Repositioning Cruise out of New Orleans

[CruisingSoon88]

We are thinking of doing the 11 day repositioning cruise on the Sunshine from New Orleans to Port Canaveral. The logistics are giving me a headache and I thought maybe someone who has done this before could help. We do not want to fly because the rates are so high with it not being a traditional round trip ticket and there are 4 of us. We would like to drive to New Orleans and then probably fly back to there from Orlando. A rental car from Canaveral is ridiculous because of the drop off penalty for returning it to a different location. Flying from Orlando to New Orleans looks like the cheapest way.

 

To make matters worse, it seems that there is a big event in New Orleans that weekend because all of the hotels are booked. We found a room in Covington that is 30 some miles away.

 

Now the big question is where do we park. I thought that just parking at the port would be the easiest. Then I read that you have to show a cruise ticket to enter the lot. Ok going in, but would they let us back in when we came back to get our vehicle?

 

Any experience or suggestions on how to this the cheapest and easiest way would be appreciated.:)

[zdcatc12]

Not sure when the cruise is, but if it is the spring, there are always one-way rental car specials out of Florida starting around the first of April.

[wrigley80]

Budget Rental Car offers some pretty cheap promotions on one-way rentals....that's usually all we do is have one-way rentals

[cajun-crazy]

I looked for hotels checking in on Sat April 5 for one night. The rates for French Quarter/Business District/Warehouse District hotels were unreal. The only thing that came up with a search as for events was WrestleMania XXX on the Sunday April 6.

 

Covington hotels are nice, but you have to cross the Causeway to get into New Orleans, and I think that would be longer than the trip from the airport.

 

However, Slidell shows hotels and so does the Airport area. At rates at or below 100.00/night.

 

Southwest usually offers good one-way fares from Orlando to MSY.

[picomullet]

Someone on the Roll Call may be able to help you.

[picomullet]

Someone on the Roll Call may be able to help you.

 

On the roll call, I would start with the most current post as this roll call began when this was a different cruise out of NO.

[agargoyle]

I looked for hotels checking in on Sat April 5 for one night. The rates for French Quarter/Business District/Warehouse District hotels were unreal. The only thing that came up with a search as for events was WrestleMania XXX on the Sunday April 6.

 

QUOTE]

 

 

 

The Algiers Festival is around tha time, it is the weekend befor the start of the FQF, I think there is an opera event then, and probable several re-positioning cruises are leaving that weekend.

 

The one thing about NOLA is They always are having "something". Try the Garden District.

[devonakaye]

We are also on this cruise. I just booked a cheap room at a Super 8 for one night for under 100 bucks. There is a jazz festival going on that weekend and most hotels are requiring 2 night stays, and yes, the rates are outrageos. We just cruised out of there September and paid 120 a night at Hampton Inn right by the port. Now it is 345 a night with a 2 night minimum.

[WLHyatt]

Covington is great!

The trip across the causeway is not a bad drive, and takes the same amount of time as it would to get from Slidell, a little more time than it would take to get from the airport.

 

We have friends in Covington that we usually hang out with whenever we go for a cruise from there and I prefer the drive across the causeway over the drive from Slidell on I-10.

 

For parking, I would use the long term lots at the airport and use a taxi or book the Carnival shuttle for the length of time you will be gone. That being said, I am sure they have some kind of special system for dealing with repo cruises. New Orleans has had one in the last couple of months, and will have at least two more around the time you will be sailing, including yours.

[tallyho8]

It would help if we knew where you were coming from.