Leaving out of New Orleans

[Happy2Cruise!]

34 minutes ago, NLH Arizona said:

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

Thank you for the information!

[Giantfan13]

10 hours 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.

Thanks for the cruise lesson.

 

When you are NOT enjoying that part of the cruise it feels like 5 knots or even slower.

 

Cheers

Len

[chengkp75]

9 minutes ago, Giantfan13 said:

Thanks for the cruise lesson.

 

When you are NOT enjoying that part of the cruise it feels like 5 knots or even slower.

 

Cheers

Len

No problem.  Been doing the river about every three weeks or so, lately.  Gets real old spending 15-18 hours going up to St. James (mile 158), or 24 hours to Baton Rouge (mile 230).

[Von & John]

We will be arriving in NOLA on the Getaway Transatlantic...

I am looking forward to sailing up the Mississippi - one of the reasons we booked this cruise...

I'm hoping we'll enter the Mississippi b/4 we go to bed & will get to see a little when we wake up 🙂 

I grew up in Dubuque & had direct access to the Mississippi - spent countless hours playing on the river & just gazing at it from our Cabin deck.  I recall a time when I was about 20 - my college room-mate & I were back visiting DBQ.  We spent the day out on the river & remarked...  "You know you're getting old, when you just sit & watch the river go by..." 🤣

Can't wait to be on the river again @ the end of the line...

Spending time in New Orleans @ the end of the cruise is a bonus...

I lived in Shreveport for a while - so I've had my share of visits both during & outside of Mardi Gras...

However, this will be Johnny's first visit 🙂

Speaking of college room-mates... 

I'll be visiting the same one in Denmark, prior to our departure on the cruise

[km3045]

On 9/25/2019 at 8:11 PM, QuickieGlenn said:

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

 

I sailed out of NOLA this January, excited to see the scenery on the Mississippi.  However, it got dark very early and so I didn’t see much. You would see lights blinking along the way, but I don’t remember any towns or anything else lit up at night that was worthwhile. Plus, it was pretty chilly out in the balcony. All in all, a bust. I was disappointed.  

[LuckyLori]

We have gone out of New Orleans twice.  We drive down from Kansas and stay in Covington.  At the Best Western, very nice and it was around $100 for one room with 4 adults.  It’s about a 45 minute drive to the port but we like it!  

[chill6x6]

On 9/25/2019 at 6:45 PM, 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

 

On 9/25/2019 at 7:11 PM, QuickieGlenn said:

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

 

 

Coming up in November will be my fifth time cruising out of New Orleans.  Really It's a lot of fun to cruise out of there.  If you do it, try to come a couple of days before the cruise to at the very least visit around the French Quarter and the WWII museum.  So many fun places to eat and lots of history and culture.  

 

Hotels....I drove down the day of the cruise once and after always stayed where there was a "Park and Cruise" package at the hotel.  I like the NO French Quarter Wyndham best simply because of location.  You can literally park your car ONCE and that's it. Walk or Street Car after that.  Hampton Inn and Suites NO Convention Center and Holiday Inn Downtown Superdome are good ones too and I'm sure there are others.  I have found that the best hotels DO tend to fill up.

 

As mentioned...you'll probably get to see the river for about an hour and that's it.  I cruised once in May and got to see a lot of it.

 

A New Orleans cruise is a much different experience than cruising our of Miami or Ft Lauderdale IMO.

[Umbarger]

We love cruising out of New Orleans.  Lots of hotels close to the pier.  Love the cruise down the river, very interesting.  

 

[jennbill]

We love cruising from NOLA.  The trip down the river is great.  Don't hesitate to book a cruise from there.

 

[citizenfrank]

Seasoned sailors and completed one sailing out of New Orleans. Great place and different. Stayed August so very hot, very humid but a great vibe before the departure. Plenty of hotels near the port. The trip down the river is amazing amazing and still beggars belief that it takes 8/9 hours!

NO REGRETS

City was still suffering from Katrina twelve years on, you do need to be careful in places but WONDERFUL people and a great pre and post location