Stay and Cruise vs Nice hotel and Fultons vs....

I have been reading the boards, and have opened about 100 tabs on my computer looking at hotels, packages, parking garages, etc and my head is just about to explode. We are driving to NOLA (in June - parents and nearly adult kids 16 & 18 yo) before our cruise and trying to decide between the following:

Choose one of the stay and park packages at hotels - but we note the price goes up dramatically when you choose the package...solely for convenience of having one point of contact for everything.

Staying at a pricier hotel in the FQ and then driving to Fultons at $9 per day to park

Staying in the GD for half the price of the FQ and parking at the terminal to expedite the departure but at $18 a day.

Money-wise this sounds all like the same thing overall, but convenience wise or factors unknown? That's where your advice comes in. I have never been to NOLA and knowing us, we usually hit a location once and try a new place on the next trip - so this might be our only visit to NOLA.

Thanks for any helpful tips!

I did all the same research.. And decided to stay in Metarie (Sp?) and park at Fulton. I was a little worried about leaving the car for a week in a hotel parking lot and also having to get back after debarkation. Figured the convenience of having the car closer and in a parking garage was better.

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I have been reading the boards, and have opened about 100 tabs on my computer looking at hotels, packages, parking garages, etc and my head is just about to explode. We are driving to NOLA (in June - parents and nearly adult kids 16 & 18 yo) before our cruise and trying to decide between the following:

 

Choose one of the stay and park packages at hotels - but we note the price goes up dramatically when you choose the package...solely for convenience of having one point of contact for everything.

 

Staying at a pricier hotel in the FQ and then driving to Fultons at $9 per day to park

 

Staying in the GD for half the price of the FQ and parking at the terminal to expedite the departure but at $18 a day.

 

Money-wise this sounds all like the same thing overall, but convenience wise or factors unknown? That's where your advice comes in. I have never been to NOLA and knowing us, we usually hit a location once and try a new place on the next trip - so this might be our only visit to NOLA.

 

Thanks for any helpful tips!

Been through the exact same thing several times.

I see you are on the Dream which mean you leave out on a Sunday. The 2 questions you may be overlooking are:

1. What exactly do you want to do in New Orleans?

2. When are you getting there and does that time frame accommodate what you want to do?

I am guessing that with kids and parents in tow you may not be a candidate for tearing down Bourbon street with a Hand Grenade in one hand and a Hurricane in the other.

I have been to NOLA a few times for business and pleasure as well as once for a cruise but have never have been to the WW2 Museum. However, it is something I really want to do in the future. I hear it is an all day thing so if you are rolling into town on Saturday afternoon then you don't really have time for that. There is also the Audbon Aquarium that has a Hurricane (the weather not the drink) simulator and the Riverwalk to check out.

There is eating. )

Usually everyone want to have a beignet at Cafe DuMonde, a muffaletta from Central Grocery, and Po-Boys or Cajun combo plate and a zillion different places.

Bottom line, figure out when you are getting there and what you want to do.

What I did for the cruise was got a room at a hotel across the street from Fulton Parking (Hyatt Place) and then booked Fulton for 1 extra day. So I came off the road, pulled into Fulton, and never saw the car until after the cruise. On the cruise morning we took a cab to the port but could have taken the Fulton shuttle too. The Hampton Inn & Suites Convention Center, Marriott Downtown at the Convention Center, are Hilton Garden Inn Convention Center all very close to Fulton. About a block or so further away but still very walkable to Fulton is Embassy Suites, Courtyard by Marriott Convention Center, and Springhill Suites Convention Center. However, be advised that there really is not much in this area to walk to except the convention center.

If you want to be close to Harrahs, Riverwalk, Bourbon Street, Royal Street, and lots of shopping stuff then Canal Street is nice. I have stayed at the Marriott at 555 Canal and it is nice. The JW Marriott across the street, the Sheraton, and others would be good choices. However, the parking for the night there is going to be expensive. ($40-$50) This area also lets you walk out the door and jump on the streetcar.

Also, a lot of pre-cruise people stay at Hilton Riverside which isn't quite convention center area and isn't quite Canal street. (kind of in the middle and closest to Riverwalk area)

If you don't care about any of this stuff, stay out in the suburbs (Kenner or Metairie are roughly the same with the latter being nicer to some degree) and you can get the cheapest room prices and then drive to where you want to go. However, you won't find parking easily in the FQ if you journey there.

Confused further or does this help a little?

If this is your first and possibly only trip to New Orleans, I would definitely stay in either the FQ, CBD, WHD, or GD and park at Fulton.

Been through the exact same thing several times.

 

 

Confused further or does this help a little?

Thanks so much Carl! I never got notification that you responded, so I apologize for not answering sooner. That is a great help!! We tentatively booked in FQ. It's pricey but my husband says "We are on vacation - it's worth it". So I guess that sums it up. We will be closer to everything for two nights and then we can drive over to the pier or Fulton's when it's time.

Thanks again!

Thanks so much Carl! I never got notification that you responded, so I apologize for not answering sooner. That is a great help!! We tentatively booked in FQ. It's pricey but my husband says "We are on vacation - it's worth it". So I guess that sums it up. We will be closer to everything for two nights and then we can drive over to the pier or Fulton's when it's time.

Thanks again!

No worries. Glad it helped.

If you have never been to NOLA you probably owe it to yourself to stay in the heart of the French Quarter at least one time and it sounds like you will have some fun. :)

I did exactly what NightOne did on the Dream this past October. We booked a FQ hotel for 2 nights. Originally booked Fulton Garage for the cruise, but called and added the 2 nights we were in New Orleans. When we arrived we drove straight to Fulton, parked the car and then caught a cab to our hotel. If you are staying in the FQ there is no need for a car, everything is walkable, and you can catch a trolley on Canal to go out to the Garden District if you want. On cruise morning we caught a cab to Fulton, retrieved our large suitcases from the car and took the Fulton shuttle to the port. It is much easier to park at Fulton the whole time then try to find parking in the FQ (a lot of hotels do have parking, but at a premium price, NOT included in the hotel stay).

If this is your first and possibly only trip to New Orleans, I would definitely stay in either the FQ, CBD, WHD, or GD and park at Fulton.

Greg,

You seem to be the expert so I could really use your help. This is my first cruise and my first trip to NOLA. We will need a hotel May 21-22 before leaving for our cruise the 22nd. My fiancé and I want to experience Bourbon St. From what I've read parking can be expensive at the hotels so I'm considering parking at Fulton Garage and then get a taxi to our hotel. I would like our hotel to be close to Bourbon street. Will this be an expensive taxi ride from and to the garage? Also, need some help finding a hotel either in FQ or a short streetcar/taxi ride over. Or what do you suggest we do ? Like I said first time cruisers and NOLA so I could really use your advice!

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Greg,

You seem to be the expert so I could really use your help. This is my first cruise and my first trip to NOLA. We will need a hotel May 21-22 before leaving for our cruise the 22nd. My fiancé and I want to experience Bourbon St. From what I've read parking can be expensive at the hotels so I'm considering parking at Fulton Garage and then get a taxi to our hotel. I would like our hotel to be close to Bourbon street. Will this be an expensive taxi ride from and to the garage? Also, need some help finding a hotel either in FQ or a short streetcar/taxi ride over. Or what do you suggest we do ? Like I said first time cruisers and NOLA so I could really use your advice!

 

 

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Parking is expensive at the hotels, but it may not be better to park at Fulton that night before. If you look at their website, they charge $10 for cruise parking and $20 for hotel parking. The cruise parking goes up to $14 if you don't book online. I'm not sure about hotel. They have gotten really good about knowing when cruises leave..and when they get back. When you pull in a day before your cruise leaves, they may charge you extra. So if you pay $20 for that "hotel night" at Fulton..your cab ride to the hotel is probably $10 each way. So that's basically $40 to park that night at Fulton.

Based on the prices...If it were me, I would go on Hotwire book the 4* downtown/superdome with 95% recommendation for $135. That should be Hyatt Regency. It's one of the nicest hotels in New Orleans. If you drive down loyola past the hyatt and take a right at the light, there is a parking garage on your right. You can self-park. I believe it is $27/night. You can enter the Hyatt from that parking garage. Out in front of the hotel...sort of in the median is a street car stop. A daily pass is $3 per person. It's maybe a 5 minute street car ride to bourbon street. I think that streetcar stops running at 11pm. So you got your hotel, parking, and unlimited transportation to and from the french quarter for less than the cheapest french quarter hotel rate.

If you want to stay in the French Quarter the 4.5* French Quarter/Bourbon Street for $177 should be Sheraton on Canal. It's very nice. The hotel and rooms are very similar to the Hyatt. The difference is you're on Canal. A block from bourbon. The room costs $42 more. And you can only valet park which I believe is $40/night plus tip.

I'd probably pick between those two. The other options I know are either lesser hotels for more money, hotels I wouldn't recommend, or hotels I would recommend but they're in the $250-500 price range for that night.

I am not a fan of the Hyatt as I think it is a little far from the action and the atmosphere directly outside the hotel is pretty blah. If you are looking to save a bit of money you may want to look into any of the hotels or B&Bs along the street car line in the Garden District. Parking is much easier and cheaper and then you can hop a street car to Bourbon Street. If you are too late to catch the street car a taxi should be pretty inexpensive for such a short ride.

I Just started looking for hotels and I think I am too late.

We have a group of 17 driving in from both Georgia and Texas and many of the hotels dont have anything available. :eek:

Is there something big going on in New Orleans the weekend of June 11th?

If anyone has any leads on affordable rooms it would be greatly appreciated.