Amtrak to New Orleans

[wrigley80]

We are going on the Carnival Dream in December and we are thinking about taking Amtrak to New Orleans from Northern Illinois.

 

Has anyone else ever taken Amtrak??? And what are your thoughts??

[mrbill62]

We are going on the Carnival Dream in December and we are thinking about taking Amtrak to New Orleans from Northern Illinois.

 

Has anyone else ever taken Amtrak??? And what are your thoughts??

Hi,We took am-trak from Stockton Ca to New Orleans, and all I can say about it is go for it.It's the only way to go on a trip, if you got the time.The food is good as is the service,but give yourself enough time in case the train is late due to weather.

[wrigley80]

Hi,We took am-trak from Stockton Ca to New Orleans, and all I can say about it is go for it.It's the only way to go on a trip, if you got the time.The food is good as is the service,but give yourself enough time in case the train is late due to weather.

 

 

Thanks for the reply. I believe we are going to try the train for this cruise. I'm not a big fan of flying and the prices are quite high right now.

 

On cruise leaves on a Sunday so I believe we will leave on a Wednesday or Thursday. It will be a nice change to take the train

[driftingaway2017]

Hi,

I say go for it! I am taking the train from Illinois to New Orleans for my Dream cruise in a couple of weeks. I have taken the train to & from Chicago before (about 6 hours each way) and it was surprisingly enjoyable. One thing that I will advise is to anticipate delays on the train.

 

This trip to NOLA is over 16 hours, the longest one that I have done by far. But, I am looking forward to it. I am tired of having to deal with flying! I like not having to worry about stuffing all of my hygiene products into 3 ounce ziplocs and being charged luggage fees.

 

If you do go with Amtrak, they offer a discount for Carnival cruisers. You just have to call customer service to book. I ended up saving a lot by booking with Amtrak versus flying.

 

I will try to remember to come back to this thread after my cruise & give a report on my experience with the train!

 

Btw, I enjoyed your Dream review, Wrigley!

[wrigley80]

Hi,

I say go for it! I am taking the train from Illinois to New Orleans for my Dream cruise in a couple of weeks. I have taken the train to & from Chicago before (about 6 hours each way) and it was surprisingly enjoyable. One thing that I will advise is to anticipate delays on the train.

 

This trip to NOLA is over 16 hours, the longest one that I have done by far. But, I am looking forward to it. I am tired of having to deal with flying! I like not having to worry about stuffing all of my hygiene products into 3 ounce ziplocs and being charged luggage fees.

 

If you do go with Amtrak, they offer a discount for Carnival cruisers. You just have to call customer service to book. I ended up saving a lot by booking with Amtrak versus flying.

 

I will try to remember to come back to this thread after my cruise & give a report on my experience with the train!

 

Btw, I enjoyed your Dream review, Wrigley!

 

 

Thank You so much. Someone else had posted on my review to alert me of the discount for Carnival cruisers. I am going to call about it in the morning.

 

Yes please come back and let me know how it was on the train. Happy to hear that you enjoyed my review. Enjoy your cruise

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[TexCrsr]

We have taken the Amtrak into NOLA for the weekend many times. The train station is not far at all form the Cruise terminal or the French Quarter, maybe $5-$10 cab fare. (It is next door to the Superdome) Cabs were waiting when the train arrived. If you get there a day early and stay in the Quarter/Canal area the streetcars make it easy to get around. On your return trip if you are travelling in a sleeper car (first class) they have a very nice area called the Magnolia Room to wait around in. This station is also a Greyhound bus station so keep that in mind. It's not the kind of place I wanted want to linger in, however the Magnolia room was great.

[maeglena]

We are cruising in September 2014. I checked into Amtrak from Chicago to NO. It is a 19 hour trip and would cost us as much roundtrip as I was able to fly from Milwaukee round trip. I regularly use Amtrak for trips to Southern Illinois which are 5 1/2 hours and love it. I did not realize there was a discount thru Amtrak for cruisers, however, it would have to be a substantial discount it's still a 19 hour trip and you are handling luggage on and off the train.

[mrbill62]

We are cruising in September 2014. I checked into Amtrak from Chicago to NO. It is a 19 hour trip and would cost us as much roundtrip as I was able to fly from Milwaukee round trip. I regularly use Amtrak for trips to Southern Illinois which are 5 1/2 hours and love it. I did not realize there was a discount thru Amtrak for cruisers, however, it would have to be a substantial discount it's still a 19 hour trip and you are handling luggage on and off the train.

But AM-TRAK does not charge for luggage.

[maeglena]

Neither does the airline I'm booked with. Unless you have a sleeper unit (and that throws the budget way off) it's is a long time on a train trying to sleep, eat and be comfortable. Don't get me wrong I love Amtraking but a 19 hour (and that's if its running on schedule:) is a long time. We were 2 hours late last month on the trip to Southern Illinois (made it 7 1/2 hours). I too would be interested in hearing about your train trip morena2003.

[wrigley80]

We are cruising in September 2014. I checked into Amtrak from Chicago to NO. It is a 19 hour trip and would cost us as much roundtrip as I was able to fly from Milwaukee round trip. I regularly use Amtrak for trips to Southern Illinois which are 5 1/2 hours and love it. I did not realize there was a discount thru Amtrak for cruisers, however, it would have to be a substantial discount it's still a 19 hour trip and you are handling luggage on and off the train.

 

 

We are in northern Illinois and we normally fly in for our cruises but with this one being out of New Orleans....the airfare is much more expensive than flying into Florida. Plus we have never taken Amtrak and the discount for people traveling on Carnival is 20% off the lowest fare and I also get a 10% discount because I am a TA

[wrigley80]

Thanks everybody for the advice. We will arrive on a Thursday for our cruise on Sunday.

The scheduled arrival time on the train is 3:30 pm so we will just take a taxi to our hotel and then pick up our rental car on Friday

[fmrlkr]

Thanks everybody for the advice. We will arrive on a Thursday for our cruise on Sunday.

The scheduled arrival time on the train is 3:30 pm so we will just take a taxi to our hotel and then pick up our rental car on Friday

 

You really do not need a car in New Orleans. It is a great walking city and with cabs, the streetcar and tours you can get anywhere. Hotel parking can run as high as $40 to $50 a night and parking around town is also expensive and difficult. Put your money in a good quality hotel in a good location and skip the hassle of trying to drive around New Orleans.

[wrigley80]

You really do not need a car in New Orleans. It is a great walking city and with cabs, the streetcar and tours you can get anywhere. Hotel parking can run as high as $40 to $50 a night and parking around town is also expensive and difficult. Put your money in a good quality hotel in a good location and skip the hassle of trying to drive around New Orleans.

 

We always stay in Metairie. So we enjoy having our rental car for a couple days prior to a cruise because then we can drive where we want to go. Last year in December when we were in town to cruise on the Sunshine we parked up on the north end of Canal Street by the cemeteries and rode the streetcar so that was a nice way to see the city.

 

Having a rental car gives us more flexibility. Our hotel where we stay doesn't charge a parking fee.

[driftingaway2017]

I too would be interested in hearing about your train trip morena2003.

 

Thanks, I will definitely return back & give a review:)

[megr1125]

Get a sleeper and book EARLY...

The "City of New Orleans" (go ahead..sing..I know you are..) fills up fast...especially the sleepers...

 

It is a great train and it offers checked baggage so you are not necessarily handling your bags....just your carry on..depending on how you travel...

 

Sent from my Galaxy S3, somewhere in the galaxy

[carib1]

I have a question for those that are from Illinois and have traveled to New Orleans via Amtrak. We are booked on the Dream in October and we are taking the Amtrak to the port. We live north of Peoria and will be catching the train in Champaign. My question is: on the return trip home the train does not leave until 1:45pm, did you go straight from the port to the train station and just waited there? or what did you do? and what did you do with your luggage? ok, maybe there was more than one question.:rolleyes: Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks

[wrigley80]

I have a question for those that are from Illinois and have traveled to New Orleans via Amtrak. We are booked on the Dream in October and we are taking the Amtrak to the port. We live north of Peoria and will be catching the train in Champaign. My question is: on the return trip home the train does not leave until 1:45pm, did you go straight from the port to the train station and just waited there? or what did you do? and what did you do with your luggage? ok, maybe there was more than one question.:rolleyes: Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks

 

 

My suggestion is don't be in a real hurry to get off the ship. Take your time...eat breakfast in the MDR and relax onboard. Head to the Amtrak station around 11:00 am. We will have the same issues when we take our return trip home to Chicago in December

[carib1]

Just found out the Port of New Orleans has Port on-site storage for your luggage, for 4 bags it is $25 to hold them for the day. You can pre-pay on their website.:D

[wrigley80]

Just found out the Port of New Orleans has Port on-site storage for your luggage, for 4 bags it is $25 to hold them for the day. You can pre-pay on their website.:D

 

 

Thanks for the tip

[driftingaway2017]

Well, as promised here is a review of my Amtrak trip from Champaign Il to New Orleans, LA.

 

It was myself & daughter (11) on this trip. I choose Amtrak because it was cheaper than flying, ( about 50% less, I used a child discount for my daughter plus Carnival Discount). Plus, bags were free:)

 

Overall, the trip was okay,but I would not do more than 17 hours without a sleeper (we were in coach). I enjoyed meeting new people on the train plus I liked seeing the land that we passed through. Also, we did not have any signifiant delays, which I have experineced before on Amtrak.

 

Several things that I didn't like: tracks were very bumpy south of Memphis, food was very expensive & not very good.

 

For my next cruise, I plan to take the Divinia out of Mia. I will fly then. It is just too long of a trip on Amtrak. But, I would take Amtrak again if cruising out of NOLA. I would try to get a sleeper (needed more on the return trip, very excited on the way, lack of sleep wasn't even noticed), would bring plenty of snacks/water. I brought some but ran out. I think that the tip about on-site baggage at port is helpful too. I took my time leaving the ship but still got to the train station too early. I would have rather used the time to explore NOLA a little. Anyone bringing kids would also be wise to bring plenty to keep them busy. BTW, The train to NOLA does not have Wifi. So, I would bring things that do not require Wifi access...Any questions, feel free to ask.

[TruckerDave]

Well, as promised here is a review of my Amtrak trip from Champaign Il to New Orleans, LA.

 

It was myself & daughter (11) on this trip. I choose Amtrak because it was cheaper than flying, ( about 50% less, I used a child discount for my daughter plus Carnival Discount). Plus, bags were free:)

 

Overall, the trip was okay,but I would not do more than 17 hours without a sleeper (we were in coach). I enjoyed meeting new people on the train plus I liked seeing the land that we passed through. Also, we did not have any signifiant delays, which I have experineced before on Amtrak.

 

Several things that I didn't like: tracks were very bumpy south of Memphis, food was very expensive & not very good.

 

For my next cruise, I plan to take the Divinia out of Mia. I will fly then. It is just too long of a trip on Amtrak. But, I would take Amtrak again if cruising out of NOLA. I would try to get a sleeper (needed more on the return trip, very excited on the way, lack of sleep wasn't even noticed), would bring plenty of snacks/water. I brought some but ran out. I think that the tip about on-site baggage at port is helpful too. I took my time leaving the ship but still got to the train station too early. I would have rather used the time to explore NOLA a little. Anyone bringing kids would also be wise to bring plenty to keep them busy. BTW, The train to NOLA does not have Wifi. So, I would bring things that do not require Wifi access...Any questions, feel free to ask.

 

 

The roads between Memphis and NOLA are noting to write home about either. Parts of them are VERY rough in MS and LA :eek:

[driftingaway2017]

The roads between Memphis and NOLA are noting to write home about either. Parts of them are VERY rough in MS and LA :eek:

 

It was crazy how ruff the tracks were!

I definitely won't be driving to NOLA either!!!

[wrigley80]

Well, as promised here is a review of my Amtrak trip from Champaign Il to New Orleans, LA.

 

It was myself & daughter (11) on this trip. I choose Amtrak because it was cheaper than flying, ( about 50% less, I used a child discount for my daughter plus Carnival Discount). Plus, bags were free:)

 

Overall, the trip was okay,but I would not do more than 17 hours without a sleeper (we were in coach). I enjoyed meeting new people on the train plus I liked seeing the land that we passed through. Also, we did not have any signifiant delays, which I have experineced before on Amtrak.

 

Several things that I didn't like: tracks were very bumpy south of Memphis, food was very expensive & not very good.

 

For my next cruise, I plan to take the Divinia out of Mia. I will fly then. It is just too long of a trip on Amtrak. But, I would take Amtrak again if cruising out of NOLA. I would try to get a sleeper (needed more on the return trip, very excited on the way, lack of sleep wasn't even noticed), would bring plenty of snacks/water. I brought some but ran out. I think that the tip about on-site baggage at port is helpful too. I took my time leaving the ship but still got to the train station too early. I would have rather used the time to explore NOLA a little. Anyone bringing kids would also be wise to bring plenty to keep them busy. BTW, The train to NOLA does not have Wifi. So, I would bring things that do not require Wifi access...Any questions, feel free to ask.

 

Thanks so much for this review. If we do decide to take Amtrak I know we would not be getting a sleeper car...we would stay in coach. My dad can snooze just about anywhere ;)

I was looking this week here at work and I found airfare for $198.00 per person on Southwest from Chicago to New Orleans so we may fly now instead of taking the train. My dad still wants to take the train and I'm sure it would be fun but the idea of being on a train for 19 hours vs. 2.5 hours on a plane is a little tough to turn away.

 

I definitely know because of your review that I would bring plenty of snacks and drinks to last throughout the trip if we decide to take the train. As well as things to keep me occupied :p

[water4me]

Well, as promised here is a review of my Amtrak trip from Champaign Il to New Orleans, LA.

 

It was myself & daughter (11) on this trip. I choose Amtrak because it was cheaper than flying, ( about 50% less, I used a child discount for my daughter plus Carnival Discount). Plus, bags were free:)

 

Overall, the trip was okay,but I would not do more than 17 hours without a sleeper (we were in coach). I enjoyed meeting new people on the train plus I liked seeing the land that we passed through. Also, we did not have any signifiant delays, which I have experineced before on Amtrak.

 

Several things that I didn't like: tracks were very bumpy south of Memphis, food was very expensive & not very good.

 

For my next cruise, I plan to take the Divinia out of Mia. I will fly then. It is just too long of a trip on Amtrak. But, I would take Amtrak again if cruising out of NOLA. I would try to get a sleeper (needed more on the return trip, very excited on the way, lack of sleep wasn't even noticed), would bring plenty of snacks/water. I brought some but ran out. I think that the tip about on-site baggage at port is helpful too. I took my time leaving the ship but still got to the train station too early. I would have rather used the time to explore NOLA a little. Anyone bringing kids would also be wise to bring plenty to keep them busy. BTW, The train to NOLA does not have Wifi. So, I would bring things that do not require Wifi access...Any questions, feel free to ask.

 

 

 

morena2003,

 

Just phoned Amtrak for a reservation with the Carnival discount, no clue. Asked for a code from Carnival. Phoned Carnival for the code & after searching found a code which expired in 2012???? What code did you give Amtrak for the discount?

 

thx