New Orleans - Getting to the Port

We are new cruisers and will be on the sailing out of New Orleans on Carnival in December. We are flying in on Sunday before our cruise leaves on Monday the 19th. We have a party of 6. I have a couple of questions. Should we stay near the airport or go on and find a hotel near the port? I feel like the hotels closer to the port will be more expensive, but we could explore a little bit on Sunday afternoon. I did find a hotel near the airport that offered a deal when stayed there they provided transportation to the port. I'm just looking for the best and most affordable scenario for Sunday night lodging and transport to the port. I assume we will just book Carnival's transport back to the airport unless there is another option.

Any suggestions for flying into and sailing out of New Orleans is greatly appreciated.

Hi,

We are on a cruise a few weeks before yours.

It seems that not lots of folks are answering questions about the New Orleans port here.

None of the hotels by the port offer free shuttles to the port except for the Hampton Inn and Suites .

I don't know how many rooms you need??

Since you are only staying over night and not really exploring New Orleans you might just as well stay by the airport IF the hotel there provides a free shuttle to the port. Otherwise there is no great advantage in being outside the city(IMO)

There are plenty of hotels at all price points .

I looked around a lot and for our dates the Embassy Suites was a good deal as they also provide a free cooked bkfst and snacks and cocktails in the evening.

I just want to add that before you book any Hilton brand hotel(like Embassy Suites) you should join their Hilton Honors program. It is free and being a member gets you a slight room discount + free wifi

Hi again,

I just found this other board--the port board and not the "home port " one with much more NOLA hotel info:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=21

We are new cruisers and will be on the sailing out of New Orleans on Carnival in December. We are flying in on Sunday before our cruise leaves on Monday the 19th. We have a party of 6. I have a couple of questions. Should we stay near the airport or go on and find a hotel near the port? I feel like the hotels closer to the port will be more expensive, but we could explore a little bit on Sunday afternoon. I did find a hotel near the airport that offered a deal when stayed there they provided transportation to the port. I'm just looking for the best and most affordable scenario for Sunday night lodging and transport to the port. I assume we will just book Carnival's transport back to the airport unless there is another option.

 

Any suggestions for flying into and sailing out of New Orleans is greatly appreciated.

I've been cruising out of NOLA since 2009 but we always drive and park at an off site garage with shuttle. You will find the port of NOLA easy to maneuver and very friendly.