Need suggestions for the final day.

We (group of 8) will be returning from our cruise on Saturday morning (8 am) and our plane does not depart until 5 pm Saturday afternoon. Any suggestions as to how we might spend the day and what we could do with our luggage? Any help appreciated.....thanks! :cool:

Hmmm. Give us a hint....which port city?:D

Sorry....New Orleans

No, I'M sorry. I forgot I was on the N.O. board!:rolleyes:

OK, you'll be off the ship probably by 9am, and you'll need to be at the airport around 3 or 3:30.....so that gives you approx. 5 hours to enjoy our wonderful city. Not really much time, so I would suggest going to Hertz (two blocks from the pier), and renting a car. (You can turn it in at the airport.) That way, you can put all your luggage in the trunk and not have to try to find a hotel to rent you 'space' to keep it.

I'm guessing you'd like to see the French Quarter? Your best bet if you have a car is to park it at the Jax's parking lot which is catty-corner from Jackson Square (the heart of the Quarter). You can get in a lot of sight-seeing and perhaps a great lunch in the area. I always suggest Gumbo Shop (on St. Peters, to the left of St. Louis Cathedral and down 1/2 block), or Pontalba Cafe for a quicker lunch. They have great po-boys, jambalaya, red beans 'n rice - true cajun food. Very reasonable prices, and you can do a lot of 'people watching' from your table through the huge open doors onto the Square.

Bourbon St. is relatively quiet during the hours you would be there, but you'll still get the gist of it. Decatur St. (where Jax bldg. is located) is a great street for shopping. Between Jackson Square and the river, you'll find Cafe du Monde - you MUST go there for beignets and cafe au lait! (Even I do that every time I'm in the area, and I'm from N.O.) Walking down Decatur through the French Market is a hoot, amazing 'stuff' to be seen. You'll hear street musicians all around you.

Other than renting the car (don't know cost), the only other option I can think if is that Riverside Hilton sometimes lets folks store their luggage for a fee. You'd have to check to see if they would do that. Good luck.

Come back when you can REALLY have some fun time in N'awlins.:)

When we were in N.O. in Jan, there was a company at the pier that would take your lugggage for you. I am not sure if they just stored it for you or if they actually took it to the airport. We did not need their services.

That way you would not have to rent a car (if the luggage service is cheaper than rental and parking) you can just walk from the pier to the French Quarter, Bourbon St. etc. and get a cab to the airport when you need it.

Try nola.com for info. If I find the name of the company I will post it.

This is what I found on the airport website:

Baggage storage available on the lower level between Baggage Claims 5 and 6. VIP Baggage Check Service is operated by Rush It Courier Service. Storage available for regular and oversized items such as golf clubs, boxes, luggage, musical instruments, wheelchairs, etc. 24 Hour Accessibility available upon request. For more information, please contact one of our baggage coordinators rush_it1@bellsouth.net or toll free 877-847-7172

They may be the company I saw at the pier, I just don't recall the name. You can call or e-mail for more info.

...you can just walk from the pier to the French Quarter, Bourbon St.

It's a LONG walk to the Quarter from the pier!

A rental car sounds like it might be a good idea. Is parking in the JAX lot free? How is driving in the city? Is there a lot of traffic? Is it easy to find your way around? We'll be there on a Saturday. We are also catching a 5pm plane so are wondering if we should spend a few hours in the city and then drive to see some things. Are there any attractions you would recommend? Thanks!

I did not think it was such a long walk, we stayed on Camp St. and walked all over N.O. , Jackson Square and beyond, Bourbon St, RiverWalk, etc.

I would not do it with luggage, but other than that we had no problem at all.

We checked in at the port, got our sail and sign card , and headed back into town for the day. We thought nothing of it!

Hi,

I called Rush It a few days ago wondering where I would find them once I got off our ship. They told me they are at the port by the tour buses & they have a big banner. Can't miss it. Don't have to pre register & you don't pay until you pick up your bags at the airport. $20.00 for up to 3 bags. $5.00 additional for each bag after that. They will take down your flight times so your luggage will be ready for pickup at the airport when you arrive. They are located in the baggage area & you pay when you pick it up!

I'm going to use this service in just two weeks! Can't wait to explore NO!

Sue