Taxi availability during Mardi Gras

We will be in New Orleans from Sunday evening Feb 26 until Feb 28 10 PM arriving on the Celebrity Equinox. We are trying to find a guide for a tour during the day on Feb 27 and then plan on getting grandstand seats for the evening parades. There are 4 of us all in our late 60's and early 70's so walking long distances is a challenge so my lead question deals how available will taxis be around the dock area and how willing will they be to do short trips to either the Garden district or the outskirts of French Quarter where the live music clubs are? I have been to New Orleans multiple times but never during Mardi Gras. I was there on St Patrick's day so I have one limited experience with carnival parades in New Orleans and enjoyed the experience. But I understand the crowds there are not as big as the ones during Mardi Gras. Another question is can anyone recommend a good live jazz club close to the port?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me for this trip. My wife and the other couple we are going to be with are depending on me to come up with things to do that are safe and doable for us.

The tram at the port rides down to the French quarter if that helps. So many roads are closed for the parade routes

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Thanks for the reply. The tram may be our best option. I will check on the times it runs.

There are no "trams" in NOLA. There is a street car and the line along the river should be running but the city will crazy with tons of street closures. The St. Charles Avenue line will not be running on Sunday as it right along the parade route. You will be challenged to get a cab to take you from the FQ to the port as you would need to seriously zig and zag to avoid the MANY parades that run during that time. You need to be able to walk a mile easily as many cab drivers will take you so far and say "this is as far as I can go."

Two of the biggest super krewe parades are on Sunday and Monday evening. (Bacchus and Orpheus) Each has a huge party that ends at the Convention Center which will seriously impede traffic to the port.

The Monday before Mardi Gras is a fairly ordinary day until late afternoon when the parade crowds start to build. Cabs are available. That's the day to plan your tour. Commercial tours would be your best bet to avoid long walks and unpredictable New Orleans February weather.

The best music clubs are on Frenchmen Street in the Fauborg Marigny, just north of the French Quarter. If you take the riverfront street car to the end it will be just a few blocks walk. You can find music listings here:

http://www.wwoz.org

Our ship Fred Olsen's Balmoral is in port on the 27th, 28th February and the 1st march as well,

Also the Carnival Triumph leaves New Orleans on the 27th

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We are staying pre and post cruise at the Drury. How bad will traffic be to get to the cruise port on Feb 19th and back to hotel after cruise on Sunday Feb 26th? I'm having a panic attack about closed roads due to parade route right next to our hotel ... Any suggestions or help

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The parades don't reach downtown until early afternoon.

You should not have any problems.

Our ship Fred Olsen's Balmoral is in port on the 27th, 28th February and the 1st march as well,

Also the Carnival Triumph leaves New Orleans on the 27th

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The Str. AMERICAN QUEEN is also in on Monday February 27.

The Str. AMERICAN QUEEN is also in on Monday February 27.

That will be a nice sight to see if we get there before it sets sail at 5pm

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