Please sail out of New Orleans...

[LHP]

LHP - Hey, friend. I meant to add to my original thoughts that we'll be MORE than happy to have anyone come on over to the coast and boost our economy, too.:D Our casinos are at full speed, even a coupla new ones.

 

Have fun visiting your friends in Gulfport...If you drive down the beach, the empty lot at Kelly Ave. and Beach Blvd. is mine. I haven't decided whether to sell it or not. I definitely won't be rebuilding a 160 year old house! Still saddens me so much that I take a detour when going in that direction.

 

 

We have driven down Beach Blvd a couple of times, but it is amazing (after seeing those houses for years) how quickly you forget what each one looked like. I talked to Mrs. B (Sr) and she was suppose to be back in her house on the beach in Pass Christian by Thanksgiving. She said that Woody and Jody both have plans to rebuild.

 

Glad to hear the coast is coming back, even if it is slow going in some spots.

I do wish we could have gotten a cruise terminal in Gulfport. Gulfport certainly did a wonderful job (considering the circumstances) when the Conquest needed a place to run to that time.

[Cotton]

:) I know who your friends are; fine family.:)

[Cotton]

I was checking for an answer to the question about hotels with free parking and saw that there were no responses. If anyone knows of any, my family and I are booked on a cruise in March and would like to spend a few days in NOLA.

 

Free parking at Quarter hotels is a rarity, but a few do offer this. I'll check on this for you, and come back to this thread either today or tomorrow.:)

[Cotton]

Aw, Cotton.... It will be disheartening to not be able to see the big gorgeous old homes along the beach highway.

 

Yep, and one of those homes was mine. Thx for your caring.

[BrendaB1]

I was checking for an answer to the question about hotels with free parking and saw that there were no responses. If anyone knows of any, my family and I are booked on a cruise in March and would like to spend a few days in NOLA.

 

Several hotels are offering cruise packages with parking included. Check out the Nola Board for more info.

 

I was there two weeks before Katrina & went back three times last year. Each time it was very visible to see that progress was being made. Rome wasn't built in a day & Nola will recover with time.

 

I also cruised from there this past Jan & had a great time. It was fantastic to see so much activity around the port area with ships leaving Sat & Sun & then us on Monday.

 

Nola is a great city rich in culture & history. Not to mention the great food & music. Anyone that says a 4 or 5 day cruise is just too short should plan a pre or post cruise stay in Nola & make their trip a 7 day adventure.

 

Already have another visit scheduled for June & can't wait to get back there. :D

[kelz66]

There was a lengthy article in our newspaper today with quotes from Bob Dickinson. Some of you know that the city (my hometown) will not be getting the Triumph in August, as previously announced.

 

Unfortunately, there are not enough cruisers interested in a second N.O. ship because of Katrina. The FACT is that there's just not enough favorable publicity about how the city is rebuilding.

 

Our main tourist areas are up and running, almost as good as before. The French Quarter - our primary tourist attraction - sustained little damage. All the hotels, bars, shows, etc. are busy, and conventions are re-booking. The sports venues are back to full speed. I enjoyed Mardi Gras on Tuesday - completely back to normal.:)

 

Carnival says the Triumph will not be homeported in N.O. until August, 2008 at the earliest.

 

We NEED the tourist dollars, and y'all NEED to come have fun and enjoy our delightful cuisine in our beautiful city...right? So, please rethink your plans and come on down! :D

 

We had so much fun in January that we are booked and ready to come back for a long weekend in June to enjoy the French Quarter and do some sight seeing this time. And of course to raise some hell on Burbon street at night...LOL:D

[kelz66]

Fred - You're really showing your ignorance. Do you really think N.O. is the only city with these type problems? I think, with that 1% of crooked cops, it's no worse than many, many other cities. You want statistics? Look at Philadelphia, NYC, Atlanta, Chicago, L.A., Washington DC, and other large cities.... No murder or corruption is good, but per capita, N.O. certainly isn't at the top of the list!!:mad:

 

JaBee - Nope, I don't think Gulfport is in the running for a cruise ship now. We've got a lot longer to go as far as rebuilding that N.O. does, and I don't think it's much of a priority right now. Hopefully later.:)

 

Being a Philly resident I can confirm that. Show me a major city without crime and corruption and I'll show you where you're not looking...LOL

 

We had an all time high in murders last year, and our mayor and his friends have been under FBI investigation for years. They actually had the mayors office bugged!!

 

Yet we get plenty of tourist...because it's not as prevelent in the media as NOLA stories are.

 

I felt just as safe in the French Quarter last January as I would feel back here in Philly.

[jjk7320]

Just came back from 5 nites on the fantasy then did 5 nites in NOLA. Love to cruise as it was our 15th but must say I had more fun in NOLA. The greatest city in the country. We go to NOLA 2 or 3 times a year for a few days. If they won't do a 7 nite cruise from there we will just go and stay for a week. If people are afraid of crime they should do some research and not be led by the nose from the media. Ever see how many murders there are in New York city each year? 450-500. How about Detroit? How about Philly? does it mean you should not travel to these cities? of course not. I'm amazed that people will not book a cruise out of NOLA because of crime yet they will get on a ship that will take them to Belize, Panama, Ocho Rios, or Caracas and they feel safe there. As for the looting that took place in NOLA, again do some research. The floods of 1936 in Massachusetts brought on MASSIVE looting. How about almost every time a sports team wins a championship in this country there is MASSIVE looting and destruction. Remember the Detroit Pistons championship a few years back? I thought they were going to burn the city down. How about here in Boston after the Sox won in 04. Cars set on fire, store fronts smashed in. This behavior happens everywhere. Take NOLA for what it really is. One of the greatest cities in this country and some of the nicest people I have ever met. Embrace that city and lets help them get back what they had. To many people USED that city over the years for their fun and now are turning their backs. Don't let the media dictate where you vacation.

[big_duck]

If people are afraid of crime they should do some research and not be led by the nose from the media.

 

Sorry, it is not up to people to do "research", it is up to NOLA to get the proper word out. That is what Tourist Bureaus and Chambers of Commerce are for.

[brownii57]

Free parking at Quarter hotels is a rarity, but a few do offer this. I'll check on this for you, and come back to this thread either today or tomorrow.:)

Thanks Cotton and BrendaB1, I am also a Mississippian and have only cruised out of NOLA, but the last time was during Isador on the Inspiration. We are taking our grandson and also our son and his girlfriend this time and would like to spend a few days there before the cruise. My daughter and her husband did not have a problem letting us take their son on a cruise out of NOLA. They know that we would never do anything to put him in harm's way.

[GoinCruisin]

Sorry, it is not up to people to do "research", it is up to NOLA to get the proper word out. That is what Tourist Bureaus and Chambers of Commerce are for.

 

Duck...I agree, and I disagree. At some point in time people have to take some responsibility and research themselves... anyone that believes everything the media tells them.... well, I have this bridge :D

[phinfan63]

 

New Orleans had expected to see additional service from the Carnival Triumph in August. But Carnival has now decided that the Triumph will not port in New Orleans until at least April 2008.

 

Although the current Carnival ship that uses the port - the 2,056 passenger Fantasy - has been leaving New Orleans full, advance bookings have been too slow to bring in the 2,700 passenger Triumph as originally scheduled.

 

 

 

I think one of the reasons that they don't have the bookings they are looking for is because they only offer a 5 day from NOLA. Personally I believe the 7 day on the Triumph would have brought in more cruisers.

 

I (and 20 family members) sailed from NOLA in December and everyone had a great time in the city. We basically stayed in the Fr Qtr and couldn't even tell Katrina ever happened.

[jjk7320]

New Orleans is doing everything they can to get the word out that the city is safe and up and running. In fact it is more safe than MANY large cities. The chamber of commerce does not have money to run ads all over the country. They have several web sites loaded with info on the city. People shoud do "research" on their own, you don't just jump on a plane and go somewhere. You should have some idea what the city is like. Why do you think people come on these boards and ask questions? They are doing "research for their trip. That is called smart travel. Many people however are lazy and rely on media, that is what the CEO of Carnival was refering to when he said that their is alot of misinformation being released about NOLA right now. To many people live their life by what they see on CNN and Fox News. We have seen the same controversy with the war. Some say the media is twisting what is really going on. I don't what to get into a war conversation but just making a point.

[Cotton]

....

 

Phin...You attributed that post as mine. It wasn't. No biggie, but thought I'd make the correction for the record.:)

[iluvdoxies]

We were in NOLA this past Jan for our cc cruise on the Fantasy--we stayed 1 day prior to cruise as well as 1 day after----would go again in a heartbeat. The Quarter was quite safe, even late night.

 

I'd been to NOLA about 15 yrs ago and in the Quarter really didnt see much difference.

[brownii57]

I think that the Mayor's comment about the city was going to be a chocolate city was inappropriate. If only the "chocolate" spent their money there, he would see how inappropriate it was........and all of the cruiselines would most likely pull out.

[JudyKa]

I researched N.O. like crazy on-line before our trip there last July.......LOTS of sites with lots of good up to date info. on N.O......included advise on safety and where the best places are to stay, party, eat, etc. THAT'S where people need to start looking.....and NOT totally wrap themselves in all the doom and gloom of the press stories.

[Cotton]

I think that the Mayor's comment about the city was going to be a chocolate city was inappropriate. If only the "chocolate" spent their money there, he would see how inappropriate it was........and all of the cruiselines would most likely pull out.

 

Believe me....Everybody was upset about that stupid, assinine remark! It shows his true character. He later apologized, but half-heartedly. He really should think before he speaks, which he seems to have a hard time doing. (I'm not a Nagin fan, can you tell?) I can't imagine how he got re-elected.:rolleyes:

[toad455]

I have to wonder where the Triumph will be going starting in April 2008. The Liberty is scheduled to take over the 7 day eastern itinerary that the Triumph will be doing(the Liberty will be alternating eastern/western cruises). I highly doubt they want two ships doing the exact same itinerary every other week. Plus, can Miami hold four Carnival ships on Saturdays(Liberty, Triumph, Imagination & Fascination)?? Maybe the Triumph will go to Mobile starting in April 2008(it's been rumored that Mobile will have a second Carnival ship doing 7 day cruises soon).

[brownii57]

Believe me....Everybody was upset about that stupid, assinine remark! It shows his true character. He later apologized, but half-heartedly. He really should think before he speaks, which he seems to have a hard time doing. (I'm not a Nagin fan, can you tell?) I can't imagine how he got re-elected.:rolleyes:

It's a good thing that we were not planning our trip to visit the mayor.:D

[mrBit]

I can't imagine how he got re-elected.:rolleyes:

 

my thoughts exactly. I hope NO gets more business, HAL needs to sail out of the western gulf coast or maybe princess, only time will tell.

 

that said ALL CRUISE LINES NEED TO ADD NEW PORTS TO THE WESTERN GULF ports.

[2newbycruzers]

I researched N.O. like crazy on-line before our trip there last July.......LOTS of sites with lots of good up to date info. on N.O......included advise on safety and where the best places are to stay, party, eat, etc. THAT'S where people need to start looking.....and NOT totally wrap themselves in all the doom and gloom of the press stories.

I have also been doing alot of research on the whole cruise and if you could please send me some links for No. I would like to do some sightseeing while I am there in May. Thanks

[suzy1212]

Believe me....Everybody was upset about that stupid, assinine remark! It shows his true character...

Obviously not everybody was upset enough to not re-elect him. New Orleans can blame their image problems on themselves, not the media.

 

I'm disappointed that there won't be a 7 day Carnival cruise out of N.O. I went ahead and booked another Conquest cruise, but would have seriously considered the Triumph if the move hadn't been canceled.

[VolzCruiser]

Obviously not everybody was upset enough to not re-elect him. New Orleans can blame their image problems on themselves, not the media.

 

 

What are you talking about? If the media let New Orleans rebuild and not every other week run another story of how bad it things are, then maybe people would start to see things in a more honest light. The main stream media just needs to leave NOLA alone.

 

I do think that NOLA isn't doing enough to change peoples minds as to what she really is like. My DW were just talking about this last night.

[GoinCruisin]

What are you talking about? If the media let New Orleans rebuild and not every other week run another story of how bad it things are, then maybe people would start to see things in a more honest light. The main stream media just needs to leave NOLA alone.

 

I do think that NOLA isn't doing enough to change peoples minds as to what she really is like. My DW were just talking about this last night.

 

 

I agree 1000%! It's evident when you are actually there that the PEOPLE of New Orleans are working very hard to get people back and welcome them... the media certainly isn't helping!! They NEVER show the good that is going on there!!! That doesn't get ratings :rolleyes: Days and days, about anything bad that happens... but then during Mardi Gras, there was a 2 second clip :rolleyes: God forbid they show people in the town actually having fun and enjoying themselves!!