What is cruising from New Orleans like?

I've never cruised from NOLA before and I'm wondering what it's like. In November will I be in warm weather day 1, or will my first and last day not be warm weather? Is the water calm like going out of SoFL? Or is it choppy like out of NYC? Is the Haven area nice in NOLA? Any tips/tricks/other feedback?

Cruising down the river until 11pm, so mostly turns on the river you feel. Then it can be bumpy when you hit the gulf.

Weather is not always the same, so maybe you can have warm weather on the first sea day.

Sailing out of NOLA is great,,, especially if you arrive a day or two early and spend time in New Orleans!

Sailing down the Mississippi is always interesting. It feels amazing that the large cruise ships can navigate the waterway out to the ocean. The river, naturally, is glass smooth. The seas in the gulf will depend on the weather.

sailing down the Mississippi can be fun or not so, depending on the weather. We have done it 4 times, twice in Nov. One year the weather was horrible, rough and rainy: 2 really nice with sunshine and a smooth journey and the last one, it rained about the first 4 days. That was the one just 2 months ago.

We did a new years cruise out of NO a year ago. Weather is NO was comfy, maybe low 70s/upper 60s. Waters were calm. Before the cruise, we stayed a night at the Intercontinental in the business district b/c the price was excellent (note that it wan't 'posh' at all, it was like a typical Marriott or similar), walked maybe a half mile to the French quarter. Don't recall anything really difficult/complex about the port.

Was fun watching the Falcons spank the Saints live on the ship (Carnival Triumph).

I have gone out of NO about 7 times and live in Louisiana. Weather in NO in November is usually nice, 70's are typical. Be prepared and watch the weather as cooler temperatures and rain are possible. Haven area is nice and adequate for Jewel and Pearl but they will need to find a larger area for the Breakaway. Because of departure time and DST, most of the trip down the Mississippi is in the dark. By the time you wake in the morning it is usually warm enough to enjoy the pools and outside of the ship. The sea temperature is still fairly warm in November, even in the northern gulf.

I realize that the discussion is supposed to be about November, but since we were in the Haven December 5-14, 2017, I thought I'd share some pictures to give you an idea about how "nice" the Haven areas were upon Embarkation (...it was getting to POUR shortly after these pictures were taken)! It was sunny and comfortable at 1pm, but by 4pm, the storm was blowing in. The storm did not "dampen" our spirits, as we found plenty of fun activities, or quiet comfortable spaces to enjoy.

Hopefully, you will enjoy fabulous weather for your entire cruise!

My husband is not usually sickly or unwell at all, but the trip back from the Bahamas in February made him so sick. We were on the serenade of the seas and it was cold once we hit the gulf of mexico and apparently bumpy. The rest of us were fine but a little bored since we could no longer enjoy the outside of the decks. I doubt if we will ever cruise from NO again and certainly not Galveston or New York either in the winter.

How about NOLA in late March? We sail March 25 and have never been to NOLA.

We cruise at least once a year from NOLA for the last 8 or 9 years. Have done November, December, January & February cruises and enjoyed them all. Sometimes it's rainy but have never had a very rough or too cold cruise through the gulf. The big bonus to cruising from NOLA is spending a couple of days there before and/or after a cruise.

Although we have cruised from New York and LA, we enjoy cruises from Miami and New Orleans the most. Love the warmer weather:cool:

How about NOLA in late March? We sail March 25 and have never been to NOLA.

That's our cruise too! Join the Roll Call at the last link in my signature, I hope to wrangle up some activity or two - at least a Meet & Greet with the senior officers.

This will be our second trip down the Mississippi on NCL. It is great, if a little dark. You might well feel the movement when you hit the gulf at about midnight or so, but not too bad. Our first trip was in January, and it was good. I'm hoping March is lighter and warmer!:cool:

Maja651, I see you are already on the Roll Call, so pardon the commercial....

How about NOLA in late March? We sail March 25 and have never been to NOLA.

March and April have always been great for us out of NOLA......much better than when we went in December one year. We love going out of NOLA....especially since we can drive to the port but the prices keep creeping up. It’s actually cheaper for us to fly to Tampa and go to the same ports this year than it was to drive and leave out of NOLA.

New Orleans is great, you need to try out a couple of of the many great restaurants she has to offer.

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NOLA is our favorite port to sail out of. We always stay a few days before or after the cruise to enjoy the city. We have always stayed at the Maison St. Charles. Street car stop right out front, no need for a car.

March and April have always been great for us out of NOLA......much better than when we went in December one year. We love going out of NOLA....especially since we can drive to the port but the prices keep creeping up. It’s actually cheaper for us to fly to Tampa and go to the same ports this year than it was to drive and leave out of NOLA.

 

New Orleans is great, you need to try out a couple of of the many great restaurants she has to offer.

 

 

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Thank you! We are so excited to experience New Orleans.

I also will be on the March 25th sailing - hi Chuck2810 and Maja651! - I was hoping to watch as we sail down the mississippi, but will it be dark?

I also will be on the March 25th sailing - hi Chuck2810 and Maja651! - I was hoping to watch as we sail down the mississippi, but will it be dark?

I actually checked sunset and sunrise that time of year. Sunset is around 7:15 pm, so we should be able to see as we sail down the river. 😀

As far as more info on NOLA - we like staying at the Hilton Riverwalk. It’s conveniently connected to the Riverwalk Mall, there is a trolley stop that runs along the Mississippi River right out front. This trolley can take you down to the French market, down to the Jax’s Brewery area, and gets you closer to the French Quarter. There is a frozen daiquiri place that is in the food court of the mall and you are allowed to walk in public with your drinks.

Some restaurants we like include Drago’s (but only for the charbroiled oysters), located in the Hilton, Willa Jean’s is great for breakfast (make a reservation if you want to get in), Superior Seafood - (take an Uber), Dominica in the Roosevelt Hotel (we love the pizzas)....just to name a few.

The Roosevelt Hotel also has a bar called Sazurac - recommend going by there for a drink, you will think you are back in the 1920’s when Huey P. Long actually frequented the place. The bartenders are great to watch.

If you have time, the WWII museum is a must.

Hope you have fun!

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Reviving this thread instead of starting a new one...

We sail on the Pearl out of NOLA on March 7. How strict is NCL and/or the New Orleans Port on the assigned arrival time? Do they make you wait if you arrive early? I don't know that we will be there outside of our assigned arrival time, but I wanted to check in case our morning activities finish up early and we want to head to the Port a little early.

No one will ask which arrival time you were given/selected. You can arrive when you like. Traffic can be a hassle if you are driving to the port but once you drop off it is smooth sailing. I usually drop off my wife and kids, she manages the bags with the porter and I drive over to park and walk back. Check-in is very easy in the big easy.

Some restaurants we like include Drago’s (but only for the charbroiled oysters), located in the Hilton, Willa Jean’s is great for breakfast (make a reservation if you want to get in), Superior Seafood - (take an Uber), Dominica in the Roosevelt Hotel (we love the pizzas)....just to name a few.

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We definitely want to try Willa Jean's, but I didn't think they take reservations. Am I missing something?

We're also looking at Cochon Butcher. Are either of those places less busy at any time during the week? We're looking at lunch or dinner Monday-Wednesday, and brunch/lunch before heading to the airport on Sunday.

We definitely want to try Willa Jean's, but I didn't think they take reservations. Am I missing something?

 

 

 

We're also looking at Cochon Butcher. Are either of those places less busy at any time during the week? We're looking at lunch or dinner Monday-Wednesday, and brunch/lunch before heading to the airport on Sunday.

Willa Jean’s takes reservations - we used the Open Table app. We actually had 5 people but it would only let us make reservations for 4 but we told them we had 5 when we got there. Not sure about times when times when it is less busy but I would assume week days would be less busy than weekends. Not sure about Cochon Butcher - haven’t been there.

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Willa Jean’s takes reservations - we used the Open Table app. We actually had 5 people but it would only let us make reservations for 4 but we told them we had 5 when we got there. Not sure about times when times when it is less busy but I would assume week days would be less busy than weekends. Not sure about Cochon Butcher - haven’t been there.

 

 

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Shoot, I just checked and it must be a new development as it appears they no longer take reservations.

"Online reservations are not available as Willa Jean welcomes all guests on a first-come, first-served basis. Please join us daily from 7am-9pm"

Shoot, I just checked and it must be a new development as it appears they no longer take reservations.

 

 

 

"Online reservations are not available as Willa Jean welcomes all guests on a first-come, first-served basis. Please join us daily from 7am-9pm"

Oh no, that’s a bummer because they were sure busy when we went on a Saturday morning. If you go, you need to try the salted chocolate chip cookies too........yum!

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