Dream - october

[cruzn buckeye]

Just checking with new orleans site and airfare site here on the boards... cant find an answer there so asking it here.

The airfare is running over 400 round trip.. is there an alternative airport that we could use to cruise from new orleans that might be cheaper? possible rent a car and drive to the port?

thanks

[topofE]

The problem is that you're going to pay ~$100 for parking and/or the crazy fees for a 1 way car rental both ways. Have you looked into Amtrak? There are a lot of convinient trains going to nola...

[CrusinCyndi]

The problem is that you're going to pay ~$100 for parking and/or the crazy fees for a 1 way car rental both ways. Have you looked into Amtrak? There are a lot of convinient trains going to nola...

 

The only thing with Amtrak is they usually arrive mid week..and the same for the return. So you would have to stay a few days before and a few days after.

 

Its cheap if you just take a seat..If you want a sleeper car, then the price goes WAYYY up

[gbphatcat]

that depends on where you catch the train at OP lives in Ohio and if they could catch the City of New Orleans in Illinois somewhere it runs a daily route back and forth , i have some fellow cruisers going on the same trip i am and they are boarding in carbondale IL and anothe rin Memphis and then i am boarding in Jackson Ms all on the saturday before our cruise on sunday

[Smiling Cruiser]

Try Southwest. We had $107 each way per person.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[msmagpie83]

I was going to suggest Southwest... LOVE them! (AND two bags fly free per person!)

[carib1]

Just checking with new orleans site and airfare site here on the boards... cant find an answer there so asking it here.

The airfare is running over 400 round trip.. is there an alternative airport that we could use to cruise from new orleans that might be cheaper? possible rent a car and drive to the port?

thanks

 

We ran into the same problem for our NOLA October cruise, airfare to was cheap but sky high on the return, and that was on Southwest. We are taking the Amtrak from Champaign, IL to NOLA this time, we got coach seats for $364 total r/t. Also the Saints are playing the weekend we are there so hotel prices are also high.

Edited June 29, 2014 by carib1

[QTPie68]

You are kinda stuck going into New Orleans, but.......depending on where you live, you could check into flying into Baton Rouge airport and renting a car, takes about and hour and a half to two hours easy drive to the cruise line terminal. I can fly delta cheaper to Baton Rouge than fly southwest to New Orleans, but, the inconvenience is too much!

[irishgirl]

I'm finding the same thing from Michigan. Southwest is $377 for the return on Sunday. Usually the airfare drops about 2-1/2 months out, so I'm going to keep watching until around August, hoping it drops.

 

I see it is dropping from Detroit and Chicago. Might be driving to one of those cities.

 

Judy in MI

[Bob46]

I found that if I flew on Monday instead of Sunday when we get back, I saved $100 per person. I bid on a hotel in the French Qtr for $85. We save money and have a day to explore New Orleans

[cruzn buckeye]

Thanks for all the replies.. I did look into Southwest and airfare both ways is totaling around 5 to 600 dollars... I think I have to take a pass on this one... the other girls may still go and drive down...

[tncap]

I have flown SWA into New Orleans for $96 roundtrip my last two cruises from there. Much like Carnival, when Southwest lowers a fare you can "price match" it. I only book using points so I get the difference returned to my account, but otherwise you get the price difference as "OBC" to use on Southwest within a specified timeframe.

 

I check Southwest daily for price drops right along with Fare Viewer.

Edited July 7, 2014 by tncap

[Yazoo cruiser]

Our last 4 or 5 cruises we have taken Amtrak. They leave Chicago every morning, stop in our city in central Mississippi about 10AM. It takes us about 5 hours to N.O. and is very comfortable. It costs us about $160 round trip. Of course we go a day early, but we always did that even when we drove.