For a whopping $60 including tip. We had booked a swamp tour which was AMAZING and worth every penny. After the tour we were dropped off on Burbon street and made our way back to Jackson Square heading to Cafe Du Monde for those wonderful slices of heaven...Biengettes!!! $12 for 3 of them. Hmmm pricey stuff. After that we shopped around and began to look for a place for dinner, everywhere was very expensive. We opted for Bubba Gumps which was in no means saving us money...lol $100 I believe was the total after tip. Ughh we could eat at bubba gumps at home, ordering the same stuff for $60!!! But whatever, it's vacation right? So next on the agenda was the Vampire Tour. (Highly reccomend if anyone in your group is into gothic, vampire stuff) For me this was MY Tour!!! It was amazing. It finished up about 9:30p.m. and we walked the french quarter and headed over to Burbon Street. Like I said it was our first time here and yes we had an 11 year old with us and had no idea Burbon was so crazy!!!! After escaping Burbon street (lol) at around 11:30p.m. we hailed a taxi (which are VERY hard to find after 10p.m. in french quarter FYI) and headed back to our hotel...$30 cab ride back to hotel. We had to take a cab once again to get to the port on Julia street for another $30, and a cab back to the Nola airport after the cruise for $30 more. So what I'm trying to say is do lots of research and opt to stay in the french quarter, or garden district, or downtown Nola.

This trip coming up we booked a suite at The Inn on St. Ann. I've got all my cab fee's upfront and it's sooooo much cheaper. From my hotel to port on Julia street is a $12 cab fare, AIrport to Hotel is $30 and Port to airport is $30. I saw there is so much to do in French Quarter...everything is right there and everything is walking distance. This will save us so much $$ on Taxis. Try not to rent a car...parking is very very expensive in french quarter. Hope this info helps.

 

I spent a weekend in NOLA last month and, yes, the N&D expenses can add up if you've not been before and get surprised. Thank you for sharing your experience. Many times a first time cruiser is on a tight budget and isn't sure how much the trip is 'really' going to cost. Your information would be very helpful to them.

 

Like others in this thread have mentioned, I too keep an expense spreadsheet for each cruise - pre and post. My first cruise I completely forgot about including gratuities, tipping the stevedores, photos, the seductive "by the inch" jewelry sale.... lol I learned the hard way that (for us) cabs are a much less expensive option than ship transfers, post-cruise excursions are wasted on me because I sleep through them, and that I apparently drink more than I budget for.. :p

 

~ Sheryl

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[cajuncruisegirl]

We are from the area and have stayed at various hotels in New Orleans. We recently stayed at the Lafayette Hotel on St. Charles Ave, a small 'boutique' hotel, and were pleasantly surprised. Give it a try.

[jennbill]

Research before your trip can save you tons of money.

[misguidedangel]

I will be going on the Conquest for the second time, and for the first time sailing out of New Orleans. I have already booked my flight and have picked the hotel to stay in. It is within my budget and it could be said it is very close to all of touristy action, shopping, and a couple of blocks away from Bourbon Street.

 

I'll be in New Orleans on Wednesday afternoon and then leave in the morning to go to the port on Sunday, so my friend and I will have almost four full days to hang out in the Quarter. We are also staying for one more night after the cruise because flights are cheaper on Monday, and why not spend the extra $200 in New Orleans instead of on airfare......We plan on doing a cemetery tour and taking the St. Charles streetcar to check out Anne Rice's former home and some of the other grand homes in the Garden District. I think we'll check out the aquarium, but really, we're going to walk around and cover as much of the French Quarter as we can. Neither of us our night owls, so pretty sure by 8 or 9 pm we'll retire to the hotel to chill out. We're early risers, so guaranteed we will be walking to Cafe Du Monde each morning.

 

I have Google Maps and I am already looking at what is in the Quarter for sights n shopping and mapping out where I want to go to shop...got to get me some mardi gras masks, beads, and other cheap n cheerful gifts for friends n family *BG*....ya know, that cheap t-shirt "my friend went to New Orleans and got me this cheap tshirt" kinda things......

 

It'll suck having to pay $60 each way for baggage...alas, I'll be able to fill a suitcase with the stuff I plan on buying in New Orleans *BG*

[Rsebdb]

Thanks for your info re costs. We're driving into NO from KY. Like you, I'm the travel researcher in the family but I owe finding a great deal at the Inn on St. Ann to a coworker who grew up there. I was going to do one of the chain hotels but she insisted and found a gem (or at least that's what all the online reviews indicate ;-)). I hope to write a review once we get back and I will try to include all those incidental costs. I'm so excited to stay in the French Quarter! It's my first time there and I'm traveling with DH, 3 kids and mom-in-law. Hoping to cram a lot in before sailing!

[lsu2fan]

Neither of us our night owls, so pretty sure by 8 or 9 pm we'll retire to the hotel to chill out. We're early risers, so guaranteed we will be walking to Cafe Du Monde each morning.quote]

 

Hi M. Angel,

 

We love Cafe Du Monde but after 2 or 3 days of beignets and coffee you may want a change of pace. If you are an early morning riser I would highly recommend the Croissant D'Or Patisserie for breakfast.

 

www.croissantdornola.com

 

This our favorite stop for breakfast in the French Quarter.:D:D:D

 

Jorge

[cantwait4cruise]

Ok we will be driving, found a reasonable priced hotel in Metairie, I was told it was like 15 minutes from the port. Is this true, I figured as much as I was saving on the hotel we could just park at terminal parking, but anyway my question is it too unreasonable to drive from Metairie to New Orleans we are spending 3 days before the cruise to sight see. Another question is since we are mainly going to be there on a weekend, what touristy sites are open on sundays. i think we r going to try to check out the St. Louis cathedral and cemetaries on the friday before the cruise any help would be appreciated

[mamajo3304]

Thank you foryour detailed information, as a person who has never been there and will be there in 19 days, I appreciate it!

I am traveling with some girlfriends and we chose a flight that arrives early morning so we can have the day to explore the area before getting on Elation the next day. I chose to stay in the Warehouse District at the Hampton Inn Convention Center.

 

Does anyone know what kind of transportation we can get from hotel to French Quarter? The New Orleans travel book they sent me has a map that shows the Vieux Carre Loop Route going down Convention Center Blvd. However, on trip advisor, people are saying that this was destroyed in Katrina and it doesn't exist anymore. So now I am confused. How can we safely get around?

 

I get to be a worry-wart when going somewhere I have never been before, so all of the info you can give me- I would appreciate.

[Reggiefan]

The Hampton Convention Center is a very nice hotel that I have stayed at on several occasions. Great location. You can walk to the French Quarter, which is only about 12 blocks away.

[mamajo3304]

4 women can walk safely there?

 

My small town attitude is showing isn't it? lol I fear any place over 5,000 people in population.

[Reggiefan]

Except for the first few blocks of the French Quarter from Canal, the Warehouse District is probably the safest section in the city.

 

During the day, absolutely you can walk. And the early evening should be no problem at all, and Friday and Saturday nights should be OK if you stay on streets where there are crowds. One woman walking around, and I would certainly suggest a taxi. But with four women together, you should not have a problem if it is not too late and you stay on streets where you see people.

 

My sense is that at night you will take a taxi to the French Quarter. But the area is safe. Incidentally, the Warehouse District has a number of very good restaurants, including Emeril's (expensive) and Tommy's Cuisine (a favorite).

[Reggiefan]

I was going to write that the area is safe, but not necessarily the Miracle Mile in Chicago, and I just read about the bizarre incident with mobs of teenagers in Chicago.

 

I have walked late at night from the Hampton property to the French Quarter without any concerns. But I am a man, know the area, and am used to walking in big cities.

 

During the day, no problem, though the Hampton to the heart of the French Quarter is at least a mile. At night, my wife might not feel comfortable making that walk, so I would suggest a taxi. But certainly the hotel personnel can make recommendations.

 

But the bottom line is that the Warehouse District is a nice area.