The low down on NOLA

Ok, we just booked a cruise leaving NOLA at the end of August. Always wanted to visit the city, however it looks like we may only have one full day there before the cruise. We are two families travelling with young children (2-10yrs). What can we do to soak up the New Orleans culture in one day? Special emphasis on music and food. Also, what is the best area for a hotel - emphasis on being close to "stuff" not necessarily close to the port. Thanks!

My personal favorite is the Sheraton on Canal street. It's right across from the French Quarter and easy walking distance to everything. VERY safe and a pool for the kids.

I just stayed at the Holiday Inn Superdome, because they run a $99 special that includes free parking during your cruise. (they also have a free shuttle on the hour where they will drop you off around the french qtr and at the port) .. they cant pick you up at the port, the taxi's have it wrapped up.

OP you probably want to post this question in the gulf coast ports depature section.

Iv always wanted to see the world famous acquarium there.

We like Iberville Suites and actually that is where I currently am. Not sure about 5 or more in a room, but 4 could work.

Pictures from a Sept, 2010 Triumph cruise:

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/CarnivalTriumph/index.htm

Current exploits (although there won't be Christmas decorations)

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/land_cruises/Christmas2010/index.htm

{ongoing but land based}

you may not want to be hauling kinds up and down Bourbon Street, but it really isn't anything they can't see on TV.

There is a children's museum - not sure if they are relocating or not - not in the French Quarter, but not that far:

http://www.lcm.org/

Iv always wanted to see the world famous acquarium there.

Some aquarium pictures starting around 043:

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/Blog_2009/post/indexPost.htm

We just finished our 12/11 trip on the Triumph. We stayed at the Country Inn and Suites on Magazine Street. Booked it for 99.00 with the free breakfast and free valet parking. It's about 3 blocks from Canal Street. Once you cross Canal Street, Magazine Street becomes Decatur Street which runs right in front of Jackson Square, Cafe DuMonde and the French Market. The only place we didn't feel 100% comfortable walking at night was right in front of House of Blues on Decatur Street. It was wasn't as well lit as the rest of street and just seemed a little "seedier" than the rest of the street. We weren't afraid to walk through there but just made sure we were more aware of our surroundings when we walked through there.

We spent 2 extra days in NOLA after our cruise and loved it! Walked from the port to Mardi Gras World. I should add that we traveled with our 3 kids, ages 12, 9 and 2! We also took the Dixie Tours city tour. It's a 3 hour tour in a van that takes you all over the city. We loved it as it gave us ideas on what we wanted to do the next day in NOLA. There were areas of New Orleans that we never would have known existed without taking that tour. Loved the Garden District and St. Charles Street! Would have loved to have spent more time at Louis Armstrong Park but the tour didn't allow for the extra time! :rolleyes: Oak Alley Plantation is about and hour drive away but well worth the trip! Make sure if you go to eat at the plantation! Best gumbo I had the whole trip! I was a little dissapointed that we didn't get to hear much jazz though. But we didn't get to spend a lot of time in the French Quarter during the day so that was probably our bad planning. Plus it turned off cold and rainy the 2 days we were in New Orleans so I'm sure that kept some of the street musicians from being out. The food however more than made up for the lack of jazz!

Whatever you decide to do, you all with have a great time! New Orleans is a great place to visit! Our kids have decided we need to take a whole week in New Orleans to see all the things they didn't get to on our 2 day trip!:eek:

The French Quarter is a lot of fun - the aquarium is fine if you don't have a good one near you at home, but there are other things to do with the kids if you have access to a good aquarium at other times.

We've taken our kids to N.O. a few times - starting before my youngest was 2. Here are my tips:

Be off Bourbon St by 4pm. It is quiet during the day and fairly calm, so if you want to see it, go during the day. Be warned, though - you'll still find beads in all kinds of obnoxious shapes on sale in the shops - my youngest fell in love with a set of beads and didn't understand why I wouldn't buy them. Neither did her sisters (at the time aged 5 and 8). They were penises on a string - :eek:. We laugh now, but I was pretty horrified then.

Don't miss Cafe DuMonde - I have the BEST picture of all three of my kids covered head to toe in powdered sugar and toasting each other with a cup of hot cocoa - it was a blast! (they don't usually get to eat sugary foods, so they were in HEAVEN!)

Make sure you hit the French Market and continue on through to the flea market - there are all kinds of shopping bargains back there and you can spend hours looking at all the stuff. The kids loved it!

Try a paddleboat ride on the Mississippi River - or better yet, a swamp tour and air boat ride if the kids (and you) are adventurous and not sensitive to noise ... what a blast!

The Audobon Zoo is worth a ride on the trolley (a treat in itself) through the Garden District - it's huge and beautiful and while we've been to many large zoos, that one still holds a soft spot for me.

I don't think you can really go wrong with hotel choice - there are a lot of really good options - just stay outside of the quarter if you want to sleep. There are a lot of good ones adjacent to the quarter - we love a little hotel called "Le Pavillion" - they serve 'midnight snacks' of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, and hot cocoa in the lobby, it's close to the quarter and the Riverwalk area, quiet and safe, and has a little steakhouse adjacent to it that has THE BEST homemade chocolate ice cream any of us have ever eaten. For cheap, but yummy, local eats, try Pere Antoines (can't remember the name of the street - but it's between Canal and the French Quarter just down from the Marriott hotel - any cabbie can get you there). If you're artsy, don't miss Pirate's Alley - and a horse and carriage ride through the quarter can be a lot of fun as well!

Have a blast - I miss N.O. Haven't been in a few years now and am looking for an excuse to go back!

Oh - a last note, I don't know what day you'll be there, but if you can hit the jazz brunch at the Court of Two Sisters, you'll get great music and excellent food all in one - and it's not too badly priced for the kiddos either - also love Commander's Palace! If a few of you are real foodies who love to cook, there are classes you can take - once you book your hotel call the hotel concierge, I can't remember the name of the cooking school, but it was so much fun!

The Audobon Zoo is worth a ride on the trolley (a treat in itself) through the Garden District - it's huge and beautiful and while we've been to many large zoos, that one still holds a soft spot for me.

They all axed for you!

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/nola/zoo/index.htm

They do have combo tickets for the Zoo, Aquarium, and maybe even the IMAX.

Ya know, I think I'm due for another visit to all three. Hmmm...

The French Quarter is a lot of fun - the aquarium is fine if you don't have a good one near you at home, but there are other things to do with the kids if you have access to a good aquarium at other times.

 

We've taken our kids to N.O. a few times - starting before my youngest was 2. Here are my tips:

 

Be off Bourbon St by 4pm. It is quiet during the day and fairly calm, so if you want to see it, go during the day. Be warned, though - you'll still find beads in all kinds of obnoxious shapes on sale in the shops - my youngest fell in love with a set of beads and didn't understand why I wouldn't buy them. Neither did her sisters (at the time aged 5 and 8). They were penises on a string - :eek:. We laugh now, but I was pretty horrified then.

 

Don't miss Cafe DuMonde - I have the BEST picture of all three of my kids covered head to toe in powdered sugar and toasting each other with a cup of hot cocoa - it was a blast! (they don't usually get to eat sugary foods, so they were in HEAVEN!)

 

Make sure you hit the French Market and continue on through to the flea market - there are all kinds of shopping bargains back there and you can spend hours looking at all the stuff. The kids loved it!

 

Try a paddleboat ride on the Mississippi River - or better yet, a swamp tour and air boat ride if the kids (and you) are adventurous and not sensitive to noise ... what a blast!

 

The Audobon Zoo is worth a ride on the trolley (a treat in itself) through the Garden District - it's huge and beautiful and while we've been to many large zoos, that one still holds a soft spot for me.

 

I don't think you can really go wrong with hotel choice - there are a lot of really good options - just stay outside of the quarter if you want to sleep. There are a lot of good ones adjacent to the quarter - we love a little hotel called "Le Pavillion" - they serve 'midnight snacks' of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, and hot cocoa in the lobby, it's close to the quarter and the Riverwalk area, quiet and safe, and has a little steakhouse adjacent to it that has THE BEST homemade chocolate ice cream any of us have ever eaten. For cheap, but yummy, local eats, try Pere Antoines (can't remember the name of the street - but it's between Canal and the French Quarter just down from the Marriott hotel - any cabbie can get you there). If you're artsy, don't miss Pirate's Alley - and a horse and carriage ride through the quarter can be a lot of fun as well!

 

Have a blast - I miss N.O. Haven't been in a few years now and am looking for an excuse to go back!

 

Oh - a last note, I don't know what day you'll be there, but if you can hit the jazz brunch at the Court of Two Sisters, you'll get great music and excellent food all in one - and it's not too badly priced for the kiddos either - also love Commander's Palace! If a few of you are real foodies who love to cook, there are classes you can take - once you book your hotel call the hotel concierge, I can't remember the name of the cooking school, but it was so much fun!

That's great info. Thanks!

Ok, here are a few points, the what to see and do above is a good list, depending on your tastes. also consider the National World War II museum / D Day Museum if you like that sort of thing it is located near the convention center about half a mile south of the french quarter.

A few points to remember:

New Orleans is a high crime city, has been in the top 5 U.S. cities in violent crimes for a city of its size for the last 20+ years. There is a reason for the war zone it became after hurriane Katrina, in the best of times the police barely keep a lid on things, they try to make the tourist areas reasonably safe, but use good judgement, the difference betwen a good time and a very bad time can be as little as walking a block off the tourist area. The hotels all warn of things like don't stand outside waiting for a taxi, wait in the lobby, don't go on cemetary tours in small groups, etc.

Having said that, when it comes to hotels, there are lots of choices around the the french quarter (the cruise terminal is part of the riverwalk complex just south of the french quarter, this complex just south of the reiverfront Hilton was built for the 1984 worlds fair, and includes the convention center, riverwalk mall, and cruise terminal).

As to hotels (other than the small exclusive ones) I like the Hilton riverwalk hotel the best, to the north you have the outdoor part of the riverwalk complex that connects to the french quarter, and of course it connects to the cruise terminal as it is right there. It is a fairly modern high rise hotel built about 30 years ago. (the last time I stayed there was pre-Katrina)

If you are looking for somthing wiith more "new orleans" courtyard flare, but are on a budget look at the Qaulity Inn Maison St. Charles, it is about a mile south of the French quarter, about a 5-10 minute walk to the convention center/ D Day museum, the St Charles Steet Steetcar line runs right in front of the hotel and will take you to the french quarter (just make sure you get on one going the right way) . The hotel grounds themselves are gated off with iron fence and provide a secure courtyard area with small 2 story tranditional style buildings. Certainly worth a look, not your typical Quality Inn

New Orleans is a high crime city, has been in the top 5 U.S. cities in violent crimes for a city of its size for the last 20+ years. There is a reason for the war zone it became after hurriane Katrina, in the best of times the police barely keep a lid on things, they try to make the tourist areas reasonably safe, but use good judgement, the difference betwen a good time and a very bad time can be as little as walking a block off the tourist area. The hotels all warn of things like don't stand outside waiting for a taxi, wait in the lobby, don't go on cemetary tours in small groups, etc.

There is a high presence of police in the tourist areas. Like many cities and countries, the tourists are better protected than the locals. Most of the crime is NOT against tourists.

Once that idiot Nagin was gone, the new mayor has brought in the Feds to help clean up corruption in the police force and convictions are happening - both of police and thugs. There are noticeable, positive changes.

Having said that, no city is Disneyland - not even Disneyland anymore. As in any city, be aware of you surroundings and it is best not to be the only person roaming the streets - criminals don't like lights and they don't like lots of people (except maybe pickpockets).

Popular cons include anything to do with "where you got your shoes at" and "I can spell your name". Just keep walking and ignore them.

Anyone who suggests tourists areas are in any way similar to a war zone is not correct. If you are a gang banger trying to rip off a drug dealer in areas no tourist visits, they might take issue with that.

For the most part, a family traveling with young children, is unlikely to be out late at night, or to be stumbling around drunk in the dark.

There is a high presence of police in the tourist areas. Like many cities and countries, the tourists are better protected than the locals. Most of the crime is NOT against tourists.

 

Once that idiot Nagin was gone, the new mayor has brought in the Feds to help clean up corruption in the police force and convictions are happening - both of police and thugs. There are noticeable, positive changes.

 

Having said that, no city is Disneyland - not even Disneyland anymore. As in any city, be aware of you surroundings and it is best not to be the only person roaming the streets - criminals don't like lights and they don't like lots of people (except maybe pickpockets).

 

Popular cons include anything to do with "where you got your shoes at" and "I can spell your name". Just keep walking and ignore them.

 

Anyone who suggests tourists areas are in any way similar to a war zone is not correct. If you are a gang banger trying to rip off a drug dealer in areas no tourist visits, they might take issue with that.

 

For the most part, a family traveling with young children, is unlikely to be out late at night, or to be stumbling around drunk in the dark.

I have to agree with the police presence. We walked with our kids down Bourbon Street about 6pm one night and you could have spun around blindfolded and thrown rocks in six different directions and hit a police officer. Not that I would try that but just illustrating the amount of police presence on Bourbon Street! We also stopped to look at a street map on Canal Street when a local approached us to see if we needed directions. We were very cautious about sticking around but within a matter of a few moments there was a police officer on a bike at our side to "check out" what was taking place. Turns out the local was a wealth of information and was very helpful but it made me feel better that the police had their eye on what was going on!

I agree, police presence seems to be very good in the main tourist areas (french quarter, etc.) the thing to be aware of is just how quick it tends to drop off if you step just a few feet out of that "protected" area, don't walk down the wrong side street, etc.

sounds like you need to take a day or two before cruise leaves and visit NO.