Leaving out of New Orleans

[QuickieGlenn]

Thinking of taking a cruise out of New Orleans

 

But it looks like such a long trip up and down the Mississippi

 

How hard is it to find a hotel room?

 

Looking for some info for those that have done it

[smplybcause]

Hotels will depend upon when you're going. If it's during a festival it'll be hard to find one and expensive. If there's not a festival it shouldn't be too hard to find one, but the hotels are usually more on the weekend. 

[2bthere]

Dates?
We've sailed out of NOLA 3 times but we always come in a couple of days early and stay an extra day after.
Check the NOLA festivities timetable which can affect pricing for local hotels.
It's a wonderful place to visit, great food and gracious people.

[BirdTravels]

We stay at the Hilton or Harrahs. Near the port, on the trolley line, easy walk into the French Quarter without being in the madness. It is a long trip down the Mississippi, interesting for the first 45 minutes, then a lot of the same. 

Edited September 25, 2019 by BirdTravels

[QuickieGlenn]

17 minutes ago, 2bthere said:

Dates?
We've sailed out of NOLA 3 times but we always come in a couple of days early and stay an extra day after.
Check the NOLA festivities timetable which can affect pricing for local hotels.
It's a wonderful place to visit, great food and gracious people.

Was think of going in February, I drive to the port , have done Miami 3 times looking for something different but it is a long drive from NJ

 

[nolatravelgirl]

15 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

We stay at the Hilton or Harrahs. Near the port, on the trolley line, easy walk into the French Quarter without being in the madness. It is a long trip down the Mississippi, interesting for the first 45 minutes, then a lot of the same. 

There are no "trolleys" in New Orleans, they are called "street cars" in here.

[Giantfan13]

27 minutes ago, QuickieGlenn said:

Thinking of taking a cruise out of New Orleans

 

But it looks like such a long trip up and down the Mississippi

 

How hard is it to find a hotel room?

 

Looking for some info for those that have done it

We sailed out of NO on a B2B several years ago. We found the about 8 hour sailing up and down the Mississippi very unsatisfying. We just didn't enjoy all the oil refineries and all the other stuff that, to us, wasn't very attractive. I posted that same opinion here and several others disagreed with it. So, as they say, 'different strokes for different folks'.

Just be aware that it does take about 8 hours to clear the River before getting out into the Gulf, basically doing 5 knots during those 8 hours. 

You may like it, we didn't.

 

Cheers

Len

[2bthere]

I agree with BT regarding the travel down the "Mightly Miss" as most px's are moving around the ship going to dinner and might be checking out the ship (I remember the time leaving lent some . It takes some time (6-8?) hours to enter the mouth which can be calm and relaxing.
You're going in Feb? Please check NOLA Festivities schedule.

[don't-use-real-name]

If during an event time - Mardi Gras etc. consider staying at a less expensive hotel near the airport.

Fly in the day before - use the hotel free shuttle to/from the airport - next day go back to the airport

and take the NCL Transfer motor coach (bus) to the port and board the ship - very little hassle except

for the moving of body and luggage to/from the airport/hotel.

If that is not an option book the hotel and cruise well in advance for best results and more days to spend

touring NO.

 

That cruise down and back the Mississippi River unless in summer daylight hours will be in darkness

dusk or somewhere in between - hope the weather is inviting to be out on an open deck for the sail-away !

 

A cheap shot beware of the funky drink taxes until well past the Mississippi delta river's end.

 

 

[dbrown84]

Harrah's is real nice and it's within walking distance of the port.  There are also some nice hostels in NO if you're open to that.

[bssc]

Stayed at the Hilton Riverside when we took the Dawn to the Western Caribbean.  Most places were in walking distance including the port.  Nice view of St. Louis Cathedral as we left then it got dark (it was December).

Edited September 26, 2019 by bssc

[dporter]

We loved going up and down the Mississippi River, but I am sure not everyone will enjoy it.  Like other have said in the winter months most of the trip is in darkness so you are limited on what you can see.  It was interesting to see why flooding happens when levees break as you see homes below the river level.  

 

We have always been able to find a decent hotel at a decent price in NOLA, of course anything around $200 would be reasonable to us.  There are lots of things walkable, there are also plenty of street cars, cabs, and even bicycle taxis.  The food in NOLA is phenomenal, we have never had a bad meal.  Bourbon Street is a party all year and it is fun to people watch!

 

Check Mardi Gras time, parades will run all of the time starting in January through Mardi Gras - https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/when-is-mardi-gras/, hotels will be quadruple what you would pay at other times and the streets will be packed like sardines.

[pinklucky61]

embarkation day you may see refineries and such, but returning usually will you're asleep. just my experiences. everything looks better in the dark lit up

[smokey11]

We stayed at the Sheraton in Metairie in January a few years ago the night before our cruise and the hotel let us keep our car there for the week for free.  I called to ask about that same deal for Jan 2020 and they told me they do not offer that any longer.  I am looking for a place to stay and park for the week we will be gone.  

 

As far as the view out of the port.  It is nice as someone else said for the first little bit then not much to see.  Also the ship makes many turns as it winds back and forth and my kids did get sea sick.  There is more movement for the few hours then the rest of the trip.  Coming back to port we were all asleep.  

[Happy2Cruise!]

When does the casino open when leaving from New Orleans? 

 

[chengkp75]

9 hours ago, Giantfan13 said:

Just be aware that it does take about 8 hours to clear the River before getting out into the Gulf, basically doing 5 knots during those 8 hours. 

Well, since the cruise terminal is at mile marker 86, doing 5 knots would take 17 hours to clear the river.  Unless there are restrictions due to high water levels, the ships will do 10-12 knots average, over the ground.  The speed through the water will of course be very different due to the current, being up to 15 knots upriver and as low as 7 knots downriver.

[VtMac]

48 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Well, since the cruise terminal is at mile marker 86, doing 5 knots would take 17 hours to clear the river.  Unless there are restrictions due to high water levels, the ships will do 10-12 knots average, over the ground.  The speed through the water will of course be very different due to the current, being up to 15 knots upriver and as low as 7 knots downriver.

Cheng, does the tide effect waters (level or current) all the way up to NOLA?

[chengkp75]

19 minutes ago, VtMac said:

Cheng, does the tide effect waters (level or current) all the way up to NOLA?

The tides in NOLA average about 2 feet, low tide to high tide.  Yes, the state of the tide will affect the current, but not that greatly. 

[hillbilly73]

We have sailed from New Orleans 4 times January will be our 5th. We love the sail down the river but as mentioned in February you will only have about 1 and 1/2 hours of daylight with a 4:00 PM departure, then it is just shore lights. If you are looking at this upcoming February the uptown Mardi Gras daytime parades that can affect getting into and out of the port. Start on the 15th and end on the 25th. You may need  a lot of patience and a local with ideas to get around. Hotels will be very high during that time.  As far as hotel costs one reason we picked January this time is hotel expenses. Outside Of New Years and if the Saints have playoff games they  are relatively reasonable for such a popular destination.

Edited September 26, 2019 by hillbilly73

[davy jones]

13 hours ago, QuickieGlenn said:

Thinking of taking a cruise out of New Orleans

 

But it looks like such a long trip up and down the Mississippi

 

How hard is it to find a hotel room?

 

Looking for some info for those that have done it

Unless something major is going on, you should find a hotel room.  The rates can be "big city"

The trip up/down the river is mostly during night time hours, so it is not a big deal.

[Dawnya00]

 I have sailed out of NOLA three times, each time during Mardi Gras and never had had a problem finding a room. We book early and I track hotel prices when available. The cruise down the river is kind of cool, you see the old sugar factories and there is even a post somewhere here that will list the landmarks after sail away, but then it is dark and you should be enjoying a beverage before too long!

[josephmz]

 

We sailed out of NOLA a few years ago. Stayed at Embassy Suites three blocks from the port.

We flew in the day before.

Had dinner at a Cajun place one block from the hotel toward the port.

If driving, I suggest finding parking away from the port and taking a cab. The entrance to the parking area was a major traffic snarl. Knowledgeable cabbies know the alternate back route. Easy Peasy.

We had an evening flight home. Don't know if baggage service to airport is still available. We dropped bags and went sightseeing.

If you are a history buff, I highly recommend the WWII museum. Great place!

As to the trip down the river, yes it is interesting for awhile, but by dinnertime it will be twilight. With everything to do there is no need to sit and watch it.

 

 

 

 

 

[jazzydiver]

I found sailing out of New Orleans to be very pleasant.  We booked a stay via VRBO in an apartment near the French Quarter.  We arrived on a late afternoon flight.  Took Uber to the apartment, walked to a place to have dinner, walked up and down Bourbon Street, took a late night trip on the St Charles streetcar all the way to the end of the line and back (it was fun even though it was dark and couldn't see super well).  In the morning we walked to a place for breakfast, took Uber to the port, boarded ship fairly early.  At sailaway, we enjoyed being out on deck watching our ship pull away from the dock and stayed out for a while watching the sunset and the city and bridge recede into the distance.  Going down the river was interesting to watch.  After a while, we went inside for dinner and the show.  I think I wound up paying tax on one drink, and we don't use the casino, so the delay in getting to international waters didn't really affect us much.  I would be happy to sail out of New Orleans again.

[FranknBeans]

17 hours ago, QuickieGlenn said:

Thinking of taking a cruise out of New Orleans

 

But it looks like such a long trip up and down the Mississippi

 

How hard is it to find a hotel room?

 

Looking for some info for those that have done it

We did this cruise last year mainly for being able to spend a couple days in New Orleans and to experience the sail away. We would definitely do this cruise again as we want to spend more time in New Orleans.

For the most all of our cruises, we've done them over and over , so for us its about enjoying the ships especially when in ports while most of the ship is empty.

 

A good hotel for New Orleans is Embassy Suites by Hilton New Orleans Convention Center.  315 Julia Street, New Orleans, LA 70130  it put you just up from the famous Bourbon St. Smaller hotel but nice and staff were great and easy to get around. It also has a great private breakfast  area with full breakfast

Edited September 26, 2019 by FranknBeans
addition spelling

[NLH Arizona]

12 hours ago, Happy2Cruise! said:

When does the casino open when leaving from New Orleans? 

 

On all of my cruises, it had opened about a half hour after departing port.