NOLA Excursion

Going on a cruise in Feb 2019. Does Carnival Dream offer a New Orleans City Tour excursion?

Not that I know of, but it is an easy place to get to the French Quarter on your own by either walking (not a short walk), renting an Uber/Lyft, or if you are feeling adventurous, figuring out the streetcars. Once you are in the Quarter, you can do quite a bit on foot. If you are staying the night in NOLA before or after your cruise, I would recommend dropping off your luggage at the hotel, and then taking a Lyft or Uber to the Quarter (Jackson Square or Cafe du Monde are good drop-off places). Once there, you can do pretty much anything you want on foot as restaurants, bars, and other attractions are within walking distance, and both of those places are worth a visit. :cool:

Here is a copy of a post that I made to my roll call. It depends on what you have in mind for activities/time/price/etc, but there are many interesting things to do in New Orleans, and it is a shame to have some down time in that amazing city. The food and drinks are amazing, and my wife and I consider NOLA to be a destination itself for our cruise.

Here is a list of possibilities. To be fair, I am writing this from the perspective of a passionate tourist from outside of Detroit. As such, I don't have much to offer for off the beaten path. I will say one thing though, Bourbon St is the central area and good reference for the rest of the French Quarter. It is also PACKED with tourists, so if you wanted to avoid the crowds, I would recommend navigating one of the parallel streets instead like Royal St. or Chatres St. On the other had, it never hurts to stop by to see Bourbon, there is a lot of things going on there. These are all things that I have done in my visits to the city.

 

Things to Do

1) Free: Royal St has a lot of really cool antique and other shops (mostly non-touristy) that are free to visit and an interesting way to spend a few hours.

2) Free: Jackson Square is pretty cool. It is the area right in front of St. Louis Cathedral which is also really cool to visit. Behind the cathedral is a beautiful statue that is dramatically lit at night.

3) Free: Way down Royal St, at the corner of Governor Nichols St, is the Lalaurie Mansion. It is a very old example of the architecture in the area, but has a legendary and frankly disturbing history. They don't do inside tours, but it is free to walk past. Like many buildings in New Orleans, it is reportedly haunted.

4) Music: $20 per person per show. Preservation Hall on St. Peter St, between Bourbon and Royal has fantastic jazz and blues shows. Be prepared though, you literally sit on the floor. I haven't been there since 2002 or so.

5) Drinks: LaFittes Blacksmith Shop, way down Bourbon St. is in a very old building that is reportedly owned by pirate and privateer Jean LaFitte. Ambiance is ok, but kind of interesting history.

6) Drinks: Pat O'Brien's, multiple locations. Another historic bar, and the place that the Hurricane Cocktail was invented. I recommend the location at 624 Bourbon, as they have a beautiful outdoor courtyard seating area.

7) Drinks: Pirates Cafe, to the side of the cathedral at Jackson Square is a tiny absinthe bar. They serve authentic absinthe the traditional way, if you are into that. Very strong anise/licorice flavor.

8) Food: Breakfast/Something Sweet: Cafe du Monde serves beignets (donut like pastries) and chicory coffee. It is a famous fixture in the area and is very good for an inexpensive, VERY SWEET breakfast.

9) Food: Coop's Place: a small dive bar on Decatur St a few blocks north east of Jackson Square. No frills, but the Cajun food is fantastic and reasonably priced.

10) Food: Mothers, on Poydras St. A popular (very much on the beaten path) comfort food restaurant.Very reasonable prices and it's been on the Food Network a few times. It was not my particular favorite, but it is very popular so I might try it again.

 

Here are a few tourist tips to keep in mind.

A) Like all big cities, learning a few maps, and staying close to the main areas and be aware of your surroundings is advisable.

B) A lot of people who have never been to the Quarter are shocked by the smell, particularly on Bourbon St. It is unique. It has something to do with being below sea level, horses, drunk people, how the sewers work, or all of the above. You get used to it, but just know what to expect.

C) You could easily spend the day just exploring Bourbon St, Royal St, and Chartes St and walk several miles in a small area without realizing it. Be careful, you do not want super sore feet on your cruise. Luckily, there are many places to sit down, have a drink, and rest your feet everywhere.

D) Maybe this is just me, but on multiple trips, I have had kids try a money ploy with me. They engage a man in the group and ask some variant "Are you an honest man?" Then engage in conversation about shoes, try to clean his with shoe cleaner, and then presumably asking for money. So have a response ready like "Oh, I only shop at Walmart," to use while walking away.

 

Anyway, I hope this helps, New Orleans is a really cool city and I think of it like an extra port to visit, BEFORE the cruise starts.

I hope this is helpful, and have a great cruise!

I agree that NOLA is very easy to do on your own. We spent 3 nights there in December before a cruise. We spent 5 hours in the WWII museum, to my amazement (but it was a rainy day and I was entertained) and also had time to do walking tours of both the FQ and Garden District. The cable car and bus system is also very usable with a bit of research.

I'll be spending a night in the French Quarter. It's really the whole reason I wanted to sail out of NOLA. Can't wait!

Not that I know of, but it is an easy place to get to the French Quarter on your own by either walking (not a short walk), renting an Uber/Lyft, or if you are feeling adventurous, figuring out the streetcars. Once you are in the Quarter, you can do quite a bit on foot. If you are staying the night in NOLA before or after your cruise, I would recommend dropping off your luggage at the hotel, and then taking a Lyft or Uber to the Quarter (Jackson Square or Cafe du Monde are good drop-off places). Once there, you can do pretty much anything you want on foot as restaurants, bars, and other attractions are within walking distance, and both of those places are worth a visit. :cool:

 

Here is a copy of a post that I made to my roll call. It depends on what you have in mind for activities/time/price/etc, but there are many interesting things to do in New Orleans, and it is a shame to have some down time in that amazing city. The food and drinks are amazing, and my wife and I consider NOLA to be a destination itself for our cruise.

 

 

 

I hope this is helpful, and have a great cruise!

We're going at Christmas time. Thank you for your very helpful list!